PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | EPISODE 393: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 2
LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell
EPISODE 393: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 2
We continue to discover the MORE AND MORE lifestyle of the kingdom of God. Because we have Christ living in us, we can no longer live a normal life. Let’s keep on the journey.
Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to the Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies, a magazine bringing strength and encouragement to families across the world.
Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies! Welcome again to the podcast, “LIFE TO THE FULL, with Nancy Campbell.” We are continuing our series, “WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE.” So, let’s see what we can find out today as we walk through the land of the Word of God together.
We’re up to . . .
No. 5. MORE ASSEMBLING TOGETHER
I’m sure you know this Scripture, Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” Here we are encouraged, and even commanded, to not forget getting together, assembling ourselves together as the people of God.
But it doesn’t only say: “Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together,” but it goes on to say, “so much the more.” We’re not to do it the least we can. “OK, well, we get to church once a week, so we’ve done our duty.” No, the Scripture says: “So much the more.” Get together more, if you possibly can.
So, if you're one who gets to church every week, you take your children. That is such an important thing, I believe, for parents to get their children into the habit of going to the house of God together. That was the habit of Jesus. The Bible says that He went into the synagogue each Sabbath “as was His habit” (Luke 4:16). He was brought up to do that every week.
I think that is a wonderful thing that we implant in our children that it is a part of their lives to meet weekly with the saints of God. If we go to our fellowship or church, wherever we worship, Saturday or Sunday, and we do it haphazardly, what are we teaching our children? Are we teaching them the lifestyle of the Word of God?
No, we have a responsibility to teach our children what God says. God’s Word says: “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together.” There are always things that can happen, and excuses that can come up, but we don’t even allow excuses or the things that happen in our lives to change our habit. No, this is what we do. We go to be with the people of God as a family.
But we are to do it “so much the more.” Say it with me. Say these words: “So much the more.” Say it again. Say it out loud with me. “SO MUCH THE MORE.” This is God’s intention. So, don’t only go to the fellowship once a week. Go to the prayer meeting as well.
Yes, and if your church doesn’t have a prayer meeting, well, start one in your home. Have a prayer meeting. Invite some other families to be with you. When you have a prayer meeting, it can be another family meeting. You don’t have to put all your children to bed. No, they can be part of the prayer meeting. I believe children should be part of prayer meetings. So many of our prayer meetings have all the families and all the little children right down to the little babies.
It’s so beautiful to see babies at a prayer meeting. The mothers nursing the babies and then the babies and the toddlers getting tired and going to sleep. But they are in the presence of the Lord and they’re part of the prayer meeting. They learn how to pray from a young age.
GOD LOVES TOGETHERNESS
God calls the assembling of His people together an “ecclesia.” That’s a Greek word. It’s a word that occurs 117 times in the New Testament. This is how much God thinks about His people getting together. 117 times it’s used, and it means, “a congregation, a Christian community of members on earth, an assembly.”
Because, precious ladies, we were created for togetherness. God doesn’t want anyone to live an isolated life. That’s why He says in Psalm 68 that He “sets the solitary in families.” Marriage and the family were the first institution that God ordained. That enables togetherness. Firstly, a togetherness with the husband and wife. Then the family. As the family grows, there is more and more togetherness. But it doesn’t stop there. God wants to gather families to gather together because He loves togetherness.
In fact, when Paul was writing to the new converts in Rome, he said to them: “I long to see you, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me.” That word “mutual” is a word in the Greek, allelon, and it means literally “one another.” Wherever we read the phrases, “pray for one another, love one another, do good to one another, bless one another” (there are so many in the New Testament), it’s that same word. It’s mutual faith.
Paul goes on the say: “both of you and me.” Our faith is not just me and God. It’s you and me and God. It’s a together faith. God wants us to together walk with Him, because God knows we need each other. It’s like a fire. We don’t use coals so much today. Or you can think about it as a piece of wood. We especially notice it when you have coals on the fire. The coals are burning, and they all go beautiful orange and red. You can see them burning and they give off all this beautiful heat.
But if you take one of those coals from the others and put it on the hearth beside the fire, you watch it. It’s not very long before that coal loses its beautiful color, its orange and redness, and burning brightly. Soon it becomes black. Then it becomes cold. No longer hot. You can pick it up and it’s just this old, cold bit of black coal.
