PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | EPISODE 413: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 19
LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell
EPISODE 413: WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 19
What is the attitude in your home? Do your children do less than they are asked or more than they are asked? We talk about this scriptural principle today. And also, about doing everything in our lives "pointed to Heaven."
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 now starting No. 36 in our series, “Welcome to the Land of More and More.” Today our subject heading is “More Rejoicing over Repentance.”
No. 36. MORE REJOICING OVER REPENTANCE
We find this one in the story that Jesus told of the lost sheep. He says in Luke 15:7: “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” When we read this story again in Matthew 18, we read in verse 13: “He will rejoice over it more than over the ninety and nine that didn’t wander away.”
God loves repentance. Therefore, He rejoices over it. I don’t know whether we all love repentance. Sometimes it’s not a very nice thing when we have to repent. It’s kind of going through a pretty tough time in our lives. But all of us do. There are always times when we have to repent.
Oh my, I’ve had to repent of so many things in my life. It’s amazing. Often, I can wake up in the night and I’ll think of something, something that happened even many years ago. I think, “Oh, wow! That wasn’t right. I shouldn’t have done that.” And I have to repent over it.
DO WE TREMBLE AT GOD’S WORD?
I think, though, God rejoices over repentance. I love that Scripture in Isaiah 66:2, where God says: “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” That’s someone who has a repentant spirit, one who is ready to repent when God speaks to their heart.
I think of that passage in 2 Corinthians 7:7-12. Paul says there that he “rejoiced the more.” Why does he do that? It was when he heard of the repentance of the Corinthians over a certain sin in their church fellowship. Actually, it was a very grave sin. He had written to them about it in his first letter, 1 Corinthians 5, and admonished them about it.
But now, in his second letter, he is abundantly rejoicing because he has heard of their repentance regarding the matter. He says to them: “But you sorrowed to repentance: for you were made sorry after a godly manner . . . You sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
And so, because they listened to him, and they repented of what had happened, in real repentance, as you can see from what Paul wrote to them there, Paul rejoiced. I believe God rejoices over repentance. Well, it tells us that in the story of the lost sheep, and how God rejoices over the one who repents.
Back to Isaiah 66:2, where it talks about those who tremble at the word of God, The Hebrew word there is chared. It means “to fear, to be in awe, to tremble.” We see other passages where this is used. It was used for Eli. Do you remember Eli the priest? At this time, they were battling against the Philistines. The soldiers took the Ark of the Covenant out with them to battle.
EXAMPLE OF ELI
Now Eli was distraught about this because, oh, he so feared for what could happen to the Ark. It was the Ark of the Covenant that carried the Presence of the Lord. So, he sat, and he waited to hear the news of what would happen. He was so concerned for the safety of the Ark, but then the news came back that the Ark of God had been captured by the Philistines. When Eli heard this, the Bible tells us that he fell off his seat, he broke his neck, and he died! Wow!
And his daughter-in-law went into labor and died in childbirth. But before she died, she called her son she gave birth to Ichabod, meaning “the glory of God is departed.” And she said, “The glory of God is departed from Israel, for the Ark of God is taken” (1 Samuel 4:21). That was a terrible thing.
As I said, the Ark represented the Presence of God. No wonder Eli trembled for the safety of the Ark. Now it was gone. Where would they have the Presence of God? Because the Ark was in the Holy of Holies, and that’s where God’s shekinah glory dwelt in the tabernacle. But now it was gone. Wow! In all circumstances and incidents, the Ark of God always represents the Presence of God.
I wonder what is the first thing you think about when you think of the presence of God? What would it be? Well, I do believe that holiness is the very first recognition of the presence of God, because that’s where the Ark dwelt in the Holy of Holies. It was not just the Holy Place, but the Holy of Holies where God’s Presence dwelt. That’s what it was called because His Presence was there. It was called the “Holy of Holies.”
