Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.

TWO OF YOU!

2ofUDon’t you like these words? TWO OF YOU! That’s you and your husband. God gives a great promise to the TWO OF YOU. It’s found in Matthew 18:19 where Jesus said: “If TWO OF YOU shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.”

I know that TWO OF YOU can relate to any two people who agree together. But it is tailor-made for marriage. As husband and wife, you have the privilege and opportunity to agree together, pray, and expect God to answer.

It is sad that many couples are not aware of the power they have as a married couple to see great answers to prayer. We all face many challenges as we raise our children, but God has given us the TWO OF YOU power of prayer. Don’t waste this privilege.

Can I ask you: do you pray with your husband each day? Praying together is the very foundation of marriage. And can I ask you another question: if you both don’t pray for your children together, who will? No one cares as much for your children as you and your husband. And this is the greatest thing that you can do for them. Pray for them. Nothing is powerful as praying for them. Nothing will accomplish as much as praying for them!

Instead of complaining about the difficulties and challenges of parenthood, pray together about them. You’ll be amazed at what happens.

Blessings to you,

Nancy Campbell

 
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DEATH AND DESTRUCTION OR HOPE AND LIFE

AbundantlifeI’m still processing the last debate. Firstly, my brain finds it difficult to understand Joe Biden’s ability to BLATANTLY lie. Nearly every word was a lie. Isn’t it amazing that only an hour or so before the debate Bobulinksi (the man who was brought into be the CEO of Biden’s company) came forward on TV to give evidence and proof of Joe Biden unlawfully receiving money from China. Although challenged in the debate he blatantly said it was untrue. And yet it just been exposed, WITH PROOF!

DARKNESS AND DEATH

His message was also very confusing. Or I should say, full of dark foreboding. He began by telling the nation that we are “going into a dark winter” and that “another 200,000 people will die because of the virus!” And talking about the virus that has now proved to have a 99.9 percent cure, “We are learning to DIE with it!”! And we MUST wear masks (which have proved to be ineffective!) What dismal words. What a way to encourage the nation. These are not facts. These are his own words of doom and gloom. Only more fearmongering to the nation.

Even the lie that 200,000 people have already died from the virus is not true. A very small percentage of them were actually from COVID only. The majority had either one or two other medical diagnoses.

He began his debate with the need for more lockdowns and closing the nation down again and yet ended with the words that he will bring “hope over fear!” I beg your pardon. He didn’t give us one word of hope. It was all gloom and doom and lockdowns!

LIFE AND FREEDOM

On the other hand, Trump talk about opening up the nation, getting businesses back, and restoring our nation again. Talking about the virus his words were the opposite of Biden’s. Instead he said, “We are learning to LIVE with it” sharing his own experience of contracting the virus and being healed in three days!

To me it was like a picture of the words of Jesus in John 10:10 (ESV): “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it ABUNDANTLY.” The KJV says: “MORE ABUNDANTLY!”

One party brings the message of gloom and depression and death, to rob fathers of providing for their families, to rob us from singing and meeting freely in our churches, and living life as God intended. The other party wants to bring freedom, optimism, hope, and life back to the nation. This is how God intends us to live. This is the lifestyle of the kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of darkness.

Romans 14;17: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST.”

Romans 15:13: “Now the GOD OF HOPE fill you with ALL JOY AND PEACE in believing, that ye may ABOUND IN HOPE, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

What do you want? I don’t want to live in fear and despair. I want to live in hope as God intends us to live (1 Peter 1:3). I want to live in “the land of the free and the home of the brave” where we can live freely, enjoy family life, enjoy church life, and interact socially with people as God created us to do.

And of course, one of the main issues that was never mentioned in the debate, the protection of life in the womb. Joe Biden wants babies in the womb to be murdered right up until the time of birth, and even after birth if the precious baby survives the abortion. Kamala Harris promises to “always fight” for the “right” to abort unborn babies!

On the other hand, we are blessed that we have a president who is adamantly pro-life. President Trump states: “Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God. Together, we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life."

Again he says: “Let us reaffirm a fundamental truth, all children, BORN AND UNBORN, are made in the holy image of God.”

Last month he stated: “Today I am announcing that I will be signing the Born-Alive Executive Order to ensure that all precious babies born alive, no matter their circumstances, receive the medical care that they deserve. This is our sacrosanct moral duty.”

