PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | EPISODE 408: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 14
LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell
EPISODE 408: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 14
Back to our series today. We talk about three things. How can we praise God MORE AND MORE? You are FAR MORE precious than rubies. The trial of your faith is MUCH MORE precious than gold.
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. Today we are coming back our series about “Welcome to the Land of More and More.” I hope you enjoyed the last two podcasts with Connie Lanford. It was lovely to be able to do those with her. So, we’re back to our series today, to get through all the things in the Word of God where God wants us to do them more than the normal, more than the average.
Now, before we start, I want to talk to all our lovely ladies listening in the UK, and in Continental Europe. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we were coming in May for the Above Rubies Family Camp, but now it’s been postponed, and we’re having it in October. The reason is that quite a number of families were so wanting to come, but they hadn’t been able to save up the required money to come. They pleaded with Beverly, our director in Above Rubies in England, saying, “Could we have more time?”
So, Beverly has now postponed it until October. That gives families more time to prepare, and to save, ready to come together the first weekend of October. That’s going to be a wonderful time to get together. Put it on your calendar. Start saving. We hope that we’ll be able to see you in person there. It would be wonderful. Some of you from countries in Europe, you may like to pop over to the UK. It will be held in Wales. It would be great.
Another thing: Beverly has asked if I would ask you, could you please send in your emails to her? She doesn’t have everybody’s emails and it’s so important to have your emails to keep in contact with you. Her email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It’s also in the magazine. She would really like to get the mailing list up to date and add the emails and any other information you have.
Also, all you lovely ladies listening there in continental Europe, could you send me your emails? We don’t have a lot of your emails either. It would be so lovely to be able to keep in contact with you more this way. So, send those to me, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thank you so much.
All right, we’re up to . . .
No. 28. MORE PRAISE TO GOD
The Scripture I have here is Psalm 71:14, where David says: “I will hope continually, and will yet praise you MORE AND MORE.” David wasn’t satisfied with his praise to God. He knew that God was worthy of more and more praise. This is what he cries out here.
And so, this is a challenge for us too. Are we those who just, well, we’re just an average praiser of God? We go to church, and we sing hymns of praise and beautiful worship songs of praise. We enjoy that. Many times, the music carries us along. But we go home, and how much are we praising Him throughout the week? Because our praise should be continually of Him. In fact, more and more.
Let’s think of how we can praise Him more and more, getting into the habit of saying, “Thank You, Lord,” even when some little thing happens. When you're walking out in nature and you see the beautiful new leaves of the trees coming in the spring. You see a beautiful new spring flower, and you just thank the Lord. You praise Him for His wonderful works of creation. You praise Him.
I think I’ve told you this before, but something that I have made a habit in my life now, and that is to praise and thank the Lord every day for His death upon the cross, for His great salvation, for the glorious and eternal inheritance that awaits me and for all those who love His appearing. Oh, how can we take it for granted? Let’s remember to praise Him.
Of course, if you are meeting with your family every morning and every evening, you’ll be having time then when you can praise the Lord, because not only do we read the Word, but we love to pray. Of course, part of prayer is praising and thanking the Lord.
I’m not doing this at the moment, but I did this for a number of years. I’d love to tell you about it, because it’s a great idea. I think it’s marvelous, especially for moms with children all around you. Sometimes things can get rather hair-raising. You get overwhelmed. There’s nothing like having your thoughts and your attention turned back to the Lord to keep you in that place of peace and joy.
So, one day, I was reading Colossians 2:7, which says: “Abounding therein with thanksgiving.” That word “abounding” is that same word that keeps popping up all the time; perissueo. I’ve told you about perissueo before. You know that it means “to be abundant, over and above, overflowing, to excel.”
I was reading that, and I said, “Well, how can I excel in thanksgiving? How can I be over and above? “More than” in thanksgiving? Because you get involved in what you're doing, and it takes up all your thoughts, and your time, and your actions.”