So, if we’re going to have the Presence of God in our homes, we must seek to have the anointing of holiness in our homes, because that is the representation of the Ark, which is the presence of God. Let’s seek to have the presence of God in our homes. It can so easily depart. Things come in. Sin comes in. Worldliness comes in. Sometimes we get so used to what is going on in our homes that we don’t even realize that the Ark of God is missing, that the presence of God is missing.
Think about it now. Are you aware of the presence of God in your home? Do we have the presence of God in our city, in our nation? Well, I don’t know. I don’t think we have too much of that. And yet, that’s the greatest blessing we can ever have. We should have that soft, contrite spirit that trembles at the Word of God, that trembles like Eli did from the presence of God. So, we, as mothers, need to guard over our homes, watch over our homes that we do not allow the presence of God to depart from us because it is so precious.
EXAMPLE OF EZRA
We see this same word that used for “tremble,” chared, we see it again in Ezra 9. Do you remember that Ezra came back from Babylon to set up the temple? They came back from their 70 years of being captives in Babylon. But Ezra found something so sad that was going on amongst the people here.
He found that many of them had been mixing with the heathen, so much so, that they had allowed their daughters and sons to marry heathen wives and heathen sons. In verse two, it says: “For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.” Another translation says that “the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages.”
EXAMPLE OF NEHEMIAH
Actually, we go over to Nehemiah. When Nehemiah came later, after Ezra, he found the same thing! This is an amazing Scripture. Nehemiah 13:23-24: “In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.”
Can you imagine that, ladies? They had so mingled with the heathen, married into them, that now there were mothers raising children, Hebrew children, who could not even speak the Hebrew language! They were speaking the languages of the heathen, the language of the mothers who were raising them, from Ashdod, and Ammon, and Moab. Can you believe this? What a tragedy!
WHAT KIND OF ENGLISH ARE YOUR CHILDREN SPEAKING?
But you know, I think that even speaks to us today, because, and it’s a very powerful thing that we see that it is coming back to the mothers. Because it is the mothers who teach their children to talk, and who are the ones who are talking to them mostly in the home. It’s we who teach our children, not any other speech, but the things that they will speak. Here we are, we all speak English. But even though we all speak English, what kind of English are our children speaking?
I am amazed to hear many children, and even young people growing up, or who have even grown up in godly homes. When I hear them speaking, I really don’t hear them speaking of the things of God. That’s not their language. They speak the language of the world. They’re speaking about everything on social media, and the latest movies, and the latest music. It’s all very worldly stuff. A lot of it’s so shallow junk.
This is the language that they speak. Do we hear young people getting together to fellowship (because young people love to get together) . . . What do they speak about when they get together? I think a lot of normality Christian young people just the same as what the world is speaking. Do we hear young people saying, “Oh, wow, I was reading the Word the other day, and I got this amazing revelation. Can I share it with you?”
Do you hear them saying something like that? Do you hear them talking about the Word of Godor the things of God? The things that relate to God? Do they have a biblical worldview on all the different aspects of life? Because every aspect of life, even practical, it doesn’t have to be spiritual, just normal life. We have to have a biblical worldview on every aspect of life, and about life.
Do they have a biblical worldview about life? Protecting life? Do they see abortion as something so tragic as it is, that it is murder in the womb? Do they stand up against these evil things? Do they have a biblical worldview about gender and that God only created male and female? And they are strong about it. They are not wooed into the ways and the thinking of our society today.
What language are your young people in your home speaking? Because, dear mothers, we have a big responsibility for that, because we are the ones who are teaching them to speak, and teaching them the kind of things that they will be speaking. Let’s pray that they’re not speaking the language of the heathen, but they’re speaking God’s language. Amen? Oh, amen, and amen!
Go back to Ezra 9. We get down to verse four. Ezra was so concerned about this. It says: “Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away.”
Verse five: “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, and said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush.” Wow! Do we blush anymore today? “I blush to lift up my face to You, my God: for these iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens.”
So, we see how Ezra and those who fear God trembled before the Lord regarding sin. That really should be our attitude, shouldn’t it? I think of Exodus 33:13. Moses is talking to God, and he says: “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You, that I may find grace in Your sight: and consider that this nation is Your people. And He said (this is God speaking) My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Then Moses said: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So shall we be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon on the face of the earth.”