Have a wonderful day, filled with hope and cheer,

Nancy Campbell

https://www.lifenews.com/…/here-are-president-donald-trump…/

https://nypost.com/…/hunter-ex-partner-tony-bobulinski-cal…/

https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/biden-insider-bobulins…/

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WE ARE A PICTURE TO THE WORLD

PictureToWorldOne of my favorite quotes about marriage is from John Piper: “There has never been a generation whose view of marriage is high enough.”

I believe this is so true. The Bible reveals that marriage is a picture of the relationship of Christ and His bride, the church. That is a big thing for us to reveal in our marriages, isn’t it?

How can we reveal it when we don’t even know or understand the fullness of what it means? I don’t think many of us really do.

Thinking on this, I was challenged yesterday when reading the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. I saw them in a new light. We often think of them as religious laws with no love in them. But as I read again, I began to see something of God’s relationship with us which should also be revealed in our marriages.

Let’s look again shall we? “And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: thou shalt have no other gods before me.” God is saying to His people Israel and to us: I have delivered you out of the kingdom of darkness. I have made a marriage covenant with you and you and are mine. You now belong to me and no one else (Exodus 16:8-14; Song of Solomon 2;16; 6:3; 7:10; and Isaiah 54:5).

This commandment comes from God’s heart of love for His people. Because we belong to Him, He wants our total allegiance. Because our marriages are pictures to show this relationship between Christ and us, we should have this same attitude toward our husbands. When we are married, we belong to our husband, and he belongs to us, and no one else. The marriage vows say: “forsaking all others.”

The next commandment says: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them for I am the LORD thy God am a jealous God . . .” God is a jealous husband over us. He gave His only Beloved Son to die and shed His blood to purchase us to Himself. It’s not wrong for a husband or wife to be jealous if either one is looking at someone else!

The third commandment says: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

To take the name of the LORD means in the Hebrew to “carry His name or to bear His name.” We are created in His image to bear His likeness and image. When we belong to Him, He wants to manifest His character and image through us.

When we marry, we give up our old name and take our husband’s name. We now carry his name wherever we go. As we live in a way that honors our husband’s name, we not only bring honor to him but honor to ourselves. If we dishonor his name, we literally dishonor ourselves.

But then God goes on to say that we must not take His name in vain. That means to speak of it lightly or worthlessly. This also speaks to us in our marriages. It is a serous thing to speak critically, dishonoringly, or lightly of our husband’s name.

How sad to hear a wife criticizing her husband, pulling down his image, or speaking of him disparagingly or lightly. It is the opposite of what God intends for us in our marriage relationship. He wants marriage to reveal to the world the same attitude we have to God and to Christ.

We honor God’s name because it is hallowed. It is worthy. It is holy. It is great. Maybe you don’t feel your husband is worthy and you can only think of negative things to say about him. Well, keep your mouth shut. If you can’t say something that is honoring, don’t open your mouth.

Because remember, we are to be a picture of the relationship of God and His people.

Isn’t it amazing how God reveals this even in the first few commandments?

I am challenged. Are you?

Be blessed.

Nancy Campbell

Petition to Stop Abortion

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A HOLY PLACE FOR GOD IN THIS WORLD

HolyPlaceGodDid you know that God wants your home to be holy? Wow, that’s a huge undertaking isn’t it? Especially when our homes are filled with sinners. We are sinners and our children are sinners. Yes, even though we are sinners saved by grace, we are still prone to sin. But as we invite God to come and dwell in our lives and our homes, He woos us to holiness.

In my early morning Bible reading this morning I read Hebrews 9:1: “Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.” That’s King James language. Let’s read it in the J. B. Phillips’ translation: “ . . . and it had a sanctuary, a holy place in this world for the eternal God.” Don’t you love those words? Let’s read them again: “. . . a holy place in this world for the eternal God.”

Back in those days, God dwelt in the midst of His people, Israel. God dwelt in His Shekinah glory in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, and later the temple. Today, God does not live in a temple, but He still wants a dwelling place on earth. Now He comes to dwell in our hearts and He also wants to dwell in our homes (2 Corinthians 6:19, 20).

On this bit of earth, in the neighborhood where you live, you have a great commission to make your home a holy place for the eternal God! What could be more powerful? Can you seek to make your home a holy place for Him?

But there’s more. God not only wants our homes to be holy, but all the area around our homes. Talking about Ezekiel’s temple in Ezekiel 43:12 it says: “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.” You may only have a little backyard, or you may own many acres. Whatever God has given to you, He wants it all to be holy.

We not only guard what goes on in our homes, but what goes on around our homes. Who hangs out with our children? What is happening on the inside? What is happening on the outside?