Then I thought of this idea, and I know it was the Lord who gave it to me. I thought of my kitchen timer. I thought, “I know what I’m going to do. I’m going to turn my kitchen timer on every hour. When I hear the ‘ding,’ “Well, then, I can stop whatever I’m doing and praise the Lord.” Just give a moment. “Thank You, Lord.” Just thank Him for something that I think of at that moment. Then I turn the timer on again, and it’s going to “ding” again in an hour. You can do this in your home, lovely mothers. You can do it with your children, and they will also get into the habit. When they hear that “ding,” they stop and praise the Lord.
That’s a better ding than all those iPhone dings, isn’t it? They drive you crazy! I can’t even believe how it seems that most people today don’t know how to live without their iPhone right on them, right next to them. Actually, it’s not even healthy with it right on you. Oh, I see girls putting it in their back pocket. Oh goodness me, that’s not a good place to have it. They put it in a pocket, even in their breast. Oh goodness me, that’s a terrible place to have it. These phones are not good. They affect your body negatively. You really don’t want them right on your body at all.
But it seems that so many of them have to look at their phones to find the time. I never do that. I just keep my old watch on. It saves me doing that. And they’re listening for every ding! I was talking to someone the other night. She’d just got a new phone. She said, “I’ve got to get my dinger on, because I don’t know when my messages are coming it.” I said, “Oh, how wonderful that you don’t have to be bothered by all those dings!” She said, “Oh no, I want them!”
Actually, I don’t want them. Forgive me for saying that, because maybe I won’t get your message. Hopefully, eventually I will, but I have missed weddings. I have missed showers, all because I didn’t even get the message, because now nobody does anything through paper. It’s all through social media on your iPhone. I just can’t be one who is totally bound by this phone!
Anyway, whatever you're going to do, maybe you can do a timer on your phone, because kitchen timers are a little bit archaic now, aren’t they? But think of some way where you are reminded, maybe every hour, or whatever time you want to do it. You all stop. “OK, children, let’s praise the Lord! You can thank the Lord for something.” Get each one to thank the Lord for one thing.
That’s such a great idea. It keeps your heart looking toward the Lord. You may be in the middle . . . maybe the children are having a fight, and somebody’s getting mad, and you're getting upset. And “ding”! “Oh, it’s time to praise the Lord!” Wow! That was really good. You needed that. Perhaps you’d like to try that idea. Get your children into the habit of it also, so that you're all taking those moments throughout the day to praise the Lord.
And it’s not praising the Lord, “Oh, thank You, Jesus, for this lovely day.” No, it’s over and above! In fact, when we go to that passage where it tells us about Jesus feeding the five thousand, we read this word, perissueo again. It’s here, in John 6:13. It was after Jesus had fed the five thousand plus.
You remember, before He fed them, He did something. Jesus told the disciples to make all the people to sit down. In fact, every gospel tells us that Jesus commanded the disciples to command the people to sit down. He didn’t give them any food until they were all seated, and they were all seated in groups.
Was that just something Jesus did? Well, He did it, but it was for a purpose, because Jesus Himself knows that when you eat, it’s important to sit down. We’re not meant to eat on the run. We’re not meant to eat standing up. We’re meant to eat sitting down, taking time to sit and relax, preferably sitting around the table. We’re also communicating, because food is something that goes with fellowship and dialogue.
But when Jesus had got them all seated, then He blessed the food. Of course, we know the miracle of how the food multiplied and fed all these people, and not only fed them, but fed them over and above. We read here in John 6:13; this is after Jesus told the disciples to gather up all the leftovers. It says: “Therefore, they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragment of the five barley loaves which remained, over and above, unto them that had eaten.” That word is perissueo.
It is the same word that’s used in Colossians 2:7: “Abounding in thanksgiving.” Now here, it’s talking about the leftovers. Twelve basketsful over and above. Perissueo. Abounding, more than is needed, excessive. That’s how God fed the people. That’s how He wants us to praise Him, over and above what is normal or necessary. It’s meant to be over and above.
TWELVE BASKETSFUL OVER AND ABOVE
So, lovely ladies, and I speak to myself and challenge myself. Where am I on this scale? Am I yet up to twelve basketsful, over and above? My, that’s a lot, isn’t it? Maybe we start with one. Yes, you've got one basketful over and above. You’re just getting to praise the Lord a little bit more. Yes, He’s worthy of so much more.