We see here Moses crying out to God, that as he goes up and they take the people into the Promised Land, that the Lord would be with them and that His Presence would go with them.
He said, “Look, Lord, if Your Presence doesn’t come with me, I just don’t want to go. I can’t do it without Your Presence.” And God said to him: “This is My Presence, that you are separated from all the heathen roundabout.” The presence of God was that they were to be separated. They weren’t to get involved in the ways of the heathen. He said: “Then My Presence will go with you.”
So, there we are. OK, rejoicing over repentance. Let’s keep a repentant spirit, dear mothers. There is always something to be repenting over, isn’t there? But we can keep that spirit in our hearts that we’re not holding onto things. We’re not just thinking, “OK, I’m not giving in.” But no, let’s keep a soft heart and one that trembles at the Word of God. There are times when I’m reading the Word of God, and I literally want to tremblebecause it’s so powerful. And I’m in awe of what God is saying.
All right. Let’s move on, shall we, to the next one.
No. 37. MORE THAN IS REQUIRED
Paul was writing to his friend Philemon. Well, you know what? I always used to call it “Phi-lee-mon” when I was growing up. But I checked it recently, and apparently the correct translation is “Phi-lay-mon.”
Paul was writing to Philemon about his slave Onesimus. It seems that Onesimus had run away. That was a grave sin in those days for a slave to run away. However, Onesimus had found Jesus, and he’d become a beloved son to Paul, and now Paul is writing to Philemon to ask him to take him back again and receive him as a brother in Christ.
Verse 21 of that book, only one chapter in the book, he says: “I have confidence in thy obedience, that I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou will also do more than I say.” So, Paul had asked Philemon to forgive Onesimus, take him back, and even receive him as a brother in Christ. But now, he says to him, “I know, Philemon, that you're going to even do more than I ask.”
Now, that’s a big challenge, isn’t it? Many times, when people ask us to do something, well, of course we will comply, and we will do it. But we do just what we’re asked to do. No more, no less. But I believe God wants us to come into that place where we have the attitude of doing more than we are asked. Going the second mile.
Once again, it’s the perisseuo lifestyle of “over and above, above the requirements, more than the minimum, excelling and exceeding.” So many times, when I give you one of these “more than” examples it’s that Greek word, perisseuo, of the meaning I’ve just given to you there.
LET’S SHOW THIS EXAMPLE TO OUR CHILDREN
As we have this attitude of doing more than what is necessary, going the second mile, we’re also showing that example to our children, so they learn to do that. In fact, it’s normal, isn’t it, for children as they have to do their chores, and we notice they do them only what they have to do. In fact, sometimes, it’s a little less and we have to go back, and say, “Come on now. You haven’t finished this job yet. This is how it has to be done.”
We have to teach them how to do it properly. And that is an important thing, teaching our children how to do their chores properly. They can do them slovenly, or we teach them how to do them properly, and to do it “with all their might,” as the Bible says. Do everything with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
It takes training at times to teach our children this, because it’s not natural. I don’t believe it’s natural to go that second mile. It’s the Spirit of God within us, but we often need to teach our children that, yes, more than even properly. Like they have to do the dishes, so they wash and dry the dishes, but they leave the counter and they haven’t wiped it down. Then they just leave the dishcloth lying there and they haven’t wrung it out and put it up properly.
So, we have to teach them to do it properly, right to the very end. But can we teach them, evento go the second mile, to do more than we say? To think of something extra they can do? Wow! If we could really teach our children to do that and get that into them (and that will have to be, not only by encouraging, but by the Spirit of the Lord) because it’s not our natural way.
We’re all prone to just doing what we have to do. But it’s the Spirit of God that does more than! Imagine living in a home where everyone has that, “I’ll do more than you say” attitude! Wow! Can you believe what that would be like? So, we can encourage that. We have to be the example. And we encourage that in our children.
