Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Proverbs is filled with exhortation about the words we speak. The following are the good words God wants us to speak from our mouths. As the king of your home, make sure your vocab is filled with these positive words.

EXCELLENT LIPS

Proverbs 8:6: “I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.”

DELIGHTFUL AND PLEASING LIPS

Proverbs 10:32 (TPT): “Words that bring delight pour from the lips of the godly.”

GENTLE LIPS

Proverbs 15:1 (HCSB): “A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.”

GUARDING LIPS

Proverbs 5:2 (NET): “That your lips may guard knowledge.”

Proverbs 6:2: “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth.”

Proverbs 13:3: “He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”

Proverbs 29:23: “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” Read also Proverbs 12:13.

LIFE-GIVING WORDS

Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Proverbs 10:11: “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life.” Is your mouth a well of life to your family each day?

PLEASANT LIPS

Proverbs 15:26: “The words of the pure are pleasant words.”

Proverbs 164: “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

RIGHTEOUS LIPS

Proverbs 8:8: “All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing forward or perverse in them.”

Proverbs 10:11: “The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life.”

Proverbs 10:20: “The tongue of the just is as choice silver.”

Proverbs 10:21: “The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.”

Proverbs 10:32: “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh forwardness.”

Proverbs 16:13: “Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.”

Proverbs 23:16: “Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.”

SWEET LIPS

Proverbs 16:21: “The sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.”

SPARING LIPS

Proverbs 10:19: “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 17:27: “He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.”

Proverbs 17:28: “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.”

Proverbs 27:2: “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.”

TRUTHFUL LIPS

Proverbs 8:7: “My mouth shall speak truth.”

Proverbs 12:17: “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness.”

WISE LIPS

Proverbs 10:13: “In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found.”

Proverbs 10:19: “He that refraineth his lips is wise.”

Proverbs 10:31: “The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom.” But the forward tongue shall be cut out.”

Proverbs 14:3: “The lips of the wise shall preserve them.”

Proverbs 15:7: “The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.”

Proverbs 16:10 (NLT): “The king speaks with divine wisdom; he must never judge unfairly.”

Proverbs 16:23: “The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.”

Proverbs 22:17, 18: “Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.” Read also Proverbs 18:4.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Let the Holy Spirit move in your heart as you read these Scriptures. Sometimes we think we are fine, but the Word pierces into the depths of our hearts.

BOASTFUL LIPS

Psalm 12:4: “Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?” Do our lips belong to us? If God is Lord of our lives, our lips belong to Him.

CUTTING LIPS

Psalm 59:1, 7: “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me . . . Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?”

Psalm 55: 21: “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his hear: his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” Read also Psalm 52:2; 64:3; and 140:3.

DECEITFUL LIPS

Psalm 34:13: “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.”

Psalm 10:7: “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud.” Read also Psalm 36:3; 50:19; and 52:2, 4.

FLATTERING LIPS

Psalm 12:2-4: “They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips . . . Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?” God says that the flattering, proud, and boastful lips will all be cut off. Read also Psalm 5:9 and 78:36.

LYING LIPS

Psalm 31:18 (NET: “May lying lips be silenced—lips that speak defiantly against the innocent with arrogance and contempt!”

Psalm 52;3: “Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness.”

Read also Psalm 58:3; 62:4; 63:11; and 120:2.

MISCHIEVOUS LIPS

Psalm 9:7: “His tongue is mischief and vanity.”

Psalm 38:12: “They that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the day long.”

Psalm 140:9: “Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.”

POISONOUS LIPS

Psalm 140:3: “Poison is under their lips.”

PROUD LIPS

Psalm 12:3: “The tongue that speaketh proud things.” This is the speech of the ungodly.

Psalm 17:10: “With their mouth they speak proudly.” Read also Psalm 31:8; 73:8; and 75:5.

RASH LIPS

Psalm 106:33: “Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.”

SINFUL LIPS

Psalm 59:12: “For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.”

SLANDERING LIPS

Psalm 50:20: “Thou sittest an speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.”

Psalm 101:5: “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off.” Read also Psalm 31:13.

UNFAITHFUL LIPS

Psalm 9:2: “There is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue.”

VAIN LIPS

Psalm 12:2: “They speak vanity every one with his neighbor.” Read also Psalm 144:8, 11.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Does Jesus Christ truly reign in my life? Or am I still in control? Does He reign in some areas, but not in others? How much of our great King’s presence in my life do I manifest to my wife, family, church, and associates?

When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, He forgives our sins by the cleansing power of the redeeming blood of our Savior, King Jesus Christ. When we invite Him into our hearts as a repentant sinner, He comes in to us with one primary purpose. That purpose is to reign.

