We protect life and love life from conception onwards. #alwaysprolife #prolife #lovelife #babiesareprecious #ilovebabies #godlovebabies #aboverubies
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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.
I think it is important to know who we are as women, don’t you? God calls us a number of different names in His Word. The first name God gives for women is “help meet.” The word “help” is “ezer” in the Hebrew and simply means “to do for someone what he or she cannot do for himself or herself.”
It’s the same word that is used to describe God as our Help. God comes to our aid when we have no way of helping ourselves. What’s amazing is that God used this word to describe women before we read it as a description of God. To be a help to our husband is a divine mission. It is one of the attributes of God.
Read the meaning again. Do you notice that God did not create us to be the same as our husband? He created us differently. He created us to complement our husband in things that he cannot do himself.
God’s divine and glorious plan is to bring two people together and make them one—a man and a woman. Not two males. Not two females. Each are different, so they can accomplish the ultimate purposes of God.
God has created us with a womb to conceive and nurture life in our womb. Our husbands cannot do this. He created us to nourish a babe at our breast. Our husbands cannot do this. He created us to love home and make a nest and a safe sanctuary for our husbands and family. Our husband cannot do this. Without a wife in the home it looks and feels like a “bachelor pad.” No ambiance. No feminine touches. No hominess
This is God’s glorious plan. But because it is God’s plan, the devil hates it. He hates everything that is of God. Therefore, he seeks to destroy marriages. He woos women out of the home. He deceives them to take on their husband’s role and vacate the role God ordained for them.
Dear wives and mothers, let’s not be betrayed by the devil who is a liar and a deceiver. He has already two-timed thousands of women. Don’t be another of his statistics. Let’s be who God created us to be.
I was reading a commentary by Matthew Henry the other morning. He describes the wife as a “companion to her husband, manager of domestic concerns, trusted to form the minds of children.” I thought of how many women would despise these words today, and yet they are biblical.
It’s time to stop joining the devil’s plan (while he laughs up his sleeve), and instead embrace God’s eternal purpose.
Loads of love to you in your home today,
Nancy Campbell
Painting by Johann Georg Meyer von Bremen
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You might like this alternative nursery rhyme to teach your children:
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe;
She loved all her children, not only a few.
She kissed them, and hugged them
And tucked them in bed,
“I love you my darlings” was the last thing she said.
Then up came the sun, with a kiss they’d awake
And taste all the goodies their mama had baked.
They’d pray, they’d clean, they’d work they’d play.
It made little ones grow in the wholesomest way.
By Jackie Gunderson * 1993 in Legacies, vol 3. No.3.
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While I am on a role with tables I must post this picture. Once a month, Our daughter, Evangeline and husband, Howard and whatever children are home (they have two married and some traveling on missions), make a special festive meal together. Vange even dresses up the chairs. You don’t have to have an expensive table to make things lovely. As you can see, this is only a fold up table, but look how beautiful it looks. Simple but glorious. Make beautiful memories for your family. Interrupt your daily routine with special and festive times. #familymealtable #tablecloth #dressupyourtable #blessyourfamily #makeeverymealaloveaffair #aboverubies
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Muslims are free to pray on the Temple Mount. However, Christians and Jews may only visit the site as tourists.
Jesus said: “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7).
This petition will be sent to the Israeli Parliament, United Nations, and the White House, and shared online to let the world know just how many people believe in free and open access to the site that once housed God’s palace.
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STAND UP FOR MOTHERHOOD
Sign this petition to stand against the GAY BILL OF SPECIAL RIGHTS.
http://www.traditionalvalues.us/Urgent_petition2a.aspx…
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Dear ladies, Do you like to stand up for truth and righteousness at every opportunity and whenever you can? When we don’t have an opportunity to speak, we can at least sign a petition.
Here is one and I will send a few more to you today. If you feel strongly about any of these issues, add your name to the petitions.
