Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Pioneers are men who venture into unknown or unclaimed territory in order to break ground and settle. They are trailblazers and innovators who lead the way for others to follow. They have a pioneering spirit. They are not afraid to take risks or dangers in their pursuit of new discovery. Obstacles may delay them, but never deter them. They are prepared to put their lives on the line. They may go broke for lack of funds but they will never give up finding what they are looking for.

We now find ourselves living in a world that wants to take this pioneering spirit away from us. Our government squelches this spirit by becoming the Big Provider of so many different benefits and thus creates a lazy and dependent society. The spirit of pioneering, which has been so much a part of the American way of life, is under serious attack. The Big Government mindset is out to destroy the individual pioneering spirit that this country has long enjoyed.

When a country loses its trust in God, it opens itself up for deception. We are deceived when we become human or government dependant. We lose our creative pioneering spirit. God is a very creative being and He creates man after His own image and likeness. Part of this image is pioneering.

Men, we must turn back to God with all our hearts and encourage others to do likewise. We must never allow this country to completely lose its trust in God. We must, by the grace of God, stand in the gap and pray, contend for the truth, and pioneer again the ground the enemy has taken from us.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The most powerful place in the world is the place of prayer.

"When you carry your Bible, Satan has a headache; when you open it, he collapses; when he sees you reading it, he loses strength; and when you obey and stand on God's Word, he can't hurt you."

Romans 10:9-10 says, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

An important part of our confession that Jesus Christ is Lord that is often overlooked is that these Scriptures are written in the present continuous tense. It is wrong to believe that a onetime confession is all that is required to be saved. It is a continual confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. It is an ongoing confession from the beginning of our Christian life to the end.

This deception has greatly weakened the proclamation of the Lordship of Christ and has caused many to think they can live as they please and yet still be saved. Jesus said, "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

There can be many times when we are tempted to shrink back from an open and on-going confession because of fear of persecution. We see an example of this in John 12:42: "Among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, let they should be put out of the synagogue." They were secret believers because of the fear of man.

What is the point of calling Jesus Lord in our prayers, but failing to confess Him as Lord before all men? This makes us a secret believer. If we don't actively confess Him, Jesus says we actually deny Him. Matthew 10:32-33 says, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

P.S. Read examples of the disciples speaking BOLDLY: Acts 4:13; 9:27, 29; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26 and 19:8.

Proverbs 29:1 says, "The righteous are BOLD AS A LION." Men, when you are in a conversation that compromises truth, it's not that difficult to speak out, even if it is a small, poignant word of disagreement. Boldness is a masculine virtue. It complements righteous men.

The Spirit of God is a Spirit of boldness. The early church recognized their need of boldness to proclaim the message of salvation in the midst of great opposition. They had just been commanded "not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18), but what do they do? Cry out to God for MORE BOLDNESS.

Acts 4:29-31 says, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants, that with ALL BOLDNESS they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus, And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they SPAKE THE WORD OF GOD WITH BOLDNESS."

The Spirit of this age seeks to feminize men in order to make them more tolerant, more gentle, and less offensive toward enemies. This type of femininity is crippling our military and causing us to lose in the day of battle.

But God's army has no dainty, pansy, fearful, tip-toeing, castrated men fighting His battles. God's army consists solely of BOLD MEN who will not shut their mouths when it's time to speak up. They will not keep their swords sheathed when it's time to draw them. They will not say nothing when they have the opportunity to say something in order to throw a wrench in whatever compromising discussion the world, the flesh, or the devil is promoting. They are not a disgrace to God's army of righteous bold soldiers.

1 Chronicles 12:7 describes the soldiers in David's army, "Men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose FACES WERE LIKE THE FACES OF LIONS, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains."

Jeremiah 48:10 says, "Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

"The righteous are BOLD AS A LION" (Proverbs 29:1).

