LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 3509: THE THEOLOGY OF CONCEPTION, Part 2

Discover many stories in God's Word where God prophesied the name and birth of someone many years before their birth. God sees far ahead of us.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies. We are continuing today our study on THE THEOLOGY OF CONEPTION. We are currently looking at the Hebrew word zera, which is mainly translated “seed” in the King James Bible, but it’s also translated “offspring, descendants, posterity.” It’s talking about the whole spectrum of a person’s life, from conception in the womb, the baby being born, and then it grows into a little toddler, a little child, a teen, an adult, and an older person. It’s every stage and age.

We need to look at a few more Scriptures. We go to the passage in Malachi 2:15 which is talking about marriage. Here God says that He hates divorce. He loves divorced people, but he hates the spirit of divorce because it touches the godly seed. It says here . . . God asks the question, “What does God want from your marriage?” And then the answer comes: “I want a godly seed.”

That word “seed,” that is the word zera (and God is wanting more than little seeds, or little sperms), He is wanting godly offspring, godly children. That word actually covers the whole spectrum of a person’s life.

It’s interesting when we read that answer where it says, “I want a godly offspring.” That word “godly” in the Hebrew is elohim. It’s the very first word that is used for “God” in the Old Testament. In fact, the very first verse, “In the beginning, God . . .” is the word is elohim. It’s a plural word, speaking of our triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When it says that “I want godly children,” God is saying that His longing and His desire is that we will have children in His image, and we will raise children to become more and more like Him.

Let’s look at some other examples, shall we? We go again to Genesis 46:6-7. This is telling us how JACOB came down from Canaan with all his family. Remember how it was a time of famine? Jacob had sent his sons to get food to save them from starving.

In the end, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. Then he said, “I want you to go and get my father, and all the rest of your family, and come and live with me here in Egypt.” So, he sent carriages and everything up to Canaan for them to come down. It says: “And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed” (the word is zera, and it says) “and all his seed with him.”

But then it goes on to describe who they were: “his sons, and his sons' sons with him.” Well, we could say his sons and his grandsons. “His daughters, and his sons' daughters.” We could say his granddaughters. “And all his seed,” all his zera.

Now we know that that word is used for sperm, but it’s also used for people. Did Jacob come down to Egypt with little seeds floating on clouds behind him? No, he came down with real live family. He came down with all his children, and all his grandchildren, all of varying ages and stages.

So, this word, as we can see, talks about life from conception from that word “seed,” zera, conception, right up to old age. That is amazing, isn’t it? When we understand the full meaning of that word, we understand, yes, that life begins at conception.

We see another example in Numbers 14:24. Here it’s talking about CALEB. Remember Caleb and Joshua? They were the ones who followed the Lord with all their hearts. Here it says Caleb “followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” Here God is speaking of future generations of Caleb’s family. He is seeing them even though they are not yet born. God sees them. They are already in Caleb’s loins.

Imagine if we lived today and God gave that promise. “Caleb, I’m going to bring you into that land that you've been longing for. Your children, your seed, are going to possess it, from generation to generation.” Well, in today’s climate of birth control, there wouldn’t be very many to possess that land. Yet God could already see everyone who was destined to be born.

Let’s go to the story of PHINEHAS. Phinehas actually became the third high priest of Israel but at this time, they were having a war against, was it the Moabites, or the Amalakites? It was the Moabites. The children of Israel were being tempted. They were having parties with these people.

There was a couple there. One was a prince of Israel, and he brought in this woman, right into his tent in the sight of everyone. They were already in the midst of a plague because of their sin. Phinehas rose up and he went into that tent, and he put a javelin through both of them. That stopped the plague. God was pleased with Phinehas. Well, it sounds rather bloodthirsty, but God had to come against that evil, and that sin (Numbers 25:1-18).

Numbers 25:12-13: “Behold, I give unto him (Phinehas) my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed (zera) after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God.” So, God not only gave a blessing to him but to all his children that were yet to come. The Bible calls them zera. Every single one of those children came through a sperm, came through a conception. This is the power of conception.

We go now to look at ABRAHAM. Abraham had his nephew Lot who was with him, but they both began to gain so many flocks and herds and possessions that it was too much for them to live together. Abraham said to Lot, “You choose. You can take the plain, or you can take the high country, whatever you want.”

So, Lot looked out from the high hills and looked down on the beautiful plain. It was so fertile, so wonderful, so beautiful. He said, “I’ll take that.” So, he went down, and he actually ended up living in Sodom. Wow. That wasn’t a good thing to do. But that’s where he was.

Then there came a time where four enemy kings came against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and defeated them. They took all their goods, and they took the people, and they took Lot and his family with them also. The news came back to Abraham; “They’ve taken Lot! The enemies have got Lot! What are you going to do?”

Abraham rose up, the Bible says, with 318 men, trained in his own family. Right there, in his own extended family, he had 318 soldiers. They went after their enemies. The amazing thing is, they went after four kings and their armies. God gave Abraham blessing and help, and Abraham and his soldiers were able to defeat them. They were able to get back all the possessions and bring back Lot.

When Abraham was coming back, he met this man called Melchizedek. The Bible says he had no mother, no father, and he was priest of Salem. Somehow Abraham knew that this was someone very, very special and he gave tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis14).

The interesting thing is, we go over to the New Testament, to Hebrews 7:9-10 where it tells us about this same story. It says here, reading from Hebrews: “And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.” That is most amazing. Did you get that, ladies?

We read back in Genesis how Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. But here in the New Testament, it tells us that not only did Abraham pay tithes to Melchizedek, but LEVI. Now Levi was his great-grandson. He wasn’t even a twinkle in Abraham’s eye. Abraham had never thought of Levi. But God said Levi was already in Abraham’s loins and Levi literally paid tithes with Abraham to Melchizedek.

Now, of course, the tribe of Levi became the priesthood. But this is the amazing thing. Another translation says: “Levi, the ancestor of every Jewish priest who received tithes, actually paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham, for although Levi was yet unborn, the seed from which Levi came was present in Abraham.”

So, ladies, God sees far ahead of how we see. We just see with our very finite minds, but God’s truth is infinite. He sees the children who are not yet born. He saw Levi in Abraham’s loins. When we think of this, and really get down to tin tacks, it’s a very serious truth. Because if Abraham had lived in this day, and, of course, I don’t think he would have been a nominal Christian, but if he was, he may have used birth control. Levi would never have been born.

But you see, God has His purposes. God saw Levi, as if he was already there, ready to come forth. When we begin to do the opposite of conception, and we begin to do contraception, what are we doing? We are cutting off life, life that God intends to be born. Imagine . . . we take it so shallowly, so lightly, as though it’s nothing. “OK, I will stop life coming because it doesn’t suit me. It’s just not convenient at this time.”

We are actually stopping the opportunity of life, a life that God has planned to come into this world. But it’s more than that, more than that. When we stop a life coming into this world, we stop a whole dynasty, because one life rarely stays at one life. There will be some who will be single and never get married. But most will get married and have children, then grandchildren, then great-grandchildren, and so on. The descendants continue down the line. Here we are . . . we are already having our great-grandchildren.

But even more than that, we are stopping, not only a dynasty, but we are stopping a child from the blessing of an eternal destiny, because every life that comes into the world is an eternal soul and has an eternal destiny. Coming into the home of godly parents, we lead this child to Jesus Christ so they can be ready for an eternal destiny with God, with the King of Kings, with the Lord of Lords.

None of us can even fathom or imagine the glory of the eternal world which will be everlasting. It will be beyond what we could even slightly imagine now. And imagine stopping someone from the glory and the blessing and the amazingness of enjoying eternity forever? That’s what we’re doing. That’s pretty incredible.

All right. Let’s keep going because we see more illustrations in the Bible. Let’s look at SOLOMON. We read in 2 Samuel 7:12 how God told David that his son, who was not even thought of by David until this moment would come forth from his loins to be the next king. “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee (zera)”.

Yes, it’s a sperm, but Solomon came from a sperm. But he was more than a sperm. He became a little baby. Actually, a little baby that God loved. Did you know that Scripture is in the Bible, that when Solomon was born, the Bible says: “And God loved him”?

God loves all babies, but it’s amazing how we see that Scripture about Solomon particularly mentions, “And God loved him” (2 Samuel 12:24). But he didn’t only stay a baby. He grew to be a man and become a king. It says: “And I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels. And I will establish his kingdom.”

In 1 Chronicles 22:9, it says: “Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest . . .  for his name shall be Solomon.” God even told David his name, before he was even born! We’re getting to see how God sees life. He doesn’t only see it at conception. He sees it before conception. Even before Solomon was conceived, God spoke for his name and said he shall be king.

Interesting that it also says in another passage: “Thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto My name.” We think of his son, Solomon, coming forth out of the womb of Bathsheba, but no, God says that he came out of the loins of David. David held the sperm, the seed, in his loins. God sees that as the very beginning.

Let’s go to another story. 1 Kings 13:2. Here the prophet of Judah is prophesying against the altar where they were sacrificing to false gods. The prophet came along, and he was giving this judgement. He said: “Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places . . . and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.” He was prophesying to an altar.

