Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Geneses 18:17-19 says, "And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 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."

We see that Abraham's fatherhood had a strong spiritual "command" to it. "Justice and judgment" are two major truths that require a strong understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Both are very dependent on one's relationship with God. It is one thing to know justice and judgment, and another thing to DO justice and judgment. Justice and judgment have no real value until they are done. The American Constitution, as great as it is, has no value if it is not lived in the lives of its citizens.

Abraham's fatherhood not only led by example, but by COMMAND. The question is, "Does our 21st century fatherhood have any genuine command to do justice and truth"? How can we command something we do not know and practice ourselves?

Be encouraged. Colin 

Genesis 26:24 says, "And the Lord appeared unto him (Isaac) the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake."

I wrote yesterday that I don't believe it is possible for any of us to be the fathers God intends us to be without a close personal relationship with God as our own true Abba Father. It is true that there are men who are very good fathers in a natural sense. Some of these fathers, sad to say, are often better fathers than many so called "Christian" fathers. However, we must not make the mistake of equating fatherhood purely from a natural standpoint only.

The fatherhood God is calling for has a strong spiritual aspect to it also.

Biblical fatherhood covers the children with prayer.

Biblical fatherhood imparts the Scriptures and spiritual values to the children.

Biblical fatherhood teaches the children how to resist all evil.

Biblical fatherhood shows by example how to have God's blessing and favor on their lives.

In the above Scripture we see the amazing example Abraham was to Isaac. God's statement to Isaac that He was Abraham's God, and that He would bless Isaac for his father's sake must have blessed Isaac in an amazing way.

In today's world, would such a statement by God to our own sons be a blessing to them?

Some sons may reply to God, "But I did not really know my father that well. He never had time for me." But, Abraham was a "Friend of God" (James 2:23). Obviously, one could not be a friend of God who is the greatest Father and not have one's own fatherhood greatly influenced for good.

Be encouraged. Colin

Because fatherhood is the greatest role given to men, we need to take time to rediscover its importance by seeking, studying, searching the Scriptures, and praying this great role into being.

The truth is that although God is known by many great names and each one gives further understanding and knowledge of our amazing God, I think His greatest name is ABBA FATHER. He is the Father of fathers. He is the absolute source of true fatherhood. He is the prototype of all fatherhood. Fatherhood, and all that means, derives its being and existence from God, our ABBA FATHER

I do not believe that it is possible for us to be the fathers God intends us to be without a close personal understanding of God as our own true Abba Father. I personally thank and praise God that I can call the mighty Creator of all things my own Abba Father. I could not possibly imagine what my relationship with God would be if I did not know Him as my own personal Abba Father.

Fatherhood implies intimate relationship and personal care, interest, and protection. Fatherhood also implies ownership and a great sense of personal responsibility and belonging.

"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named" (Ephesians 3:14-15).

Be encouraged. Colin

Most men underestimate the role of fatherhood, drifting into a casual and haphazard way of fatherhood. Their role in the career or sporting world is often more important to them. To most men, children are not that important and are viewed with a "take it or leave it" attitude. One or two children is okay with most men, perhaps three at the max, and after that, well, it's time to think seriously about the snip!

One of the main reasons for this way of thinking is that, sad to say, for several generations this has been the accepted mindset. Therefore, fatherhood has degenerated further and further away from the biblical pattern. For a number of generations biblical fatherhood has not set a good example for men to follow. This has resulted in fatherhood becoming a subordinate and almost forgotten role in today's world.

Fatherhood is in great need of rediscovery and for this reason pastors, teachers, counselors, as well as all Christian fathers need to get back to God's Word which contains a vast knowledge of what true fatherhood is all about. Each one of us men need to earnestly pray for a new understanding, a new desire, and a new biblical understanding in order that we may again become the fathers God intends us to be.

Fatherhood has fallen into such ruin to the point that many western nations, especially among the liberal ones, believe that the state needs to take over this role . Before the return of Christ to take to Himself a spotless church He is calling for us to get rid of the spots of neglected, worldly, unbiblical fatherhood that has no resemblance to His pattern revealed in Scripture.

Be encouraged to seek God's truth. Colin

Men, the primary purpose of the Elijah anointing mentioned in Malachi 4:6 is to turn the hearts of the fathers (parents) back to the children. In today's world, where many Christian parent's hearts are hardened and insensitive towards their children, we certainly need this Elijah anointing to restore our hearts back to the true value of children.