Ephesians 5:11 challenges us to "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

Salt, is a wonderful spice for enhancing the flavor of food and is also a powerful preservative. The Scripture spiritualizes the value of salt, especially in these two areas. As believers, we are the salt of the whole earth. We are to make the earth palatable to God. As salt destroys corruption and purifies in order to preserve what is good, so we are to actively attack all corruption around us. Whenever we discover corruption in our own lives, or in our families, we must activate the salt shaker.

We must dispense the salt wherever we go. We need to shake our salt all over Washington DC. We must REPROVE the works of darkness, or as other translations say, EXPOSE the works of darkness.

I believe the whole nation needs to be shaken with a heavy dose of salt. We Christian men have access to the same salt that Jesus had, the Word of Truth coupled with a Spirit-filled life. Most Christian men are not using the salt shaker liberally, therefore corruption abounds.

Let's be filled with the Holy Spirit and God's Word--and keep on shaking the salt.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jesus said in Matthew 5:13, "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men." Men who are salt shakers sprinkle salt on everything. Salt Shakers have solid convictions based upon the truth of God's Word. Salt Shakers are not afraid to stand up for these convictions before their fellow men. Salt Shakers are the greatest need of this hour.

We must realize more than ever the importance of having God's Word deeply entrenched in our lives. In John 15:7 Jesus said, "If he abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

Many confess they are Christians and are "in Christ" as it tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Yet, they do not have the Word of Christ abiding in them. How can we have strong convictions, based on the truth, if the truth is scarcely abiding in us? Not only should we be constantly reading and meditating on God's Word, but we should also have our spiritual ears wide open to hear what God wants to speak to us on a daily basis.

If we find ourselves in the midst of situations that conflict with the Word of Christ within us, we must stand up for what we know to be right and SPRINKLE THE SALT!

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, DO IT WITH THY MIGHT!"

"If a man does not have a full time job, he has a full time job looking for a job!"

Men, if work is hard to find, do not give up. Look Harder. In hard times, it is often more difficult to find real hard working men that to find a decent job to work hard at. There are too many ordinary men that are barely average in their work ethic.

Manliness is best expressed by an extraordinary work ethic. Men who go far beyond what is normally expected are rare indeed. Men who put their shoulder to the task, who roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. These are the men who make themselves indispensible. They are the last ones to be laid off, and the first to be re-hired.

Men who work really hard are always respected and admired for what they do. One does not have to be doing manual work to as it were "roll up your sleeves" for all work requires it.

I have also noticed that hard working men are rarely overweight, but usually lean and sinuous because of their vitality. No dragging the chain here! No slouching. No mooching. Let's get the job done! They don't have time to get soft and flabby. Who wants to hire soft, overweight men?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, don't allow your work-related manhood to atrophy. If, as 1 Timothy 5:8 tells us that if we don't work and provide for our family that we deny the faith and are worse than an infidel, it stands for reason that working and providing is a more spiritual part of our faith that we realize. God made men to be providers. He expects us to work hard and be generous with our provision. Working to provide is a strong part of our manliness and if we deny this principle in our lives, our manliness will be impaired.

Ephesians 4:28 says, "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." In a sense, we steal from society if we do not work to provide for ourselves and others. I realize that many who are on government subsidies when they could be working if they got off their butts and became more serious about finding work to help with provision, for their own and other needy families, would be offended if they were told they were stealing from society. I know I am sounding blunt and the emasculated feminized men may find this a tough truth to swallow.

The truth is that no country or nation can survive the high rate of unemployment and government hand outs that we have for long. We are crashing and it's just a matter of time before we hit the ground. We Christian men must lead the way out of this mess by doing with all our hearts whatever God has given us to do.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, the Scriptures make the matter regarding men working and providing for their families very clear, and I might add, very strong. 1 Timothy 5:8 says, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." These words are very strong indeed as they classify a man who is able to work but for whatever reason does not, as an infidel and a denier of the faith.

Men, we must make every endeavor to find work no matter what the work may be. Just because the government provides all sorts of programs that literally pay for everything, including health food, utilities, mortgages, etc. we should only use this assistance as a last resort and for as short a time as possible.