That’s what happens with us when we’re together. When we get together, we encourage one another, and we begin to burn more brightly. But if we live an isolated life, well, soon that fire is going to go out. So, God knows that. That’s why He says: “Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together.” Amen? All right, don’t forget that’s one of the “more” Scriptures in the Word of God.
No. 6. MORE BLESSINGS
Well, we love this one, don’t we?
Psalm 40:5: “Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works, which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward. They cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”
Let’s read Psalm 139. We read similar Scriptures. Verses 17-18: “How precious are Thy thoughts unto me, O God. How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with Thee.” Truly ladies, God’s blessings to us are more in number than we can count. They’re more in number than the sand on the seashore.
Sometimes we don’t feel like that, do we? We seem to think everything’s going wrong and we forget to think about the blessings. But I believe this is what we should be doing; always thinking about the blessings. They’re more than can be numbered. Do you thank the Lord for His blessings? Once again, I think of that old hymn, “Count Your Many Blessings.”
Count your many blessings.
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings.
See what God has done.
Count your blessings.
Name them one by one.
And it will surprise you
What the Lord has done.
It’s a great hymn to sing together, isn’t it? Remind ourselves to count these blessings, even the blessings. I was sharing with you last episode of the blessing of our great redemption and God’s great grace toward us, and how we should constantly thank Him for His redemption, and for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 11:13 says, Jesus speaking: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” We are so blessed to have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us, guiding us, comforting us, teaching us, leading us into the ways of God. Oh, what a blessing!
EACH ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING
And your children . . . aren’t each one of them a blessing? The Word of God calls them a blessing. In fact, every new child that comes into your family is another “more.” It’s another “more” blessing added to your family.
WALK IN GOD’S BLESSINGS EVEN IN THE TRIALS AND STORMS
But as I was saying before, life is not perfect. And we don’t always live a life of sunshine. Often the rain comes, and the storms come, and the winds blow. They beat upon us. You could be going through one of those trials right now. You feel the rain beating down. You feel the storm coming against you and your family.
But you don’t need to despair. Remember the story of the house upon the sand, and the house upon the rock. That house that was built upon the rock stood the test. It stood the storm. Even though the storm beat upon that house, the house did not fall. The house that was built upon the sand could not take the storm.
Precious ladies, building our house upon a rock is building it on the foundation of Jesus’ words. His words. We’ve got to live on His Word because that strengthens us. It makes us strong, even when the storms come. I think of that Scripture in Hebrews 2:10, how it says that even Jesus, “Who was the captain of our salvation, was made perfect through sufferings.”
Many times, we have to go through these trials so they can perfect us. If life is all sunshine, well, we never really learn to know Jesus in a way that we can only know when we go through the trials. I don’t think anybody misses out. I think in this last year, we’ve been through a trial that has been very difficult. But it hasn’t changed our lives because our house is built upon the Rock, upon Christ.
It’s just amazing. Even in the midst of a trial, you can be filled with joy! You can live above it because you know who God is. You know you can trust Him. You know He is always working everything out for good for those who love Him. It does not even have to affect your life in a negative way because your trust is in Him. I think that’s the most wonderful thing that we have in Christ.
When our house is built upon the Rock, we can withstand the storms of life. So, we can even rejoice in them, even as Paul said: “I rejoice in tribulation.” Well, in the natural, we don’t tend to do that. But Paul said: “I rejoice in tribulation.” We can do that. When we know our life is hid with Christ in God. I think that as we have faced things in this life here, we have faced it in joy, knowing that God is with us.
But also, I guess knowing that, even knowing our relationship together as husband and wife, just knowing the strength and the togetherness that we have with one another, is such a powerful, powerful strength. I want to say, lovely ladies, do continue to strengthen your marriage. Don’t let your marriage get cold. Don’t let your relationship wane between you. Always be building it, making it stronger, making it sweeter, making it more wonderful. For when the trials of life come, you will be able to stand. Amen?
And let me tell you, there are also seasons in life. We think of Job and we think of all that he went through. Oh, my. In fact, when we think of Job, we think of a life of suffering, don’t we? But it wasn’t a life of suffering. It was a season of suffering which God allowed him to go through, to prove him, but also to show Satan that Job was a man, who no matter what, would not give up his trust in God. Job could say: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13;15). That was the strength of his trust in God.
