Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Do you have a busy day planned? Of course you do. Every moment is filled when we have precious children to care for isn’t it?

How about fitting in some prayer? Romans 12:12 tells us to be “instant in prayer.” Many other Scriptures exhort us to “continue in prayer.”

Isn’t it amazing that many people would rather stake their lives on the temporary rather than the enduring? Many believers conduct their lives on the contemporary values of our modern society.

Jeremiah 6:16: “Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” What are these old paths we are to seek after? Doesn’t it seem rather old fashioned to ask after “old” ways?

What is God’s purpose for you? Isaiah 43:21 says “This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.” This Scripture is primarily speaking about Israel. God’s purpose for Israel was to show forth His praise in the earth. Through the Jewish people God brought forth the promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through God’s ancient people He gave us His precious Word, the Bible. And they are yet to show forth His praise in magnificent ways (Romans 11:15).

I don’t want to be offended by people’s hurtful remarks, rejection, or even hostility towards me. I have learned over the years, and am continuing to learn, to react to these slights with blessing and love.

However, I believe there are areas in life where I can legitimately be offended.

I am offended at the shallowness and weakness of the church of God today.
I am offended at the lukewarmness, the half-heartedness, the middle-of-the-roadness, and the indifference of many who say they are believers.
I am offended at how many are deceived and who cannot discern between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean.
I am offended that so few want to pray, or even make prayer and Bible reading a priority in their lives and their homes.
I am offended that many have gullibly imbibed the new religion of “tolerance.”

I am not offended at these precious people themselves, but at their mind-set, for I know it is the ploy of the devil to keep them from being light in the darkness and a bright flame for God in this world. I know it is the work of the enemy to deceive and weaken the church of God.

And yes, I am offended at what happened last weekend, where the so-called “evangelical” state of South Carolina gave their majority of votes to Trump, an immoral man who boasts of sleeping with the top women of the world. A man who does not believe that he needs to ask God for forgiveness of his sins. A man who has made his millions building casinos, which include strip clubs! A man whom a leading gay-activist organization calls “one of the best, if not the best, pro-gay Republican candidates to ever run for the presidency.”

The evangelicals comprised 72 percent of the voters in South Carolina! Does the word “evangelical” no longer have anything to do with the cross of Jesus Christ that deals a blow to all our sin and immorality? I am grieved, like Paul, who wept as he wrote: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you EVEN WEEPING, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ . . . who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:18,19). 1 Corinthians 1:23, 24 and Galatians 5:11 talk about the “offence of the cross.”

Trump calls himself a “common sense conservative.” He says many good things and promises “To make America great again.” However, we must look beyond what he says. He does not have a track record of being a righteous or godly man who walks in the fear of God. He calls himself a “nice man,” and a “good Christian” although not believing he needs to ask forgiveness from God. He says he is “pro-life” but out the other side of this mouth says that Planned Parenthood “does wonderful things for women.” Did you hear him say that, as I did, in debate No. 9?

I weep in my heart for our nation because I know we cannot trifle with God. We cannot expect His blessing upon us unless we vote for righteousness. And if God’s people cannot be counted on to vote for the most righteous man (for we will never find a perfect man), what hope do we have? We are blessed to have one, or even two righteous men that we could vote for.

Proverbs 29:2 says: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” God wants His people to be a “holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). All the promises in the world to make America great again will not happen unless we come back to God’s holy standard and stand on the side of righteousness.

~ Nancy Campbell

There is nothing more powerful that you can do as a mother. Are you facing difficulties and challenges in your family life or in your children. You have your answer: PRAY!

Proverbs 15:4 says: “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.” “Wholesome” means medicine or a cure. Every time we open our mouth and speak kind, loving, sweet, healing, and encouraging words we hammer another nail into building up our marriage and family.

Every time we speak nasty, reactive, discouraging, hasty, or negative words we hammer another nail into the coffin of our marriage.

David said in Psalm 4:6: “There are many who say, “Who will show us any good?” Or, where can I find true happiness? Some look for happiness in material things, pleasures, entertainment, prestige, or the favor of people around them.

In the same Scripture David confessed that he found his happiness in the favor and friendship of God. It is only God who can truly satisfy the longing and deepest desires of our heart. You cannot find it in “things.” You cannot even find it in your closest friend, your husband. Only in God.

“Thou art my hope in the day of evil”
(Jeremiah 17:17)

Thank you, Lord, that You are our hope. You are our hope, even when evil is all around us.”

Do we really believe in the power of God’s Word? I’m sure that if we truly understood its power to work in our lives that we would read it a lot more. We would read it to our families far more. We would make it a priority to fill our children’s minds, hearts, and mouths with God’s powerful words.

I am constantly amazed at how little young people from Christian homes know of God’s Word. They are very unfamiliar with it. They cannot even repeat well-known Scriptures. What’s the story? Haven’t their parents understood the most powerful tool they have at their fingertips to train their children and prepare them for life? And yes, we have it at our fingertips. I think of thousands of believers who are being persecuted because they value God’s Word so much, and yet we cast it aside.

Let’s read again Hebrews 4:12 in the Amplified Version. It really tells us like it is: “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power - making it active, operative, energizing and effective; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and (the immortal) spirit, and of joints and marrow (that is, of the deepest parts of our nature) exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”

If we, are our children, are not filled with God’s Words which sift, analyze, and judge every thought and purpose of our hearts, we can easily be deceived. It is only God’s Word that enables us to see through deception. And it breaks my heart to see so many Christians (or who say they are Christians) deceived. We see it even with the coming elections. We see evangelicals deceived by hype and “good things” candidates say, and yet not checking out their testimony and seeing through to their hearts and who they really are.

God’s Word divides between the soul and the spirit. This Scripture also uses the illustration of joints and marrow. Have you ever sucked marrow out of the bone? It’s one of my favorite parts of the meat. One writer explains it: “It’s like dividing joints and marrow. Joints are the thick, hard outer part of the bone. Marrow is the soft, tender, living inner part of the bone. That is an analogy of “soul and spirit.” The Word of God is like a sword that is sharp enough to cut right through the outer, hard, tough part of a bone to the inner, soft living part of the bone. Some swords, less sharp, may strike a bone and glance off and not penetrate. Some swords may penetrate partway through the tough, thick joint of a bone. But a very sharp, powerful double-edged sword (sharp on each side of the point) will penetrate the joint all the way to the marrow.” From souliswell.blogspot.com/.

This is the power of the living and effective Word of God. It’s the only thing that can expose deception! Because deception is so subtle we often don’t know we are deceived!

Come on, mothers. Let’s take hold of the most powerful tool we have in our homes--God’s living Word. Let’s feed on it. When I wake in the morning I am desperate for God’s Word. I’ve got to get it to feed my spirit. Give good meals of God’s Word to your children each day, at least every morning and evening at your family devotions. Don’t starve their spirits. Raise them to be discerners of good and evil through the power of the Word.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

Many of you know my daughter, Serene. Along with her sister, Pearl they wrote the book, TRIM HEALTHY MAMA, which has gone viral across the world. Serene and her husband, Sam, are blessed with 13 children, eight biological and five adopted. Serene’s oldest adopted daughter, beautiful Selah, is now married with two children (Sammy and Eureka) and expecting a new baby in July.

Selah and her husband, Samuel, are also wanting to adopt three more children from Liberia, where they both come from. These three children are their relatives whose parents have died, one through the recent Ebola epidemic in Liberia. Selah is the most beautiful and devoted mother and Samuel is a wonderful father. We are so proud of them. We know they will be wonderful parents to these children who are actually part of their flesh and blood.

Is the light in your soul dim? Or perhaps nearly out? What about your home? Does the light of Jesus burn brightly in your home, or is it fading?

Do you remember the story Jesus told of the five wise and the five foolish virgins? Because the bridegroom delayed his coming, they all grew drowsy and went to sleep. At midnight the cry came, “Behold, the bridegroom comes; go ye out to meet him.”

Ever since my childhood
I’ve dreamed of my wedding day.
I would find my one true love
And he’d steal my heart away.

I recently read two opposite views of two of our presidential candidates. Charlotte Underwood writes: When Dr. James Dobson interviewed Ted Cruz he told him he had worked with three presidents over the years, but he had never seen the nation in “a situation as dire as it is. I believe you are strong enough to stand up and take on Washington. Are you ready for that job?”

Cruz paused ever so slightly before replying. “I hope and believe I am. But you’re right – it is an incredibly difficult job. The challenges facing this country, the challenges facing the world – it’s a job that is definitely too much for any one person – and if you don’t begin every day on your knees asking God for his wisdom and support, I don’t believe you’re fit to do this job.”

~ J. R. Miller.

Parents are the custodians of their children's lives. If they would meet their responsibility and be able to look God and their children in the face at the judgment, they must make their homes as nearly “gardens of Eden” as possible.

The way to save your children from the temptations of the streets is to make your home so bright, so sweet, so beautiful, so happy, so full of love, joy and prayer that the streets will have no attractiveness for them, no power to win them away. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

Most animals have sharp senses in order to detect danger. Have you watched a dog prick up his ears? He hears or senses someone coming before we ever hear them.

Hebrews 5:14 talks about those “who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” It is important to keep our spiritual senses heightened and on alert. Many allow them to become dull and insensitive.

My husband and I listened to the GOP debate on Saturday evening. Two of the candidates were asked their stance on abortion. Both governors boasted of their pro-life work in their states and that they were against Planned Parenthood selling body parts. That’s great. However, they both said they believed in exceptions for rape or incest.

That sounds very caring, but it is double talk. They, and you and I, are either pro-life or not! If we are pro-life, we believe in protecting the baby in the womb (because it is a newly conceived human life) no matter what the situation.

I have read many testimonies of babies who have been conceived through rape and grown to be happy and well-rounded people, enjoying useful life. They certainly did not want to be murdered. I am printing a testimony in this coming issue of Above Rubies of a woman whose mother chose life even though she was raped. She gave her baby up for adoption and this child was raised in a loving Christian home, enjoyed a happy childhood, and is now happily married today.

I personally know a friend of mine who was raped and chose to keep the baby she conceived. Her daughter was the delight of her life and grew up to be a beautiful Christian woman. It certainly was not the end of that mother’s life. Of course it was a difficult time for her, but she came through victoriously and with the blessing of a beautiful daughter. And she will never have to go through life carrying the burden of knowing she killed her own child.

We have to follow through our thought patterns. We can’t be distorted in our thinking. How can we think it is lawful to kill a baby in the womb because it was conceived through rape? It is still a living human being. If someone was to murder that person at twenty or thirty years of age, would that be okay? No, the murderer would be guilty and charged with life imprisonment.

We have in our very own family an adopted granddaughter who was conceived through incest. Should she have been murdered in the womb? No, she is a delightful, sweet child and a joy to us all. Let’s get our thinking straight.

We cannot be clouded by humanistic thinking, but need to understand the true meaning of life. We also must know how our presidential candidates think, because they affect the nation and also the future of our progeny. After listening Saturday night, I decided I better check out all the candidates. I’ll share what I found with you.

The current GOP candidates who are continuing the race all say they are pro-life. However, some are not totally pro-life, but compromise according to situational ethics.

Ted Cruz: Opposes exceptions for rape and incest.
Marco Rubio: Opposes exceptions for rape and incest.
Ben Carson: Opposes exceptions for rape and incest.

Donald Trump: Supports exceptions for rape and incest. Trump would rather this issue was a “personal issue” and "should be left to the women and their doctors." I think that is cop out. It is very much a political issue when our nation stands guilty before God for the killing of over 58 million babies since Roe v. Wade in 1973.
Jeb Bush: Supports exceptions for rape and incest.
Chris Christie: Supports exceptions for rape and incest.
John Kasich: Supports exceptions for rape and incest.
Carly Fiorina: Supports exceptions for rape and incest.

~ Nancy Campbell

Why do we correct and discipline our children? Because we want them to grow up prepared to be successful in life. Some parents scream at their children and lash our when their children irritate them and get on their nerves. This is opposite to training children. Responsible parents diligently discipline bad behavior. They correct their children and bring them into line when they are out of order, disobedient, tell lies, talk back, pout, and have moods. They will not tolerate these negative habits.

Are your thoughts running wild today? Where are they are running? Down to the pit of self-pity? Into the doldrums? Holding on to bitterness and hurt? The Word tells us to take EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE! You can’t do it by yourself, but as you speak forth the name of Jesus, OUT LOUD, you can take them captive and cast them out of your mind.

Keep you mind free for Got to fill it with His thoughts and to be able to bless others. You can never help another person (your husband or your children) when you are bound by negative thoughts.

~ Nancy

Don’t you love these words from the hymn, “Loved with Everlasting Love” written by Wade Robinson back in 1890)? When Christ dwells in our hearts, we see everything from a different perspective. Not only nature, but also our children and everything going on in our home. When Christ dwells in our hearts, we see everything from His point of view rather than our own negative or pessimistic viewpoint.

Heav'n above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green!
Something lives in ev'ry hue
Christ-less eyes have never seen;
Birds with gladder songs o'erflow,
Flowers with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.

“Dear Father, please pour out your Holy Spirit upon me today. I cannot fulfill this great task of raising the children You have given me in my own strength. I look to You for Your strength, Your wisdom, Your refreshing, Your patience and longsuffering, and Your anointing. Please come alongside me and help me to raise

godly children in this ungodly world
holy children in this unholy world
pure children in this impure and unclean world
truth-loving and truth-keeping children in this deceived world
overcoming children in this evil world
God-seeking children in this entertainment seeking world
Bible-believing and Bible-loving children in this humanistic world, and
prayer-loving children in the midst of a prayer-less church.