Yes, and what a wonderful way to prepare them for their future lives, when they go out and get a job. So many today, they go out into the workforce, they’re working for an employer. They get a job and they have their hours. It comes five o’clock, or whenever they have to end, and they see the time. “Whoo! Finished! OK!” So, they stop what they’re doing, on the dot, and they’re out! It doesn’t matter what they’re doing. They’re finished. It’s the end of the time.
But are we training children to be like that? Because those kinds of young people, as they go out into the world, will just stay very normal. They’ll never rise to the top in their job. They can maybe just keep a good job, but they’re not going to rise to the top. The ones who rise to the top are those who will do more than they’re asked.
So, the end of the day comes. Time’s up. “Ooh, but I haven’t finished what I’m doing. I’m going to stay and finish it. Not get paid for it but what does that matter? I’m doing more than I’m asked.” Because that’s the Spirit of God. That’s the way of God.
He is the God of the “MORE THAN.”
He is the God Who is more than enough. That is the meaning of one of the names of God—Almighty, El Shaddai. It means, “the God Who is more than enough” to supply our every need, to satisfy our longings. He is more than enough and He wants us to also have that attitude.
I remember an employee of my son. This was a man who wanted a job with him. My son didn’t have an opportunity for him. He said, “Look, I’ll work for you for nothing.” And he did, for a little while. But he made himself so necessary because he did more than was asked, even without pay. In the end, my son could not do without him. And he is still working with him today, his highest employee, because he had this attitude to do more than was asked.
We see in Matthew 5:40-41: “If someone wants to sue you, and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” That’s talking about the second mile people. I love to think about this. It’s just a little thing. We’re not really going the second mile or walking a mile or two.
But back in Bible days, when people would come to visit or come to stay with people, when it was to time to go, they would always walk with them a mile or so just to show their friendship, and to protect them on their way for a little while. It was custom. It was showing blessing and friendship.
Today, we don’t do that, of course, because when people come to visit, they all get in their cars and off they go. But when we have visitors, and people come, we always like to walk them to their car. We live upstairs. Our Above Rubies offices and everything are downstairs, so we have to walk down the stairs and go out to their car. Sometimes it’s cold. I have to run and get a coat if it’s wintertime.
We go out to their car, wait for them to get all their little children buckled in. Then we will wait to wave them good-bye. Now, we’re not really walking a mile but that’s the least we can do. It’s a little thing, but these little things add up and they bless people. You can think of little things like that to do that are more than is necessary.
All right, my lovely ladies. Do you think that you could possibly encourage yourself and, encourage your children in this way and become a home where everyone does more than is required? That could be so, so amazing.
Well, we’ll start on our next point, and see what time we have.
No. 38. MORE REWARDS
2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
Lovely ladies, this Scripture encourages us to look beyond our trials that we’re going through to our eternal reward. Are you going through a difficult time? Well, maybe, because we all go through seasons. Sometimes seasons are where everything is going fantastic. Sometimes seasons are of difficulties but everyone faces these different seasons.
Sometimes when you're going through an affliction, oh my, it can seem as though it’s lasting forever. But when we put it on God’s scales, He says that in the light of eternity, it’s “but for a moment.’” Read what it says here: “But for a moment.” And so, when you're going through something, don’t just look at your problem. “Oh my, when will we get through this? I can’t take this!”
No, see it in the light of eternity. Look to God and realize, OK, in the light of eternity, which is eternal, this is just but a moment! It’s but a moment.
Sometimes it seems such a weight. Oh, goodness me! But what does the Scripture say? It’s “a light affliction.” When we put it on God’s scales, even that weight that’s pressing upon us becomes light because it is working for us: “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Did you see how many adjectives there are there? Not only “far more,” but also “exceeding and eternal weight of glory”! Wow. That was amazing. God uses five adjectives there to describe the glory we are going to receive in the eternal kingdom. So, therefore, we have to be careful how we go through our trials. We don’t go through them groaning, complaining, because I don’t think we’ll get much reward out of that.