SIGN THE PETITION TO UPHOLD THE SCIENTIFIC DEFINITION OF SEX IN FEDERAL LAW AND POLICY
Read the following excerpt from the petition, that shows that God creates the male or female from the beginning of conception. If you agree, sign.
“Human sex is a binary, biologically determined, and immutable trait from conception forward. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design for the obvious purpose of the reproduction of our species. This principle is self-evident. “XY” and “XX” are genetic markers of male and female, respectively, and are found in every cell of the human body including the brain. Sex is established at conception, declares itself in utero, and is acknowledged at birth.
“Sex differences are real and consequential. The Institute of Medicine recognized the singular importance of sex to health and the field of medicine nearly two decades ago. Sex chromosomes impart innate differences between men and women in literally every cell of our bodies.[i] There are over 6500 shared genes that are expressed differently in human males and females.[iii] These differences impact our brains, organ systems, propensity for developing certain diseases, differential responses to drugs, toxins and pain, differential cognitive and emotional processes, behavior and more.[i]”
"Petition to Uphold the Scientific Definition of Sex in Federal Law and Policy"
https://www.ipetitions.com/…/uphold-the-scientific-defintio…
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In a post recently, I mentioned that fearing the Lord is one of the criterions for experiencing great happiness. Psalm 128, a psalm about family life, enumerates these blessings.
God states that the man (the husband and father) that fears the Lord and follows in His ways will receive the following blessings.
1. He enjoys the fruit of his labor (verse 2). He is a hard-working man who takes responsibility to provide for his family. He provides sufficiently for his wife to be in the home. He knows that he can’t afford for her to leave the home. His children are too precious to be given to someone else to care for.
2. He enjoys the blessings of his wife being in the home (verse 3). He is at peace because he knows his children are nurtured, trained, and guarded by his wife at home. They are not left to the others who do not have the same principles to shape their lives.
3. He enjoys the blessings of coming home to a wife who is in the heart of her home (verse 3). He comes home to a lovely meal that his wife has ready and waiting for him. He enjoys the blessing of sitting around the table with his wife and children where they interact and talk together about the day’s happenings. He is happy that he not only blesses his children with food and fellowship but feeds their inner man and read God’s Word to them.
4. He enjoys watching his children growing up--healthy, vigorous, and full of life.
5. The Israeli man sees “the good of Jerusalem” all the days of his life (verse 5). If more and more families would embrace the lifestyle of this psalm, we will also see “the good of our nation.” We cannot expect God’s blessings unless we walk in His ways.
6. He embraces the promise that he will enjoy the blessings of grandchildren (verse 6).
7. And lastly, he enjoys peace in his home and in the land (verse 6).
God uses the word “esher” meaning “extra happy” three times in this psalm, plus He uses the word “blessed” two times. It’s filled with God blessings for families that walk in His ways.
The picture God paints in this psalm of the family that He wants to bless is different to the lifestyle in many homes today, even Christian homes. However, no matter how much we think we know better than God, our human wisdom is foolishness. It’s only God’s ways that bring His ultimate blessings.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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To use or not to use.
I recently talked to a friend from a different state who was staying in our home. As I spread the tablecloth in readiness for supper, she said “I don’t know one other mother among my homeschooling group who uses tablecloths.”
“Do you like naked tables?” I asked.
Just as I clothe myself, I love to clothe my table when we sit to eat. Dear young mothers with little darlings all around you, please don’t turn off as you read this It is possible to use tablecloths even when your children are little. You can purchase a pretty tablecloth and a large piece of clear plastic. Place the plastic over the tablecloth and all you need to do is wipe it down at the end of the meal. You need to wipe down the table anyway, and it’s just as easy to wipe the plastic.
There are seasons in life. When my children were little, I used plastic over my tablecloth. Now the children have grown, I no longer need to do this. I am amazed that I don’t have to wash my tablecloth every time we sit for a meal. I find I can use it several times before I notice marks on it. Plus, I like to use different tablecloths throughout the week.