When we’re talking about praising, we can also include the members of our household. How we should also be praising them. Praising our husband. Thanking our husband. Praising and encouraging our children. How do we do this? Just with this boring one-basketful leftover.
How is it when we not only thank the Lord, but thank other people? When they do something for us, or give us something? “Oh, thanks so much. That’s nice.” Well, that sounds OK, but do you think we could notch it up a few basketsful? Maybe we get to three or four basketsful over and above. “Wow! Thank you so much! Wow! I appreciated that!”
Now, that’s getting above the normal. And I believe that’s how we are meant to be in our praising and thanking of God. And also, even our thanking and appreciation of others around us. Those in our family, our husband, our children, and then, people who we’re in contact with.
So, ladies, I’m putting out that challenge for you, as I also give it to myself, so that I’m not going to be, well, no basketsful left over, or just one or two. But more and more! So, we’re becoming a very thankful and praising person, even over the top. That’s how we meant to be! Yes, twelve basketsful over and above!
Now imagine a household, imagine a family who are loving and praising God twelve basketsful over and above. Appreciating and thanking and praising one another! Twelve basketsful over and above. Wouldn’t that be exciting? Well, actually most of us are so boring that we would think we were being strange to get more over the top. Even when thanking people, “Oh, thank you so, so much!” Have you ever said it like that in your life? Well, it’s time we got to do these things a bit more. Anyone saying “amen”?
Or perhaps you’d rather stay average and ordinary? Did you know, lovely ladies, nothing in the Bible is average or ordinary? Even in our praise to God, let’s begin to praise Him more and more, as David wanted to do. Let’s get out our iPhone timer, or the old kitchen timer, or something, and make these moments throughout the day to stop and praise the Lord. OK? I’m sure you will be so blessing your home as you do this.
No. 29. MORE PRECIOUS THAN RUBIES
Now, of course, the magazine I do is Above Rubies: “Who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies?” As I checked out different translations of the Bible, I found that half of them said: “Far above rubies,” and the other half said: “Far more precious than rubies.” So, both are great. “Far above,” or “Far more” both mean the same thing.
But what it’s saying is that a virtuous woman is one who is worth far more than precious jewels. And dear precious, lovely wives and mothers, this is talking about YOU. This is what God wants you to do in your home as a wife. I wonder why she is far more precious than rubies, than pearls, than precious gems? Well, it says that: “she will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”
Often, when my husband is reading Proverbs 31 on the evening of Shabbat each week, he will sometimes say the wrong words, just to see if we are listening. He will say, “She will do him good and not evil, some of the days of her life.” Oh, if nobody says anything, he knows we are not listening. When they’re listening, people will butt in and say, “No! ‘All the days of her life.’”
This is true. A wife who is doing good, blessing, and loving, and encouraging, and helping her husband all the days of her life is worth far more than precious jewels. And even in her home, it says: “She looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness.”
Do you notice, ladies, how that verse 27 doesn’t say “she looks well to the ways of her career”? No, it actually doesn’t say that does it? It says: “She looks well to the ways of her household.” This is the most preeminent goal, to manage her household well.
Let’s look at one or two other translations.
The CEV says: “She is the most precious treasure a man can find.” Do you like that one?
An Aramaic translation says: “She is precious beyond incomparable, precious stones.” Yes. I actually love to say, “incomparable.” I know the correct pronunciation is “incomparable,” but it doesn’t sound so amazing as saying “beyond incomparable, precious stones.” That means her comparison is impossible. There is absolutely nothing or no one to compare with her. So, my lovely ladies, be encouraged today. This is the description God has of you in His Word. You are worth far more than precious jewels. Amen?
As I think of this Scripture, I think of that verse over in 1 Peter 3, where it is talking about wives. It says here, verse 3: “Whose adorning, let it not be the outward of adorning of plaiting the hair, and the wearing of gold, or the putting of apparel” (that’s not saying that you can’t wear gold, and you can’t fix your hair, because it says here “or putting on of apparel” (that’s putting on your clothes, and you must put on clothes!)
But it means that’s not the main thing that you're thinking about. Of course, you're going to wear clothes, and fix your hair nicely, and maybe wear jewelry when you go out. Yes, that is fine. The Bible speaks about women wearing jewelry. It’s not against the Bible to wear jewelry.
But it goes on to say, what is the most important? “But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek (or gentle) and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of GREAT price.” Here we have the same thought. This woman is worth far more than rubies. This woman in the home, with her gentle spirit, is in the sight of God, of great price.
I can remember reading this Scripture as a young wife and mother A=and thinking, “Help! I give up. I can never be like that!” It wasn’t even my personality to be gentle and quiet. But, however, the Lord has worked upon me over the years. Of course, this word “quiet” doesn’t actually mean that you are a quiet personality, and you never, ever raise your voice.
No, it’s talking about, in fact, the actual picture of the word in the Greek means “to stay on your seat.” In other words, it means when things are getting out of control, and you're getting worked up inside, and you're ready to blow your top. But no! You stay seated. You stay calm. You stay seated inside, so that you're not going to get out of control. That’s the beautiful picture of that word.
Of course, I wasn’t like that in my beginning days. I was a bit of a riot. But as we seek to live God’s ways, and we seek to live in His Word, God begins to change us, little by little, and conform us into the image of His Son. Don’t despair. Keep pressing on into the Lord and remembering that this beautiful spirit is of great price in the sight of God.
No. 30. MORE PRECIOUS TRIALS
Well, we don’t like to think about trials, do we?
1 Peter 1:7: “That the trial of your faith, being MUCH MORE precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
Do you notice, in that Scripture, it doesn’t say that “the trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold”? No, it says: “MUCH MORE precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire.” Because that’s what happens with gold. It is always tried in the fire to purity it. They heat it up to intense heat, and as they do that, all the muck and the junk comes to the surface which they scoop it off the top, but they’re not satisfied with that.
To get the pure gold . . . there are different karats of gold. You know, 12 karat, 18 karat, and it goes up and up. It’s how it’s purified. But the costliest is that which is the most purified, where they keep heating it up, often seven times, to get rid of every impurity. We go through our trials. We all go through them in different ways and different seasons. Sometimes we hate them, and we don’t like them, and we complain about them.
But God wants us to see them as opportunities for Him to work in us, and to be able to bring to the top and expose all the stuff that’s there that shouldn’t be there, so it can be skimmed off, and the Holy Spirit can work in our hearts, and bring us forth more and more like pure gold.
So, don’t despise the challenges, the difficulties, the trials that you go through. Let God do His perfect work, because what is happening, ladies? You are going to receive, what does it say here? “Praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Three adjectives to describe what God is working in you now and that will appear at that judgement seat of Christ.
Because there is coming a day when we will all stand at the judgement seat of Christ, and we will be tried according to all the works that we have done, and according to all the words that we have said. That is scary, isn’t it? Praise the Lord for the precious blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all things.
And I believe that according to the Word of God, that everything that is exposed in our lives as we repent of it, and we confess it, and we turn from it, that the Lord Jesus cleanses us, and forgives us. It says in Hebrews 8:12: “And I will remember your sins no more.” That which is forgiven and comes under the blood of Jesus will be remembered no more. Praise the Lord!
But there are things that are still there in our lives that have not come under the blood of Jesus. We will stand for them there at the Judgement Seat of Christ, and we will be rewarded according to our works, whether they have been evil or whether they have been good.
Oh, there are so many rewards for the good things that we do. Jesus and God, both in the Old and the New, speak about the rewards that are coming, because God is a rewarder also. There are going to be many rewards in Heaven too, and here it says that we’re going to receive “praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
I was reading a statement the other day. This man was a Puritan, an old Puritan. He said:
“Behind me is Christ. Before me is Christ’s coming.”
He said, “This is how I live.” I love that thought. Yes, the cross of Jesus is behind us. As we come to the cross, and we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). So, we have cleansing through the blood of Jesus that was poured out at Calvary. We are so blessed. That’s why we thank Him every day for His great salvation. So, we look behind to thank Him, but we look ahead at the coming of our Lord Jesus.