Do you notice, he says that a child will be born called JOSIAH. Once again, God is not only talking about someone who is to come, but their actual name. How long did they have to wait until this prophecy was fulfilled? Do you know? It was actually fourteen generations later when Josiah came forth, became king of Israel, and fulfilled that very prophecy.

You can go over to 2 Kings 23:15-19, and you’ll see where Josiah fulfilled it to the exactness of the prophetic word that was given. I’m sure Josiah didn’t really even know about that prophecy. But here God, 14 generations earlier, prophesied his name, and said he would come into the world. Wow! I just love to see these examples of how God sees life.

Dear ladies, we’ve got to come up from our very shallow way of thinking and begin to think like God thinks. As it says in Isaiah 55:8: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.” We’ve got to come up to His thoughts, His ways, and think like He thinks.

Let’s look at another story. Are you ready for another one? The Word of God is filled with them. This is about CYRUS. Cyrus was not a Jewish man. He was not an Israelite. He was a heathen king, and he was a great king. He was known as the “King of the Four Corners of the Earth.”

But God speaks about this heathen king even before he was born. It even tells us his name! Even before he was born. And how long before he was born? 150 years. Can you believe this? 150 years before this little baby Cyrus was born, God spoke a prophetic word in His Word. We’ve still got this Word today, it’s in our Bible, it’s in Isaiah. We can read about it, and God even says his name! It’s unbelievable!

Let’s have a look here. Isaiah 44:28: “That saith of Cyrus” (speaking his name! Wow! He hasn’t been born yet. This is 150 years before he’s going to come forth) “He is My shepherd, and shall perform all My pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.”

This is amazing, ladies, because, you see, God sees everything, all that’s going to happen. He knows it all. He has His plan. He sent His people Judah into Babylon because of their sin. It accumulated to the place where God had to vomit them out of the land He’d given to them. He sent them to Babylon for 70 years. He told them they’d be there for 70 years.

But you see, God can never go against His promises. He said, “I will bring you back in 70 years, because I have given the land to you for an everlasting possession.” The land of Israel belongs to God ultimately, and then to Israel, for He gave it to them. In Genesis 17, we see where God says: “I have given it to you for an everlasting possession.” We must pray against all two-state solutions for Israel. We must pray for God’s promises for Israel to be fulfilled.

God had this plan. In 70 years, He had to bring them back to the land. How is that going to happen? Because once these people are captives and become part of the land, is the king of the land going to just let them go, and say, “Oh, you can go back to your land”? No, that is not a normal king. When he takes people into his kingdom, he keeps them.

But God used . . . He had to raise up a very special man. Even though Cyrus was a heathen king, there was something very special about him. A few years ago, I read this book called “Cyropedia” by Xenophon. It was the history of King Cyrus. It was the most amazing book to read. As I read it, I was getting challenged as much as when I would read the Bible because of his lifestyle.

He was born with this very loving, generous spirit. He always wanted to be blessing people. He always wanted to be giving things to people. And then, as he grew up, he became a general. He became a wonderful general. As he went to conquer countries, the people of these countries wanted him to conquer them because they would be so blessed. He didn’t keep them in subjection. He gave them a good life because there was something so good in him.

Even his own soldiers, if they did something good, he would bring everybody together, and he would get up and tell them about the good deed this soldier had done. He would praise him in front of everybody, and then he would give them a gift. This was the kind of person he was.

God had to raise up a king like this, because it was Nebuchadnezzar who had taken the children of Judah to Babylon. Cyrus had come and conquered Babylon and he now ruled in Babylon. But God was preparing him. He prophesied his name, even all those 150 years before he was born.

We go to the next chapter, Isaiah 45:1: “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.” Actually, that is the story of how he got into Babylon. It’s quite an interesting story.

“I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.”

Cyrus was a heathen king, but God said, I’m calling you by name, Cyrus “for Jacob my servant's sake” (because He’s thinking about His people) “And Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.” So, even though Cyrus didn’t know the Lord, God called Him to do this great task, prophesied 150 years before. Isn’t that amazing?

That makes me think even of our current president, President Trump. Many people often liken Trump to Cyrus. But it’s interesting because it was prophesied right back in 2007. How long ago was that? That’s 18 years ago, isn’t it? 18 years ago, yes, and it was prophesied then that Trump would come in. That’s before Trump had even thought of ever becoming the president, and that he would be president two times.

That was given by Kim Clement. You can still pick that up. You can go to the internet and just put in “Kim Clement prophecy, Trump two times, 2007.” You will get that prophetic word. It’s amazing, isn’t it, that prophetic words don’t always come to pass immediately like we think they should. Maybe you could hear something that was prophetic, and oh wow, that should happen right now! Or that person’s a false prophet.

Well, we’ve been reading all these incredible stories in the Old Testament. I mean, the prophetic word over Josiah didn’t happen until 14 generations later. The prophetic word over Cyrus was 150 years before he was born. Here we’re talking about Trump. That was only 18 years, but that’s still a long time, isn’t it?

Let’s carry on. Oh yes, what about Jesus Himself? God says that even Jesus Christ came forth from the loins of David. Every person listed in the genealogy of Jesus must feel so blessed and so privileged. How amazing, to think that you were in the genealogy of Jesus, even though He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, that He came down through the line of Mary.

Here it says in Acts 2:30: “Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne.” That prophecy, that was, goodness me, I think that was about 700 years before Christ came into the world.

We have been seeing something so incredible here, dear ladies, as we look into God’s Word on the theology of conception. Yes, life begins at conception, but God sees life, even before the conception. How amazing is that? That’s why contraception is so against God’s heart, because many times, how do we know whether a life that we are stopping was a life that God intended for His purposes here on this earth? And, of course, for eternity.

I have some more thoughts, but what’s our time, girls? How much more time? Oh, I think that we have come to the end of this session. I still have so much more to share with you, ladies. A few more thoughts on this, and then I think next week we’ll be able to get onto the next thing I want to share with you. I’m calling it, “IT WILL BLOW YOUR BRAINS AWAY!” Whoo! OK. Don’t miss.

“Dear Father, once again, we are in awe of who You are, for You are God. You know all things. Lord God, please save us from being so shallow, so finite in our thinking. Help us to think like You think.

“Help us to be submerged in Your Word, that we think and speak like Your Word says, that we speak Bible language instead of the language of this day. There is a humanistic language today. But, Lord, we want to be those who speak the language of the Kingdom, Bible language. We ask this 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

EPISODE 349: THE THEOLOGY OF CONCEPTION, Part 1

Theology is what God states in His Word about a certain subject. What does God have to say about conception? He is certainly not silent on this subject.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies! We are continuing our series that we began a little while ago on THE THOLOGY OF MOTHERHOOD. I have been taking it from the passage in Jeremiah 29, where God came to Jeremiah and gave him a word from the Lord, actually a word from the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of heaven, to the people in Babylon. They had been taken from their beloved land of Israel. They were now captives in Babylon.

But God comes to him and says, “These are the things I want you to keep doing in Babylon, even though you are captives.” These things that God told them were so very practical. We’ve been talking about them—building and dwelling, planting and eating.

No. 5: INCREASE

Now, we are up to point number five, where God tells them, “I want you to keep increasing, even while you are in Babylon.” God did not negate the very first commandment He gave His people, at the very beginning of time to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. Now they are in Babylon. They’re captives. He says, “I don’t want you to stop. I want you to keep being fruitful. I want you to keep increasing, and don’t be diminished.”

Let’s read, shall we? Jeremiah 29:6: “Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons. Give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may be increased, and not diminished.” Well, that was pretty plain and straightforward, wasn’t it? And very proactive.

Do you notice, it’s talking to young couples and it’s also talking to grandparents. Hopefully, they’ll become grandparents, because when their children are older, God says to them, “Now, I want you to actually take daughters for your sons, and give daughters to husbands, so that they can bear children.”

He doesn’t say, “Well, just don’t worry about that. Make sure they go to college, get a great degree, and become successful.” No, what God commanded was to make sure these young couples got married, and that they didn’t hang around waiting to have children, but they brought forth children, so that the people of God would be increased, and not diminished. That is God’s heart, that His people be increased. He does not want His people on the earth to be diminished.

Sadly, that has been happening across the world. In the last number of decades, more and more couples, even Christian couples, have been limiting their families, often to one or two children. Just having the least they can have. So, God’s people have been diminishing instead of increasing.

But what is the Word of the Lord, the Word of the Lord of Hosts? To increase. Today I would like to talk to you ladies about THE THEOLOGY OF CONCEPTION. Now, when we began talking about theology, I shared with you that that word comes from two Greek words, theos, the Greek word for God, and -ology, which comes from logos. Logos means “the word.” So, “theology” is the study of the Word of God on a certain subject. What does God say about this?

Therefore, what does God say about conception? We live in a world of great dissention about conception and when life begins. Sadly, there are some Christians who are even confused. But those who love the Word, those who look into God’s Word, will know the truth. It’s so important for us to know the truth, and so important for our children to know the truth. Not just sort of have a hazy idea, but to KNOW THE TRUTH. We’re going to go into the Word, as usual, and check out some Hebrew words, and really find out what God says.