Romans 10:9, 10 states: “That if thou shall 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.”

To confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord is to confess He is your King. If Jesus Christ is your King, then it makes sense that Jesus now has the right to rule in and over your life. He has now become Lord and King over your entire life.

As Hudson Taylor said: "Christ is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all."

Revelation 17:14: “He is Lord of lords, and King of kings and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

Considering what Jesus Christ, our heavenly King has done for us, surely, He is worthy to have total and complete control and reign over all aspects and departments of our entire lives. Sadly, the worldly-minded church still has many reservations concerning Jesus’ Lordship over every area of their lives.

There are some who decide that its okay to live intimately with a man or woman outside of marriage, have children, and still attend church on a regular basis. Some churches may accept it. However, in Hebrews 13:4 the eternal living Word states: “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

The NET translation says: “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.”

Therefore, we must conclude that all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is not acceptable to the reign of our great King of kings and Lord of lords.

Homosexual activity is not acceptable to the reign of our great King of kings and Lord of lords. This sin can and must be repented of to be forgiven. When Jesus Christ comes into a person’s life, He also brings His power to enable each person to repent and live a life under His righteous reign.

Should married couples have all the children God wants them to have? The church in general uses all the same excuses and objections as the world. However, the Bible makes it very clear that children are not to be rejected, but rather, we should let Jesus Christ reign over all the decisions concerning our reproduction. Read Psalm 127:3-5.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

In Revelation 1:5, 6 we read; ”Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

The adamic nature took the reign out of God’s control during the fall in the Garden of Eden and Adam usurped the reign of God. He made himself king over his own life and destiny. Adam was no longer a king unto God, but lord of his own life. In other words, he became a king unto himself.

I believe it is impossible for any man who reigns as king to himself to be in any way accepted by God. Ruling as king to ourselves always ends in making unwise decisions, egotism, and worst of all, offending God and man. There is no eternal value in ruling as king to ourselves and our own desires for control and power over others.

Man was made a spirit, soul, and body. He was made to be inhabited by God His Creator. This can only happen through the redemption provided us by the Prince of the Kings of the earth and His name is Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5). It is God the Father’s will that His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who always surrendered Himself to the reign and control of His Father, should now reign in and through us as we surrender the throne room of our hearts to His absolute control.

Some reading this post today may remember the chorus we used to sing by Chris Bowater:

Reign in me, sovereign Lord
Reign in me
Reign in me, sovereign Lord
Reign in me

Captivate my heart
Let Your kingdom come
Establish there Your throne
Let Your will be done

Reign in me, sovereign Lord
Reign in me
Reign in me, sovereign Lord
Reign in me

I believe with all my heart that the best kings first know what it means to be reigned themselves by the only One who is worthy. It is only then that our wives and families can received the blessings of our kingship.

To be continued.

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

We read again in Revelation: “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

The titles of kings and priests are united in these two passages and given to all believers that have been redeemed by the blood of Christ out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. In the Old Testament the titles of kings and priests were generally separated with the kings coming from the tribe of Judah, although the first king came from Benjamin, the tribe of Levi.

In Genesis 14:18 we read that Melchizedek who was king of Salem (Jerusalem) was also the priest of the Highest God. Revelation 7:21 speaks of Jesus Christ with reference also to Psalm 110:4: “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek’.”

Because of the weakness and frailty of man’s human nature, God separated the two ministries so that kings who ruled over the secular affairs of the nation would not be able to easily corrupt the spiritual affairs of the nation. However, in many cases, corrupt kings still corrupted the the nation. We understand why we in many western natures have a separation of the powers of church and state.

Fathers, as kings and priests in our families we must watch out that the secular does not outweigh the spiritual. This happens in many Christian families.

The church, which encourages the spiritual state of the nation should influence the secular state of the country and not the other way around. It is grievous when the secular state of the nation becomes corrupt and spreads the corruption into the church. This occurred many times when wicked kings ruled over Judah and Israel. They also corrupted the priesthood.

We read in 2 Chronicles chapter 33 how King Manasseh set up images and idols in the house of the Lord: “So Manasseh made (seduced, deceived) Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:9).

Tomorrow we will see that our kingship is not to ourselves, but more importantly, it is unto God.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Without heavy doses of the anointed Word of God such as Morning and Evening Devotions, how will we ever push back the powers of darkness?

Yesterday 177 young college students were gunned to death. Ten ore are in various stages of injury in hospitals in Florida. Our hearts and prayers go out to them all. There have been far too many school shootings in recent years. Schools are becoming increasingly dangerous and wise parents need to think more than twice about sending their precious children to be amongst the wolves that dominate by dark, murdering, evil spirits.