These programs sap men of their initiative, character, and creativity Extreme socialism turns men into wimps and promotes laziness. No communist country has been successful in creating entrepreneurship that effectively lifts the living standards of the masses.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Too many men pass up helping to carry the piano in order to carry the piano stool! Men, it's time to man up and carry the load, no matter how heavy the task may be. Some of the loads we have to man up to are obvious and practical such as providing the family income. However, many men, even in the church, force their wife out of their home where God has ordained her to care for the little ones while they themselves stay at home to look after the children. This is passing the buck. Big time!

Some men may have a part time job that does not provide enough income and therefore the wife feels obliged to go out of the home, putting children in day care, which is a poor substitute for a mother. Men in this situation should man up and take on an extra part time job if at all possible. Men who rely on the government to provide for their family income, when they could work, are not manning up. They are coping out and passing the buck.

If mothers can have some way of making income while still in their home and the children will not suffer it can be a good thing. Their role is not reversed.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Isaiah 59:15 tells us "Truth is fallen in the street." The more truth is spoken and honored in a nation, the more blessed and prosperous that nation will become. Putting it plainly, TRUTH IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THE BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN ON A NATION, AS WELL AS A MAN.

Isaiah 26:1 "Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in."

In Psalm 15:1 it asks the question, "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" (This is the place of divine protection, as well as God's favor and blessing.) Verse 2 states the answer to verse 1, "He that waketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart."

Men, in today's world, with all its falseness, it takes backbone to speak the truth. Men who are wishbones wish that things were better. They wish they had the prosperity of past years. They wish God would answer their feeble prayers. They wish that someone else would speak up for them. But, they themselves will not lift a finger or a toe to make a solid stand for truth.

Psalm 94:16 asks, "Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?"

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, we are living in days of great compromise of truth. Political correctness is an excuse for denying the truth. Where are the men who have the guts to speak the truth? Where are the men of backbone who refuse political correctness because it compromises the truth? Our nation and our world languishes for men who have back bone enough to declare right from wrong.

Political correctness compromises the truth because of partisan spirit. Often men will speak only that which brings in the most money. In other words, they speak what they being paid to speak. Men often speak that which will bring in the most votes and it doesn't matter to them whether what they say is the truth, partial truth, or the whole truth.

Spineless men are killing this country on the altars of lies, deception, and corruptness. We are sick to the death with all the lies coming from slick politicians, slick professors, and slick pastors who have not go the intestinal fortitude to speak the truth.

IT'S HIGH TIME FOR MEN WITH REAL BACKBONE TO SPEAK UP FOR THE CROWN OF TRUTH.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

David confesses in Psalm 40:1 says, "I waited patiently for the Lord." Jesus tells the story in Matthews 21:30 of the guy who said, "I go, sir: and went not."

Men, we must be patient with one another. We must be patient with our wife and children. We are also exhorted many times in the Scriptures to "wait patiently for the Lord."

Patience is a virtue of love that many of us men lack (1 Corinthians 13: 4). We need patience especially when we hear someone is speaking false rumors about someone we love, or even false accusations about ourselves.

I am quick to react and have learned too often that I only made things worse, especially when my impatience caused me to act too quickly in anger. It has taken me a long time to learn that it is far better to take some time to cool down a notch or two, gather all the facts possible, and pray for wisdom that comes from above. James 3Z:17 says, "But the wisdom that is from above is FIRST pure and peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

On the other hand, patience is often used as an excuse for procrastination, which is simply putting off an action that should be taken at the appropriate time. For example, a child needs to be disciplined, but the parents procrastinate because of being overly patient or tolerant. This is not godly patience. Do not be deceived. Loving and appropriate spanking is ordained of God and the child is often abused for the lack of it. This is a time proven fact that is clearly mentioned in the divinely inspired Word of God.*

Godly parents who genuinely love their children will not be child abusers by using the rod when it is deemed appropriate discipline. Using the rod is a proof that the parents loves his child (Hebrews 12:5-8).