THE SPARK OF LIFE

But before we even get into the Word, I wonder if some of you have read, in articles, or even on the internet, of how in recent times, biologists and scientists have discovered what they call “the spark of life” that happens at conception, that happens when the sperm meets the egg. It’s something to do with the zinc which releases these sparks of life.

In fact, I was reading one article where it says that in the first two hours after conception, there can be one, or even up to five releases of these sparks when this happens, which is so exciting, because it reveals that this is not just some “nothingness.” This is not just some “blob.” THIS IS LIFE! At the very beginning, it’s releasing these sparks of light to begin this growing into this person whom God has destined. It’s so exciting. And you can even see pictures. Go onto the internet, and you will see pictures of this spark of life. It’s amazing.

HARA

But we’re going to go into the Word because that is our real foundation. The first Hebrew word we have is hara, and it means “to conceive, to become pregnant, to be with child.”

Genesis 4:1: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.” We read these Scriptures, and we see the words “conceived,” and “bearing a child,” go together. In fact, the word hara means the same. It means “to conceive.” It also means “with child, a growing child in the womb.”

So many times in the Bible, when it’s describing a woman who is pregnant, it says that she is “with child.” I love that, because that is exactly the truth. She is “with child.” It is a human being growing in her womb. It is a little child. It's already a child in the womb.

I think, if we would only use Bible language, the truth would become more popular. I think that’s a good thing to tell your children when you're talking about someone who is pregnant or recently became pregnant. Instead of just using those words, why not say, “Children, have you heard about Mrs. So-and-so? She is with child now. She has a baby growing in her womb.”

We go to Genesis 21:2, where “Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age.”

Exodus 2:12: “And the woman” (that is Jochebed) “conceived, and bare a son.”

Job 3:3 is interesting. And he says: “Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.”

The words “man child” in the Hebrew is geber. It means, “a warrior, a mighty man.” And do you notice what this Scripture says? “A man child is conceived.” The word “warrior” is used, so the Scriptures are using the word “warrior” along with conception, right from the beginning. Of course, God knew it was already a male child, but not only a male child, but a warrior!

This was in the womb. This was at conception. Yes, “There is a man child conceived.” As we read the Scriptures, we get to understand. Now, I’ve got loads more Scriptures. I’ll put them in the transcript for you so you can see them there for those who want to do further study.

HARE

But there’s another word, hare, very similar. Hara is H-A-R-A. This word is H-A-R-E. It also means the same, “to conceive, to be with child.” And yet, there are two different Hebrew words used. Let me give you some of these Scriptures.

When the angel of the Lord came to Hagar, he said: “Behold,” (and this is an angel speaking. We learn from the angels the correct words we are meant to use). The angel of the Lord said: “Behold, thou art with child.”

The angel didn’t say, “Oh Hagar, you're pregnant!” No, he said, “Behold, thou art with child.” At this time, I don’t know . . . I think she knew at that time. Anyway, “Behold thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael.” So, God sees this little baby in the womb. He sees this baby at conception. He sees this baby growing in the womb, and He already knows this is Ishmael. “And all the plans I have for Ismael,” already in the womb.

Now let’s read about Tamar. Do you remember the story of Tamar, and how her husband died, because he didn’t obey the Lord, and he didn’t want to raise up seed to Tamar’s first husband (his brother) who had passed away? The Bible says that every time he went into Tamar, he spilled the seed on the ground. God was very angry with him for doing that, and he also died.

Now Tamar is left with no husband. She’s longing for a baby. There’s another brother, but Judah is not giving him to her. She’s just left hanging. So, not such a good story, but she goes and pretends to be a harlot, Judah comes into her, and she conceives.

Now we read the story. Genesis 38:24-25: “And it came to pass about three months after” (three months after Judah and Tamar came together. She obviously conceived at that time. Now the baby is three months old). “It was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom.”

When Judah heard that, he said: “Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.” When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: “By the man, whose these are” (and she had some of his possessions) “am I with child.” They are talking. Everyone is talking about this baby, and they’re saying, “She’s with child. There’s a baby growing in her womb!”

When she talked to Judah, she said: “I am with child.” She was with more than a child. She actually had twins growing in her womb. She didn’t know that at the time, of course, but these twins eventually came forth, Perez and Zarah. It’s interesting. Both the names of these twins are listed in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:3). Actually, Perez was in the genealogy of Jesus, and it was through him . . .  he was in the genealogy through which Jesus came into the world. And yet, God lists both the twins’ names in the genealogy. That’s quite amazing.

But think about it. These three-month-old babies are in the womb. Wow! There are so many babies who are aborted at three months of age. In fact, in many states, they can be aborted right up to birth, which is nothing less than cold-blooded murder, for the baby in the womb is a child. The baby is a person from the moment of conception. Where did my life begin? At conception. Where did your life begin? At conception.

Here’s another thought-provoking point. Exodus 21:22: “If men strive and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, he shall be surely punished.” The word “with child” is hare, meaning “to conceive, or to be with child.”

What is the word for “fruit”? The word for “fruit” is the word yeled, which is speaking about “a newborn baby, or a young boy, or even a young man.”

Here, in this one Scripture, it is saying that this woman, who is “with child,” “if her fruit depart from her” (or if this baby, or even young man, because yeled is also a word that’s used for a young man). OK, the baby in the womb looks different from the baby that’s born. The baby that’s born is going to look different from this young boy, or this young man as he grows. But it is all the same person. Amen? Yes, I hope you are saying “amen.”

In Judges 13:5,7, we read about Manoah’s wife. Manoah and his wife were the parents of Samson. It says, talking to Manoah’s wife . . . once again, it’s an angel of the Lord that came and spoke to her: “For lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son.”

Notice how they just go together. They’re twins. “Conceive and bear a son.” And the angel of the Lord says who it is. It’s not a daughter, it’s a son. “Thou shalt conceive and bear a son.” God knew who this person was. God planned Samson’s destiny. He planned for him to come into the world.

Let’s read on. “And no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God” from the moment he is born. No, it doesn’t say that. “From the WOMB.” God chose him, and anointed him, and planned his destiny to be a Nazarite from the womb. From conception. Right from the very moment of the spark of life. Dear ladies, are you listening?

We read in 1 Samuel 11:5. This is the story of David and Bathsheba. “And the woman conceived (hara) and she told David, and said, “I am with child” (Hare). Both words are used in that one Scripture, very similar Hebrew words. Both are used, and both mean “to conceive,” and both mean “with child.”

So, once again, the moment that Bathsheba knew that she was pregnant, she sent the news to David. And how did she send it? “David, I am with child. There is a new life growing in my womb.” And once again, I will put in the transcript all the other references to that Hebrew word as well.

Now, let’s go over to the New Testament, shall we? Go to Matthew 1:18, 23. This is talking about Jesus. Firstly, she was found “with child of the Holy Ghost,” so we see the language of “with child” is in the Old Testament and “with child” is in the New Testament.

Verse 23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

BREPHOS

And there another Greek word, brephos. Let’s read Luke 1: 41, 43: “And it came to pass” (Mary is already with child, and goes to visit her cousin Elisabeth, who is also with child). “And it came to pass that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe” (that’s the Greek word brephos, which means “an unborn child, an embryo, or even a newborn child, an infant, a babe.” So, it can refer to a baby in the womb, a baby who’s just born, or even a little toddler.)

So, “when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.” And Elisabeth said in verse 44: “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” That’s not a blob of tissue. That is a real person. That is a person who was able to understand that as Mary came, the baby in her womb was the Savior of the world. This babe in the womb was able to recognize this, and “he leapt for joy.”

Then we go to Luke 2:12: “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe” (once again, brephos). So, the same word was used for the baby in the womb, leaping in the womb, and now it’s used for the baby who was born. “Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And they came with haste, and found . . . the babe (brephos) lying in a manger.” The same word for the baby in the womb, and the same word for the baby that’s just born, and the same word for children who are a little older.

We read in 2 Timothy 3:15, where Paul is writing to Timothy and says: “And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures.” That word “child” is exactly the same word, brephos, that was used to describe Jesus in the womb, and when Jesus was a newborn babe.

Now it’s talking about Timothy. “When you were a child, Timothy,” well maybe his mother read the Word to him while he was in the womb, even while he was a little baby. But I’m sure it’s talking about a little child here. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

So, there we go, but we haven’t finished yet. Oh yes, before I move back to the Old Testament, a couple more Hebrew words. One time I put out a message on Facebook. I had been writing a post about the womb. I said to the ladies, “Tell me, what do you like to call yourself when you're pregnant, or when a baby is growing in your womb?” I got lots of lovely different answers. I put them all in my book, The Power of Motherhood. I won’t read them all to you.

Here are just a few of them. Some of the ladies said,

“We call it our baby’s first home.”

 Baby sanctuary.

Birthplace of destiny.

Blessing room.

Cradle of the unborn.

God’s blessing place.

God’s secluded place.

Hidden glory.

Holy place.

Home of compassion.

Home of protection.

Home of shelter.

House of blessing.

House of life.

Knitting place. Remember Psalm 139? It tells us that we are knit together in our mother’s womb.

Miracle haven.

Nesting place.

Palace of a child. That’s the Chinese meaning of the word “womb.”

Safe haven of love.

Set-apart sanctuary.

