One of the Scriptures in our Bible reading at Family Devotions this morning was Jeremiah 9:3 (if you use THE DAILY LIGHT as we do, you would have read the same Scripture). It talks about being VALIANT for the truth. We commented that this is not a word that is used very much these days. Maybe because there are not so many valiant people around. We are more prone to be wimpy, pampering to the flesh, doing what feels good rather than disciplining our lives, and giving in to the status quo rather contending for truth. The NLT says: "They refuse to stand up for the truth." And Isaiah 59:14,15 tells us that truth has fallen and failed!
I think we need a revival of being VALIANT for the truth, don't you? How can this happen? It starts with each one of us individually, and then as a family. We dare not compromise regarding truth. With each little compromise we become weaker in the faith. Each time we stand up for the truth we become stronger in our inner man.
I believe it is important to confess the truth. When you speak it out, the truth becomes cemented in your soul. The more you speak it out, them more it becomes part of you. And the more it becomes part of you, the less you will be intimidated by what others say and think. Lies and deception will run off you like water off a duck's back. However, when you stay silent, you are in danger of being influenced by deception. You become insipid and you are no longer the salt in the earth.
Come on, ladies, no more sickly silence. Let's be VALIANT women for the truth, and lets raise children who are valiant for the truth.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Truth never dies. The ages come and go.
The mountains wear away, the stars retire.
Destruction lays earth’s mighty cities low;
And empires, states and dynasties expire;
But caught and handed onward by the wise,
Truth never dies.
Though unreceived and scoffed at through the years;
Though made the butt of ridicule and jest;
Though held aloft for mockery and jeers,
Denied by those of transient power possessed,
Insulted by the insolence of lies,
Truth never dies.
It answers not. It does not take offense,
But with a mighty silence bides its time;
As some great cliff that braves the elements
And lifts through all the storms its head sublime,
It ever stands, uplifted by the wise;
And never dies.
As rests the Sphinx amid Egyptian sands;
As looms on high the snowy peak and crest;
As firm and patient as Gibraltar stands,
So truth, unwearied, waits the era blest
When men shall turn to it with great surprise.
Truth never dies.
~ Sam Jones
Does everything seem to be going wrong? Take heart. It won't ever be perfect, but as you continue to be faithful to your daily mothering (during the hard times and the good times), there will come a day when you will look back and see the beautiful song God has created in your family.
Love from NANCY
In Titus 1:1 Paul shares that he is a servant of God according to the "acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness." The word "acknowledging" means far more than having a knowledge of the truth. It speaks of truth that powerfully influences our day-to-day lives. That's what we want, isn't it?
It is knowledge that produces the fruit of godliness in our lives (2 Peter 1:2-8). It is knowledge that keeps us from the pollutions of this world (2 Peter 2:20). It is knowledge that releases us into God's perfect will (Ephesians 1:17-19). It is knowledge that causes us to mature and grow into the image of Christ (Ephesians 4:13-15). It is knowledge that causes us to walk worthy of the Lord and to do that which is pleasing in His sight (Colossians 1:9-12).
Ask God to work His truth into your life so that it doesn't stay in the Bible on our shelf, or even in your head, but works its way out through your hands and feet, through your words, and through your smiles. Ask God to work His truth into the lives of your children. This sure takes a lot of prayer, doesn't it? But this is what God wants. He wants His Word to not only be in their heads, but in their mouths and lives.
Isaiah 59:21 (HCSB) says, "'As for Me, this is My covenant with them,' says the Lord: 'My Spirit who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your children, or from the mouth of your children's children, from now on and forever,' says the Lord."
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
"I'm a servant of the King of kings." I'm sure each one of us want this testimony. It sounds important, doesn't it? Paul addressed himself as "Paul, a servant of God" (Titus 1:1). But what does this word "servant" actually mean? The word is "doulos" and means "a bond slave, one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, one whose will is altogether consumed in the will of the other." Wow! This gets to the nitty-gritty. I wonder if I truly am a bond slave of God after all?
A bond slave is always ready to obey the will of his master. He/she doesn't rebel or react, but delights to do the Master's will. And if we are truly a servant of God, it will start right in our home. It's easy to be a servant of God while singing in the choir, leading a Bible Study, or going on a mission trip. It's not quite so easy when you are serving your husband instead of yourself and serving as a mother in the home. But this is the reality. When we delight to serve our husband; when we delight to lay down our lives as a mother to serve our family and build a home for God's glory, we are serving God.
Is this the attitude we have to all the work and constant interruptions and challenges we face in our home each day? Is our response, "I delight to do thy will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8)?