Did you know that Jesus is coming for those who look for Him? We are to be looking, and “hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens, being on fire, will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:12). So, it goes on, because that day is coming. I think it’s a wonderful way to live. I believe, and I’m coming to realize more and more myself, to live every day, thanking Christ for His death upon the cross.
So, I look back to that, but I live, looking to the coming of the Lord Jesus, because this life, ladies, is only a vapor. It’s just so short. And every day, and every moment is preparing for the eternal world. It’s preparing for eternity, which is the real world, so that we will stand before Him, with “praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
So, dear mothers, in your homes, as you're mothering, you are in the perfect will of God. This is what God wants you to do. He gave you these children, so don’t think, “Oh, goodness me, I could be doing something else! What am I doing here, just looking after these children?” No!
You are in the most powerful career in the nation. You are in the perfect will of God. You are where He wants you to be!
Pour out your heart as you mother your children. You are training them and you are preparing them to be godly sons and daughters in this world and ultimately preparing them for the eternal world. This is where you will receive your praise and honor and glory. It’s not running out of your home to find somewhere else. It’s in your home, where God places you, where He has planned for you to be, to prepare and mold your children, and begin to give your children this vision also, that their lives, every moment of their lives, is counting toward the eternal world. It’s the real world, mothers.
Children, young people listening, it’s the real world. Everything in this world that you do is going to be burned up if it’s just wood, hay, or stubble. The only things that will last and go through the fire are those that are gold and silver and precious gems. Those things which cannot be burned up, those things which are the will of God (2 Peter 3:10-14).
As it says in 1 John; can I just read this to you as we’re closing?
1 John 2:15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
Precious mothers, you are in His perfect will. Don’t do it with complaining. Embrace it with joy. And as you pour your heart into this mandate that God has given you, yes, you’ll face trials and difficult days. But remember, God is purifying you, and the trial of your faith will come forth, precious as gold, and much more precious. How “MUCH MORE precious” as the Scripture says? “How MUCH MORE precious?” That’s what we’ve got to get. Amen?
I think our time is up. Wow! OK, so we’ll end this session here, lovely ladies. Ending this on this wonderful note of pointing our hearts and our eyes toward eternity, toward the real world. Live for that world. Give your children a vision to live for this world. Amen? And then, we will experience this Scripture: “How MUCH MORE precious?” Amen.
“Dear Father, we thank You again for Your precious Word, and all these things, and we’ve got more yet to come, of all the things that are MUCH MORE precious. They’re all much more precious than the vain lustful things of this life, the things which we think are so important. They’re all going to be left behind. They’re all going to be burned up. Help us, Lord, to live lives that will last, and the things we do will last, and go into eternity.
“I pray for every mother today, that You will bless her, encourage her, lift her up, Lord, to see every day in the light of eternity. I ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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Transcribed by Darlene Norris
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“LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies”
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SCRIPTURES ABOUT HOW WE WILL HAVE TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT FOR ALL OUR ACTIONS:
Would you like to look up these Scriptures about how we will give an account for everything we have done and said in this life (unless it has come under the blood of Jesus): You could take a few of these Scriptures each day to read to your children. They are all powerful Scriptures and help us to live in the light of eternity.
O.T. Job 7:17, 18; 23:10; 31:4; 34:11, 21-23; 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; 1 Chronicles 28:9; 29:17; 2 Chronicles 32:31; Psalm 11:4, 5; 17:3; 26:2; 33:13-15; 62:12; 66:7, 10; 81:7; 139:23, 24; Proverbs 5:21-23; 17:3; 24:12; 25:4; Isaiah 1:25; 40:10; 48:10; 62:11; Jeremiah 9:7; 11:20; 12:3; 16:17; 17:10; 20:12; 32:19; Ezekiel 7:27; 33:20; Daniel 7:10; 11:35; 12:10; Hosea 7:2; Zechariah 13:9; and Malachi 3:3.
N.T. Matthew 10:26; 12:36, 37; 16:27; John 12:48; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:5-11; 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:8, 11-15; 4:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 11:15; Ephesians 6:8; Colossians 3:24, 25; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Hebrews 4;13; 1 Peter 1:7, 17; 4:5; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 2:23; 11:18; 20:4, 12, 13; and 22:12.