Secret place.

Sacred place.

The “secret place” is one of my favorite names, because in Psalm 139, it talks about “the secret place.” God says that is where I am wonderfully and marvelously creating the baby in the womb.

I believe God wants it to be a secret place. Today the baby really doesn’t always grow in secret. It seems that mothers have so many ultrasounds, often every month to see how the baby is growing, and what is happening. OK, that’s what they do today, but I don’t know whether it really lines up with God’s ultimate plan because He wants to do it in secret.

He also wants it to be a surprise when the baby comes. Did you know that God loves to give us surprises? I think that’s something He has put in us as parents, because He is the ultimate parent. I know, as my children were growing up, I loved giving them surprises. Oh, I love the element of surprise, because children love it.

In fact, often in the day when I had lots of little ones around me, four under four at one time and they were kind of bouncing off the walls. Well, I would either say, “Come on children, let’s sit down and read together.” We’d sit down for a little while and read because that always calms the children down. I’m usually nursing a baby, so I’m nursing one baby, and the others are around me.

Other times I would say, “OK, children, Mommy’s going to make you a surprise, and I want you to hide behind the sofa. Nobody’s allowed to look!” And then I would get a plate for each child, and put some food on it, and make it interesting. I’d put some raisins, or little bits of cheese, or some special things I had, but all healthy stuff. And I’d arrange it into a smiley face, or some kind of shape so it was interesting. Then I’d say, “OK! Come and get your surprise!” It was only simple, but they were so excited! They just loved it, because it was a surprise.

I can remember Christmastime. Oh, my! I always loved to make everything a surprise for the children. If they found out before Christmastime what they were going to get, well, I didn’t really even feel like giving it to them, because I just love to see the wonder of the surprise on their faces. I think God loves to surprise us, too. The Bible does say that He creates the baby in the secret place.

ZERA AND ZARA

Now, two more Hebrew words, zera and zara. Zera is a noun and zara is the verb. This word zera is usually translated in the King James Bible as “seed.” It’s actually used even of planting seeds in the garden. It’s used as seeds to plant for our food. It’s used as the seed that grows into all the different kinds of animals. And it’s used for offspring. It’s interesting that the same word is used because they’re all seeds of creation.

We are in the time here in Tennessee when those who are really very intensive gardeners will already be preparing their seeds inside ready to plant in the spring. When we plant a seed, we know what we’re going to get. When it comes forth out of the ground, it’s so different from the seed that we planted but this seed that we planted, whether it was some kind of vegetable, or a fruit, it wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t from that seed! It’s the seed that contains the life.

I’m thinking now, as we’re preparing the seeds for our gardens, and my daughter Evangeline will be working with me on our garden this year. She’s an amazing gardener. I would say, “Vange, I want loads and loads of pumpkins!” I just love pumpkins. I know that Americans, a lot of Americans, are not really pumpkin fans.

In fact, I don’t love pumpkin pie. Do you know that we really hadn’t tasted pumpkin pie until we came to the States? I think you all know we originally come from New Zealand. Down in New Zealand, we use our pumpkins for a vegetable, not for a dessert. So, I have to tell you the truth. I’m still not a great fan of pumpkin pie. Sorry about that!

But anyway, I do love cooking pumpkin. In fact, I cooked up yesterday a beautiful, big pumpkin! Oh, it was so delightful. Someone gave it to me, and I made pumpkin soup with it which was so wonderful.

I said to Vange, “I want lots of buttercups.” Oh, yes, you can grow some butternuts too, I like them, but my favorite are buttercups. There are so many different varieties of pumpkins and they all have their different shapes and flavors and taste. They’re all so different from one another. Because we’re pumpkin people down in New Zealand, a normal New Zealand meal is roast lamb with roast potatoes and pumpkin, and kumera (which is our sweet potato down there). We use lots of pumpkins.

But you can’t have the pumpkin that you use for making a pie which is a lot waterier. You’ve got to get these; how would I explain it? They’re fleshlier and harder. So, I’m talking about these butternuts and buttercups. Even they’re different. The buttercup is a little, well, it can be big too, if you've got good soil in your garden. It grows round with dark green skin. Oh, the flavor is so delectable!

The butternuts have more of a yellow skin. It’s a little bit harder skin. I have to peel them if I’m using them, although what I often do is just put them in the oven with the skin on. Then I’ll take the flesh out later when I cook. It’s much easier.

But what I’m trying to say is, the seed that we plant in the garden is the vegetable that we’re going to get, even if it’s going to look different when it comes forth. It’s different than a seed when it comes forth as a little plant out of the soil. It looks different, but one day I’m going to get a whole lot of amazing pumpkins off this little seed that I planted.

Oh goodness me, time is going! But we’re going to go on to talk about how this word “seed,” although it can be a seed planted in the garden, it’s also used for the seed that is planted in the woman to bring forth children. It’s translated as “offspring, descendants, posterity, children.”

Also, we read in Leviticus about the “seed of copulation.” That is the semen, or the sperm. It’s the seed that comes from the intimacy in the marriage relationship. That’s what it’s called, the “seed of copulation.” It’s the sperm. This word zera is used for sperm, but I think we’ll have to wait until next time now to tell you what else it is used for. We’re going to look at these Scriptures, because they are amazing. It gets more amazing all the time.

“Father, I pray that You will bless the families of all those who are listening today. Pour out Your blessing upon them, Lord God. I pray that You will strengthen their family life. I pray for the strengthening of families in this nation. Lord God, we know that this nation is only as strong as its families, so I pray that, Lord, You will strengthen every family unit who is listening here today. I ask it in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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Transcribed by Darlene Norris

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DON’T FORGET TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT THESE PODCASTS AND TRANSCRIPTS.

“LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies”

DON’T KEEP THE BLESSINGS TO YOURSELF.

 

 

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 348: FOOD TWINS, Part 6

The last of the Food Twins today—food and leisure, food and a merry heart, food and prayer and praise, food and the presence of God, food and prophecy, food and protection, food and provision, food and motherhood, food and strength, food and teaching, and food and work! Wow. God associates all of these things with food. Check out what God has to say about them.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies. We are still working through our food twins. Remember, I found 25 different things that God associates with food.

Today we are up to . . .

No. 15: FOOD AND LEISURE

 Let’s look at the Scriptures, shall we? In Mark 6:31, Jesus was with His disciples: “And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”

That’s a very interesting Scripture. It was time for the disciples to eat some lunch, but life was busy. Everything was happening. People were coming and going. And Jesus said, “No, we can’t eat lunch here. We’ve got to get away to a leisurely place, to a quiet place where we can sit and eat and sit and fellowship together.”

We see here another principle in the Word of God, that once again, as I have shared with you before, we are not meant to eat food on the run. We’re meant to sit down. We’re meant to take a little leisure time and sit and eat. And preferably not on our own. Preferably with others, because as we know, food and fellowship go together. Of course, when you're in a family, you've got it all there. You’ve got your table, you've got your children around you, and your husband, and you can sit together and eat.

But make the time, dear mother, to make your meals a leisurely time. Now, of course, you can be so busy throughout the day, and you've got so much to do. But when you sit for your meals, don’t hurry through them! Or maybe there’s times when we do, when we’re going out somewhere. You’ve got to get something in the tummies and get out.

But from day to day, usually when you are home, try to make your mealtimes leisurely times, especially, I think, the evening meal when Daddy comes home. You’re all sitting around the table together. Don’t just eat and rush off. Make it a time where you talk together, you discuss together, and you enjoy one another’s company. That is so important.

No. 16: FOOD AND A MERRY HEART

I’ll read in Ruth 3:7: “And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down.” We see here that after he’d eaten that his heart felt merry.

That word “merry” is the same word that’s used in Proverbs 15:13 where it says: “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.”

And in Proverbs 17:22: “A merry heart doeth good, like a medicine.”

So, food, yes, it makes your tummy feel good, but it also makes your heart feel good. It puts you in a good mood. I think this is why it’s such an important thing, dear mothers, to always make sure that you have the meal ready for your husband when he comes home. I think this is a very important thing in our married life. I’ve always sought to do this, so that when my husband comes in, I have the meal ready for him.

Of course, we all go through different seasons in our lives, and different things happening. Of course, you will have to change things according to your husband’s work pattern at the time and so on. But, when possible, when you know about what time he is going to come home, stop in plenty of time before that. Stop what you're doing and begin to prepare the meal so that you know that when he comes in the door, you’ll be able to sit down together.

If you don’t do that, you’ll find your husband comes in and supper is not ready, so what’s he going to do? He’s going to go off and find his own thing to do. Maybe he’ll sit in front of the TV and then how do you get him up from that? Or maybe he goes out to his man shed to do whatever he wants to do out there. Then he gets involved and how do you get him back for the meal again?

There’s something about having that meal ready. When he comes in, and you all say your wonderful hellos and welcome, and the children are all excited to see Daddy, then you can say, “Just go and wash up. The meal is ready. While you're freshening up, we’ll put it out on the table.”

You all sit up together and Daddy sits at the head of the table, and what happens? While he is eating, he relaxes. He gets in a good mood. His heart becomes merry, especially as you prepare a lovely meal. Also, you think of what you're going to talk about at the table and you all dialog together. Your husband is being blessed, and he’s releasing oxytocin, because we do release oxytocin in a small way when we’re eating. It helps to make us relaxed and have a merry heart.

