WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 4

“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth MUCH”
(James 5:16).

MORE ABUNDANT LABOR

The apostle Paul confessed in 1 Corinthians 15:10: “I labored MORE ABUNDANTLY than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

Paul’s laboring was hard work and toil that resulted in weariness. He didn’t work half-heartedly but with that word perissoteron meaning “superabundantly, exceedingly.” I know that many times you feel weary and overwhelmed as you care for your family. Don’t give in, dear mother. God’s grace will enable you (2 Corinthians 12:9, 10).

MORE BLESSED TO GIVE

Acts 20:35: “I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is MORE BLESSED to give than to receive.”

Don’t you love the story of Jesus watching the rich people dropping their gifts in the collect box. Then came a poor widow who gave two small coins. Jesus said: “Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in MORE THAN they all” (Luke 21:1-4 and also written in Mark 12:43).

In Exodus 36:5 it tells us how the Israelites brought "MUCH MORE THAN ENOUGH for the service of the work." What a wonderful attitude. It is easy to have a stingy attitude and only give what is absolutely necessary, isn't it? But God wants us to have an attitude of giving MORE THAN ENOUGH in every area of our lives. This is the character of God. He always gives MORE THAN we deserve. I love these words . . .

He might have doled His blossoms out quite grudgingly,

He might have used His sunset gold so sparingly,

He might have put but one wee star in all the sky,

But since He gave so lavishly, why should not I?

MORE THAN CAN BE NUMBERED

Psalm 40:5: “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are MORE THAN CAN BE NUMBERED”

Psalm 139:17, 18: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are MORE IN NUMBER than the sand.”

God’s blessings to us are more than can be numbered. Our greatest blessing is His great salvation He wrought for us upon the cross. We must not ever take it for granted. I believe that we should thank Him every day for His eternal redemption He sacrificed for us. We should teach our children to do this also.

MORE EARNEST HEED

Hebrews 2:1: “Therefore we ought to give MORE EARNEST HEED to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” It is so easy to let things slip, isn’t it? It’s easy to let our daily Bible reading slip away. It’s easy to get so busy we forget to gather the family for daily Bible reading and prayer. But we dare not do this.

The HCSB translation says that we should “pay even MORE attention.” Not just attention but MORE! We should pay more attention to listening to the Holy Spirit speaking us. Is He whispering to you to take more diligence in managing your home and keeping it clean. Or perhaps more persistence in getting up in time to have a good start to the day and not let it run away with you. God will help you in whatever area He is speaking to you about.

MORE EARNEST PRAYER

When Jesus was nearing the time of His agony on the cross, He “PRAYED MORE EARNESTLY, and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).

What did Jesus do in His agony? He prayed MORE earnestly. That’s your answer too. You will never have to endure that agony that Jesus faced when He took upon Himself the sin of the world, but you can know that He understands what you are going through as you face your trials and heartaches.

James 5:16 says: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth MUCH.” It’s not only prayer, but FERVENT prayer that avails much.

PRAYER:

Dar Father, please teach me how to pray fervently because Your Word tells me that it has great power and effectiveness. Please enable me to pass on this passion of fervent prayer to my children too. I want them to not only be children who pray but pray fervently.

Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 3

As touching brotherly love . . .
ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren . . .
but we beseech you, brethren,
that ye ”
(1 Thessalonians 4:9, 10)

MORE ACCEPTABLE

Proverbs 21:3: “To do justice and judgment is MORE ACCEPTABLE to the LORD than sacrifice.”

God tells us in Psalm 89:14 that “Justice and judgment are the habitation of his throne.” Therefore, He wants them to be part of our lives and our homes. If your children nd your home life are out of order, you may need to execute more justice and judgment.

MORE ASEMBLING TOETHER

Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and SO MUCH THE MORE, as ye see the day approaching.”

God loves the assembling of His people together. We know the church is not just a building. It is His people. The word is ekklesia meaning “a congregation, a Christian community of members on earth, an assembly.” It is used 117 times in the New Testament. God knows that we need one another. We were not created for isolation but for togetherness. When Paul was writing to the believers in Rome he said to them: “I long to see you . . . that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me” (Romans 1:11, 12).