I have a great supply of tablecloths and look for them at Goodwill. I have pretty pieces of material I use as tablecloths. I have some that have been given as gifts, but I’ve never spent a lot of money on them.
I am writing this in reply to some of the comments to the picture of table below. One person wrote: “I don't have the means to set a beautiful table. My plates are all mismatched. Tablecloths are all stained, and candles are a luxury.”
Do you know that it is possible to set a beautiful table even when you don’t have much? Get your children involved. They love to make things beautiful and they are very creative. It may not look professional, but it will be special. Get them to go outside and find some flowers or greenery to put in a vase for the table. Teach them how to set the table correctly. Give each child a turn and encourage them to make the table as creative as they can. It will become a competition with the children to see who can make it the best.
Children should see that the table is the heart of the home. The more effort we put into making it beautiful, the more these memories will be implanted into their hearts.
I think we have placed a low status upon the table in our society today. Let’s lift the standard. I remember reading in John McCain’s book, “Faith of my Fathers” about how his parents came to each evening meal dressed for the occasion, his father in an evening suit and his mother in a long evening gown. I’m not saying we should do this, but it showed the importance they place on the family meal table back in those days.
My husband always comes to the table dressed appropriately. Never in work clothes. He always changes and dresses suitably. Usually in his suit coat.
Another lady writes about the picture below: “I think it’s lovely! However, I don’t have money, or space to buy or store all those beautiful dishes!” Nor do I. I don’t own beautiful heirloom china like my dear friend in the picture below. Most of my dishes come from Goodwill. You can gradually gather sets of the same color. Sometimes I use a different dish for each person for the evening supper. You don’t do the same thing every evening. But you can always make it special.
Another mother says: “I want things simple, so I can focus on my friends and family.” Good statement. People are always more important than things. The children are far more important than the tablecloth and plates. But don’t negate these things, dear mothers. Even if you can’t do it in your most busy seasons (maybe a new baby in the home), do it as you can.
My goal for every meal is to “Make every meal a love affair.”
Love from Nancy Campbell
Picture: http://everydayliving.me/…/tablescape-tuesday-english-coun…/
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Are you concerned about protecting your home? Do you lock your doors when you go out and at night?
We don’t lock our doors during the day as there are so many family members coming and going, but we lock at night. We like to be as secure as possible when we bed down for the night.
I think it’s inherent within us to protect our families and our homes, don’t you? I was reminded of this again when I typed the Scripture we discussed yesterday. Psalm 144:14 says: “Our enemies will not invade our land, and there’ll be no breach in our walls.” This is one of the blessings of a nation that follows the ways of God.
But this is what I can’t understand. We have certain senators and congressmen and women who don’t want to protect our nation. They openly want terrorists to come freely into our land. They welcome anyone, even those who can’t support themselves. “Don’t worry. We’ll feed you, house you, and pay your medical bills,” they say. But who pays? Us taxpayers. They want to establish more Sanctuary Cities to house terrorists. This thinking is so unnatural to normal instinct. Normality wants to protect.
We currently have approximately 11.2 million undocumented immigrants living in USA. Some say 12.5 million. In 2017 FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) reported the total cost of illegal immigration at $135 billion a year. Some reports say more and some less.
Interestingly, many of these politicians have fences around their own homes, and some even have guards. We would not be against them doing this. It’s normal. We all desire protection and privacy. But with this mindset, why don’t they want to guard the nation they are paid by us to protect?
God blesses a nation that walks in His ways. "Righteousness exalts a nation” Proverbs 14:34 states. One of the blessings is that we will have no invaders and no breaks in our walls. We will be secure. Sadly, we have thousands of people trying to invade our land, expecting to walk in freely while carrying the flags of their own countries! I watched one young man on the news from the caravan proudly state: “Not even God will stop me coming in!”
If we have any normal instinct within us, we’ll stand for protecting our borders.