We procrastinate in many different ways. We procrastinate by not witnessing and sharing the way of salvation with others. We procrastinate about reading God's Word, as well as prayer. In fact, in every area of life and in every decision we make, we can keep on putting it off for another time. Don't offer the excuse that you are just being patient. Being a laid back person can be an excuse for procrastination.

The reason why so many things are not done, or remain uncompleted, is because of weakness or procrastination.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

SCRIPTURES REGARDING DISCIPLINE:`
* Read Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13; 29:15, 17.

Men, THIS IS OUR MOMENT. Other men before us have had their opportunity to take their stand for what was right in their generation. Some did well and seized the moment of opportunity and now have their names added to the list of those who will receive the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matthew 25:21).

In this passage in Matthew 25, two of the servants doubled what their master gave them and one, through a wrong attitude towards his master, hid his and received no reward. Instead, he received severe rebuke and judgment from his master. He was called a "wicked and slothful servant" (verse 26) and "unprofitable" and was cast into darkness where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (verse 30).

This is a sober warning to us to not waste the gifts and talents God gives us. According to our ability, whether finances, giftings and abilities, we must not let anything hinder or distract us from at least doubling the investment God has given us. As men who seize the moment, we must make profit of that which has been invested in us for Christ's kingdom.

There is a huge different between actually being involved in the game, be it football or any other sport, than being a side liner, sitting in the grandstands. The trophies are not given to the onlookers but to the winning players. It's easy to be a grandstander, but it takes real men who will seize the moment to get the work done.

Men, do not delay any longer. Enlist to serve with all your heart in the battle of all battles and receive at the end, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Self is one of the biggest enemies that hinders the Great Commission.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, "For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should NOT HENCEFORTH LIVE UNTO THEMSELVES, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."

Men, these two verses make it very clear that Christ died for all. Therefore, all men should at least be acquainted with this truth. We Christians must ask ourselves how much we really value the blood of Christ. Do we value it enough to let all men know that Jesus' blood was shed for them, or do we only value it enough for ourselves?

All that we do--the raising of our children and the job we work at each day--should be done in the light of what Christ has done for all men everywhere. We should do it with the perspective of knowing Christ and making Him known.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

"Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

James 5:7 says, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." This Scripture is an apt conclusion to the Orange Pickers' Parable. Did you check it out yesterday at http://bobzehr.com/id35.htm?

The truth is that if we put more boots on the ground instead of going to more conventions, the harvest of the precious fruit would come into the kingdom quicker. The truth dammed up in Christians who care little about sharing it with their neighbors cannot accomplish the task of gathering in the harvest.

We must pray that God would graciously grant to us a new fervor for lost souls. Many of us political conservatives are incensed and indignant that our leaders are ignoring and trashing our Constitution and Founding Documents. Yet, the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations is neglected and overlooked by us every day.

Lip service is not "boots on the ground."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jesus said in Luke 10:2, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into the harvest."

True sons of God are men of action. They have their "boots on the ground." The kings of old led their armies into battle. They were leaders who never asked a man to do anything they could not or would not do. Today, things happen differently. Leaders direct from overstuffed armchairs in far removed prissy offices, making too many decisions that hinder the battle rather than help. This is what they call leading from behind.

We read in Revelation 19:11-14, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven FOLLOWED HIM upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." We see Jesus Christ leading His army from the FRONT of the battle.

In Revelation 4:10 we read that He "has made us unto God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." We all love conventions, but unless we get our boots on the ground, nothing gets accomplished. We can talk about mountain climbing until the cows come home, but to conquer that mountain we have to put our boots on the ground and start walking.

The Orange Pickers' parable talks about the great conventions of the orange pickers. They had Orange Pickers manuals, sermons and songs, but with all their great conventions on orange picking, the ground was littered with unpicked fallen fruit!

The harvest was lost for their were no boots on the ground!

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

You'll want to read the Parable of the Orange Pickers. Go to: http://bobzehr.com/id35.htm