God wants every material thing in our homes to be anointed with His presence. Yes, even our pots and pans (Zechariah 14:20, 21). Fill your home with everything that promotes holiness and cast out every evil thing.

Holiness begins with us wives and mothers. We are the heart of the home and it is our responsibility to make it holy. Let’s make holiness our vision.

Hebrews 12:14: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”

Have a beautiful day with your family,

Nancy Campbell

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COURTESY AT HOME!

CourtestyAtHmI ran into a stranger as he passed by,

"Oh excuse me, please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too,
I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I,
We went on our way and we said good-bye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown,
He walked away, his little heart broken,
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common
courtesy you use,
But the family you love, you seem to abuse.

“Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you,
He picked them himself, pink, yellow, and blue.

“He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed,
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you,
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I
acted today,
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,
And I do like the flowers, especially the
blue.”

~ Unknown.

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IF I HADN’T BEEN A MOM

IfHadntBeenMomWhat would life have been like, I wondered
if I hadn't been a Mom?
If God had never placed a baby
In the shelter of my arms?

If I hadn't been a Mom
I probably would not have cried so much
I surely would not have laughed so much
I definitely would not have loved, or been loved, so much.

If I hadn't been a Mom
I wouldn't have had the chance to be
A hero, saving the day
A fashion consultant, explaining why some things just don't match
A nurse, comforting the sick
A general, rallying the troops,
A teacher, shaping young minds,
A detective, searching out truth,
An explorer, seeking lost treasures,
A missionary, sharing the gospel of Christ.

If I hadn't been a Mom
I would never have
Been loved unconditionally by a five-month old
Snuggled under a special blankie with a two-year old
Sang veggie tales songs with a four-year old
Had a tickle fight with a five-year old
Found a willing and able helper in a seven-year old
Received a one-of-a-kind original masterpiece from a nine-year old
Been beaten in chess by an eleven-year old
Been instructed in the top Christian artists and their latest songs by a
thirteen-year old
Had my book-reading record broken by a fifteen-year old
Or been prayed for faithfully each night by a sixteen-year old.

I would have missed out stargazing, water-hose tag, read-alouds,
dancing, birthday parties, and Christmas mornings full of joy.

If I hadn't been a Mom
I wouldn't have had the chance to fall in love with my husband
Time and time again as he kissed a tiny baby
Or danced with a little girl
Wrestled with little boys
Or took young ladies out on their first dates
And taught young men what it means to be a man.

If I hadn't been a Mom
I wouldn't have to read Amelia Bedelia or play "This Little Piggy"
numberless times
I wouldn't have to wipe crayon off the walls
Scrub Play-Doh out of the carpets
Or spot-treat countless little clothes.
I wouldn't find old diapers under my car seat,
Rocks in my washing machine,
Or my toothbrush on the floor behind the toilet.

I wouldn't have had to make last-minute searches for shoes,
Fix hundreds of ponytails,
Wipe thousands of noses,
Clip millions of fingernails.

I wouldn't have been drooled, thrown up, pooped and peed on.
I wouldn't have come to think of the bathroom as my private sanctuary
Or settled into the dentist's chair with a sigh of pleasure
At the prospect of thirty minutes of peace.

But if I hadn't been a Mom
I wouldn't have been given butterfly kisses
Or felt baby hands clasped around my neck.

I wouldn't have received love notes
With questionable spelling
But matchless expression.

I wouldn't have enjoyed wildflower bouquets
Or head rubs
Or been the object of so many radiant smiles.

I wouldn't have received
An encouraging word, a hug,
Or an act of service just when I needed it most.

I wouldn't have shared heart-to-heart talks
With aspiring young film-makers,
Computer experts, artists, writers, interior decorators,
Chefs, gardeners, singers, architects, ballerinas, engineers, inventors,
Explorers, horse-trainers, and future Daddies and Mommies.

I wouldn't have a front-row seat to the blossoming of future
world-changers
And the pleasure of living with my very best friends.

If I hadn't been a Mom I wouldn't have heard a child cry "Mommy!"
If I hadn't been a Mom
I wouldn't have been challenged
To love Christ more,
Trust my Father more,
Listen to the Holy Spirit more,
Repent quickly,
Speak carefully,
Forgive graciously,
Give generously,
Be truer, braver, freer.
I might never have plumbed the depths of my own weakness
And found, at the bottom, the miracle of God's grace.

