Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

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

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

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

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

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

No wonder we need revival.

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged to side with God. Colin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. God will provide. Colin

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

A Christian magazine recently published a typical humanistic approach to God’s mandate in Genesis 1:28 stating that humanity hasn’t done a very good job of obeying the Ten Commandments, except God’s words to Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden to be fruitful and multiply.

They state that the world’s population has now reached the seven billion mark and six of those billion have been added to the world in the last 200 years. The article continues to lament that as the population grows our resources are not able to keep up. The article is full of humanistic statistics of natural resource shortages, e.g. water.

However, what the article fails to consider is that most, if not all the countries mentioned, are Islamic or pagan in their religion and not under God’s covenant to bless. God’s covenant to bless and provide do not depend on natural resources, e.g. the children of Israel in the wilderness.

The article snidely states that we are not in Eden any more. They fail to consider that the reason we are not in Eden any more is because we have not learned the lesson in which Adam and Eve failed—to trust and obey. Yes, Genesis 1:28 and the Ten Commandments.

Do these unbelieving Christians not understand that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)?

They also fail to mention that God reiterated the mandate to be fruitful and multiply outside of the Garden of Eden, on the flood damaged slopes of Mt. Ararat. Read Genesis 9:1-7.

Be encouraged. Colin

One could understand why non-Christians and atheists would want to limit their family, by whatever means available to them, as they have no understanding of God’s primary reason for man’s creation.

However, all of heaven must be amazed and sad that so many Bible believing Christians are almost as unbelieving as non-believers on this subject, expecting for abortion. And even abortion is accepted by a large number of mainline Protestant churches who have unfortunately long forgotten how to protest against such evil as the murder of innocent life.

Even Muslims do not go along with birth control, let alone abortion. They must despise us infidel Christians for the way we have cheapened conception and birth by accepting our “own family planning” with God out of the plan.

I can understand our not wanting our own likeness and image to be multiplied, but who are we to stand in the way of God’s likeness and image being multiplied? Do we think the world does not need more of His truth, His love, His peace, His justice and His light? For this is His image.

Be encouraged. Colin

THIRD PARENTING REVIVAL, Part 5

I want to talk more about the image and likeness of God for I believe that this great truth is not seriously considered as a major factor regarding the pros and cons of contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The biblical truth is made abundantly clear in Genesis 1:26-29 and 9:1-7. From these foundational Scriptures it is very obvious that the main purpose for the creation of mankind is for the image and likeness of God to be multiplied in the earth. This truth was declared before any other purpose such as taking dominion over all creation.

The abundant increase of His likeness and image was the primary reason why man was mandated to be fruitful and multiply. The truth is that all mankind is born with this potential--to mirror God’s image and this is indeed possible through the gospel. No other creation has this potential. Bearing this truth in mind we can easily see that mankind is sacred in his calling.

How sad it is when contraception, sterilization, and abortion are discussed that most fail to consider the increase and multiplication of God’s likeness and image in the earth.

Be encouraged. Colin

THIRD PARENTING REVIVAL, Part 4

How much do we really fear God when it comes to stopping the godly seed coming forth?

I think of the passage in Exodus 1:17-20 where the Israeli midwives saved the male babies alive because they feared God more than the king of Egypt. Verse 21 says, “The midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved their men children alive.”

In all honesty, we 21st century Christians should be hanging our heads with shame. The Israeli midwives acted at great risk to their own lives in order not to offend God. We have to ask ourselves, “Where is our fear of God relating to contraception, sterilization, and abortion?” There are many so-called Christians who support abortion in order to show Christian love or compassion toward the mother of an unwanted pregnancy. Where is the fear of God in that compassion?

These so-called Christian groups do not even have a Pharaoh breathing commands to kill male babies or else risk their own lives. And yet without any fear of God, these Christians side with the spirit o the devilish Pharaoh. How insane can one get when one does not fear God?

But, I can multitudes of Christian saying, “We do not support abortion.” And yet contraception and sterilization accomplish the same ends, by purposefully blocking the godly seed of whom the anti-Christ Pharaoh of spiritual Egypt is still afraid. All contraceptive pills have the potential to abort a baby.

Colin Campbell

What excuses do we offer for unwanted pregnancies?

Speaking of the children of Israel, Exodus 1:12 says, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.”

The circumstances could not have been more difficult for the children of Israel as they suffered under the bondage of slavery. One could easily form the opinion that this would not be the right time to raise any children, let alone a large family.

Even the Israeli midwives feared God more than the Pharaoh of Egypt, and with great risk to their own lives, preserved the male babies alive. Exodus 1:20-21 tells us that God “dealt well with the midwives… and because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.” I am being a little subjective, but did He perhaps give them safe houses to help keep the babies alive?

All our lame excuses for not gratefully accepting all of the children God has destined us to bring forth “in the image and likeness of God” pale into ashes in comparison to the iron furnace of Egypt’s slavery.

How unbelieving and lacking in faith we are who dare to call ourselves the people of God in this generation. It is indeed time for the church of God to repent. Contraception and sterilization serve the same end as abortion—the elimination of the image and likeness of God in the earth!

Be encouraged. Colin

Are children a blessing or a curse? I have not found any Scriptures to support the notion that it is a blessing from God to limit children. Nor can we expect God’s blessing to be upon us when we deliberately choose to limit our family size.

It is not my desire to judge or condemn, for God is our Judge. I believe, however, that someone has to be brave enough to speak the truth, despite all the excuses that the Christian crowd continues to throw against it.

Genesis 1:28 says, “God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.” God has never taken this mandate away, for it is an eternal blessing that has never been withdrawn.

Even after the fall and the great flood, God reiterated His mandate to Noah to “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,” not only once, but twice. Genesis 9:1-7.

Even in times of great trial, God still looked for fruitfulness from His people (Exodus 1:1-21). And when He sent them into captivity, He still commanded them to be fruitful (Jeremiah 29:4-6).

Be encouraged. Colin

“A true man of God will not take the easy road if it involves compromise.”

A very vital challenge in this parenting revival is the call of the Spirit of God, and clearly defined in Scripture, to not limit the children God wants to give us.

Despite the resistance of many throughout the Christian church toward this aspect of parenting revival, there continues to be a small stream of parents whose hearts God has touched and who are teachable to this challenge.

This truth is most challenging because it cuts across the status quo of most churches. I believe with all my heart that it is high time that all “so called” Bible believing Christians reexamine the Scriptures about limiting the godly seed.

Many Christian woman sacrifice raising children on the altar of careerism, and most Christian husbands do not care to ask why? Most churches applaud the working woman while the stay at home mother receives no praise or encouragement.

Most of us men are blindly following the crowd. But is it right to follow the crowd?

Be encouraged. Colin

Men, we must understand that home embracing motherhood is so important to the lives of our growing children. If we men do not have a strong conviction about this, our wives will not feel their importance in the home.

A wife and mother who is at home makes all the difference between a house and a home. As husbands, we need a home, not just a house. Children need a home, not just a house. Without a wife and mother in the home, the home not only feels empty, but is empty.

Day Care centers are not a place where children are bonded. Children constantly need their own mother’s eyes, their own mother’s approval, their own mother’s encouragement, their own mother’s loving discipline, and their own mother’s embrace.

Day care centers, as well as state schools, deprive children for hours every day of the blessing of true motherhood. Every hour a growing child is forced to be without his or her own godly mother is an hour of deprivation in the life that child.

What’s the point of “mother bonding” if the child is forsaken for hours five days a week?

Why do I write this to men? Because we can help make this happen by our godly counsel, encouragement and provision.

Be encouraged to encourage your wife. Colin

Men, if our wives feel they are not appreciated in the home for the sacrifices they make, they will be tempted to go back to the work place, and nest will not be the same. If we grumble about not having enough money to pay the bills, once again they will be tempted to leave the home and join the corporate life, or even wait on tables that are not their own. The home will suffer because of her absence.

Mothers have come home in this revival of parenting. This has made home a far better place to live. Motherhood is synonymous with the home. A mother cannot be effective in her role while at the corporate office or waiting upon tables.