Our faith is a “you and me” faith. When you take a coal from a glowing fire and put it alone on the hearth, the fire soon goes out and it becomes cold and black. Put it back on the fire with the other coals and it soon burns brightly again. It is the same with us. We need one another, and SO MUCH THE MORE, as we see the day of His return drawing nearer.

So let’s get it straight. It’s not enough to make sure we get to fellowship with the believers each week, but to do it even MORE! No excuses for missing church. Only a desire to meet more than once a week. How often did the early church meet together? Check it out in Acts 2:46, 47. That’s right. They met daily!

MORE ABUNDANT LOVE

Paul wrote to the new Corinthian believers saying “that ye might know the love which I have MORE ABUNDANTLY unto you” (2 Corinthians 2:4). Is this the kind of love we have for our fellow believers? Is this the kind of love we have for our husband and children? The word is perissoteros meaning “superabundantly, exceedingly.” Paul talks about this love again in 2 Corinthians 7:15 and 12:15.

The Bible also talks about:

ABOUNDING MORE AND MORE LOVE (Philippians 1:9; 2 Corinthians 8:7; and 2 Thessalonians 1:3).

EXCELLENT LOVE (1 Corinthians 12:31).

FERVENT LOVE (1 Peter 1:22 and 4:8).

FORBEARING LOVE (Ephesians 4:2).

INCREASING MORE AND MORE LOVE (1 Thessalonians 3:12 and 4:9, 10).

KNITTING TOGETHER LOVE (Colossians 2:2).

LABORING LOVE (1 Thessalonians 1:3).

LAYING DOWN YOUR LIFE LOVE (John 15:13).

SERVING LOVE (Galatians 5:17).

Nothing in the Scriptures is ordinary. It is always MORE THAN! Are we into this MORE AND MORE life? It’s okay when people love us but what about when they don't? What if we are abused and spoken against falsely? This is when our limited love runs out but God's limitless love pours in from His inexhaustible MORE AND MORE well. When your love runs out, draw from His well.

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, please save me from being lukewarm in my walk with You. Help me to love You and Your people with a MORE AND MORE abounding love. Save me from only being a weekly church goer but one who longs to assemble and fellowship with the saints MORE AND MORE. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Don’t miss the podcast for wives and mothers each week:

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

https://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.co

WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 2

“How precious also are they thoughts unto me,
O God! How great is the sum of them!
(Notice the exclamation marks!)
If I should count them,
they are MORE IN NUMBER than the sand.”
(Psalm 139:17, 18)

Every day there is MORE AND MORE to enter into in our journey in the land of God's kingdom. There is also MORE AND MORE to enter into in our land of motherhood.

MORE BLESSINGS

Psalm 40:5: “Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are MORE THAN can be numbered.”

God continually blesses us MORE than we deserve. His blessings are MORE than can be numbered. And yet we are so prone to pass them by in the hustle and bustle of our lives. Let's not forget to count all the little blessings of each day. The more we acknowledge our blessings, the more we will notice how many blessings God is pouring upon us.

The greatest blessing of all is our great redemption that Jesus wrought for us at the cross. We must never take it for granted. Remember to thank Him each new day for this overwhelming blessing.

And of course your children are blessings from the Lord. Each new child the Lord gives to you as an added blessing. It is another “MORE” added to the blessings of your home. The more children God gives to you, the more you are blessed.

Oh yes, there are seasons in our lives when we may go through trials and difficult times.

Even these times are blessings. They are trials that perfect us and grow us into maturity. Even Jesus, the Captain of our salvation was made “perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:0). Read also James :12; 1 Peter 1:6-8; and 4:12-14).

Even though Job endured his time of suffering, it was only for a season, and he came forth as gold, and God blessed him even more than in his beginning. Job 42:12 says: “So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job MORE THAN his beginning.”

And here is another promise for you. Jesus promises in Luke 18:29, 30: “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive MANIFOLD MORE in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

Let’s always be grateful and praising rather than grumbling and negative. 

MORE BOLDNESS TO SPEAK ABOUT JESUS

Philippians 1:14: “And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are MUCH MORE bold to speak the word without fear.”

This is an amazing Scripture. Many of the believers were encouraged to see how Paul lived in victory even though he was in chains! They saw that it didn’t stop him preaching the gospel to everyone who came near him and it inspired them to have MORE boldness to witness of Jesus too.