So for all you little girls—
Hold fast to your baby dolls and love them well.
And to you big girls
Standing on the edge of life's great adventure,
When you hear the lie, as you surely will,
That life is too short to be lived
Within four walls
Washing dishes,
Changing diapers,
Cleaning up messes,
Teaching ABCs,
And being the center of a whirlwind of noise and activity,
Don't pay it any mind.
Take it from someone who has gone before you
That, although whatever road God takes you down in life will be blessed,
There is no richer journey than the one you will find
If you are one day privileged
To be a Mom.

Jenny Hutchins, Mother of 10.

 

Painting: Evert Pieters (1856 – 1932, Dutch).

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HOW DO WE RESPOND?

HowWeRespondI talked to a friend recently who is going through a fiery trial. Heartache beyond compare. At one stage her daughter came to her sobbing, “Mother, what shall we do?”

She told me: “I said, ‘We will rejoice in the Lord. We will pray without ceasing. We will give thanks in the storm. We will forgive and love in the face of rejection. We’ll do all that God wants us to do.’”

Wow, what a positive answer. The opposite of giving in to despair and wallowing in self-pity. This dear woman is a woman of faith and has learned how to weather the storms.

Let’s be encouraged by her example. Instead of confessing our trials, let’s confess the truth that God is with us in the storm and He will bring us through.

Isaiah 43:2, 3 (NASB): “When you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU; and through the rivers, THEY WILL NOT OVERFLOW YOU. When you walk through the fire, YOU WILL NOT BE SCORCHED, NOR WILL THE FLAME BURN YOU. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, Your Savior . . .”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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BUMPITY-BUMP!

BumpityHas God blessed you with conception in your womb? Oh you are so blessed. God is creating within you and eternal soul and a very special child for this earth. Be blessed today as you pray over your baby and nurture this little one in your womb. Remember, motherhood begins in the womb.
~ Love and blessings from Nancy

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THE PRIVILEGE

ThePrivilege“Every mother has the breathtaking privilege of sharing with God in the creation of new life. She helps bring into existence a soul that

will endure for all eternity.

Every mother also has the unique honor of nurturing and developing the bit of divine greatness in her child . . . Yes, a good mother can reach beyond the sanctuary of her home and help
renew the face of earth.”

~ James Keller.

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A SONG OF JOY IN THE MIDST OF SORROW

SongJoy(To all those who have suffered the loss of babies through miscarriage * by Jual Hopkins).

“Beginning 2020 with a family portrait in a cemetery may not be the ideal setting for some, but for me I wouldn’t have it any other way. You see, I have two sons buried in this cemetery. Nehemiah James (April 24, 2015) and Philip Kaden (January 10, 2020).

Miscarriage is a word so quietly spoken. Death and suffering are never cups that any of us voluntarily choose. Yet here I am. In a valley of death I thought I left back in 2015. Two baby boys that I got to deliver and hold, ten fingers and ten toes. Both died around 14 weeks gestation, beautifully formed. (Nehemiah, I learned at a 15-week appointment and Philip at my 18-week appointment).

What do I do when I find myself in the valley of the shadow of death? I choose Jesus. I choose His words. For He is a good God, and He has good plans for me “… and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4)

I choose JOY… because His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).
I choose JOY… because I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living (Psalm 27:13).
I choose JOY… because I know that my Redeemer lives (Job 19:25).
I choose JOY… because He loves the sound of my voice (Songs 2:14).
I choose JOY… because the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places (Psalm 16:6).
I choose JOY… because He blessed me with two sons to whom I will forever be their Mom (Ps 127:3).
I choose JOY… because this is not the end of the story for my sons. They are eternal souls who will live forever (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
I choose JOY… because one day Jesus will come and split the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
I choose JOY… because death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54).

So, on an unusually warm Wednesday morning in January 2020, our family made the drive once again with balloons, shovels, and a blue tarp to bury Philip with his brother Nehemiah. On this day we chose JOY, for He is a faithful God. He is a good Father to the Hopkins family, and I will stake my claim in the city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11: 10).

In the midst of sorrow, please rejoice with us for a life is still a life, regardless of the length. Though their season was cut short, I am thankful that I am privileged to be called their Mom. I am blessed that Jesus saw it fit to take my weak “yes” to children. Partnering with Him in creating human beings that get to live forever with Him, for His glory, and because He alone is worthy.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

My son’s stories are not finished, and neither is mine. Joy is on the horizon and I will see my sons again.”

JUAL HOPKINS

Jonathan and Jual are blessed with Naomi (9), Isaiah (8), Olivia (6), Sarah (4), and Hudson (1 1/2) and our heavenly babies: Nehemiah James, Haven Mae, Kinsley Harper, and Philip Kaden.

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WHAT IS TRUTH?

TruthWhatsIsn’t it amazing how we go to Google to check out all the information we need to know? It is true, we can find out some amazing information through Google, but we have to be careful. Through experience, I have now found that to find the real truth, I cannot rely on the first URL links that come up. In fact, I must go way, way down the list to eventually find what is the real truth.

This is a good thing to remember. It’s the secret. Don’t rely on the first URL that comes up. Keep going down and down. Keep searching. Don’t take as gospel truth the first thing you read. All of social media is controlled by the liberals and therefore all liberal, brainwashing, propaganda is at the top. If you keep that in mind, you can keep searching for the truth.

For example, if you want to find out about Vaccines, you’ll find all the top links say that there are no risks with vaccines. ou’ll need to keep searching for the naked truth and the horrendous things that so many parents have experienced through vaccinating their precious children.

You want to find out about vasectomies? All the top articles will tell you that they are completely safe. You’ll have to really search to find the truth that they increase a man’s risk for prostate cancer and many other problems.

What about Fat Check and other liberal fat checkers? I think it is important to check the Fat Checkers because they are protecting the liberal agenda. They will say something is not true, and we are meant to believe them. We must search for the facts to find out what we believe.

If you want to read about masks, the first thing you’ll read is that they are necessary to stop the virus. But if you keep searching, you will find much more scientific information to show they do not stop the spread of the virus and are harmful in many other ways. We need discernment regarding what we will believe.

For example, I read how many noticed a wire showing on Joe Biden’s shirt during the debate and then pictures to prove it. Fortunately, I saved one of those pictures. However, if you look up Fact Checker and any other similar sites you will read that they say No, it wasn’t true. They don’t give evidence but just say No and we are meant to believe it.

If you search the Internet, you can no longer find any picture that shows he wore a wire and the strange thing peeking out from his sleeve. They have all been taken down like every Youtube, video, or message about what is really going on behind the scenes. They are taking down immediately.

Above is the picture. I don’t know the truth, but Fact Check says that what looks like a wire on his shirt is actually a crease in the shirt. Look closely and see what you think. They say that the thing poking out of his shirt sleeve is part of the rosary beads that he wears on his wrist. But I thought that the rosary beads would go around the wrist, not poke out in this way. Interesting!

Anyway, the moral of the story is that we should not believe every link we first see on the Internet. We must look at who wrote it. What is their agenda? And we must keep searching for truth.

And we must teach our children to not believe the first thing they read. We must teach them how to search for truth. We must teach them how to discern! True discernment only comes from God and His living, infallible Word. We must return to God and to His Word. We must fill ourselves and our children with His Word. When we have His truth filling our minds and hearts we will have true discernment.

Malachi 3:18 says: “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.”

Let’s be truth-searchers,

Nancy Campbell

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OF COURSE IT MATTERS

CourseItMattersSome ministers of the Gospel think it doesn’t matter who gets into government in this next election because God is in control.

Yes, God is in control, but I believe it does matter. God wants His people to be involved in the matters of life and government. Why would the Bible exhort us to pray for all those who are in authority that we “may lead a quiet and peaceable life” if it doesn’t matter? We wouldn’t need to bother.

Of course it matters because God wants us to live peaceful lives. Let’s read the Scripture, shall we? “I exhort therefore, that, FIRST OF ALL, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for ALL THAT ARE IN AUTHORITY; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Is this the FIRST thing yo do when you come to church>

If the left comes to power in this next election we will not live “peaceable lives.” This nation will immediately move into extreme socialism and then communism. Christian persecution will arise instantly. Even now they want to stop churches, stop people singing in church, and arrest people singing hymns in public when our constitution (the highest authority in the land) gives us this freedom. Imagine what it will be like when they have full power to execute their leftist agenda. The preaching of the gospel will be curbed. But God wants us to pray for a government that will bring peace and freedom for “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Of course it matters! What about the precious babies being murdered in the womb? This nation already stands guilty for the murder of 63 million babies. What will it be like when there is no curb on their agenda to eliminate life and kill babies right up to birth, and even after birth if they have been designated for abortion? It is horrific to think about. As God’s set-apart people we have a responsibility to work, to pray, and to vote against this horrendous evil. And all the other anti-God, anti-family, anti-marriage agendas of the left.

We see a counterpart in the Old Testament. God told the Israelites to pray for the cities where they lived, even while in captivity! Why? For the same reason — that they may have peace. Jeremiah 29:7 says: “Seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace.” The word peace is “shalom” and the root word of shalom is “shalam” which means “to be safe.” Isn’t that what we want? This is what God wants for us too.

The NLT and NET translations say: “Work for the peace and prosperity of the city.” We don’t wait to see what happens. We must work for the peace. We must get involved. We must “pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Did you get that? Your welfare and the welfare of your children and children’s children is bound up in the welfare of what happens in the nation! Therefore, as parents, we must work and pray for the right government (that one whose agenda the closest to God’s ways) to come into power.

This is why I am so concerned. This is why we cry out to God daily. I am not only thinking of now. I am not only thinking of the kind of country I want to live in. I am burdened for my children’s children and their children.

Do you think about the future generations? We have a responsibility to do all we can for them to live peaceable lives. I don’t want my future generations living in a situation that Venezuelans now live in. Or China where there is another wave of intense persecution of Christians.

Of course it matters. Why would God tell us He would “heal our land” if we “humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways” (2 Chronicles 7:14)? He wants our land to be healed but we must do our part.

Why would God promise us that He will not send His judgment if we turn from our wicked ways? Jeremiah 18;8 (NLT) says: “If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation RENOUNCES ITS EVIL WAYS, I will not destroy it as I had planned.”

We have it our hands to turn God’s hand back from judgment if we do what He requires of us. Judgment, heartache, and persecution will come to the people of God if this extreme socialist government is voted in. But God has promised He will turn from His judgment if we repent, pray, and turn from wickedness.

When we turn back to God, He puts the power within our hands to turn His hand of judgment. What a powerful thing. We can determine the kind of country we want. And it does matter who we vote for.

Blessings to you today,

Nancy Campbell

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WE MUST BE CONNECTED...

SocialDistantImagine a human body with each part disconnected and distanced from the other parts. It could not function. Ephesians 4:25: “We are parts of each other in the same body.” We can only function when we are connected to one another. The dry bones in Ezekiel 37 only became a body when “the bones came together bone to bone” and then “an exceeding great army.” #oneanother #knittogether #knittogetherinlove #wearethebodyofchrist #compactedtogether #ezekiel37 #ezekiel37v7 #facetoface #sidebyside #aboverubies

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DON'T JUST FEED YOUR FACE...

BodySoulSpiritYour table is far more than a place to eat food for your physical body. It’s a place where you feed the whole man! Enjoy conversation at your table. Laugh and have fun. Tell stories. Ask questions. Bring a topic to the family to discuss together. And don’t leave the table until you have nourished the spirit as well. Open up the Bible and read God’s living Word and pray together. Don’t ever allow your children to be malnourished in their inner man. Make every meal a love affair. Make your table a sacred altar. It will become the most wonderful time of your day. #familymealtimes #eatsuppertogether #eattogether #eattogetherstaytogether #fellowshiptogether #readgodswordtogether #praytogether #familydevotions #familyworship #familybibletime #aboverubies #nancycampbell

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COME UP HIGHER!

ComeUpGood morning! This morning at our Family Devotions we sang the hymn, “I’m pressing on the upward way, new heights I’m gaining every day.” In case you don’t know it, I’ll post the words at the end of this post. It’s one of my favorites.

My husband, Colin, always ends our devotions with a word of encouragement for the day, e.g. “May this be the greatest day you have ever lived!” “Have the greatest day of your life, filled with joy and love!’ and so on.

Today he said, “”Let’s come up higher today—a higher place of joy, a higher place of hope and faith, a higher place of victory.”

How true. We don’t have to live in the basement of doubt and gloom and despair. Unless you want to. You have the option! But who wants to live in the pits? You can come up higher. You don’t have to live by what’s happening in your life or by your feelings. Jesus Christ not only died for you to save you from your sins, but He comes to indwell you by the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver you from sin and despair and from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4).

You can live in joy, above your circumstances, because Christ who is Joy lives in you.

You can live in rest, above the turmoil of life, because Christ who is Rest dwells within you.

You can live in victory, above your doubts and feelings of failure and worthlessness, because Christ, the Overcomer dwells in you.

Come up higher in your home today, dear mother. In the midst of your little children and all you have to do, you can live on the higher plane. Live in the realm that Jesus died to give to you. Take hold of His life that is in you and part of you.

Live the higher life.

Love from Nancy Campbell

P.S. Here are the words to the hymn if you don’t know it.
I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

CHORUS:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven's tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan's darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I'll pray till heav'n I've found,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."

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WHAT A LOAD!

WhatALoadAre you carrying a burden today? Sometimes you feel totally bowed down by burdens. Did you know that God does not want you to carry these burdens. He asks you to give them to Him (Psalm 55:22.

God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah: “Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves (guard your souls), and bear no burden on the Sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem” (Jeremiah 17:21). This Scriptures speaks about the literal Sabbath, but we are blessed, through our Lord Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of the Sabbath, to live in a continual Sabbath.

How can we live in continual rest? God commanded the people that they must not bring any burdens through the gates of the city on the day of rest. The word for burdens is “masa” and depicts the packs upon the backs of the donkeys or camels. It can even mean an utterance, especially of doom.

If you want to live in the rest of Christ, you must leave your burdens at the gate of your heart. Yes, many trials, heartaches, and burdens come your way. But you must not lift them up and carry them through the gate of your heart and mind. Leave them outside! God is able to bear the burden that you cannot bear. Don’t bring self-pity, depressions, constant worrying, and tensions inside your heart.

God continued His message: “If ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day . . . Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David . . . “ (verses 24, 25).

There can only be one king on the throne of your heart. It is either King Jesus or your burden which you make king. When you choose to bring burdens into your soul, they become king! They rule your thought life and everything else. When Jesus reigns as King in your heart, you will live in rest. When you make your burdens preeminent, you live in tension nod stress.

Who is king in your life today? Jesus Christ who is your Rest, or your problems and worries?

Live in rest today,

Nancy Campbell

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MY HEART’S CRY

HeartsCryI am feeling very sad and burdened. When I posted the message about listening to THE RETURN, the National and Global Day of Prayer and Repentance, I thought it would be such a blessing for all those who were not able to attend.

Instead, there was an onslaught of negativity. It so saddened my heart. This was not a day for holding up theological doctrines. It was a day to repent and confess the sins of this nation. The message given by Jonathan Cahn was a message from God’s Word about repentance, salvation, and lifting up Jesus the Messiah as the only answer. It was a cry to repent of the national sins of abortion, same-sex marriage, transgenderism, and so on. It was a kingdom message.

Dear fellow believers, we may not all agree theologically. And not every spokesman for God is perfect in everything he says. Help. Who is perfect? We are only human. I can’t think of how many things I wished I had never said. I was wrong in many of my beliefs and over the years God has changed me and enlightened me. We are all in a process of growth by the power of the Holy Spirit.

But one thing we can all agree on is that this nation deserves God’s judgment. We have sinned more than Sodom and Gomorrah. We have murdered 63 million babies in the womb. We have changed God’s infallible law He established at creation of marriage between one man and one woman. Our Supreme Court has defied God! We could go on and on. This is not a time for theology debate or saying who is a false prophet or who is not.

This is a time for all of us to repent for the sins of this nation. It’s a time to cry out together for the mercy of God as thousands and thousands did on Saturday. For those of us who could not attend, we have the privilege of joining them in our homes. We must continue joining in the spirit of this sacred occasion as we gather our families together and GET DOWN ON OUR KNEES and intercede before God every morning and evening for God to save our nation. Please forget all these other petty things. They will only hold back the move of God that we long for.

As Jonathan Cahn said himself: “This is not a rally, it’s not a seminar, it’s a SACRED ASSEMBLY.” And it was. All day long, godly men and women, from rose to the microphone to repent of national sins and cry out to God for revival. Thank you, Lord, for this great happening. Thank you Lord, for the thousands and thousands who came to pray and march for life and for God’s mercy on this nation.

Can I plead with you, dearest friends, please put aside all your own ideas of what you think is theologically right. Let’s get with the bigger picture. This nation is at the crossroads. If we don’t repent. If we don’t turn back to God—to life, to righteousness, to family, and to prayer, we can only expect judgment.

But if we humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, AND TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS, then God will hear from Heaven, and will forgive our sin and HEAL OUR LAND! 2 Chronicles 7:14 was the theme of this sacred assembly. Please don’t get in the way of this.

And do you notice that God doesn’t say that if we get all our theological doctrines correct that He will heal our land? No, He says if we will seek His face and PRAY.

Let’s walk with soft and repentant hearts and commit ourselves and our families to praying and crying out to God every day. Not just quick prayers. But down on our knees interceding before God.

This is all I long for. I long for revival. I long for God’s people to turn back to Him. I long for this nation to be saved. I long for abortion to be stopped. These things don’t come theologically, they came through prayer.

Let’s keep praying,

Nancy Campbell

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WHAT VOICES DO WE HEAR?

DevilStopsThere are so many voices in the world, but Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice. Do we hear His voice speaking to us? If our ears and mind are filled with all the voices of the world around us, it is difficult to hear His voice. But Jesus’ voice is the only voice of truth (John 14:6). Other voices may seem like the truth. They may even sound wise, but they can be deception.

When the devil came to tempt Eve, he didn’t tempt her with blatant wickedness, but with that which seemed wise, good, and pleasant to the eyes. This is how he deceives us.

I read again the words of Jesus this morning in John 10:3-5: “The sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.”

What powerful words. We must certainly get to know the voice of Jesus and discern the voice of strangers, for WE WILL NOT LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF STRANGERS! That means all that is foreign to God, His truth, and His word.

What a powerful mandate we have from God to teach our precious children to hear the voice of God and to discern the voices of strangers. We are most careful to teach our children to never listen to a stranger on the street or go with a stranger. But are we teaching them to NEVER LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF STRANGERS IN THEIR EARS?

The voices of humanism, feminism, equalism, agnosticism, same-sexism, transgenderism, and atheism, etc. are all around in our society. Thye are strangers to God’s truth. And let’s get the message again. Jesus said that His sheep will NEVER LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF STRANGERS. They will run from them.

When we put our children in public school, we sit them down to listen to the voice of strangers, not because the teacher maybe a stranger, but the ideologies of our current school system are anti-God ideologies. They advocate alternative lifestyles rather than biblical, evolution rather than creation, abortion rather than life, and anarchy rather than patriotism, etc. Many of the young people who have been rioting and destroying with Antifa and Black Lives Matter are victims of our high school and college brainwashing.

Psalm 1:1, 2 states: “Blessed is the man that walks NOT in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD.”

Do your children hear the words of Jesus each day? Are you filling them with the truth of God’s word? Or are they being filled with strange voices from public school or from their iPhones and social media in their own homes?

We must teach our children to RUN FROM the voice of strangers. This is a huge part of your parenting.

Be filled with courage today,

Nancy Campbell

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OUR GREATEST CALLING...

FromGodOur greatest calling is to lead our children to God and to impart to them His ways and His truth. #powerofmotherhood #ilovemotherhood #joyfulmotherhood #godlymothering #bibleteachingmother #prayingmother #aboverubies #dietrichbonhoeffer

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ARE YOU A JUMPER?

JumperJesus Christ was our supreme sacrifice. He became the sacrificial Lamb, slain upon the altar for our sins. His ultimate sacrifice gives us forgiveness of sins, victory over sin in our daily life, sweet fellowship with Him, and eternal life. Romans 12:1 beseeches us that our logical and reasonable response should be to yield our lives back to Him as a living sacrifice. What does this mean?

Because Jesus laid down His life to be our sacrifice, we should also lay down our lives to be a living sacrifice.

We face this principle every day as wives and mothers. Constantly we choose whether we will demand our own way, do what pleases us, or lay down our life for our husband, our children, and sacrifice our own selfish desires.

Sometimes this is a battle. We need to be constantly reminded of Psalm 118:27: “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” We willingly lay our life upon the altar as we feel the moving of the Holy Spirit in our lives. But then we get back to the challenges of daily life and mothering and off the altar we jump!

We need His cords to bind us. What are the cords? God says in Hosea 11:4: “I drew them with cords of compassion, with bands of love.” He says again in Jeremiah 31:3 “Yes, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

Because Christ now dwells in our hearts (if we have been born again), we no longer live to ourselves, “but unto him which died and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This lifestyle of dying daily to our own selfish desires does not ruin our lives. Instead, it releases us into the joyful life of serving and sacrifice. This is the life of Christ that resides in us and the example He gave us to follow (Mark 8:35).

I read about a mission board that had an ox for its seal. On one side of the ox was an altar, on the other side a plough. Their motto was “Ready for either.” There are millions of Christians being martyred for their faith today (more than at any other time). They are literally dying upon the altar. Others (like you and me) become a living sacrifice as we take up the plough of the daily grind of life. Not doing it grudgingly, but with joy and exhilaration.

May God save us from being jumping jacks--jumping off the altar as soon as anything becomes too difficult, looms bigger than we can imagine, or does not work out the way we planned. Instead may it become our lifestyle to be bound with joy to the altar. This is the least we can do in response to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us.

Love from Nancy Campbell

 

Painting by Edna Hibel

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Above Rubies Address

AboveRubies
Email Nancy

PO Box 681687
Franklin, TN 37068-1687

Phone : 931-729-9861
Office Hrs 9am - 5pm, M - F, CTZ