But it was only a season. We read in Job 42:12, that at the end of this season, it says: “And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than (here’s another “more than” ladies) more than his beginning.” He was very blessed at the beginning. He was one of the richest men in his day. He had so much. He had the most blessed family. He had everything you could imagine. And yet, God says, at the end, He blessed him even more. Even out of trials, even out of difficult times, you can trust God that He will yet bless you.
Here's another promise. Jesus says in Luke 18:29-30: “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more.” Did you get that again? Another “more” Scripture. “Manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”
GOD’S FUTURE BLESSINGS UPON ISRAEL
And then, there’s another amazing passage that talks about God’s “much more” blessing, which I must bring to you, because as I’m going through this walk through the land, I’m not missing out one Scripture. Every Scripture that talks about the “more,” I’m going to be telling you about.
This one is about Israel. It’s found in the New Testament in Romans 11. You really need to read the whole chapter, but I’m going to give you just three Scriptures from it.
Here they go. Verse 12: “Now if the fall of them” (that’s the Jews, the Israelites) if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” The Bible tells us how God allowed the blinding of the eyes of the Israelites so that the gospel could go to the Gentiles, to us, so we could be so blessed, and also come into this wonderful kingdom.
But, dear ladies, this is a Scripture that tells us there’s going to come a time when God is going to reveal Himself to His people. They’re going to know and acknowledge that He is their Messiah. God talks about this time and says: “How much more their fulness?”
Verse 15: “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”
Verse 24: “For if thou wast cast out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree (that is Israel) how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?”
Wow! When that day happens, it is going to affect the whole world. The only way that Paul could describe it was “how much more,” and “life from the dead.” It’s going to be a miraculous hour. That’s another “more” blessing that we read in the Scriptures.
All right. Let’s carry on. Are you enjoying walking through this land of more and more?
No. 7. MORE BOLDNESS TO SPEAK ABOUT JESUS
In Philippians 1:14, it says, Paul was writing. He says: “Many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident in my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
So, here, these believers saw Paul was in prison. He was imprisoned by the Romans. He was most probably chained to a guard at this time. But they saw that he did not stop telling people about Jesus. He kept witnessing even though he was in chains. And that gave them boldness. “OK, if Paul can do it, well, we can do it!”
So, we give encouragement to one another. Even when we’re going through difficult times, even when we’re being persecuted for our faith, as we continue to be bold, to witness for Jesus, we encourage and inspire others also to be bold.
And I believe we need to be bold in this time, dear ladies. We need to be bold to speak the truth. In the midst of the darkness and deception all around us, we must never be silent in the midst of deception, never be silent in the face of tyranny. We always speak boldly the truth of the Lord. Don’t be afraid to speak the truth. For when you are bold to speak the truth, well, then others will also be “much more bold” to speak the truth. Amen.
No. 8. MORE CONQUERING
You all know this Scripture, Romans 8:37: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” The Bible does not say that we’ll be conquerors, but what does it say? “More than conquerors.” Yes, this is another “more than.” We’re not just barely conquering, just managing to live over and above our difficulties. No, we are “more than conquerors.” We are living totally above them because we live in Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Father, seated in heavenly places. So, we are “more than conquerors.” Amen?
What does Revelation 12:11 say? “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” They were bold to speak forth the power of the blood of the Lamb. They were not ashamed of their testimony of Christ. And it was the word of their testimony, how they overcame.
One time I was talking to my young grandsons, and asking them, “Which ‘more’ in the kingdom of God would they like?” And they all wanted MORE CONQUERING because that’s what boys want, isn’t it? They have a conquering spirit. They just want to conquer. But we all need to have that conquering spirit, not just a conquering spirit, but a “more than conquering” spirit.
In 1 John, it tells us that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus went back into the heavenly realm and now He dwells in us by His Spirit. But He still wants us now to do His work on this earth, which is to destroy the works of the devil, and to be “more than conquerors.” That Scripture says that we are “more than conquerors” over all these things.
Well, what were the things? If we go back there, into that Word, we see that these things that are mentioned there are tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword (Romans 8:35). Wow! That’s facing even, wow, maybe even having your head cut off! Well, the Bible says here that we are to be “more than conquerors” even over all these things.