We certainly need MORE boldness to proclaim God's truth in the midst of the darkness all around us, don't we? We dare not be silent in the midst of deception. We dare not be silent in the face of tyranny. Bold confession brings freedom. Silence spirals to deception and ultimately destruction.

MORE CONQUERING

Romans 8:37: “In all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUEREROS through him that loved us.”

I was talking with my grandchildren one time and asking them which MORE in the kingdom of God they desired. The boys all wanted MORE conquering! Boys already have a conquering spirit, don’t they? But we all need more of it. Not only conquering, but MORE THAN CONQUERING over all evil, all deception, and all temptation of the flesh.

But let’s get a little more specific. What were “the things” that Paul stated we could be MORE THAN a conqueror over? Romans 8:25 tells us: Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword! Yes, even these. There is nothing that “Christ in you” cannot conquer. Thank Him for His conquering spirit that is in you because He dwells in you.

PRAYER:

“I thank you, dear Father, that You are not only Enough, but MORE THAN ENOUGH. You give us more than we deserve. I don’t deserve your great salvation, but You give it freely. Thank You for the blessings you pour on me daily. Thank You for the children you have so graciously given to us. I thank you in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

Don’t miss the podcast for wives and mothers each week:

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

https://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.co

WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MORE AND MORE, Part 1

“But the path of the just is as the shining light,
that shineth MORE AND MORE unto the perfect day”
(Proverbs 4:18).

We never get to the end in God's land. It never comes to a stalemate. It is always MORE AND MORE. May God save us from dipping our toes in the shallow waters of God's vastness when there is an ocean of treasures of wisdom and understanding and more than we can ever dream of. Read Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9 and Colossians 2:2-3.

A friend of mine shared with me a true story of how her brother in New Zealand purchased some land, but it was only enough for a hobby farm. Years later, he decided to sell the land and only then found out that he actually owned another 10 acres that he didn't know he owned. These acres were fertile land that would have provided a full income for him and his family. However, he missed out because he didn't know what he owned!

We can experience the same spiritually. Often we don't live in all that God has for us because we don't even know what we have! We've got to constantly seek God and His Word, so we don't miss out.

Recently I checked out all the things that God wants us to have MORE of in His Word. Let’s discover them, shall we? I’ll list them in alphabetical order.

MORE ABUNDANT LIFE

John 10:10: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it MORE ABUNDANTLY.”

The words "more abundantly" in this Scripture come from the Greek word perissos which means "exceedingly, above the normal, beyond measure, above and beyond, extraordinary." This is the life that God provides for us. It exceeds the normal life we tend to live each day.

God doesn't want your marriage to be normal or average, but above the normal. He doesn't want you to be a "survival mother" but an "above the normal" mother. Press in for more and more each day. Always be pressing in for more of God and more of His understanding for you as a mother.

MORE ADDING TO THE LORD

Acts 5:14: “And believers were the MORE added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.” You’ll love to read the whole passage from v. 12 – 16.

Oh for the days when “more” people will be added to the Lord. We also notice in Acts 2:46, 47 that when the believers “continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart and praising God” that “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Their daily lifestyle of meeting together, fellowship, and hospitality in one another’s homes caused people to be daily added to the Lord.

MORE DIVINE PROTECTION

2 Kings 6:16: “And (Elisha) answered, Fear not: for they that are with us are MORE than they that are with them.”

When a huge amy compassed about the city against Elisha, his servant was in a state of fear but Elisha encouraged him that there were more fiery angelic warriors watching over them than all the enemies around about them. Verse 17 says: “And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was FULL of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”

I am sure you have experienced the miraculous protecting hand of God upon you at certain times even though you may not have seen God’s angels. I know I have experienced angelic protection on a number of occasions although I have never seen an angel. I would certainly love to. I pray that one day my eyes will be opened as Elisha’s servant’s eyes were.

PRAYER:

“Dear Father, I thank You that You send Your angels to watch over us and to watch over our children. Thank You for Your watchful protection over me and my family. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION:

I am so glad that I belong to a MORE AND MORE kingdom. There is something new to learn every day and a new adventure to experience in my walk with God.

Don’t miss the podcast for wives and mothers each week:

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

https://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.co