With over 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, as well as the marriages that are shaky and shallow, this has serious impact on the lives of our children. They do not understand why Mommy and Daddy do not love each other anymore. Their little hearts are torn and confused. Their precious little hearts have to be dragged through all sorts of garbage. They cannot help but be adversely affected by the tension and strife. What kind of example are we setting up for their future marriage and faithful stable relationships?

All this divorce by Christians is having a debilitating affect upon our nation, as well as future generations. We certainly need this Elijah anointing to turn our hearts back to the value of children. The "one to two children"  mindset of our present Christianity is certainly not biblical. Both the Old and the New Testaments encourage a fruitful mindset.

On top of all this, what are we doing to stop these "unwanted, inconvenient nuisances" from being born? Contraception, sterilization, and abortion is Margaret Sanger's way to get rid of these so called "human weeds." Much of the present day church has fallen for this deplorable attitude towards having children.

We must ask the question. Has God moved His hand away from protecting marriages? For the sake of our nation and its future, we are in desperate need for major heart sugary. Men, we must pray for this Elijah anointing before it's too late and the nation receives the fruit of Malachi 4:6, "Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

Be encouraged to pray. Colin

It was most interesting to notice in the Drudge Report yesterday that the USA government is pushing for more control of our children. This confirms what I wrote yesterday about the government push to take over babies from birth in Germany.

Babies, and all children, need their own mother's arms, smiles, cuddles, sympathies, comfort, security, discipline, teaching, bonding, and affections. Daycare centers, nurseries, and preschools, in fact all schools (state and private) can never ever substitute a mother's loving heart.

Wise fathers are desperately needed in this world RIGHT NOW in order to support and encourage their wives in their most challenging career of mothering in today's world. When we surrender our filial parenting and teaching rights to government, we subject our children to daily deprivation of mother care to the false mother called day care. At the end of the day, a child comes home for night care and it's soon time to sleep for the night. Tell me, what time does that night care mother have to fulfill the virtues mentioned above? This is not called motherhood, but rather surrogatehood or governmenthood.

Government loves power and they are more than willing to take over your responsibilities and inform you that it was always meant to be their responsibility. Father, your wife's career outside the home, away from the children, is definitely depriving your children's affections, morals, character, and security. Men, we must be wise and take our children back home where they truly belong.

Be encouraged. Colin

Today I return to my series of BIBLICAL FATHERHOOD, THE GREAT NEED OF THE WORLD.

We will continue writing about the need of men to have a father's heart. Colin

BIBLICAL FATHERHOOD--THE GREAT NEED OF THE WORLD
2. c) HE HAS A FATHER'S HEART continued.

Malachi 4:5-6, says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; And he shall turn THE HEART OF THE FATHERS to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

On our recent teaching tour in UK and Europe Nancy and I stayed with a delightful homeschooling family in France. They are a German family but live in France so they can homeschool their children. The husband, who teaches in Germany, had just returned from a school Principal's Convention in Germany. He told us of a woman from the government who addressed the assembly stating that because parenting was a failure in Germany that the State should step in and take control of all children from birth. This husband mentioned that there was approval from most of the principles. I wonder if those same principals would want their own children taken over by the State from the moment of birth!

This is massive state intrusion which I believe we will see more of as they seek to apply UN mandates to our western nations. However, God certainly did not give our children to us to be bonded to state institutions. Babies and children need their father and mother. State governments should do all they can to encourage parental roles, not government take over.

This may sound extreme but I believe that even inadequate parenting is better than no parenting. And governments do not make good parents. They never have and never will. Government cannot reveal a mother's touch. Government does not have the compassionate eyes of a mother. Government, especially these days, can never show the love, care, and protection of a godly father.

Be encouraged. Colin

THANKS SO MUCH

Genesis 6:5-7, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth."

Is God offended, grieved, and insulted? Have we considered this most important question regarding the homosexual marriage equality debate that is currently being debated by our Supreme Court? Most of us tend to be taken up with our own considerations and opinions. However, no matter how important our opinions may be to us, they must be considered secondary to our Creator's plans.