It’s true. The Bible says when we eat, it will make our hearts merry. Remember that dear mothers. That’s a real secret in your family life, to get that meal ready, have it on time, ready for when your husband comes home, so you can all sit up and eat together, and have happy hearts. Amen?

No. 17: FOOD AND PRAYER AND PRAISE

We usually separate these two things. We think of having food, and then we think of maybe going to a prayer meeting, or having a worship meeting, and so on. But in the Bible, God combines them together. We have quite a few verses. I will give you all the Scriptures in the transcript. I’m not giving them all here.

Let’s read Acts 2:42: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

In verse 46: “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people.”

We see there that they were eating their food, and they were praising the Lord too, from their hearts, as they talked with one another. But of course, at our mealtimes also, morning and evening, we love to always have a time of worship, either singing a hymn, or a worship song, at our family devotions. That is part of our devotion time, to read the Word and to pray, and to worship. Don’t forget the worship part.

Some of you are more musical families than others. Some of you will just sing a capella together. Others of you, if you have children learning instruments (you don’t always have time for this) but you can make certain times when they can all bring their instruments and play them. You can sing and worship together.

Yes, Joel 2:26. Let’s check this Scripture also: “And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never be ashamed.”  In this Scripture we see food and praising the name of the Lord together. They are also twins.

No. 18: FOOD AND THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Let me take you, ladies, to a couple of Scriptures in Exodus. To me, these are some of the most wonderful Scriptures in the Word of God. I love them.

Exodus 18:12: “And Jethro” (remember, Jethro was Moses’ father-in-law. He came to visit Moses in the wilderness) “And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.” Other translations say: “In the presence of the Lord.”

Once again, we don’t disassociate our eating with being in the presence of the Lord. They are all a part of one another. When we eat, when we gather around our tables, we do it in the presence of the Lord. God loves us to eat our meals in His presence. He is the One who designed food. He is the One who designed tables.

I’ve shared with you before. Where do tables originate? They originate in heaven. God was the One who had the first table, and He loves families sitting around the table as it says in Psalm 128:3, giving the picture of the family sitting around the table with all their children.

A lovely idea is when you give thanks for the food, to also ask the Lord to come and sit with you at your table. Remind your children. Sometimes the table can be a hair-raising experience, especially with little ones, as you're training them. But remind your children, and even your little ones, “Children, God is here at our table. We are eating our food in the presence of the Lord. Let’s remember that.” That will make such a difference to their understanding of eating their food.

Then we go over, also, to Exodus 24:10-11. This is also when Moses went up to the mount. When he came back, in verse 8: “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.”

Then, after that, Moses and Aaron and Nadab and Abihu, and 70 of the elders of Israel, “saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also, they saw God, and did eat and drink.”

Can you take in those words, dear ladies? “They saw God, and they did eat and drink.” Here we see food, eating and drinking and fellowshipping together in the presence of God. Here Aaron and his brother and the 70 elders actually saw God. Well, they didn’t see God face-to-face, because the Bible also says that if a man saw God face-to-face, he would not live. But it says they saw part of God. Maybe it was just the feet of God.

Here it says: “And they saw the God of Israel. And there was under his feet as it were, a paved work of sapphire stone.” They saw something of the glory of God under His feet. That was enough to know that they were just getting a glimpse of the awe-inspiring God of the universe. That happened while they were eating and drinking and fellowshipping. So, lovely ladies, remember that eating and fellowshipping together is coupled with the presence of God. Remember that at your family mealtimes.

And when you're showing hospitality too, always invite God to your meal tables, at your table. You will be amazed at what a difference it makes, just knowing that He is there with you, and how He loves and longs to be with you. Not just in church, but in these beautiful times of family fellowship around the table, because this is something that is so dear to the heart of God.

I think too of that little illustration, well, it’s a huge illustration really, because the first time we read the word “table” in the Bible, it is the table of showbread. The table of showbread was made according to the heavenly pattern. Everything in the tabernacle was made according to the heavenly tabernacle. We know God had tables in heaven before we ever had them on earth.

The table of showbread in the tabernacle was made of acacia wood. That was wood that was very common. It was all around where they were. It was a common kind of wood. That speaks to us of our earthliness, and who we are. We’re just sinful people. But there was more than that. That table was overlaid with pure gold, speaking of the glory of God.

When we come to the table, often everything is not perfect, especially when you're training little ones. But in our earthliness, God comes, and He covers us with His presence, and with who He is, and with His glory. Remember that dear ones, even when your table seems to be so earthly. Remember that God covered that first table we read about with pure gold. He wants to cover you too, at your table, with the glory of God.

No. 19: FOOD AND PROPHECY

 We read in 1 Kings 13:20 about this man: “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet.” He wasn’t in a synagogue. He wasn’t in a church. He was sitting at the table. They were eating together, and the word of the Lord came upon him.

I do believe that our tables can also be places of prophetic words. It’s amazing when we’re sitting around together at the table. I think it especially happens when we’re showing hospitality, and we have invited people to our table. Sometimes we invite sinners. Sometimes we invite people who need so much help and encouragement. Other times we might invite some very godly people to our table. Sometimes we may have angels unawares. We never know.

But there was always that moment when someone may speak the word of the Lord. Or someone is just sharing something, and you know, “This is a word for me. This is what God is actually saying to me. It’s an answer to my prayers. It’s an answer to something I’ve been thinking about.” This happens so often at the table.

Elevate your table to a higher place, dear mothers. It’s not just a place to sit and eat. It’s a place where God wants to come and visit you with His presence. It’s a place where He wants to speak to you. Of course, when we end a meal with our family devotions, and we’re opening the Word of God, we are always open to God speaking to us, speaking to me, speaking to my husband, speaking to each one of our children. Oh, it’s so incredible that the table is a place where God speaks!

I think of another illustration of where God aligns food with speaking. It’s a beautiful story in John 21. You’ll remember this story in the last chapter of the Gospel of John. This is where Jesus had already risen from the dead. He wanted to see His disciples again. He goes down to Lake Galilee. He knows that’s where they will be. They are out on the lake fishing.

So, what does Jesus do? The Bible tells us that He began to make a fire of coals upon the shore. And then upon that fire, when He got it all ready. He most probably had it big in the beginning. It had to settle down. Then in those embers, He put bread, and he put fish. He began to cook breakfast for His disciples.

Now, we read that and think nothing of it. But when we really realize what is happening, mothers, it is awesome. Who is this One who is cooking a meal for His disciples? It’s Jesus, Jesus, the One who has just risen from the dead. He is King of Kings. He is Lord of Lords. He has defied death, and He is alive again!

And yet, what is he doing? He’s cooking. Sometimes, ladies, you may think, “Oh, goodness me! I’ve got more important things to do! All this cooking seems to be all I do. Cook, cook, cook!” Ladies, cooking a meal is a powerful thing. It is one of the first things Jesus did after rising from the dead!

Here he is, cooking this meal, and His disciples come in from the lake. They’ve had this great big catch of fish, 153 fish they caught. And Jesus says to them: “Come! Come and dine!” They come over and the Bible says that Jesus began to serve them. He waited on them, and He gave them fish, and He gave them bread to eat. We could think that someone who has just risen from the dead, and all the glory of who He is, could say, “Now, will you wait upon Me?” But no. Jesus served His disciples. Can you imagine that beautiful meal they had together?

But it wasn’t finished yet. After they had fellowshipped and talked together, I’m sure they spoke of so many wondrous things. But then, Jesus singled Peter out. I’m not sure whether He took him away by himself or whether He said it in front of the others. But Jesus had a word for Peter. It was a special word He had to give to Peter, a personal word.

He didn’t just come down to Lake Galilee and call out for Peter. “Hey, Pete!  Come, come, I’ve got a word for you!” No. Before Jesus gave him that word, He cooked a meal. He prepared Peter to receive the word, because there’s nothing like having some food in our tummies that makes us feel good, relaxed, and more open to hearing the Word of the Lord.

So, Jesus prepared Peter’s physical body. He wasn’t hungry and uptight, because he needed some food. No, Jesus made sure that he was first filled and satisfied with food. And his heart was merry and relaxed. Then He gave that word to him: “Peter, lovest thou Me?” And then: “Feed My lambs.” He asked again: “Peter, lovest thou Me? Feed My sheep.” And again, He said it to him the third time. But Jesus never gave that word until He had first prepared the meal.

Ladies, this is a huge principle for us, because if we want to see wonderful things happen at our table, if we want our children to hear the Word of the Lord, and hear God speak to them as we open the Word at the end of our mealtime, we need to prepare their bodies and their hearts first. We do that by preparing a meal.

That’s why I often say the family worship time is perhaps 99% more the wife’s responsibility than the husband’s. We have to prepare the way. We set a beautiful table with the help of our family. And we prepare a lovely, nutritious meal, and we prepare the way for the fellowship and the dialog. We think about all these things, because we know it’s all preparation for the greatest feeding, to hear the Word of the Lord.