And I don’t think we’ve faced hardly any of these things today. We rarely face, today, here in the States, the trials and the persecutions that the early church was facing. Well, maybe some of you are facing some tribulation. Maybe there’s distress in your life. Well, OK, the Bible says that we are to be “more than conquerors” over it. We don’t live under it. We live over it. Amen? That’s being “more than a conqueror.”
But then it goes on . . . persecution. Well, we really don’t know much about persecution today. Wow! There are so many, literally thousands, millions of our fellow saints who are going through persecution. In Middle Eastern countries, North African countries, Islamic countries where if they boldly proclaim that they are a believer in Christ, they’ll be thrown out of their homes. They can face great persecution. They can face martyrdom. There are more martyrs today for the faith than at any other time.
What kind of persecution do we face? Maybe you get a little persecution from your family. They think, “Oh goodness me! You should be out earning some money instead of being home, homeschooling your children!” So, you get members of your family giving you negative words.
But really, is that real persecution? That’s nothing like what so many are facing today. They’re facing torture. They’re facing martyrdom. They’re facing being thrown out of their homes. They’re facing . . . they don’t know what’s going to happen, or what police will pick them up at any time. We don’t face that.
What does it go on to say? “Famine, nakedness, peril.” We don’t even face these things! Surely, we can be “more than conquerors” over the little things we do face here in our lives today. May God make us stronger than we have ever been.
No. 9. MORE EARNEST HEED
In Hebrews 2:1, it says: “Therefore, we ought to give more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time, we should let them slip.” It’s easy to let things slip, isn’t it? You know, we can let our Bible reading slip. Sometimes we can even let our family Bible times together slip.
I know, life’s so busy. Life can be overwhelming. Things happen, and sometimes we think, “Wow! We just haven’t got time to get together!” For one day, we’ll say, “OK, let’s just skip our Bible reading time today because we’ve got to do this.” But you know what, ladies? You do it one time and then you’ll do it another time. And then, it’s easy for it to slip away altogether. Yes, we have to watch that. We must not let things slip.
And I do believe that our family Bible reading and prayer together as a family, morning and evening, I believe they are the foundation of raising a strong and godly family and preparing godly sons and daughters for this world and for the destiny God has for them. It is such a powerful thing and it’s the responsibility of us parents. So, I think I’ve shared with you before many times that in our home, I make it a priority. I don’t let it slip. I don’t let other things take it away.
There can always be other things . . . oh yes, they come up, so we just let it slip. But what does the Bible say? Here it is again: “Therefore we ought to give earnest heed.” No, it didn’t say that. It says: “Therefore we ought to give more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest that at any time we should let them slip.”
The Holman Translation says: “We should pay even more attention.”
Yes, not just attention, but more attention. We should pay more attention to that little soft whisper of the Holy Spirit speaking into our lives, because God mostly doesn’t come to us in a great big loud voice. He comes to us in that still, small voice. It’s just a little soft voice, but He’s speaking to us.
Maybe He’s speaking to you about being more diligent in managing your home, keeping it clean.
Maybe He’s speaking to you about getting up at a certain time in the morning, so you have a good start to your day, and you don’t let it run away with you. Well, that’s a very important thing for managing a home, and even managing your life. Getting up in the morning. Yes, God intends us to get up in the morning. He gives us sleep. Oh, He gives His beloved sleep. He wants us to have a good night’s rest. But He does want us to get up to start the day. I believe it’s the break of day. It’s how God intends us. Not sleeping in but often we do that because we’ve been up too late at night. God gives the night for rest. He gives the day to get up and get on with things.
Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Whatever He’s saying to you. He’ll be saying something different to all, each one of you, because each one of you, your lives are different. Listen.
I need to listen more. I want to listen more. I want to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart. Don’t you? Then let’s give more earnest heed to that whisper, that whisper of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
All right, ladies, our time has come to an end again today. I hope you're being blessed. Next week we’ll continue to walk through the land. We’ll discover more of these “more and more” Scriptures.
“Dear Father, we thank You so much that You have brought us into a MORE AMD MORE life. Save us from ever stagnating. Save us from ever being in the same place. Help us to always be growing, always increasing, always coming into more and more of Your truth, more and more of Your will, more and more of Your plans for our lives. Please teach us more and more.
“Give us a meek spirit, because You have said “the meek will He teach His ways.” Lord, we want to be those who hear Your whispers so we can walk in Your ways in their fullness. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.”
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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Transcribed by Darlene Norris
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