But when we go through them, we’re still going through them, but we’re LOOKING ABOVE. We’re looking to the Lord. We’re looking to our eternal inheritance. We can go through it then, with joy, with victory. We don’t have to be bogged down and come down into depression and despair just because we’re going through some difficult time. No, we can go through difficult times with joy and victory as we look to the Lord and to our eternal inheritance.
Now, let me just share this with you as I close. Recently I was reading the book by Charlie Kirk, the last book he wrote before he was tragically assassinated. It’s called Stop in the Name of God. Have you read it? I would encourage you to get hold of it if you haven’t, and read it.
I’m one of those people, who, when I read a book, I’ll read the back cover. Then I read the forward, and I read the introduction. Sometimes, when I get to the end, I’ll read the acknowledgements. Wow, that can sound boring, can’t it?
But it’s amazing what you pick up, even in acknowledgements. I was reading the acknowledgement in Charlie Kirk’s book, and I picked up a wonderful sentence. He says here:
“Everything I do is POINTED TOWARD HEAVEN,
and expressing gratitude for the salvation given to me by
His only Son, Jesus Christ.”
Wow! I thought, “That is so good. I love those three words, ‘pointed toward Heaven.’” Ladies, I think that is a wonderful goal for our lives and to encourage in our children, that everything we do, and everything we say, is all pointed toward Heaven. And so, we begin to live with a Heavenly vision, seeing things from a Heavenly point of view.
Especially when you're going through a difficult time, when you are pointed toward Heaven, it just changes the whole atmosphere of your home and the whole attitude that you have in your own heart. What a wonderful way to start each day! You can start with a confession. Maybe you could say it at your kitchen table. “OK, children, let’s say this together:
“Everything we do today will be pointed toward Heaven.”
Wouldn’t that be good? Let me say it again: “Everything we do today will be pointed toward Heaven. Children, this is another day to prepare for Heaven. Keep your eyes on Jesus.”
Because, ladies, this is true. This life is only a vapor. It’s a vapor! That’s all it is. The real world is the eternal world and we are preparing in this life for the eternal world.
I read about another man, a Puritan. His name was Robert Candish. He used to say:
“Behind me Christ dying; before me Christ coming.
I live by the power of the world to come, enduring, as seeing Him who is invisible.”
I love that. And I love to live that way myself because I do live with Christ behind me. I look back to Calvary. I look back to that great sacrifice of Christ upon the cross for my sins. I have eternal life. I am redeemed. I have an eternal inheritance because of what Jesus did for me, and did for you.
I love that old hymn, oh, I love it, about “Lest I forget Gethsemane.” It’s starts off:
King of my life I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
Refrain:
Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony,
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.
Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid,
Tenderly mourned and wept;
Angels in robes of light arrayed
Guarded Thee whilst Thou slept.
Let me like Mary, through the gloom,
Come with a gift to Thee;
Show to me now the empty tomb,
Lead me to Calvary.
May I be willing, Lord, to bear
Daily my cross for Thee;
Even Thy cup of grief to share,
Thou hast borne all for me.
So, I love to come to Calvary every day and thank the Lord Jesus for His great, great redemption for me.
But then, I have before me Christ coming! Yes, I live POINTED TOWARD HEAVEN. Christ is coming. I am living my life according to that, so therefore, every way I live is to be ready for His coming and for my great eternal inheritance. Amen?
So, precious ladies, let’s live pointed toward Heaven. And no matter what we’re going through, we can know, and confess, that is God is working for us “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in the eternal realm.” Amen?
“Dear Father, I pray that You will bless these dear mothers listening today. Bless their husbands in their work. I pray that You will abundantly provide for them. I pray, Lord, that You’ll bless all the little children, and the older ones, the young people. Pour out Your blessing upon their homes.
“I pray that they will begin to live in this beautiful more and more lifestyle, which You came to give us. You died, Lord Jesus, and gave Your life to bring us into a more and more lifestyle. We thank You with all our hearts. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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Transcribed by Darlene Norris
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