The only way for us to know God's ordained plan on the subject of morals it to be well acquainted with His Word in the Scriptures. These are known by Christians as ABSOLUTES. We must never try to bend or twist the Scriptures to suit our opinions on this subject, or any subject, for that matter. Our opinions on what God thinks will never make any difference to God, or persuade Him to come to our way of thinking. He is who He is and He has revealed His plan in His Word on the subject of morals. He expects us, His creation, to line up with what He says, whether we like it or not--because it is always for our good and our blessing.

God is indeed a God of love, mercy, and longsuffering and patiently waits for men to repent, but there comes a time when He says, "Enough is Enough." And because He is offended, grieved, and insulted, He does and will act with righteous judgment.

The homosexual community have been flaunting themselves publically for many years now, with gay pride days and demonstration marches. They have infiltrated the state education system so that even small children in many state schools are encouraged, and in some cases forced, to attend these indoctrination classes. Now we are being coerced into accepting them into the Holy Covenant of Marriage. God forbid! This most certainly demeans the sacredness of the marriage covenant. For without a doubt, it was God, in the beginning, who instituted the covenant of marriage--not man, and not the state (Genesis 18-24). This covenant that God called into being was without question between a man and a woman. Anything else is a perversion.

Genesis 18:20 and 19:24, "And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see...  Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven." Sad to say, but it is true, that God is offended, grieved, and insulted much more than we are.

Men, we must at this time be sensitive to the heart of God.

Be encouraged. Colin

As Christian men, we must realize the importance of this hour in which we live. This is, right now, a most challenging hour. There is nothing that weakens a nation quicker than legalized national immorality. If homosexuality gets the nation's stamp of approval to the point of equal status with heterosexual marriage, it will be huge jump in the wrong direction. The problem with this jump is that it does not make it to the other side of safety, but plunges the nation into a bottomless pit from which there is no return.

At times like this we Christian men must stand up and speak out for righteousness for it seems there are plenty on the other side. The President, the liberal media, the feminists, the liberal churches which are the 21st century synagogues of Satan (Revelation 2:9: 3:9 are all spewing out their favor of this abominable evil. It is indeed time for us Christians to clothe ourselves with the cloak of zeal. Read about Phinehas in Numbers 25. Although I am not promoting physical javelins, a well-written article of denunciation can be a javelin, or a fiery protest of speech can be an effective javelin. Wherever we are we can all wield this type of javelin. There is also the javelin throwing prayer meeting where we can attack the unclean devils that are driving this abomination.

All Christians churches should be roaring their disapproval, but sadly many remain like timid lambs. How deploringly weak. How disgustingly anemic. How pathetically yellow. What has happened to us that our voices are strangely silent when we should be roaring with the roaring of the Lion of Judah?

Be clad with zeal and start roaring against this nation weakening sin before it's too late. Wherever you are and whenever the opportunity presents itself, do not be silent. Roar your disapproval. Jesus roared His disapproval at the sacrilege in the temple. The Scripture says that He was consumed with zeal.

The zeal of God will make all the difference between the weak and the strong. If ever there was a time in this nation's history to be clothed with zeal, IT MUST BE NOW.

Be encouraged. Colin

No apologies to the liberal media, please! We must not cave in! Never! Ever! There is too much at stake.

It is very disappointing when celebrities cave in during the heat of the battle over the homosexual marriage equality debate. I was very proud of the way Dr. Ben Carson stood up against the liberal agenda at the Prayer Breakfast, but was disappointed when he, for whatever reason, backed down over the homosexual issue and apologized for certain statements he made.

Tim Tebow was told his career would basically be over if he accepted the invitation to speak at a certain church that took a strong stand against homosexual marriage. Unfortunately he caved in. It goes to prove that even the best of men will fail when the battle gets too hot. Please pray for these men. They need our prayers as they face the roaring lions.

May God give us men who will not back down, but stand up like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego who steadfastly refused to back down and cave in, even when facing the hottest and most scorching fiery furnace that any man ever had to face.

America is languishing for men who will stand up for their convictions, no matter what the world thinks of them. They undoubtedly will label us bigots, demagogues, homophobiacs and every other name they can think of. But, so what! Let them call us what they may, but we will not bend, bow, back down, or cave in to godly moral convictions. So what if they smear our reputation, blacken our name, cast us out, dismiss us from our employment, or throw us in prison. We must not back down, Never! Ever!

We must remember that Jesus Christ did not cave in and make any apologies when he faced the extreme heat of the battle in order to rescue our souls from sin and hell. Let us realize that our stand is not only for our cause, but rather for the cause of Christ. We must never ever cave in or apologize for our stand for the cause of Christ.

Jesus said in Mark 8:38, "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Be encouraged. Colin

Before I continue with the theme I began before going overseas of BIBLICAL FATHERHOOD, I have to share what is on my heart with you today.

My heart has been very stirred coming back to the USA to find the Supreme Court debating on whether or not to allow homosexuals to have the same marriage status as heterosexuals. Since time began, marriage has been a covenant between man and woman. The liberal media, as always, a biased arm of left wing politics have been declaring with gleeful and blatant lies that the nation is approving that homosexuals should be permitted the same marital status as a man and woman.

Seeing that the homosexuals only number approximately 10 percent of the population, one cannot help but wonder why the rest of us 90 percent should in any way have to put up with this left wing agenda shoved upon us and rammed down our throats! While the homosexuals are quick to label the 90 percent as unloving bigots who are intolerant and judgmental, the truth is that these ten percenters believe the 90 percenters should change their traditional Christian values on marriage to accommodate their own bigoted opinions.

I say a thousand Nos to their clamoring and inconsiderate pressure on us who believe that the marriage act was ordained as holy by God and to be between a man and a woman!

Genesis 2:18, "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone ; I will make him a helpmeet for him... And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."

Be encouraged. Colin.

It is good to be home again. For three weeks Nancy and I ministered extensively in eight different countries, encouraging motherhood and fatherhood. I felt it was a most profitable time and the majority of people were very receptive.

Unfortunately, Europe is on a serious downward slide away from God and is in desperate need for another reformation of God's truth being applied to the human heart.

Colin.

John 2:17, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." I believe it is high time Christian men stood up against the blatant depravity by homosexuals to desecrate all that is holy. We must not be ashamed to speak this truth in love, everywhere. Jesus Christ Himself showed righteous indignation from time to time, especially when holy things were being deliberately desecrated.

There should be no question about the fact that marriage is a holy institution, created and ordained by our Holy God (Genesis 2:22-24). It is only right that all Christians should be also filled with righteous indignation when we are told by our government that homosexuals have the right to be married in our churches that have been consecrated to God, and therefore should be regarded as holy ground.

Jesus Christ was filled with righteous anger when He went into the temple and found them buying and selling merchandise on holy ground. He was so angered that He made a whip and used it, at the same time turning over the tables and shouting, "Take these things hence: make not my Father's house a house of merchandise" (John 2:13-17). In the other Gospels  He adds, "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Mark 11:17).

If Jesus did these things to those merchants in God's house, what would He have done to homosexuals demanding to be married in God's holy temple? Would Jerusalem have become another Sodom and Gomorrah?

The pastor or priest who would dare to use the sacred name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in blessing a homosexual marriage union is in danger of the ground opening up and swallowing him. How dare they tempt the Holy One of Israel? This behavior is blatant depravity of God's holiness.

Of course, God loves the world, including homosexuals. He loved them enough to give His life for them. But, He calls them to repent as He does all sinners, in order that they may be saved and set free.

Be encouraged. Colin

It is good to be home again. For three weeks Nancy and I ministered extensively in eight different countries, encouraging motherhood and fatherhood. I felt it was a most profitable time and the majority of people were very receptive.

Unfortunately, Europe is on a serious downward slide away from God and is in desperate need for another reformation of God's truth being applied to the human heart.

Colin.

"Parents who homeschool have considered what's in the box of public education and they dare to be different. State schooling conforms to humanistic society and the box is getting dirtier by the day."

“We want God to walk with us, but do we want to walk with God?”

"The "box" represents the ways of human wisdom. People who think outside the box have taken time to think wisely about what is in the box.

If what's in the box takes us away from the time-tested truths of God's Word and the godly foundations of our national constitution, it would be wise to get out of the box as quickly as possible."

“Every day, remind your wife that she is doing the greatest job in the world. Remind her that you need her at home, the family needs her at home, and the nation needs her at home.”

"God is looking for men who are not afraid to think outside the box, men who are wise enough to realize that thinking within the box is often the wrong way to think."

"The men who dare to be different will not be known to be different unless they speak up!"