This school had thousands of students. The greater risk of exposure to students who are living and feeding on the dark media that espouses the violent side of life. When are Christian parents going to wake up and say: “Enough is enough.”

God’s Word is the greatest source of spiritual light and the state schools have done away with it. There are many that believe that the state school system provides the necessary light through their humanistic teaching programs for children to be successful in this world.

However, when the Supreme Court ruled out the Bible and payer from our state schools many wise, thinking people realized that God would lift His hand of protection from the schools. This has proven to be true. When you send your young and impressionable children to be among teachers and peers who often know little or nothing about God, are you being responsible before God? He gave you, the parents, not the state, the privilege of being the godly custodians and stewards of your precious children.

Another question parents must ask themselves: Are your children in state schools going to have their spiritual light increased? Or decreased? Or even diminished? Worse still—demolished! I think the chances of their little lights being damaged or even snuffed out completely are very high. All I can say to parents who are willing to run the risk and send their children to hours of exposure to the power of darkness that they better fortify their children with daily, strong doses of God’s Word, coupled with earnest prayer. They will certainly need it.

The best solution is to homeschool your children just like hundreds of thousands of serious thinking parents are doing. Or second best, if you can afford it, send them to a solid, Christian school where all the teachers are dedicated Christians and where all the children come from Christians homes.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Each Christian family should confess: “Let there be light.” How can Christian families be the light God intends us to be? The answer lies in fathers and mothers catching the vision for their own families to become lighthouses to their churches, communities, the nation, and the world.

There is only one true answer to the spiritual darkness that holds individuals, families, and nations captive to the chains of the myriad forms of evil and sin. It is the power of light.

Every individual that makes up your family should have their light turned on. As spiritually wise fathers and mothers, exert every effort to make sure that each individual member of your family is the brightest light they can possibly be.

It takes both parents working together and putting their whole hearts into this vision to make it happen. We must make our homes and families lighthouses that will scatter the darkness.

Having Family Devotions is a great way to encourage the light to burn brighter in all members of your family. Why is that so few families daily engage in this light-creating practice? It is no wonder that our nation is rocking and reeling under the relentless attacks of demonic darkness.

Much of the left wing mainstream media is a major tool of sinister forces of darkness which attack any vestige of light coming from our president and vice president. Cold blooded murder happens every day on the streets of our cities. Police are gunned down as they try to protect innocent citizens. Drug deaths through overrsdose are rampant in all our communities, both large and small. This evil list of darkness could take pages to fill.

While we as a nation seek to stop evil around the world, we are ravished by evil in our own country. The light from many so-called Christian families is barely turned on, let alone shining.

As families, we must do all we can to shine our lights to scatter the darkness. Make sure you and your family are shining lights.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We notice in Revelation 1:13 that Jesus is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” He is described as our Great High Priest attending to the ministry of the seven candlesticks (churches).

The high priest of Israel would do his best to make sure each candlestick put forth the most light possible on a continual basis. Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest also seeks to make our candlesticks give us much light as possible on a daily 24/7 basis.

The fire on the brazen altar was to never go out. Leviticus 6:13 says: “The fire shall EVER be burning upon the altar; it shall NEVER GO OUT.”

In the same way, the same command was given regarding the candlesticks. The Hebrew word “tamid” means “continually, perpetually, regularly, at all times.” Exodus 27:20 states: “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn ALWAYS.”

Leviticus 24:1-4 says: “He shall order their lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD CONTINUALLY.” When God speaks in this passage He uses the word CONTINUALLY three times. He wants them to get the message good and strong.

Fathers, as priests of our homes and families, we must never, ever underestimate the importance of attending to the lamps of each member of our families.

Ordering the lamps entails trimming the wicks, cutting off the black, sooty part, cleaning the area where the lamp is lighted, and making sure there is sufficient oil in the lamp.

Trimming the wick entails making sure the wick is not too high. If it’s too high, it smokes. If its too low, it will not give enough light. As priests in our homes and families we assist our Great High Priest in this great ministry of making every family and every church a GREAT LIGHT to shine before all men.

How often? Sometimes? Occasionally? No, God wants our lights to shine CONTINUALLY.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Picture: Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Gold can be shaped in various shapes by other means. It can be heated in a furnace and once it becomes liquid it can be poured into a mold of whatever shape the craftsman desires. This is the easiest way to shape gold or silver. However, it requires enormous skill, time, and patience to shape gold into an intricate design by beating.

It was easy for Aaron to make the golden calf. Exodus 32:34 says: “Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire and there came out this calf.” This golden calf was a false god. There was no light of any description in this golden calf.

However, it was a challenging and painstaking task to create the golden lampstand by beating. Jesus Christ, who is the true light of the world, shining out through the seven-branched candlestick, is made of beaten gold.