A servant does his duty, but there is a higher level. Jesus said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them he it is that loveth me, and He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
Rather than being duty slaves, let's be love slaves in our home.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Monique Levesque-Strachan shared this lovely testimony with me about their New Year's Eve gathering. I'm looking forward to lots of great feedback:
"Eleven years ago I became a new momma to a beautiful little girl. I am so amazed by the journey God has lead us on, and so humbled by the beautiful, imaginative, precious six children He has now entrusted to me. By faith, we received each of our little blessings with love, and eventually started to home educate them. After eleven years, the fruit of following the call to embrace children is starting to shine through.
On New Year's Eve six families gathered together. Each family had between four to eleven children, ranging in age from four days old to seventeen years. I was in awe. For six hours these 38 children all played together in various corners of the house, making their own fun and enjoying each other's company. Toddlers roamed about, finding knees to sit on or toys to play with, young girls were bouncing babies or painting finger nails, boys were roller-blading in the basement, teenagers were discussing interests or entertaining little ones. And the parents sat and fellowshipped together peacefully (mostly!) knowing the children were all happy and having fun. No tantrums, no tears, no fighting at all! And they all made it 'til midnight to ring in the New Year!
This lovely evening encouraged me that we are doing the right thing for our family by keeping our children home and fostering a strong sense of valuing family life. I see the older children growing into independent, interesting, creative, talented, mature, compassionate, and generous people. They are comfortable with and love being around babies. They naturally oversee the little ones around them. They converse comfortably with adults.
Whoever says home schooled children lack socialization should have been a fly on the wall to witness the beauty in that gathering! It gives me hope that my children, despite their issues and failures (and mine!) will turn out well and, Lord willing, will be a blessing to others wherever life takes them. I am so blessed, and am thankful today for the past year, although trying at many times, was also filled with many beautiful memories, lessons learned (and still learning), and skills built. And I look forward to a year of growth, health and more adventures in this crazy life of mine!"
Dear Mother,
There is no one who can take your place as a mother. Other people can take your place in positions outside the home, but never your place in the home.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Do you remember reading about Asaph in the Bible? He was in charge of the music and was the lead worship singer and cymbalist in the reigns of David and Solomon. Heman and Jeduthun and all their families were also involved. In 1 Chronicles 16:37 it tells us that they were "to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required." 2 Chronicles 8:14 tells us that it was their duty of every day.
As the priests performed the daily sacrifice every morning and evening, the singers and musicians praised and worshipped the Lord. It was their duty, but it was also their joy and privilege. These things all happened as an example and type for us today (1 Corinthians 10:11). It is our privilege to worship our great God, the Potentate, King of the universe. And yet it is also our duty for He is worthy of our praise.
Is this part of your every day's work in your home too? As we come together as a family morning and evening to pray, read the Word, and worship, I always feel that it is the very least that we can give to God. How small are these two times a day in comparison with the rest of the day and all that we do? Isn't our God worthy of our morning and evening sacrifice of praise the worship?
Let's not hold back the worship due to the great I AM, the Everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth and each one of us. Anything less and we are not doing our duty before God.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions. I just keep plodding on from one year to the next. I know my purpose and it doesn't change from year to year. Of course, it often changes in the way I implement it, but the vision is the same:
To know God in a more intimate way,
To receive more understanding and revelation from His Word, and
To reveal and publish His truth in whatever way I can.
The above is not only my vision, but my greatest longing. I am sure this is also the longing of each one of you mothers--to make Christ known to your children, and then to all you meet. There is no higher calling than this, is there? But we cannot make Him known to our children unless we know Him first. It's not enough to know about Him; we must know more and more of Him. We will find more and more of Him in His presence and in His Word.
It's when we know Him that we can trust Him. It's when we know Him that we can endure whatever challenges we may face in the coming year. We hear conflicting information. I am sure you receive emails and information telling you that USA is in for a huge financial recession. That could happen, I don't know. Then again, George Friedman, a leader in the field of global intelligence states that the United States "grew at a rate of five percent in the third quarter of 2014" whereas Europe, China, and Japan have no growth.
Things could better, or they could get worse. Whatever is ahead, we must seek to live close to the Lord and to truly know Him. When things are difficult, we run to the Lord. When life is easy and affluent, we can often forget Him. I think that prosperity is a greater challenge than adversity. Whatever situation we face, let's press in to know God. Let's take our families with us pressing in to know God.
Good times or bad times, we will not be moved, for we know our God.
May each one of us come to know God in a greater way in this coming year.
Love from Nancy Campbell
It's easy to get lazy about teaching our children God's words, isn't it? Life becomes so full and busy that it goes by the wayside. Some parents are quite content to make sure their children go to Sunday school once a week, but do not feel the responsibility to daily teach their children God's words at home.
What attitude does God want us to have? Deuteronomy 32:46-47 says: "Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall COMMAND YOUR CHILDREN to observe to do, all the words of this law. For it is not a vain thing for you; BECAUSE IT IS YOUR LIFE."
These are strong words, aren't they? God wants us to command our children to walk in them. He wants us to teach our children in such a way that they will not only know His words, but they will become their life.
God looked with favor upon Abraham because of how he trained his household. Genesis 18:19 says: "For I know him, that he will COMMAND HIS CHILDREN and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment."
Do you think this word "command" (which is used over and over again in God's word) is too strong? Well, you could use another word. The Hebrew word is also translated "charge," but I think that's just as strong, don't you? Obviously, God wants parents to take this seriously. The challenge is: What are we doing about it?
Isaiah 59:21 says: "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever." Not only do we have to get God's word into the hearts of our children, but into their mouths. And we have to make sure it passes on from one generation to the next.
Instead of being passive and preoccupied with so many things, lets become passionate about passing on God's words to our children.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Recently the Billy Graham Association published some astounding statistics:
Apparently 7 million people google for answers about loneliness.
22 million Americans ages 12 and older abuse or are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
21 million Americans struggle with depression.
30,000 commit suicide each year.
An estimated 40 million people in the US are trapped or crippled by fear.
This is not the plan God intended for mankind. The devil delights in it for he is the one who comes to "steal, kill, and destroy" (John 10:10). He seeks to rob us of God's plan which is family. God's plan is for every person to live in a loving, stable, God-fearing family.
With so much unfaithfulness in marriage, so many single mothers, so many living on their own, more and more people choosing alternative life styles, and so many choosing their own way instead of God's way, we are reaping the devastating havoc in society.
The greatest need of this nation is strong, healthy, intact families. The greatest thing you can do as a mother is to strengthen your own family. Build your family life. Don't get involved in too many things outside your home. You will become flustered, frazzled, and the family will become fragmented. Instead, think of ideas to gather the family together. Think of things to do that will strengthen your family. Daily gather around your family meal table for your meals.
As you strengthen and build up your family, also seek to encourage and bless other families.
Let's be an answer to this nation's greatest need.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
When God was looking for a king to rule over His people Israel, what did He look for? He looked for a "man after his own heart" (1 Samuel 12:14). When Samuel the priest beheld each of the seven sons of Jesse, he was tempted to think that each one of them could be the new king of Israel, because of their height and good looks. But God rebuked Samuel, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16: 7).
Interestingly, David was not an ordinary looking young man. He was very handsome and had beautiful sparkling eyes (1 Samuel 16:12). In fact, there is more written about David's good looks than any other man in the Bible. But that's not what God was looking at. He was looking at the heart.
As parents, do we see things the same way God sees them? Sometimes we can get caught up with the outward appearance. How can I prepare my children to be great in this world? Where can they get the best education? We can spend a lot more time developing the intellects of our children and even their physical bodies (carting them around to their various sports). I'm not saying these things are unimportant, but we need to challenge ourselves as to whether we are spending as much time (and actually it should be a WHOLE LOT MORE time) in ministering to the hearts of our children.
Of course, we cannot change their hearts. It is only the power of the Holy Spirit working in them. But we can provide the tools for God to move by spending time in prayer for each of our children, daily filling them with the principles of God's Word, and seeking God's wisdom to adjust their heart attitudes. This should be our consuming passion.
When david was eventually brought from way out in the fields where he was tending the sheep, God said to Samuel, "Arise, anoint him, for THIS IS HE" (1 Samuel 16:12). This is the one. This is one who has a heart like my heart. This is the one I can use. This is the one I can trust to lead and care for my nation (Psalm 78:70-72).
Are we preparing children to fit into this world's system or are we preparing children who have hearts after God and hearts like God's heart? Will He be able to say of our children, "This is the one."?
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
As my husband and I were praying for each one of our family (as we do each day) and for people facing great trials, my husband prayed, "May they run to the Tower." I love that. May we be those who run to the Tower. Not one of us are exempt from facing trials, heartaches, and challenges. If we are not at this moment, we are sure to face them in this coming year. Instead of going into panic mode, worrying ourselves sick, or feeling desperate, may we get into the habit of running to the Tower. May this be the first thing we automatically do.
What is the tower? It's the name of the Lord. The mighty, powerful, awesome name of the Lord that is more than able to overcome anything that comes against us. The name of the Lord to which the enemy must bow.
Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." And Psalm 61:3 says, "For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."
Be blessed today. Nancy Campbell
Good morning everyone. May you be blessed this Christmas morn. Don't you love this picture portraying that beautiful moment recorded in Luke 1:39-45 (NLT)?
A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."
Love from NANCY
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing!
When Isaac Watts wrote the great lines of the carol, "Joy to the world, the Lord is come" he wrote biblical truth. In his old age, John, the apostle, wrote, "And WE KNOW that the SON OF GOD IS COME, and hath given us an understanding, that we may KNOW him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen" (1 John 5:20-21).
Some biblical commentators say these words may have been the last chronological words written in the Bible, even before Revelation. We should prick up our ears and listen. When John wrote these words, Jesus had already come into this world as a little baby and fulfilled His mission of sacrificing His life for our sins. He had already returned to Heaven and promised He was coming again. But John doesn't say, "He came," or "He will come again." He emphatically states that "HE IS COME."
When we are born again, He comes to dwell in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. He abides in us and wants us to abide in Him. A mystical union. He is Emmanuel, God with us. This is the apex of Christianity, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).
If you are saved by the blood of Jesus, Christ IS come to you. He is in you. He is with you in your home, in your situation, whatever is happening in your life right.
This is the message of Christmas--Christ is come! What rejoicing!
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
AN IMPORTANT POST FOR ALL PARENTS TO READ!
Apart from the official Hanukkah which we are currently celebrating, we read about a number of Hanukkah 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 in a FULL TIME HANUKKAH CELEBRATION!
When we understand that to train our children means to dedicate them to the Lord, it gives us a much larger and loftier vision. Everything we do is now in the light of dedicating our children 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 and prepare them for Him.
As children get older, they can become more worldly and want to do what other more 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 a an ungodly education system each day when we are daily consecrating them for God's purposes.
As we consecrate our children to the Lord, we recognize that they totally 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
Without God we live in darkness. He is the one who said, "Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:3). Jesus is the Light of the world. He is "THE TRUE LIGHT,WHICH LIGHTS EVERY MAN THAT COMES INTO THE WORLD" John 1:9). Every person who is born into this world is without excuse regarding their relationship with God. Every new baby is born with a God consciousness, a light from God our Maker. We have a conscience that knows what is good and evil. This only comes from God.
Proverbs 20:27 says "The spirit of man is the candle (light) of the Lord." Have you noticed that when a new baby is born into a family that there is a heavenly atmosphere about the home? There is an "awe" that we only experience with a new babe. I believe we are experiencing a new light from heaven. I think this is why little children are so open to God. Recently I watched my little three-year old grand-daughter sing all day about how Jesus is in her heart and how she loves God.
Why then do many walk in darkness? The answer is in John 3:19-21. We are all born with a light from God, but we can either push back the light or open up more and more to the light. It is a privilege for children to be born into a home where parents love God. These children have an opportunity to open up more and more to the light. In an ungodly home, the light with which they are born can be gradually extinguished or even smothered completely.
I believe that every time we say Yes to God and obey the prompting of His Holy Spirit within our hearts, we experience more light in our lives. Every time we say No to God and are disobedient to the Word, we accept darkness. Teach your children this principle, dear mother. Teach them that saying Yes to you and Yes to God will bring them to more and more light (Proverbs 4:18). Teach them that when they say No to you and No to God's ways, their minds and hearts will cloud with darkness.
Job 18:5-56 says, "Yes, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine. The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him." I don't want it to be dark in my home. I'm sure you don't want it to be dark in yours either. Let's open our hearts and minds MORE AND MORE to the light of God. Begin each day by praying, "Oh Lord God, please flood my mind, my heart, and my home with your light, today. Amen."
One of my favorite Scriptures is Proverbs 4:18: "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth MORE AND MORE unto the perfect day."
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Judas Maccabee and his brothers were continually fighting 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).
I know that you, too, often face dilemmas 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 over and over 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.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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. They were to never to go out--and they had been out for a long time! God said it was a statute that must continue for all generations (Exodus 27:20-21 and Leviticus 24:1-4).
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. It required attention two times a day to keep the light burning
This is a type 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 go out. There are many temptations, deceptions, and evils around that dim our light. 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 every morning and evening. Each time we come together as a family, read the Word, and spend time in prayer, we relight our lamps. If we fail to do this, our light will 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 for all to see God's light.
Love from Nancy Campbell