Of course, we should welcome those who come legally. We are legal immigrants ourselves. We came to this wonderful country 27 years ago. We then applied for Green cards and became “resident aliens.” We later applied for citizenship and are very proud to be American citizens.
What does God say? The nation that has no invaders will be happy! The last verse of Psalm 144 says: “HAPPY is that people, that is in such a case: yea, HAPPY is that people, whose God is the LORD.”
Be blessed,
Nancy Campbell
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Psalm 144 ends with the wonderful words: “Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!” (Psalm 144:15 (ESV).
Who are these blessed people? And what are the blessings that fall upon them?
Before I answer, let’s look at some other translations to see how they describe “esher,” the double happy word.
“O THE HAPPINESS of the people that is thus” (Young’s Literal Translation)
“HOW BLESSED are the people who experience these things!” (New English Translation).
“WHAT BLISS we experience when these blessings fall!” (The Passion Translation)
Now let’s discover the blessings. We find the first blessings in verse 12. All about our children. God always puts first things first. It describes our sons as well-nurtured plants, flourishing in their youth. We do not keep them like little boys but instead raise them to maturity. The Young’s translation says they are “BECOMING GREAT in their youth.” Did you notice those words? In their youth. Not when they are older.
How sad to see young men today, already in their twenties, and yet still immature. Not ready to take on the responsibility of marriage and family. Sometimes still relying on their families when they should be establishing a new godly family themselves.
Let’s raise our boys to become men who know how to take responsibility. That means gradually giving them responsibility in their youth. To see this happening in your sons is bliss!
Verse 12 then speaks about our daughters growing up strong and beautiful like pillars in a palace. They are preparing to be queens of their own domains. They are fit for royalty. They do not succumb to the worldly and fleshly spirit that woos so many young girls. To watch our daughters grow up pure and godly, prepared, and ready to raise families is also great bliss.
But we must go back further. For these wonderful blessings to happen we must pray the prayer David prayed and to take a stand against deception and evil like David did. David prayed two times in this psalm: “Deliver me and save me from these dark powers who speak nothing but lies. Their words are pure deceit and you can’t trust anything they say. Deliver us!” (Psalm 144:11 (TPT).
In other words, we must keep our children from deception and evil. That means their education. Sadly, today, our public education is being taken over by socialist, liberal mindset. The transgender mandate is now promoted in our schools. Muslim teaching is included in our textbooks, but not Christianity. We won’t grow children described in this psalm while we allow them to be duped and deceived by these evils.
When we raise godly children other blessings automatically follow. Let’s read all the blessings that make the people of a nation happy from The Passion Translation:
“Then our homes will be happy. Our sons will grow up as strong, sturdy men and our daughters with graceful beauty, royally fashioned as for a palace. Our barns will be filled to the brim, overflowing with the fruits of our harvest. Our fields will be full of sheep and cattle, too many to count, and our livestock will not miscarry their young. Our enemies will not invade our land, and there’ll be no breach in our walls. Whet bliss we experience when these blessings fall! The people who love and serve our God will be happy indeed!”
Amen and Amen!
Nancy Campbell
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How can you be happy in the midst of the battle? Because . . .
GOD IS YOUR PROTECTING SHIELD
Deuteronomy 33:29: “Happy are you, O Israel!” God is the “shield of your help.” The word “shield” is a picture of God’s protection. This word is used of the buckler, the small shield held by each warrior. It’s also describes the scaly hide of a crocodile. Look out enemy when God is our shield.
We need to daily invoke God’s protection. Every morning at our Family Devotions we pray for God‘s protection over each one in our family. Do you take time to do this too? Our safety is not of ourselves, but of the Lord (Deuteronomy 33:12 and Proverbs 21:31). Read also Psalm 115:11
GOD IS YOUR TRIUMPHANT SWORD
Another blessing of Deuteronomy 33;29. God’s Word is a sword that is more powerful than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). But God is also a Sword. Only God can cut down the enemy. We cannot do it in our name. Only in His powerful name. God will fight for us as we make our stand for truth and righteousness.
God will not fight for us unless we rise with him. He will not fight for us if we sit back and do not take a stand. We can’t sit on the sideline. We must also get into the battle. We read repeated promises in God’s Word how God fights for us, but He expects us to fight too.
Here are a few examples:
Deuteronomy 7:2, 3:
God’s promise: “When the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee.”
Your part: “Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them.”
Deuteronomy 9:3:
God’s promise: “The Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them (nations greater and mightier . . . cities great and fenced up to heaven. . . a people great and tall . . . giants), and he shall bring them down before thy face.”
Your part: “Thou shalt drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.”
Deuteronomy 33:27:
God’s promise: “He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say . . .“
Your Part: “Destroy them.”
GOD ENABLES YOU TO TRAMPLE DOWN YOUR ENEMIES
Deuteronomy 33:29 (NET) says: “May your enemies cringe before you; may you trample on their backs.” We can experience this promise when we allow God to deliver and protect us. When we trust in our own thinking and own devices, we fail. When we trust in our great God and stand on His side, He fights for us.
And you will have joy!
Be blessed,
Nancy Campbell
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When women embrace their femaleness as God created them and men are not afraid to be men, we’ll get back to some normality, the way God intends us to live. #ladies #gentlemen #femininity #aboverubies
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The following is another pointer on how to live a “happy happy” life.
Psalm 106:3 (RSV): “Blessed (happy happy) are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! Did you pick up the last three words? Not sometimes. Not when it’s convenient. But at ALL TIMES.
Isaiah 56:1, 2 (RSV): “Thus says the LORD: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. Blessed (happy happy) is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast.’”
To live a truly happy life we must make it a habit of our lives to execute justice and righteousness. Justice and righteousness are the habitation of God’s throne (Psalm 89:14). He lives in these anointings. He wants us to also. This is the way to build our families. But its something we can’t do with in our own intelligence or ability. It’s only God who enables us. As mothers, we must press into God to receive from Him. His wisdom. His justice and His righteousness. It’s so easy to do it wrongly when we do it our way. It’s only God’s way that brings joy and happiness into our homes.
Like me, are you challenged by the testimony of Abraham’s parenting? Genesis 18:17, 18 (RSV) states: “I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice” God commands it. It’s not an option. This is what parenting is about. Training our children in the ways of justice and righteousness.
How do you balance justice and lovingkindness? I find this very difficult. How can I do both at the same time? And yet God does. He is 100 percent righteousness and justice and 100 percent lovingkindness. That’s why we need Him to teach us and guide as we parent our children.
Jeremiah 9:24 says: “Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
Do you want happiness to fill your home? Seek God’s wisdom to exercise justice and righteousness. But of course, we must operate it in our own lives before we can impart it into our children’s lives.
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
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Apart from the official Hanukkah celebration, we read about a number of dedication celebrations in God's Word.
1) Dedicating the tabernacle for 12 days. Each prince of Israel dedicated the altar for a day each (Number 7:10-11, 84, 88). This was the first dedication we read about.
2) Dedicating a new house (Deuteronomy 20:5). It is biblical to dedicate a new house.
3) Dedicating Solomon's temple which he built for the Lord (1 Kings 8:62 and 2 Chronicles 7:5, 9).
4) Dedicating the rebuilt temple when they came back from Babylon--Zerubbabel's temple (Ezra 6:16).
5) Dedicating the rebuilt walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 12:27).
And there is one more! You'll never guess!
It is found in Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." The word "train" is "hanuk," the verb of hanukkah, meaning "to initiate, dedicate, consecrate." It is not enough to celebrate Hanukkah for eight days. As parents, we are FULLTIME HANUKKAH CELEBRATORS!
When we realize that training our children means to dedicate them to the Lord, it gives us a much larger and loftier vision. Everything we do and plan for our children should be done in the light of dedicating our them to the Lord and setting them apart for His service. It's not a one-time dedication. It is a verb which requires daily action.