I have some mothers say to me, “Oh, I don’t know. My husband never remembers to take devotions. He’s just not interested.” But really, if we do our part, we will make it so much easier for our husband. And he’s already with a merry heart, in a good mood, ready to do it, too. And so, this is such a beautiful principle.

Let’s move on, lovely ladies.

No. 20: FOOD AND PROTECTION

Psalm 23:5: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Yes, that’s a wonderful promise.

No. 21: FOOD AND PROVISION

 That goes together. Sometimes we think, “Wow! How are we going to survive? Are we going to be able to have enough food to feed our big family? And goodness me, how could we ever have another baby? Help! We’re hardly surviving as it is!” But God always provides according to the blessing of children.

Let’s go over, shall we? I love this passage in Deuteronomy 28:  Let me read it to you from the Berean Study Bible. “Now, if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth, and all these blessings will come upon you, and overtake you if you will obey the voice of the Lord your God.” Listen to the blessings. “You will be blessed in the city, and blessed in the country.”

That is such a wonderful blessing, ladies. I believe that wherever God has placed you, He will bless you. When we were raising our children, we raised them in the city. In fact, when our children were teens, we lived on the Gold Coast of Australia. We were pioneering and pastoring a church there. Our home was right under the casino. Our church looked out on the casino. This was the environment in which we raised our children.

Well, I can tell you that this environment caused me to spend hours in prayer. Every day I would walk down to the beach on the Pacific coast and cry out to God as I walked along the sand with the breakers roaring in. They crowded out my voice. I cried out for our children, but God was faithful, and He blessed them in the city, and kept them following Him. Now our grandchildren have had the blessing of growing up in the country. I think that is such an amazing blessing. Of course, they have been blessed too.

We carry on: “The fruit of your womb will be blessed.” And listen to this: “As well as the fruit of the produce of your land, and the offspring of your livestock, the calves of your herd, and the lambs of your flock. Your basket and your kneading bowl will be blessed.”

The King James Version says: “blessed shall be thy basket, and thy store.” Well, the word for “store” is “kneading trough.” And then it ends: “You will be blessed when you come in, and blessed when you go out.”

We see here, dear ladies, that the first blessing . . .  what was the first blessing? The fruit of your womb. And then God promises all the blessing from our livestock, and our kneading bowl, and our basket. All the provision of food, and whatever we need, that comes after the blessing of the womb. When God gives you another baby, He will give you more blessings to provide for that baby.

I love Psalm 37:25, where David says: “I have been young, and now I am old, but I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread.” Oh yes, there can be times when you go through very lean seasons. But we always survive, and then we can go through seasons of greater blessings. But God is always there. He has promised to provide, and He will provide our food.

I remember a dear friend of mine. She lived opposite me when we lived in New Zealand. She was part of my ladies’ Bible study group that we had each week. We were talking about hospitality. I was encouraging the ladies to reach out in hospitality. This precious lady said to me, “Oh, Nancy! I so want to do that but I just don’t know how we can do it! We just manage on our budget. We just don’t have any more.”

I said to her, “Look, Sue, forget your budget. Trust God. Just go out by faith, and ask the family, or someone who is on your heart for a meal and see what God will do.” So, she plucked up great courage and she invited this family to come to their place for a meal. Well, she said she just could not believe it. Before this family arrived, and a few days after she had asked them, she came home one day, and on her doorstep was this great big box of groceries. Someone had left it there for her. She just saw . . . she got a glimpse of God’s provision.

Well, she was hooked. She began to show hospitality from then on. She always saw the blessing of God. In our own lives, I know that there are many people who find they need to live on a budget, and that is just the way they are. I think we tried that at the very beginning of our marriage, but it never, ever worked because we have always been open to hospitality.

We found that when we were inviting people, and people were always coming and going, and having meals, that wow, it went above our budget. What were we going to do? In the end, we forgot about budgets. In fact, we’ve never, ever even had one in our lives since, in our 62 years of marriage! We just trust God and He always provides.

OK, time is going!

No. 22: FOOD AND MOTHERHOOD

Oh, dear lovely mothers, you cannot separate food from motherhood, or motherhood from food! Because one of your biggest tasks in your home is feeding your family. You can never get away from it. Every single day, every single week, every single month, every single year, you're going to be feeding your family.

1 Timothy 5:10 talks about this woman and her lifestyle. The first thing she did was that she brought up children. The words “brought up” are teknotropheo, which mean “to nurture with food.” One of the biggest things of our mothering is feeding our families. Dear mothers, please don’t despise cooking, preparing food, or feeding. It is who you are as a mother.

You begin by putting your baby on your breast, nurturing and nourishing that little one. And then, as that little baby weans, you begin to give it solid foods. Then you continue to make more and more food, until it’s eating big steaks, and you're growing these great big teenage boys, and you can’t even fill them! But that’s all part of mothering. Embrace it! Enjoy it! Do it to the fullest of everything within you. As God has told us to do everything with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Be a mother who feeds your family with all your might because motherhood and food are twins.

No. 23: FOOD AND STRENGTH

Psalm 104:15 tells us that food strengthens a man’s heart. It doesn’t only strengthen his body; it strengthens his heart too.

No. 24: FOOD AND TEACHING

We see so many examples in the Word of God, of how Jesus taught when He was sitting at the meal table, not just in the synagogue but at the table. This is where He loved to teach and tell His parables. I’ll give you all the references in the transcript.

The last one I have is . . .

No. 25: FOOD AND WORK

Yes, our husband has to work to provide for the food. We, as mothers, have to work to prepare the food. We’re both working. It has all to do with food. This is how God planned it. He planned this beautiful joy of eating. We all love to eat. We all love the taste of food. We all love the fellowship of sitting around the table eating. Food and fellowship are part of life.

But they also mean that we have to work for it. God has established work. In fact, He established work right at the very beginning when He put Adam in the garden to work in the garden. Once again, ladies, I know it takes extra work when you're having to prepare food. Often, you've got your own project and you're doing this or that. “Oh dear, it’s time to prepare food again!”

But now, this is important, and even if it takes work, just embrace it. In fact, it takes less work these days than it used to, way back in past days when they really had to work for their food. In fact, they didn’t even have supermarkets where they could go down and buy some food. They had to grow it. They had to prepare it. Otherwise, they wouldn’t eat at all.

Don’t despise getting back to basics. Don’t always take the easy way out and grab some packaged food or just grab some fast food. No, get back to basics and start to prepare your meals from scratch, from the original food that God gave for us. Oh, it will be so much healthier for you and for your family. You will be blessed as you're doing this because it’s what God intended. Amen?

Well, I can’t believe it. I got through our 25 points today. Next week ladies, I’m going to begin something very, very important, to share with you. Don’t miss out. Don’t miss next week’s podcast, will you? Let’s pray.

“Dear Father, we do thank You with all our hearts for Your precious Word and showing us Your heart. Lord, we read so much about food and how it’s so much part of our lives. We thank You for showing us the way.

“I pray for all the mothers listening today, that You will give them a new vision for cooking, for preparing their meals, for blessing their families, and preparing the way for great things. We thank You, Lord, that food prepares the way for You to come, and for You to speak into our hearts, and, Lord, for You to do great and wonderful things. We thank You for this, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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www.aboverubies.org

Transcribed by Darlene Norris

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DON’T FORGET TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT THESE PODCASTS AND TRANSCRIPTS.

“LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies”

DON’T KEEP THE BLESSINGS TO YOURSELF.

Further Scriptures:

 

No. 17: FOOD AND PRAYER AND PRAISE

When the disciples met together to eat, they also prayed and praised God: Acts 2:42, 46, 47; Deuteronomy 8:10; and Joel 2:26.

 

No. 21: FOOD AND PROVISION

Deuteronomy 7: 13; 28:4-13; 1 Kings 17:2-6, 8-16; 19:4-8; Nehemiah 5:17, 18; Psalm 34:10; 68:19; 37:25; 78:19-22; 103:5; 107:9; 145: 15, 16; Proverbs 10:3; Joel 2:26; Matthew 6:11, 31-33; Luke 12:24; and Philippians 4:19.

No. 24: FOOD AND TEACHING

Jesus used the mealtime at the table or teaching time: Mark 16:14, 15 and Luke 5:27-32; 7:36-50; 14:1-24; and 24:41-49. Not at the synagogue but at the table.

 

No. 25: FOOD AND WORK

We cannot expect to eat if we don’t work for it: Genesis 2:15; Psalm 128:2; Proverbs 10:4; 12:14; 20:4, 13; 21:5; Acts 20:34, 35; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; and 1 Timothy 5:8.

 

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 347: FOOD TWINS, Part 5

More food twins today. Check them out. It is amazing how much God speaks about food in His Word. You will be amazed.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies. Here we are, still talking about food and twins. There are 25 of them, and we’re up to No. 7. Isn’t it amazing how much God talks about food?

No. 7; FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP

They are real twins. They are inseparable. We are not meant to eat food alone. Food needs to be eaten in the company of others. That’s what makes it special—sitting down, and sitting around the table, or sitting around something where you're together and you can communicate together.

I love to call it . . .

“face-to-face table fellowship”

That’s what it is. It’s face-to-face. You can look one another in the eye. You can see one another, and you can have true fellowship. I love how the apostle John wrote to the elder lady in 2 John:1: 12. “I trust to come unto you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.” I know he was meaning face-to-face fellowship, sitting around the table, talking together.

And again, when he was writing to Gaius in 3 John 1:14, he writes, “I trust I shall shortly see you, and we shall speak face to face.” That’s what fellowship is. God wants us to have fellowship with food. That’s why He paints the picture in Psalm 128:3 of the family and the children sitting around the table. They’re not sitting in front of the TV; they’re not sitting in the car looking at the neck of their brother in front of them. No, they are looking at one another, where they can communicate together.

Of course, fellowship is always so much more wonderful when there is food. They’re twins. They go together. When we want to get together to fellowship, of course, we have food. Either someone putting on a meal, or we have a fellowship meal where everybody brings a dish, and we can all contribute together. But we can eat and talk. It’s so wonderful.

No. 8: FOOD AND FULLNESS

Oh, there are so many Scriptures here of how God wants us to be filled, filled to satisfaction, filled to satiation with the food that He provides. I’ll give you all those Scriptures in the transcript. There are too many of them here, but you’ll be able to look them up (at the end of the transcript).

No. 9: FOOD AND GLADNESS, JOY, AND REJOICING

God wants us to rejoice as we eat together. I love Acts 2:46. Let me go to it here. This is speaking about the early church. It says: “And they continued daily, with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house” (that was hospitality) “they did eat their meat (their food) with gladness, and with singleness of heart.”

They had gladness and joy together as they ate their food. God, who is the giver of joy . . . He gives us food to enjoy so we have fellowship and food and rejoicing and joy all together. This morning, at our family devotions, we sang that beautiful hymn, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” It goes on to say:

“Melt the clouds of sin and sadness.

Drive the dark of doubt away.

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day.”

I love that because it gives the picture of God who is the giver of immortal gladness. Gladness is something that is immortal. It is eternal. It is not just for this present life. It’s for eternity. It’s not something that is just for when everything is going well. It’s something that is for us continually. So, we can have gladness, even when things are going wrong, even when we’re going through a difficult time. We can still experience immortal gladness.

I think God gives us something of that too when we sit down with others and eat together. He wants us to do it with gladness, and joy, and rejoicing. So many Scriptures about that. Let’s just look at perhaps another one.

Deuteronomy 12:7: “And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto. Ye and your household, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.” God wants us to have joy as we eat. I will give you all the Scriptures in the transcript.

No. 10: FOOD AND CHEER

Once again, He wants us to have good cheer as we are eating.

No. 11: FOOD AND GOOD THINGS

Let’s go to Psalm 103:1: “Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy Name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and heals all thy diseases:  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

It’s interesting that when you look at this Scripture, you see that the word “things” is actually in italics which means it’s not in the original. They just added it to give the meaning. So, in the original, it says: “He satisfieth thy mouth with good.” Well, we don’t even need to have things, do we? “He satisfieth our mouth with good.” All the foods that God has created are good.

We remember that from the very beginning, don’t we? Back in Genesis 1:11-12: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind . . . and God saw that it was good.” All the beautiful seeds, the fruits, the vegetables, and the herbs, everything that God created is good. So, let’s enjoy God’s good food. Amen?

Not all the junk food. The good food. The good food, remember, is healing food. If it’s not healing, if it’s just chips and white junk and refined food, it’s not healing, and it’s not good. We’ve got plenty of good food to choose from, haven’t we?

All right, now we’re up to . . . We’re getting through them a little more quickly today.

No. 12: FOOD AND HOSPITALITY

That is another twin. You can’t have hospitality without food. That’s really the essence of hospitality. When you invite someone to your home, you're going to provide food for them. If you invite them just to sit in a chair and look at the walls, well, that’s not very exciting, isn’t it? It has to be food with hospitality.

We see a wonderful example of this when we go to 1 Timothy 5:10. This is a picture, really, of what God has planned, the plan, the mandate, the vision that He has given to women. We see it here in verse 10, where Paul was writing to Timothy because he had obviously communicated with Paul that there were so many widows in their midst. He didn’t know what to do with them all.

So, Paul writes back to him and says, “Timothy, this is what you do. If a widow has family, if she has children or grandchildren, they must take the responsibility of caring for her and providing for her needs. This is what the Scriptures say.”

But he says, “If they don’t have any family, there are no children or grandchildren to provide for them, if they are 60 years if age and over, and have lived a servant lifestyle, you must provide for them from the church.” So, what is this lifestyle?

Here it goes: “Well reported of for good works.” The word there in the Greek is kalos. It means “beautiful, lovely, valuable.” What we’re going to read now are beautiful works.

Number one: “If she has brought up children.” Now the words there, “brought up,” mean “to nourish, to pamper with food.” That’s talking about raising children. It’s interesting that the word that is used in raising children is a word to feed our children and to nourish them with food, even to pamper them with food.

Of course, we begin the moment a baby is born, as the mother puts the baby to the breast, and she nourishes her little babe at the breast until the babe is ready to wean. Either way, mothers, don’t be in a hurry to wean your babies. Wean your baby when your baby is ready to wean, not when you think it’s time to wean.

Babies have different times. Some will wean early but others want to linger on longer. It’s most important that we learn to be aware and minister to the needs of our particular baby. Some babies like to nurse until they’re four years of age or maybe some even longer.

The mother nurses her baby. Well, as the baby’s getting older, she’s not only nursing only for food. By that time the baby’s eating solid food, three meals a day along with the family. But the baby’s still nursing, still wants that nursing touch, because nursing a baby is far more than food. Oh, yes. It’s ministering to that inner need, those inner needs of the soul. Remember that, those of you who are nursing babies. You are giving your baby far more than just food. Even when your baby’s eating food they may still want to keep that nursing relationship.

But then it goes on to the next thing. “If she has lodged strangers.” In other words, she’s opened her door in hospitality. Once again, food. You can’t lodge strangers and have people stay in your home and starve them! No, you've got to prepare meals. You’ve got to cook.

So, we’re seeing, as we read this Scripture, that cooking food and preparing meals are a huge part of our lives as wives and mothers in the home. God looks upon it, lovely ladies, He looks upon it as a good work, a lovely, beautiful work.

In fact, I just put out a podcast this morning, not realizing I was going to talk about this, and how that even when we give a cup of water in the name of Jesus, we will not lose our reward. That’s an amazing promise, isn’t it?

But just think about it, ladies. If God was going to reward you for giving a cup of water to some thirsty soul who is in need, how much more is He going to reward you for cooking a whole meal? Wow! If you can get a reward for giving a cup of water, how much more cooking a whole meal? And mothers, you're cooking breakfast, lunch, and supper every day, every week, every year, for years, and years, and years, and years, and years. Just think how many rewards you are going to get!

Oh, don’t despise cooking. Don’t despise preparing a meal, even though you think, “I’ve done this a hundred times! No, maybe I’m up to a thousand times.” Forget counting. This is your ministry. Cooking is not a chore. Cooking is a ministry. Not only to feed bodies, but to feed souls.

When you gather your children and your family, and other people around your table, you're not only feeding them physically, you're feeding them spiritually. The food, the physical food, just prepares people for that greatest feeding of the soul and the spirit. It’s such a beautiful thing, as God says it is. “Well reported for good works, beautiful works.” So, hospitality. That’s another thing. When you're having hospitality, it’s going to take work. It’s going to take cooking. Some people don’t show much hospitality. Maybe they don’t want to work. But it is such a beautiful ministry. God is looking for people with hospitable hearts because our God is a hospitable God.

Right throughout His Word, He says: “Come, come, come unto Me.” He longs for the day when we will sit at His table with Him in the eternal kingdom. Even Jesus talked to His disciples, and He said, “One day you will be sitting with Me at My table, in My kingdom.” Then He invites us to the greatest feast of all time, the marriage supper of the Lamb. What a feast that will be!

But God longs to show hospitality to His people because it ministers to people. Not just the food, but they are being wanted, they’re being loved, they’re feeling special because someone wants to invite them to their home. But it takes cooking. And it takes work, and it takes preparation. So, don’t despise that. Just think how wonderful and how blessed you are to bless others, and you won’t lose your reward, remember.

But we haven’t finished yet. It goes on to say: “If she has washed the saints’ feet.” Back in Bible days, when people came into a home, usually the servants would wash their feet as they came in, because they’d been walking on the dusty roads with their sandals, and they didn’t want to bring it into their home. That was the norm, that they washed their feet.

But here, this woman, she was a servant. She had a servant heart. She washed their feet. If you're going to wash someone’s feet, why are you washing their feet? To bring them into your home. And if you're bringing people into your home, well, you're going to feed them. That’s what you do. So, once again, it’s cooking!

And then, we haven’t finished yet. It goes on to say: “If she has relieved the afflicted,” those who are in need, those who are poor, those who have problems, those who are sick. Once again, if you're going to relieve the afflicted, you're going to bring food to them. You’re going to bring them into your home to feed them or you're going to go and take food to them.

Just like when someone is sick, you make a big pot of soup, and you make some homemade bread, and you take it to them. They’re feeling too lousy to cook for themselves and so you take food to them. You are relieving the afflicted when they’re down, when they’re sick. Every one of these things, every one of these beautiful things, as the Bible calls them, that’s the intent for women to do. They all entail cooking. And they entail hospitality. And then it goes on to say: “If she has diligently followed every good work.” The Scriptures say that that woman, if she doesn’t have children or grandchildren to care for her, she must be provided for by the church. Isn’t that beautiful? God’s provision to the woman who has lived that lifestyle, that beautiful lifestyle, that lifestyle He wants us all to live.

Once again, I have so many Scriptures about hospitality, but let’s just look at a couple of them. I’ll put the rest in the transcript.

Romans 12:13: “We are to be given to hospitality.” That’s really quite a word. That doesn’t give the impression, “Well, maybe about every few months we might perhaps, oh, we’d better have some people over for a meal.” No, we are to be given to it like someone is given to drugs. We cannot help ourselves because we have the anointing of Christ within us.

He says: “Come. Come unto Me.”

We also say: “Come to my home. Come to my table. Come and have a meal at our table. We want you to come.” We have hospitable hearts, because we are given to it. It’s like that family over in 1 Corinthians 16:15: “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints).”

That’s the same picture. It’s not, “Well, maybe I might do it. Help! I wonder if we’ve got enough food. Oh my, I wonder if we’ve got enough chairs. I wonder this . . .” No! They were addicted to the ministry of the saints, to serve the saints, and show hospitality to the saints. When you have a heart that’s addicted to hospitality, you're going to find a way around all your excuses.

Often, it’s, “Well, I don’t have enough food.” Well, Colin and I learned very, very early in our lives that if we were going to show hospitality, we would have to throw away our budget, because when you have a budget, you only have so much, and you've got to fit it into what you can afford to buy for that month. So, usually it’s just what you eat as a family.

Therefore, if you're going to open your home in hospitality, how do you do it if you keep your budget? I don’t think we ever actually had one anyway. We’ve never ever had a budget ever in our lives. We have lived beyond our budget all our lives. And yet, God has been good. He has provided. In fact, we have found that the more hospitality that we show, the better we live!

How does that happen? Because God aligns Himself with those who are hospitable. When we reach out to people, God sees us reaching out and He wants to feed those people. So somehow, He provides for us so we can feed those people! We have always found that that is so true! We live better the more we reach out and show hospitality to others.

I can remember back in the early days with our growing family. We’d invite families. Especially Sunday dinner, we would always have people to our home. We’d always invite people home. We didn’t have enough chairs in the very beginning, but back in those days, we had these wooden boxes in which we could buy 50 pounds of peaches, or apples, or so on.

We’d be preserving all our fruits for the winter. We would keep those boxes, and everybody would sit on boxes when they came. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have enough chairs. It doesn’t matter what you feel you don’t have. You’ll always find a way around it if you are addicted and given to hospitality.

Let’s go over to 1 Peter 4:7: “But the end of all things is at hand.” Whoo! Wow! What is God going to say next? The end is coming! “Be therefore sober and watch unto prayer, and above all things, have fervent love among yourselves, and practice hospitality, one to another, without grudging.”

The closer we get to the end, the more God wants us to open our homes in hospitality without grudging. Amen? Oh yes, hospitality is such a wonderful lifestyle, and it is associated with food. They are twins.

Let’s go on, shall we?

No. 13: FOOD AND LAUGHTER

Ecclesiastes 10:19: “A feast is made for laughter.”

Isn’t that great? God loves us to have joy and have laughter. It’s so wonderful when you can have laughter around the table, isn’t it? Of course, especially with your children. Don’t make your mealtimes boring and sober. Fill them with joy and laughter.

No. 14: FOOD AND LEFTOVERS

Yes, God not only wants to fill us. We have those twins, FOOD AND FULLNESS, but He provides even more than we need. He loves us to have leftovers. There’s a story in the Bible, back in 2 Kings 4:42-44 about leftovers. I wonder if you are familiar with it. Let’s go there, shall we?

Here’s this little true story: “And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat. And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof. So, he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.”

What happened there? This man came. God obviously sent him because at that time, just before this, they had found that they had put something in the pot, and it was poison! There was nothing for the prophets to eat. They had nothing! Obviously, they were hungry, but God did a miracle.

He sent this man from Baalshalisha. God must have spoken to him. He came with 20 loaves of barley and some ears of corn. Was that going to be enough to feed how many? 100 men? But Elisha said, “Just put it there. Just give it to the men, and see what God does, because I’m telling you, God has said there will be leftovers.” So, he gave it to the prophets to eat. They all ate, and there were leftovers. Isn’t that amazing?

And then, of course, we think about the story of the feeding of the 5,000, and how Jesus commanded that after they had eaten, the disciples were to go and pick up all the leftovers. And you all know the story and you know how there were 12 baskets full of leftovers.

But do you notice how God was interested in even the leftovers? He didn’t just leave them there for the birds to pick or to rot in the ground. No, they picked up the leftovers, and I’m sure that they distributed them to those who were in need.

But I’m a great believer in leftovers. I love to cook a big meal and hopefully there will be leftovers for the next day. Don’t you like having leftovers for lunch? In fact, food is usually even nicer the next day because all the spices and herbs begin to get stronger as they sit there.

Also, I am a great believer in not wasting food. Oh, my. Especially when we have feasts. We have Thanksgiving and Christmas and big parties. I will always have to give my little speech to all the children and the grandchildren too. “Only take what you can eat. You are welcome to come back and have as many helpings as you like. But you've got to eat everything on your plate. So, just take what you need for a start.

Well, sadly, even though I give my big lecture, I usually find, as I go around to pick up the plates, there is still food left on the plate! They didn’t listen to Nana. And some of it is beautiful meat! Oh, what a waste!

In fact, even on Sunday, at our fellowship meal this last Sunday, I went around to pick up all the plates. I couldn’t believe it! On just about every plate, there were leftovers! I think we should learn to take only what we’re going to eat, so that we don’t have leftovers from plates that are just going to be thrown in the trash.

I don’t mind leftovers in the pot because we’re going to save them for the next day, and they won’t be wasted. I think it seems to be, as I have noticed, a very American thing. It shows you that we are so affluent. I’m sure maybe you've trained your children out of this habit, and they eat everything on their plates.

But I see so many families where they don’t, and children and even adults, I have to confess, they take the food, and they just eat what they want. Then they leave the rest and it’s thrown in the trash. Half the food is thrown in the trash! I can’t bear it! I guess I’m older. I just can’t bear that because I don’t believe in waste at all!

But I think we should watch that, mothers. Don’t you? Teach our children to take only what they’re going to eat. Now, if they’re hungry, they can come back for more! We’re not going to starve them. Never! But we want to make sure they’ll eat everything they take. Amen? I hope you agree with me about that.

Actually, our time has gone by again! Whoo! I can’t believe it! Well, hopefully we’ll finish our food twins in the next session. But it’s just amazing, isn’t it, to see how much God has to say about food.

“Dear Father, I pray that You will bless every person listening today. I pray that You will bless their homes, bless their families, each one in their family. Bless their provisions. I pray that You will provide for them all that they need, and they’ll know Your provision as they walk before You to obey Your commandments. Because You’ve promised that, Lord, as we walk in Your ways, that You will provide.

And You say, as David said: “I have been young, and now I am old, but I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children, breaking bread.” We thank You that You are a God of provision. And I pray Your blessing and provision on every family listening today. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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www.aboverubies.org

Transcribed by Darlene Norris

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DON’T FORGET TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT THESE PODCASTS AND TRANSCRIPTS.

“LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell, Above Rubies”

DON’T KEEP THE BLESSINGS TO YOURSELF.

FURTHER SCRIPTURES TO LOOK UP:

No. 8: FOOD AND FULLNESS

Job 36:16b (NLT): “He is setting your table with the best food.”

Leviticus 25:19; 26:3-5; Deuteronomy 6:10-12; 8:8-14; 11:14, 15; 14:29; 26:12; Psalm 37:19; 81:16; 103:5; 104:27, 28; 144:13; 145:15, 16; 147:14; Proverbs 3:9, 10; Isaiah 25:6; Joel 2:19, 26; and Luke 6:21.

Jesus fed the hungry listeners until they were filled (Matthew 14:20; 15:37; Mark 6:42; 8:8; Luke 9:17; and John 6:12, 13, 26).

No. 9: FOOD AND GLADNESS, JOY, AND REJOICING

Deuteronomy 12:7; Ezra 6:22; Nehemiah 8:9-12; 12:27, 43; Esther 9:19-21; Ecclesiastes 9:7; 1 Chronicles 12:39, 40; Acts 2:46; and 14:7.

No. 11: FOOD AND GOOD THINGS

Genesis 1:11, 12; Psalm 103:5; Ecclesiastes 3;13; and 5:18.

No. 12: FOOD AND HOSPITALITY

It is impossible to show hospitality without feeding your guests: Genesis 18:5-8; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; 14:27-29; Judges 6:18, 19; 13:15-21; 2 Samuel 9:10; Nehemiah 5:17, 18; Job 31:32; Isaiah 58:7-11; Matthew 25:35; Acts 2:44-47; Romans 12:13, 20; 1 Timothy 5:10; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9; and 3 John 1:8.