Men, we must do all we can to bless and encourage our wives to remain at home. Homeschooling is not possible if our wives are at work. Private Christian schools are often expensive and can put more financial pressure on a wife to vacate the home for the work place.

If you have lost your employment, seek to quickly find something else, even a lesser temporary job, in order to ease the pressure on your wife to leave the home.

Be encouraged to encourage. Colin

MOTHERS NEED ENCOURAGING, Part 1

The second area of the parenting revival is of women catching the vision of their high calling of motherhood and how they can truly influence the nation.

William Ross Wallace wrote in his poem, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”

Men, no matter what sacrifice has to be made we must, at all costs, encourage our wife and daughters to be homemakers. A home without a full time wife and mother is sterile. The degree of sterility in the atmosphere of the home is according to the amount of time the mother is in or out of the home.

It is important that the wife and mother is glad to be in her home. When a woman sees her home as bondage and hankers to be out in the corporate life and away from the home it brings a negative atmosphere to the home. Psalm 113:9 says, “He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.”

Husbands, be very encouraging to your wife. Love her, bless her, and make it easy for her to be contented and happy in the home. Work hard to provide for her so she can fulfill her mandate from God.

Psalm 128:3 TLB says, “Your wife shall be contented in your home. And look at all those children! There they sit round the dinner table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees. That is God’s reward to those who reverence and trust him.”

Do everything in your power to encourage your wife in her mothering. She needs lots of encouragement.

Be encouraged to encourage. Colin

It's high time to take our stand.

This movement has been, and continues to be part of the growing revival of parenting. Compared to most other countries, USA, with well over a million families homeschooling, is by far advanced in this aspect of parental revival.

When the Bible was removed from being openly accepted as the vital foundation of our nation's education in 1963, concerned and committed Christian parents were more than a little concerned.

As their children were exposed to evolutionism, and are now more and more being influenced by homosexuality, atheism, socialism and communism, their concern is intensified. Sex education in public schools has definitely turned committed Christians away from state education.

Their precious children's innocency must be protected. Added to the influence of some (not all teachers thankfully), is the influence of ungodly peers may seriously endanger the Christian ethic parents desire for their children.

For the sake of the next generation, all seriously minded Christian parents should seriously consider pulling their children out of state education.

Homeschooling is a vital part of the parenting revival.

Be encouraged. Colin

Malachi 45-6 says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

This passage of Scripture reveals God's heart for the revival of parenting. This revival has been manifesting itself in a number of ways. I will list, although not in order of importance, what I have observed to be the main areas so far.

1. The homeschooling movement. Thousands of parents have taken their children out of the public education to give them a godly education at home. Others are being educated in private Christians schools. More and more, the state schools are introducing a humanistic and liberal agenda which is the opposite of God's Word and they are becoming hotbeds for drugs and sex. God-fearing parents cannot assimilate.

2. Women are being challenged to leave their careers and make motherhood and homemaking their highest priority.

3. Fathers and mothers are being challenged by God's Word to stop limiting their family size and trust God for the children He wants to give them.

4. The importance of Family Devotions where God's Word is shared with the family morning and evening. Family prayers are offered up to God along with the singing of hymns and spiritual songs.

I will elaborate on each of these points in following posts.

Be encouraged. Colin

I believe one the chief areas were we need repentance is in the realm of parenting. Parenting is a foundational role in society, and as the Scripture says in Psalm 1:3, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

The raising of children is indeed the most important foundational stone in determining the destiny of any society or nation. A nation is only as strong as its foundations are strong. For many years now, God has been seeking to bring the attention of parents back to His ways for raising children. Unfortunately, the Christian church has been dragging its feet and is quite resistant to God’s call to a revival in parenting.

There is only one thing that the righteous can do in answer to the question of Psalm 11:3. That is to rebuild the destroyed foundational stones. In the next few posts on this Facebook I would like to outline some of the areas that God has been seeking to revive in the foundational roles of parenting.

Psalm 95:7-8 says, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.” God is always seeking to revive us, but He needs willing hearts that will not only hear but gladly do His will.

Be encouraged. Colin