When our children are disobedient or don't complete what we have asked them to, we can sometimes be lazy and let it go. But not if we understand we are daily dedicating them to the Lord. How can we let things go when we consecrating them to God's holy service? We have the responsibility to train them to obedient so they will be obedient to the Lord!
As children get older, they can become more worldly and want to do what other worldly teens are doing. We could think, "Oh that's the stage they are going through." But not if we understand that we are daily consecrating them to the Lord. We will pray up a storm. We will fight the devil. We will work with our children to keep them on the narrow road that leads to life. We will do everything to save them from the broad road that leads to destruction. WE ARE PROVERBS 22:6 HANUKKAH PARENTS!
When we "hanuk" our children, it determines how we educate our children. It would be ludicrous to send our children into an ungodly education system each day if we are daily consecrating them for God's purposes.
As we consecrate and daily dedicate our children to the Lord, we recognize they belong to the Lord for whatever time God has for them on this earth. Above everything else, we know that we are ultimately preparing them for eternity.
Blessings from NANCY CAMPBELL
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Judas Maccabee and his brothers continually fought battles to save Israel and every time they faced armies far larger and stronger than themselves. But their trust was in God.
Listen to Judas' confession on one occasion: "When all his followers saw the host coming against them, they said to Judas, 'How can so few of us fight against so many? Besides, we have had nothing to eat all day, and we are exhausted.' Judas replied: 'Many can easily be overpowered by a few; it makes no difference to Heaven to save by many or by few. Victory does not depend on numbers; strength comes from Heaven alone . . . Heaven will crush them before our eyes. You need not be afraid of them'" (1 Maccabees 3:17-21).
The Israelites also had to face enemies far bigger than them. Deuteronomy 9:1-3 says: “Hear O Israel: Thou art to pass over Jordan this day, to go in to possess nations GREATER AND MIGHTIER than thyself, cities great and fenced up to heaven, a people great and tall, the children of the Anakims (giants), whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the children of Anak! Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.”
I know that you, too, often face challenges that loom much bigger than you can handle. Don't focus on your difficulty. Look to God. He is your Strength. He is your Source. He is your Sufficiency. He will always do what you cannot do. When we try to handle our problems we usually make a mess of the job. Put them in God's hands for He knows what is best to do.
Victory does not come by intelligence or fleshly strength. It only comes from God. Just as God delivered the Maccabees time and time again as they faced insurmountable armies, so God will deliver you as you trust in Him. Make sure you have the right confession. Don't confess your problems; confess your trust in God. It's the way to victory.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
P.S. Are you enjoying reading the Scriptures about God’s Light each day? We are being so blessed in our family as we read them. We get each person around the table to read one of the Scriptures, so we can all take part. We are amazed at how much God speaks about Light in His Word. If you missed the Scriptures, email me at nancy aboverubies.org and I’ll send them to you again.
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Hanukkah is also called the "Festival of Lights" because of the relighting of the Menorah. This was a huge thing that happened that day, because the Jews knew that God had commanded the lights in the Holy Place to BURN CONTINUALLY. God said it was a statute that must continue for all generations (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4).
They were to NEVER GO OUT--and they had been out for a long time!
How did they keep the lamps burning day after day, year after year? God said they had to attend to the lamps every morning and every evening. They had to trim the wicks and pour more oil into the lamps, the oil speaking of the Holy Spirit. Once a day was not sufficient. They had to do it two times a day to keep the light burning
This is a pattern for our lives today. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He fills us with His light, but it is very easy for the light to dim, or even go out. There are many temptations, deceptions, and evils around that diminish our light, and the light in our children’s lives To keep the light burning, we must tend to it every morning and evening. We need to do this individually and as a family.
A powerful way to keep God's light burning in every member of our family is to have Family Devotions (or whatever you call it in your home) every morning and evening. Each time we come together as a family to read God’s Word and pray together, we relight our lamps. If we fail to do this, our light can go out very quickly.
How big is the flame in your family? We are not meant to be a flickering light, but a great light. If your flame is only smoldering, get back to God's "morning and evening" principle.” It's the only way that works. Let the light in "the holy place" of your temple and your home shine brightly.
Be encouraged.
Nancy Campbell
MAMMOTH SALE!
P.S. Do you wonder how to go about having Family Devotions in your home? A wonderful help for you, which we use every day, is THE DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH. It has Scriptures written for every morning and every evening, plus ideas on how to make this an exciting time with your family. We are currently discounting this book with $10.00 off the retail price. Get it while you can. Scroll down until you come to the AMAZING CHRISTMAS SPECIALS and you can order.
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(Forgive me for sharing such a gruesome story, but it is the truth)!
A brave mother watched her son being killed. No, not just killed but cruelly tortured. They cut out his tongue, scalped him, cut off his hands and feet, and while he was maimed and helpless, fried him alive! In the same manner, they tortured and killed her second and third sons. The third son cried out: "I have received these limbs from heaven, and I give them up for the sake of God's laws." Another cried out: "We are prepared to die rather than sin against our ancestral laws" (2 Maccabees 7:2, 11).
Because they would not bend and turn from God's laws this dear mother watched as Antiochus tortured her fourth, fifth, and sixth sons the same way. The mother had only one son left, her beloved youngest. Antiochus tried to influence the mother to save his life. He promised he would make him rich and prosperous and even a political advisor. She obliged by turning to her youngest son saying: "Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. I beg you, child . . . Don't fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God's mercy I should recover you with your brothers" (2 Maccabees 7:27-29). She watched her last son die before she was put to death herself.
This mother was a nurturing and caring mother. But she had a vision for her children beyond this earth. She raised her sons to fear God rather than man. She raised them to stand for truth, no matter what the consequences. She raised them to see beyond this earth to the endless life of the heavenly.
May God help us to be courageous mothers. May He save us from raising wimpy, mediocre children who are seduced by the humanist trend of an ungodly society. May He anoint us with the mighty power of God to raise children who will have the courage to stand for God and for truth, no matter what persecution they face.
Ephesians 6:13: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all TO STAND.”
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
(You can read the whole of this amazing story in the Apocrypha in 2 Maccabees chapter seven).
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Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? Because "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate, the gates burned, and even shrubs were growing in the courts like a forest! But the Maccabees got “stuck in” and cleansed and restored the sanctuary.
They built a new altar with whole unpolished stones (because the altar had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes), brought in the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense, and the Table of Showbread, and offered sacrifices as God originally commanded. "So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days" (1 Maccabees 4:56).
How does this affect our lives? God no longer lives in the Holy of Holies in the temple, but in our bodies, which are the temple of His Holy Spirit. We are not only the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the "naos" which speaks of the Holy of Holies. This is the word which is used in 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16. What an indescribable truth!
1 Corinthians 6:19, 20: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple (“naos” which is the word for Holy of Holies) of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” You are now the place where God wants to reside in all His glory.
Our temples may not be desolate, but it is easy for us to allow things to come into our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit and spoil and dirty our “naos.” Just as the Maccabees had to cleanse and rededicate the temple, so we need times in our lives when we rededicate our bodies to the Lord.
Therefore, it is a good idea to have a rededication service one night during Hanukah and dedicate our temples again to the Lord. Choose which morning or evening you would like to do this together as a family. Explain it to your children. Ask each one of them to confess to the Lord anything in their lives that grieves the Holy Spirit and to rededicate their "body temple" to the Lord. This includes mom and dad too, of course. Each one can do this silently or aloud, as you feel led of the Holy Spirit.
When we have all dedicated ourselves individually, the father can rededicate the whole family to be a living sacrifice to the Lord and to be set apart for His purposes (Romans 12:1, 2).
I know that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily as you experience this dedication service in your home.
Be blessed,
Nancy Campbell
Painting: “The Family at Prayer” by Haddon Sundblom.
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