Fathers, we should teach out families that the necessary disciplines we all face in our lives are only for our good. Though these trials, temptations, and difficulties often feel like we are being beaten up, we must remember that God’s light is ordained to shine on candles that are made of beaten gold.

Our Savior Jesus went through many trials and beatings.

Even the apostle Paul suffered much. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 he writes of enduring “labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, inprisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

God knows exactly what He is doing and the object in view is a beautiful candle made of beaten gold.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We rejoice with Jesus that we are one with Him corporately. The truth is that all believers are one in Christ Jesus. There is no sectarian spirit in Him.

All the churches in Asia, mentioned in Revelation, chapters 1- 3, were equal in height. The numerical numbers of the church made no difference to their height. All were of equal worth. All were one in Him even though they were in different locations. All their problems and challenges were felt by the head of the church, Jesus Christ, and therefore were to be felt by the rest of the churches.

Solid gold is dependable, trustworthy, and can be counted on. This is our Jesus Christ. He is the gold standard. He is pure and perfectly one with all the churches. So should we be one as much as we possibly can.

We may not always agree with everything going on in our own church. We may not agree with everything going on in other churches. We may not agree with everything going on in our own lives. As we need prayer for ourselves, we should pray for other churches for we are all one lampstand to the world.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

It is impossible for us to radiate the light of Christ unless we become one with Jesus, even as He could not radiate the light of His Father God without being one with Him.

Jesus Christ is one in three—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But He is also one with every branch of the candlestick. In John 17:11 Jesus prays to His Father: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

In John 10:30 Jesus states: “I and my Father are one.” One heart, one mind, one will, one walk, and one work or mission. Unless the churches really get this truth, not only as a major doctrine, but in experience, the truth of abiding and oneness are nothing more than pious statements.

Another great aspect of this truth to which we must give earnest heed is that we are not only to make certain we are one with Jesus our Savior and our Father God, but also one with each other.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The manufacturing of the menorah or golden candlestick to give light in the holy place was divinely inspired. It took a chosen man to do it. Exodus 31:1-6 says: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship . . .”

The branches of this candlestick revealed all the stages of the almond tree--the flower, the bud, and the fruit. All the ornamentation of the various stages of the almond tree clearly speak to us of the importance of each branch abiding in Jesus, the Vine (the main lighted candle) so that we can be fruitful and allow His light to shine through us.

Matthew 5:16: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” When God’s light shines through us, we will manifest good works. There are good works that all men can do that in many ways bring glory to themselves, even when they may not want it. I do not discredit these works.

However, when the good works that we do have the characteristic of the miraculous about them, that is when men give glory to God. The Holy Spirit baptized the believers in the upper room at Pentecost and tongues of fire came upon those candlesticks. Miraculous works immediately happened, and men gave glory to God (Acts 3:10).

Nicodemus said to Jesus: “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teach come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

The church was born to manifest the light through miraculous deeds.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

These days, it is possible to end up sitting in church by couples who are living together and having children outside the covenant of marriage--and who have no conscience about it. Many have little conscience concerning the gay agenda because it is not politically correct to speak against sin and loose biblical values.

This failure to promote godly values for the fear of upsetting the conscience of certain people produces hardness of heart.

CURRENT BIG NEWS
Recreational marijuana is a multi-billion-dollar business and many states are rushing to legalize it. They want to finance their government programs (even police forces) through the taxes profited by the sales. Take notice that they are not using the profits to help the drug rehabilitation programs. It won’t be long before you will find people smoking dope out in the church parking lots.

The light of God’s people is dimming. It is no longer an antidote to drugs. People are no longer getting high on the Holy Spirit, so they resort to smoking dope!

However, the true light of Christ that comes from the pure, golden candlestick will always repel the darkness of the counterfeit. The states that accept and promote cannabis for the sake of billions of dollars they make from its revenue are no better than the South American drug cartels who smuggle drugs over our southern borders. They do it for the same reason.

Marijuana is much more refined and potent. These drugs always lead to substance abuse by those who have no, or little, spiritual restraining influences in their lives.

The light of our nation will quickly be snuffed out if the church does not rise and shine. Creative brains, talents, and gift will be dumbed down at the altars of making more dollars.

Wake up America. Do not invest in this multi-billion-dollar brain deadening industry.

Instead of getting high on dope, God’s answer is Romans 14:17: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

Nehemiah 8:10 “The joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Isaiah 62:1: “I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as BRIGHTNESS (a brilliant, shining light).” It is righteousness that shines as a light in this dark world.

Pure gold has no cannabis or any other foreign substances in it. Jesus is pure gold, and this should be the main objective of the true church.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell