LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 284: Our Hearts and Our Homes, Part 1

You are the temple of the living God, a house of the Lord. Is every part of your life open to God's Spirit? Is your home also a house of the Lord? Is every room in your home open to God's scrutiny and light?

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies! Well, this week is Thanksgiving week. After this podcast, I’m going to have to start getting into it myself and preparing for our great Thanksgiving again this year.

I must tell you about a documentary we watched last night. On Sunday nights we like to do something special. We have been going through what is called “Biblical Citizenship.” It’s an eight-week course that you can get hold of through “Patriot Academy.” I really would encourage you to go through this course if you haven’t already done it. We were all so blessed. It was so amazing.

Every single week was a new DVD for eight weeks. We learned so much about our Constitution, and the way our Founding Fathers set up this county, which has been lost today. I think everyone needs to know these truths. You can do it with your family, or you can do it in a group at church, whatever you would like.

But what we did, because we were a church group, really, but we have it here in our home. We could put it on the big screen downstairs where we have our church fellowship. After the DVD we would then have trivia, or a quiz, because there are questions already written out for each week of the course. We would do the questions. We would have two sides. The competition was pretty fierce to see who would win. We would learn so much as we tried to answer all the questions and see who could win. That was really fun. But I’d love to encourage you about that.

Last night we watched “Police State.” That is the new documentary put out by Dinesh D’Souza. Every one of his movies, documentary movies, are very, very professionally done and very enlightening. I wonder if you’ve seen any of them before. I’ll mention some of them so that you can get hold of them. Go to Amazon and get the DVDs or you can download them.

We have watched all these at different times throughout the years, as they came to the theaters. There was “Obama’s America.” That was in 2016.

“Trump Card,” “The Big Lie,” “Death of a Nation,” “Hillary’s America,” and “America, Imagine the World Without Her.” Then this latest one, “Police State.” They are all worth watching.

It was amazing to watch, even on this documentary and also movie. You don’t get bored. We watched about three different occasions of people whose homes have been raided by the FBI. They were kidnapped and taken off (even as we shared, remember we shared the testimony a few weeks ago about Bethany Vaughn sharing about her husband). This family lives just a few miles from us.

They were also raided by the FBI for nothing. He had been at an abortion clinic, but not trying to stop people going in or anything. They came and raided his home and now he is waiting for the final outcome of his court case. He could receive 11 years in prison. This is happening all over. It’s very enlightening. I’d encourage you to check that out. We need to keep up with what is happening in our nation, don’t we?

Well, ladies, today I want to share with you. My subject is: “OUR HEARTS AND OUR HOMES,” because they do go together. We’re going to look at a few Scriptures. I’d like to take you first to 2 Chronicles 29. This is the chapter where Hezekiah began to rule and reign in Judah.

Now Hezekiah didn’t have, well, maybe he did because of his mother. His father was a very wicked king, King Ahab. But then it says in V. 2: “And Hezekiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.”

Before that, in v. 1, it says: “And his mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zekariah.” It’s interesting when the Bible talks about each of the kings of Israel, and also of Judah (because after the reign of Solomon, I know you’ll be aware that the whole kingdom was divided. After Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king). But he didn’t last very long because he didn’t take the advice of the elders of Israel. Instead. he took the advice of the young men who were around him. Because of that, the ten tribes fled from Rehoboam, and they became the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Rehoboam was only left with Judah and Benjamin and some of the Levites. They were known as the kingdom of Judah.

Now we are in the kingdom of Judah. Hezekiah is one of the Judean kinsomegs. Every king that the Bible writes about, it then will say: “And his mother’s name was so-and-so, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.” Or “he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.” It reveals that the mothers had a great influence on their sons, because it’s immediately after the mention of the mother that it says whether they were a good king or whether they were a bad king.

Hezekiah was one who clung to the Lord and “did that which right in the eyes of the Lord.” Now it’s in the very first year of his reign, right at the start. He starts off well. In V. 3: Hezekiah, “in the first year of his reign, in the first month.” He didn’t wait around. He got stuck in immediately.

“In the first month he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them.” Because his father Ahab was a wicked king, he had shut up the doors of the temple, the house of the Lord. So, praise God! Here comes a young king and he’s opening the doors of the temple again. As we look into the Scriptures today, we’re going to be likening these Scriptures to us personally, to our homes, because in each one of our homes we’re seeking to put the Lord first.

I know that each one of you wants to make your home a house of the Lord. Isn’t that true? We all want our homes to be a home of the Lord. God wants our homes to be His home. He also wants our personal bodies to be His homes. We go over to the New Testament, and we see that God now calls our bodies His temple.

Back in the Old Testament, they first had the tabernacle. Then when David began to reign, he had such a longing to build a temple for the Lord, not something that was not very permanent. He wanted to build a glorious temple for the Lord. But God said to David, “No, you’re not going to do it, David. You’ve been a man of war. You’ve shed much blood. Your son Solomon is the one who will build the temple.”

But now, we go to the New Testament. Let’s read. We can go to 1 Corinthians 6. It’s interesting. Keep this in mind. 1 Corinthians 6 talks about us being the temple of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 6 also talks about us being the temple of the Lord. If you want to remember Scriptures about this subject, you can remember 1 Corinthians 6 and 2 Corinthians 6. That makes it easy, doesn’t it?

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

We go to 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” That means in marriage, or in business, or in any relationship where you’re going to be yoked together. Dear ladies, I remember being brought up on that Scripture. It was continually preached from the pulpit. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” The message would come forth. Don’t marry an unbeliever. Look for a Christian man to marry. That’s very good advice.

But it’s rather sad, isn’t it, that in this society in which we are living, even in the church realm that we are living, I think that we have to look for more than just marrying a believer, because today there can be many young men (and here we’re thinking about our daughters now). There are many young men in the church who are believers. They believe that Jesus died and was buried and rose again. They believe He is the Son of God. They have most probably received Christ into their lives. Yes, they are born again, and they love God.

But they actually haven’t got a biblical worldview, because we can be born again in our hearts, and our minds are still thinking like the world, because we have been programmed with humanism and progressivism, and all the -isms; everything that is being put out there in our current education system, and in the media, and everywhere, even in the church. I bring that in here as I read that Scripture.

We must encourage our daughters (and daughters if you are listening), you are looking for more than someone who just believes in God.

Look for a man who has a biblical worldview. That means that he completely trusts the Bible as the Word of God and he is searching to know what God says on every subject for his life.

He’s standing on that. That’s a man that you have to look for.

On one podcast I shared characteristics and attributes that I believe young daughters need to look for as they’re looking for the man of their dreams, which every young girl is looking for. Since then, I have developed that more. If you are interesting, you can email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I will send you that. I think I had about 21 points to look for. Wow! That’s quite a lot, isn’t it? But it gives you something to really look for so that you can be blessed in finding a man of God.

Let’s carry on here. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what agreement hath Christ with Belial? or what part [or sharing in common] hath he that believeth with an infidel?” 

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for you are the temple of the living God,” Did you get that? Here it is again. It was spoken in 1 Corinthians 6; now 2 Corinthians 6. “You are the temple of the living God.”

Back in Jerusalem, there was a temple. It was a glorious temple. It was overlaid with gold. It shone with gold, pure gold. It housed the shekinah glory of God in the Holy of Holies. But that temple’s not there anymore. It was put to rubble.

YOU ARE GOD’S TEMPLE

But you see, we don’t need a temple now, because now, since Jesus died, that veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn apart from top to bottom. Now, it is no longer hidden. We can go into the Holy of Holies. We can fellowship with God 24/7. We are such a blessed people. But more than that, God is now saying that you, me, we are the temples of the living God.

That word “temple” there in the Greek is not the word that’s used for the temple. It’s the word that is used for the “Holy of Holies,” the place where God dwells. Back then, the place where only the high priest could go in, and he only once year, carrying the blood. But now, we are the temple. It’s hard for our minds to get around it, that this is the truth.

Dear precious ladies, mothers, wives, daughters listening. Each one of us are a temple housing the Presence of God because He has come to dwell in us. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” He now dwells in us by His Spirit. This body is a temple that houses the Presence of God. What a glorious, glorious truth! We are now the houses of the Lord. Our homes we want to make houses of the Lord.

IS EACH ROOM IN YOUR HOME OPEN TO THE PRESENCE OF GOD?

Let’s keep looking at this passage here, shall we? In the very first year and the first month, Hezekiah opened, he opened the doors to the house of the Lord and repaired them. Lovely ladies, are the doors of our homes open to the Lord? Is every room in your home open to the Presence of the Lord?

Your kitchen, I guess that’s where everything happens mainly in the home. Well, it’s where everything should be happening. It’s the hub of the home. It’s where we prepare our meals. It’s where the family congregates around the kitchen table, around the dining room table, around, doing their projects, eating their meals. It’s where we gather as family, in the kitchen, in the dining room, in the lounge, in this living area. Is it open to God, to His Holy Spirit?

What about the doors of our bedroom? Is that open to the Lord? Open to His holiness? What about the bedrooms of our children? Are they open to the moving of the Spirit of God? Do you know what’s going on in the bedrooms of your children? What about your teenagers?

Dear precious mother, God has given you the job to watch over your home, watch over your family, watch over the rooms of your home. You need to know what’s going on in the bedrooms of your children, especially your teenagers. What do they have in their rooms? What do they have under the bed? What do they have in their drawers? What are they listening to and seeing on their iPhones? Are you truly a watchdog? Yes, that responsibility is ours.

Don’t let any of the rooms, don’t let one room in your home be closed off to the Spirit of God. Make sure every room in your home is open, open to the Spirit of God. Our own temple, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually, in every way. Let’s open the gates of our souls and our minds, every part of our beings, to the Lord. Because we’re His temple. He wants to fill His temple with His Holy Spirit. Therefore, we cannot close off anything.

Are there any areas that you’re closing off from that probing of the Spirit of the Lord? No, don’t stay closed off. Open your heart to Him. Sometimes that’s not easy. You’ve got to deal with things. You have to let God work in your heart. Let’s be open. That’s the very beginning. Nothing can happen until our hearts and minds are open to Him.

We keep reading on here. 2 Chronicles 29:5. Hezekiah said to them, these were the Levites: “Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves,” that’s “set apart yourselves, “and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers.” First of all, you start with yourself, start with me. First of all, we sanctify, that means “to make holy.” The word is kadesh, “to make holy.” The word “holy” means “to set apart from the common.” Not the normal . . .  the normal, common thing. No, to be sanctified, to be holy, is to be set apart from the common.

I remember reading one commentary. This man brought out that one of the meanings of “holiness” is “uncommonness.” You are not staying in the common. No. You’re set apart unto God, unto His kingdom, which is a royal kingdom. You’re set apart even unto royalty. We first set apart ourselves, and then we begin to sanctify and set apart our homes for God. Amen?

It went on. In doing this, you have to “carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.” That was the first job he gave the Levites. “Sanctify yourselves first, Levites. You can’t go in and sanctify the temple until you’ve sanctified yourselves.”

We seek to make our homes holy temples for the Lord, but we’ve got to be sanctified ourselves. We can’t make holy homes for God in this world (which is His plan for us . . .  yes, mothers, God wants you . . .  one of your biggest tasks is making your home a holy place for God in this world, a place where God can dwell in your home.

First of all, we sanctify ourselves. He said, then I want you to go in and “carry forth all the filthiness out of the holy place, for our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.” At this time, when Hezekiah came to power, to reign, the people had turned their backs on the temple. They had turned their backs on the habitation of the Lord, the place where God dwells in the Holy of Holies. They turned their backs.

We are the temple of the Lord. We’re making our homes temples of the Lord, holy places for the Lord. But we also have, not physical temples today, but we have places also where we worship, which are houses of the Lord. Sometimes they are homes. We meet in our home fellowship. Other times they’re in a church building, or someone is renting a building, any kind of building where the saints can meet.

These places are also houses of the Lord where He wants to meet with His people. We come to meet with Him and the people of the Lord. We must never turn our backs on this habitation of the Lord. Well, you’ve been hearing me talk about that, haven’t you? I just did ten podcasts about the assembling of God’s people together.

I wanted to go on more, but I thought maybe you had had enough. I hope you got the message, because even in ten podcasts I did not give you all of the Scriptures of God’s heart that He has for the assembling of His people. Then coming together as the habitation of the Lord. Let’s never ever turn our backs on the assembling of His people.

But it also gets right back to our homes, because we’re going to read on and see what happened in the temple and how these things should also be happening in our homes, because what happened in the house of the Lord, in the tabernacle, then the temple, was a type of what He wants to have happen in our homes.

It goes on to say in v. 7: “Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense, nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.” Because they’d shut up the doors, all these things that God had mandated to be happening every day in the temple were not happening. They’d put out the lamps!

And do you remember that when God first told them about the lamps and when they dedicated the tabernacle and they lit the lamps for the very first time, God said that the lamps were to burn always. It was never, ever to go out from that time (Exodus 27:20, 21). But here we’re reading that it’s already gone out. The lamps had been put out.

What were the lamps? The lamp is talking here about the golden lampstand that God first talked about that they had put in the tabernacle. Back in the tabernacle, there was only one golden lampstand. It was made out of one piece of pure gold. It had seven branches. It was like a tree, three branches on one side, three on the other, and the one in the middle.

They had to light this lampstand every morning and every evening. They had to, before they lit it, they had to pour in fresh oil, because if they didn’t have oil for the lamps, there would be no light. It was coming to God every morning and every evening to be refilled with fresh oil.

The Bible talks about David, who was anointed with “fresh oil,” (Psalm 92:10) not stale oil! Oh, goodness me! Have you smelled stale oil? It is horrible! Just on a little practical note, you must make sure, when you buy oil, that you purchase fresh oil. When you’re buying olive oil, which is a very healthy and wonderful oil, don’t purchase it in a clear plastic container. If it is not in a tin which keeps it dark, or a dark glass container, it’s going to go rancid.

An oil that is in a normal bottle that you can see through is most probably rancid when you use it. Some are more rancid than others. Some of it you may not smell it. Some you really can! Rancid oil is bad. You never want to use that. Of course, I hope you don’t use any of these other vegetable oils that they have there in the supermarket. They’re all in their clear plastic bottles. All of them are not good for you at all.

Olive oil is a beautiful oil, of course. But also, it’s not really the best oil to cook with. Wonderful to have on your salads because it’s raw and fresh. But it’s best not to cook with it. The only really healthy oils to cook with are coconut oil, or red palm oil, or butter is good, too. Beef fat, which is purer is better than these other oils that go rancid and go to trans-fats. Just popping that in.

They had to pour in fresh oil every morning, every evening and light the lamps. There was absolutely no light in the Holy Place, except the light of the golden lampstand. It shone on the table of showbread. On that table were 12 loaves of bread. They represented the 12 tribes of Israel, but they ultimately represented Christ who is our Bread, who is our sustenance.

In the tabernacle there was one candlestick. There was one table of showbread. But now, we’re looking at Solomon’s temple here. It is plural. They had put out the lamps. Do you know how many they put out? Well, in Solomon’s temple, there were actually ten golden lampstands. And there were also ten tables of showbread. That means there were 120 loaves of bread on those tables.

Sadly, they had put out the lamps. They had to be relit. Then it also says: “Nor have they offered burnt offerings.”

Oh, wait on. They haven’t burned incense! Whoo! There’s another one. They haven’t burned incense. Well, what’s that talking about? Of course, that is talking about the golden altar of incense. There were three pieces of furniture in the Holy Place. This third piece was right before the veil where you went into the Holy of Holies.

It was close to the Presence of God. Because it was close to the Presence of God, it represented the prayers of the saints, of our communing with God. In the Old Testament, we read about how the altar of incense was the prayers of the saints. Then we go over to the New Testament. In fact, we go right to Revelation 5:8, where it speaks of the incense. Here it says that when John was looking into the heavenly realm, he saw this altar of incense.

Now ladies, just get this. Are you getting this for a minute? John saw this altar of incense. He didn’t see it back in the tabernacle because there was no tabernacle. He didn’t see it in the temple in Jerusalem because there was no temple in Jerusalem. He saw it in the heavenly realm, because that altar of incense is there in the heavens, and it is there NOW. In fact, the one that God told them how to make for the tabernacle was made in the pattern of the heavenly.

This is not something that we just read about back in the Old Testament. It is now! It is reality now! It talks about every one of them having (this was the four and twenty elders) they had “harps and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8).

In Revelation 8:3, it also talks about how the angel came and stood at the altar of incense, having a golden censer: “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.”

In Revelation 9:13, he saw another time: “And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar of incense which is before the throne of God.”

Ladies, what was in 2 Chronicles 29? They were no longer coming before the Lord every morning and every evening to light the lamps, to be filled afresh with fresh oil, to come and pray and commune with God.

The sad thing is that today this is happening in many houses of the Lord. They are not operating the altar of incense which is to come together as a family and pray! They were commanded to do it every morning and every evening.

ARE YOUR LAMPS STILL BURNING OR ARE THEY OUT?

So, ladies, are we operating according to how God wants us to? Or are our lamps out? The golden altar of incense . . . we’re no longer burning incense. Now, I know that life is busy. Often, we just feel as though we can’t even find time to do these things. But ladies, I believe that these are the most important things that we should make happen in our homes.

In our home, I seek to make our time morning and evening, where we come together as a family (whoever is in our home) we make this our priority. It doesn’t matter what’s happening. Everything else has to fit around it. If we don’t get anything else done, we get this done, because this is the first priority.

But our time has gone.

“Dear Father, we thank You for Your Word. It’s so precious. It’s so revealing. We pray, Lord God, that You will help us to be those who get in sync with Your Word. Save us from letting the lamps burn out. Lord God, there are so many homes in this nation, Christian homes, where the lamps have been put out. Lord, there are so many homes where the altar of incense is forgotten.

“And Lord, You are waiting morning and evening for Your people to come, to come and meet with You. Lord, in Your Word, You tell us You want to meet with us at these places. You want to meet with us. You want to hear our hearts. You want to hear our cries. You want to speak to our hearts. Lord God, help us to be committed, Lord, to Your plan, and to Your mandate. We ask it in the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell * www.aboverubies.org

Transcribed by Darlene Norris * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Links to points mentioned above:

PODCASTS WITH BETHANY VAUGHN (whose husband was raided by the FBI).

Podcasts:

# 278 https://www.buzzsprout.com/183665/13707383

# 279 https://www.buzzsprout.com/183665/13749850.

To see the movie/documentary, POLICE STATE order the DVD from Amazon or download.

10 PODCASTS ABOUT HOW GOD LOVES HIS PEOPLE TO ASSEMBLE TOGETHER

GOD LOVES TOGETHERING

Podcasts 271 – 276 and 279 – 282.

WHAT QUALITIES SHOULD A GIRL LOOK FOR IN A HUSBAND?

No. 1: A MAN WHO IS COMMITED TO SEXUAL PURITY

In the Bible, God speaks of virgins getting married. Sadly, there are men who have lived impure lives in the world but if they have come to Christ and are truly repentant and walking in holiness, they can be redeemed. If this is the situation in the man you are looking at, you had better truly know (along with your parents) that he will strongly stand against all fornication. It is imperative you begin your marriage on a holy foundation.

No. 2: A MAN WHO IS FREE FROM PORNOGRAPHY

This is very important for your parents to check out. If he is drawn to pornography, don’t count on a good marriage. He must be totally free from this abomination. Sometimes a young man may have delved into it in the past, but you must know without a shadow of doubt that he is completely delivered from this evil thing, totally free, and walking in holiness. Pornography is one of the worst destroyers of marriage.

No. 3: A MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD

In Psalm 112, there’s a wonderful passage about men: “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delights greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth. The generation of the upright shall be blessed.” God promises that your children will be blessed if you marry a man who fears the Lord. If you want to have children who are blessed of the Lord, marry a man who fears God.

No. 4: A MAN WHO LOVES GOD’S WORD

You want a man who not only believes in the Bible but LOVES the Bible—who loves to search it out and study it (Psalm 1:1-3; 112:2; Joshua 1: 8; and 2 Timothy 3:15). If he spends time each day reading God’s word, he will be strong (1 John 2:14). God’s word will keep him from deception.

Ephesians 5:25-26: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.” It is a beautiful thing for a husband to wash his wife with God’s word. That means he’s going to read the Word to you, or with you each day. If you’re looking at a guy who doesn’t even read God’s word, how is he ever going to do that? Find a man who loves God’s Word!

No. 5: A MAN WHO LOVES TO PRAY

Look for a man who will pray with you throughout your marriage. It is so sad that there are many couples who don’t even pray together! Matthew 18:19 says: “If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything, it shall be done by My Father which is in heaven.” This Scripture is tailor-made for marriage. It can be any two people who agree but when you have a husband and wife who agree together in prayer it is a powerful thing. Does the guy you are looking at love to go to prayer meetings or would he rather stay away? If he is not interested in going to prayer meetings now, or praying with you each time you meet, don’t expect him to be a man of prayer when you marry him.

No. 6: A MAN WHO IS NOT A WIMP

Sometimes when I have girls around our meal table, I will put out the question: what qualities do you want in a husband? One statement they say frequently is: “I don’t want a wimp!” A girl inherently looks for a man who is a real man, a man of courage, a man she can look up to, a man of strength, a man who will lead her spiritually. Is he a man who is ready to take headship and lead his wife and family in the ways of God? Read Ephesians 5:22-33.

No. 7: A MAN OF COMMITMENT

Look for a man who you know is committed to marriage and who will stay glued to the marriage through thick and thin. (Genesis 2:24).

No.8: A MAN WHO LOVES TO BLESS HIS FAMILY

A wonderful part of our marriage is our Shabbat meal which we enjoy every week. This is a meal where the husband blesses his wife. Then he blesses the children. That is such a beautiful thing. Of course, he doesn’t have to wait until Shabbat. He should constantly bless you every day. You need to see this quality in the man you want to spend your life with.

No. 9: A MAN OF STRONG CHARACTER

A man who holds fast to his convictions. He is not swayed by any “Tom, Dick, and Harry” but seeks out what God says and sticks to it.

No. 10: A MAN WHO IS A HARD WORKER, NOT A SHIRKER

Look for a man who knows how to work hard. He doesn’t do things half-heartedly. He gets “stuck in.” He does the job properly. He finishes the job. He doesn’t leave it half done. He knows how to fix things. Look for a guy like that. Never marry a lazy man.

No. 11: A MAN WHO BELIEVES IN PROVIDING FOR HIS FAMILY

It is the responsibility of the man to provide for his wife and the home so the mother can stay in her nest to care for her children (1 Timothy 5:8). Look for a man who has that conviction. If he doesn’t, well, you won’t want to marry that man. If a young man is not ready to take on the responsibility of embracing and providing for children, he is not ready for marriage. He does not have to have a lot of money when he first gets married, but he must have a job and understand that it is his responsibility to provide for the family.

No. 12: A MAN WHO LOVES CHILDREN

Is the man you are looking at open to embracing all the children that God has for you in your marriage? Does he have a heart for children? Do you notice him picking up babies and little children and carrying them around? It is so important to find this out before you get married.

There are so many mothers who are heartbroken because their husband does not want any more children. That is a very sad thing because God has created the womb to cry out for children. Proverbs 30:15, 16 says there are four things that never say it is enough, that are never satisfied. One is the barren womb. God has put that cry within the womb to long for children. A husband who does not understand this can be very cruel to his wife. He denies the very instinct God has put within her.

No. 13: A MAN WHO WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON ANY LEVEL OF EVIL

He will not watch movies that are slightly tainted or have immorality in them. He will not be victimized by video games. He will have high standards. It’s not enough to marry a man who says he is a Christian. If he’ll watch anything without being troubled, finish with that guy.

No. 14: A MAN WHO IS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP OTHERS

He does not always think of himself. It’s so wonderful to see a young man who doesn’t only think of himself. He sees someone who has a need and spontaneously goes to help them. That’s a good quality to look for. If he is always thinking of himself and doesn’t see the needs of others, he’s not good marriage material. Selfishness ruins a marriage.

No. 15: A MAN WHO IS COMMITTED TO THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SAINTS

That means he is a regular attender at church. He doesn’t go sometimes or when he feels like it. Find a young man who is committed to fellowshipping with the people of God because it is a command from God.

Hebrews 10:25: “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. But so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” This is a normal habit for a God-fearing person. The Bible talks about Jesus who went into the synagogue on the sabbath day “as was his habit” (Luke 4:16). The family went to the synagogue. It was their habit, so it was still His habit. It should be the habit in a young man’s life so it will continue to be a habit as children come along and you continue to attend church as a family.

No. 16: A MAN WHO BELIEVES IN HOMESCHOOLING

He is willing and has a vision to homeschool the children God gives to you. There was a time years ago when children could go to public school, but no longer. Today it is a place of brainwashing in humanism, progressivism, alternative lifestyles, homosexuality, and transgenderism. It is no place for a child of God.

No. 17: A MAN THAT IS A “ONE-WOMAN” MAN

You don’t want a womanizer. You want a man that is a ONE-WOMAN MAN. Marriage is an exclusive relationship where you “forsake all others.”

No. 18: A MAN WHO HONORS HIS PARENTS

How a young man treats his mother will be how he treats his wife. Do you see him respecting his parents? Do you see him respecting his sisters? Is he a man who respects and protects women?

No. 19: A MAN WHO LOVES HOSPITALITY

It would be pitiful to be married to a man who is stingy and who does not want anyone to come to your home and join your table for meals. Look for a man who loves people and is open to hospitality (1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8). Hospitality is the lifestyle of the early church. It is the heart of God (Acts 2:46; Romans 12:13; and 1 Peter 4:8).

No. 20: A MAN WHO IS HUMBLE AND TEACHABLE

Along the road of life and during your marriage you will face many challenges and many lessons. We are all learning along the way, until the very end. A man who has a proud heart and will not listen to reproof can cause heartache in a marriage. Look for a man who is teachable, willing to learn, and who is open to receive reproof. The word reproof occurs 90 times in the Bible. Here are just a few examples: Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 1:8; 9:8, 9; 10:17; 12:1; 13:1, 18; 15:10, 31; 17:10; 21:11b; and Revelation 3:19.

David was a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22). He certainly wasn’t perfect, but God saw his heart and loved him. Look for a young man who has a heart after God.

And please, never marry a man who has a problem with anger. That is a No No! If he does not know how to control his temper, run from him.

No. 21: A MAN WHO IS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Is he open to the anointing of the Holy Spirit? Does he long for revival?

OF COURSE, YOU WILL “FALL IN LOVE”

Of course, above all these qualities, you will “fall in love.” Yes, I believe in falling in love. I believe that God is interested and very involved in bringing couples together. He puts a spark in you and that other person that draws you together. A man could have all the above qualities and yet you are not attracted to him. But there will be a certain man that God ignites you to. It is one of the most exciting things in life. And God is in it.

However, if this young man does not have the above qualities, steel yourself and do not let your heart become involved. You need that spark of love, but marriage will not survive on a spark of love. It needs commitment. And to be committed you need sterling qualities to be committed to.

A godly marriage is the most beautiful thing on earth;

a miserable marriage is the worst thing to endure.

May God bring this wonderful and godly man to you. Amen and amen!

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

www.aboverubies.org

P.S. You cannot expect to find a young man fully developed and perfected in all the above points, but you will see the seeds of them in him. Look for the potential of these qualities. 

 

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 283: From Mechanic to Mother

Introducing Julia Hughes from Idaho. Julia set out on her married life to be a mechanic, but somehow, she was hooked into coming to an Above Rubies Ladies' Retreat. Everything she heard blew her mind, but she knew she couldn't deny the message. Little by little her mindset changed. That was 18 years ago!

Today Julia is a mother of eight children! And guess what! This last weekend in Tennessee Julia attended her 34th Above Rubies retreat! I think she wins the prize for coming to the most retreats! Can anyone beat that?

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, beautiful ladies! Well, there just might be some men listening, so, nice to have you too! Today I am interviewing a friend all the way from Idaho, Julia Hughes. Julia, I first met her years ago, when she first came to an Above Rubies ladies’ retreat. When you get this podcast next week (we’re recording it now), we will have just had our ladies’ retreat here in Tennessee. Julia has come all the way from Idaho to Tennessee to be part of this retreat.

I have Sonya, but I’m not really meant to say “Sonya.” I meant to say “Sonya,” but I can’t get into the habit. [laughter] Oh dear. Anyway, Sonya, and her friend Charity, and her friend Pam, and Julia, who is here with us, have put on Above Rubies retreats in Oregon for so many years. They put on ladies’ retreats, and they put on family retreats.

Then, during the plandemic, they all got tired of all the goings-on up there in Oregon, and they all decided to escape. [laughter] We were so blessed in that Sonya and her family, and Charity and her family, and Pam and her family all came to Tennessee. But Julia went to Idaho.

They’re going to all be together this weekend. Now they’re putting on Above Rubies retreats here in Tennessee. So, Sonya, just so great to have you here, even though I see you lots because now they’re part of everything that’s happening here on the Hilltop. We are so blessed to have her and her whole glorious family with us. Tell us, are you glad you left Oregon?

Sonya: I’m very glad we left Oregon, yes. We love it here in Tennessee. It’s been a good move.

Nancy: Well, we’re so blessed that you’re carrying on the mission you had up there in Oregon here in Tennessee, because I had lots of retreats in Tennessee years ago. Then we had a dearth of not having any, so they’ve picked up the mission, and away we’re going again! So, Julia is staying with Sonya. I’m sure you’re having a great time.

Sonya: So far. It hasn’t been long. She just got in last night, but we are having a great time so far, yes. Looking forward to a good week!

Nancy: That’s so great! What was the last straw that made you leave Oregon?

Sonya: Oh, boy. There was a lot, I would say. The school board in our town was up for election. They had a chance to replace many of the people who had a lot of liberal views. There were a lot of good candidates that were going to be running for that. We thought, “Oh, good! This is a chance to have it turn around.”

Our children weren’t in the public school system, but we figured this would be the opportunity for them to say, “Enough is enough. We’re going to make a change.” We watched that election. Everybody who went in had been endorsed by the socialist party of Oregon. Every one of the promising candidates lost. They do everything by mail-in ballots over there, so the outcomes are often not surprising. We thought, “OK, we’re done.”

Nancy: Oh well, we got blessed here in Tennessee. Thank you.

Now Julia, I can’t believe where the years have gone! It was about 18 years ago when you first came to an Above Rubies retreat.

I have to introduce Julia to you. I think she has the Guinness book of records for coming to the most Above Rubies retreats because Julia has actually been to, guess how many? I wonder if you can guess in your brain . . . ?

She has been to 31 Above Rubies ladies’ retreats, and two family retreats. This coming weekend, it will be 32 ladies’ retreats. Isn’t that amazing? Wow! So now, your eldest son, Elijah, he’s 18 years. He was only about five months, wasn’t he, when you first came?

Julia: Yes, he was five months.

Nancy: Well, Julia, if you can remember back that far, what was it like when you came to your first retreat?

Julia: Oh, my goodness! Well, I had been invited to my first retreat by a friend who, at the time, I barely knew. The whole weekend started out with this three-hour drive with this almost-stranger. I was like, “What are we going to talk about? What are we going to do?”

I didn’t know anything. I had gone on the website and read a little bit about the ministry, but I still didn’t have a clue. I’d never seen a magazine, didn’t know anyone who’d ever heard of the ministry. We drove up, and at that point, I was fairly newly back to coming back to the Lord. Between marriage and children, it’s amazing how God can use those things to bring you back to Him.

I remember sitting down and you came out on the stage and started talking. Your whole subject for the weekend was an acronym on the word “FEMININE.” And I thought, “What did I get myself into?” [laughter] I was sitting there, going, “This is NOT what I expected!” It was very different. The people there were very different from other people in my life. It was a different culture, different heart, different mentality.

I felt very out-of-place, like I stuck out like a sore thumb, except that there wasn’t anything that didn’t resonate with me naturally, instinctually, I guess. I remember having this flashback moment of all these areas in my life as a child. Just hearing you talk about different things, going, “Oh, my goodness!” I could tie what you were talking about to the memory I had at nine or ten years old at my church, feeling this way about something, and wondering why it seemed so strange that I felt that way.

Over the course of the week, hearing you talk, and comparing what I was hearing from you that was so clearly the Lord’s heart for women as opposed to what had been drilled into me by my mother and the culture. “You need to be a strong independent woman. You need to be able to take care of yourself, and never depend on a man.”

I was fully on my way to being all of those things. I wanted to be in the military. I was working toward becoming a car mechanic. Literally nothing feminine about me. I don’t think I even owned a dress or a skirt at that time. Everyone at the retreat was wearing them, so I was like, “OK, already I feel very out-of-place here.” [laughter] There were not a lot of jeans-wearing women! I probably would not have gone had I known what I was walking into, just where I was at that place in my life. But it was also, I can’t complain, one of the most life-altering weekends of my life.

Nancy: That’s so great. You know, I think it’s so amazing how the Lord works in our hearts. I often say to people, don’t think, “Oh well, I can only give Above Rubies to this person, because they’re a lovely home-schooling mother. They’ll love it.” No, I don’t think we should choose who we think we should give it to because every woman needs this message.

I say give it to every woman you see, because often it’s the most unlikely that God will begin to speak in her heart and change her heart. Because we have innately, within us, who God created us to be. He put it within us transcendentally. It is there. It’s who we are.

But, of course, it’s brainwashed out of us with the media, and with our schools, and our education system. Our brains are totally turned off from who we really are. Sometimes it takes just the seeds of truth to begin to open up. “Wow! This is really who I am.”

In fact, I’ve often had ladies come to me during an Above Rubies retreat, or at the end of a retreat, and say, “Oh, Nancy, thank you! Thank you for giving me permission to be who I want to be!” This is what they’ve wanted to be, but they were not allowed to be that, because they’re so brainwashed that they’ve got to be, as you say, this independent woman who can stand on her own and make her own way in life. You know, have this career. She can’t be who she wants to be inside.

Julia: You know, I have a perfect example of that in the sense of brainwashing. When I was probably nine or ten, I was at church. We were out in the foyer. It was in between services or something. I overheard people behind me having this conversation about a family who had just found out they were pregnant with their sixth child.

I remember, they were having a conversation, and one of them said, “Well, they’re one of those families that doesn’t believe in birth control.” In that instant, this is such a vivid memory for me. This is one of those things that I say it was so clear, that God went ahead and prepared me, even at a young age. I thought, “Why do we use birth control? Isn’t that God’s job? Isn’t God in control of giving us life, or not giving us life? If He doesn’t want us to have a child, won’t He just prevent us from having a child? Why would we want to stop that?”

But, by the time I got married, I was right on the birth control bandwagon. I was taking it and using it. It was, it was literally when you were talking about giving God control of our family, and trusting Him, whatever that may look like. It doesn’t necessarily mean 15 children. It might only mean one or two but giving God control of our family. And I remember very distinctly going back to that memory of, why do we take that away from God? Because, as Christians, how can we say that I know better than God if and when a child should come into my life? So, yeah, the brainwashing is intense. It’s intense.

Nancy: When you think about it, and you say the words “birth control,” yes, it’s controlling birth. And, as you said, who are we to do the controlling of the birth? OK, even Colin and I, we had to get God to bang us on the head and change our hearts about this. We were just in the groove.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re secular or in the Christian church. Even in the Christian church, the brainwashing is just as much. In fact, I was reading today about the lowest birthrate in the world. Do you know which country has the lowest birthrate?

Julia: I believe it’s the US.

Nancy: No, it’s not the US. There are quite a few below the US, who have less than the US. I was quite surprised to find out it is South Korea. South Korea has a current birthrate of only .7, not even one child per family. .7; it’s the lowest in the world.

But the interesting thing is, it’s a very Christian country. A third of the people in South Korea are Christian. It has the biggest church in the world. That, to me, is very concerning, that they should have the lowest birthrate, and yet, a high percentage, according to many other countries, of people who are Christian.

It shows you that we can be born again, and because we believe the gospel message, and we believe that Jesus is our Savior and took our place upon the cross, we can have that belief so firmly in our hearts, but our minds haven’t caught up with our hearts. They’re still filled with all this stuff, the secular worldview.

I believe this is where we need to be constantly filled with the Word of God, and with truth, because so many Christians don’t really know what God says, even about having children. They have no clue! Because we’re not familiar with the Word of God, well, we believe whatever everybody else believes.

It’s the same thing. There was a time . . . I grew up when you’d hear it preached from the pulpit. “OK, you must never marry a man who is not a Christian! You must not be unequally yoked!” So, we got that in our brain.

But today, you really can’t take that, because there are so many Christian young men who are not ready for marriage. They don’t have any understanding of the responsibility of embracing a family, providing for a family, being open to having children, or who are even interested in getting married! There are so many young Christian men who are in their late twenties, early thirties, just hanging out! Just doing their own thing.

It’s not just whether you’re a Christian or not. It’s whether you have a biblical worldview!

I think perhaps you could tell us part of your story. I know you haven’t got time to tell the whole story, but I guess over the years, your worldview has, little by little, changed.

Julia: Yeah. It started in so many different ways. Walking away from that retreat. It wasn’t just about trusting God with the number of children we had. It was viewing what was important in life. I remember looking back on my childhood. My parents had taught me what was important. The times together. All I could think about was what I remembered with my parents. For them, it was fancy vacations and nice clothes, and all the things.

I remember walking away from that weekend going, “I don’t care about any of that.” The things I remember were not the stuff we had, or the fancy things we did. It was the little camping trips next to the river. It was throwing a baseball in the yard with my dad, and changing my view of what it looked like to be a family, instead of, “Well every family gets to go to Disneyland! We’ve got to make sure we get our kids to Disneyland!” It’s not.

It’s the quality of time together, having a mother in the home, rather than working. The children fending for themselves. That was where we were at. That’s OK. God used that in my life, so I don’t condemn that in any way, shape, or form. But I just knew.

I walked away from that weekend knowing that I wanted to be in my home, I wanted to be with my children, I wanted them to be my priorities. I wanted to foster a legacy. I wanted to create a legacy for my family, like what you have here on this amazing Hilltop. Generations of children loving the Lord and growing in the Lord. Worshiping Him. Going out and teaching others about Him. That was not how I felt in the beginning. It’s very definitely gradually tipped away from having those thoughts.

Then I went home and joined the Above Rubies forums because we didn’t have Facebook and all that back then. We had a forum online. I joined that, and it just opened up a whole world of all these women who had all this information. Like you said, permission. We have permission to be what we were created to be, and to question all of the people who have told us our whole lives what we’re supposed to be.

Well, why does it have to be that way? Because it doesn’t line up over here. You can’t tell me to trust the Lord when I lose my job, or my car breaks down. I don’t have money for a new one. You can’t tell me to trust Him then, but not trust that He’s going to provide for my family if I’m in the home doing what I’m supposed to be doing. It was scary. It was terrifying to me when David and I took the step for me to be home with my children, because he was making $9 an hour. How do you raise a family on $9 an hour?

It goes back to, well, if I’m going to trust the Lord, if you’re going to tell me I need to trust the Lord, shouldn’t that be in every area of our lives? Not just when something bad happens, but when something scary happens. Scripture tells us: “To him who knows what is right and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” So, if I have a conviction from the Lord that I need to be home with my children, we need to trust the Lord with our family, and I don’t do those things, how can I expect His blessing on our lives?

Nancy: When you took that step of faith and you were barely surviving, what happened?

Julia: Well, ironically, God provided a situation where I was able to take care of my sister’s children while she worked. She was a single mom with three children. I took care of them, and that supplemented just the income we needed, for me to be able to stay home. We didn’t have a glamorous life by any stretch of the imagination, but there are so many times where I can say it was scary, but God was there. We had everything we needed. He was faithful, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT!

So, I stayed home, and I’ll never forget. Elijah was three months old, and it was a rainy Oregon day, standing in the window, looking outside. It was three months to the day of when he was born. I started sobbing, thinking, how many mothers were taking their children to daycare that day so they could go back to work. I was like, “I cannot even imagine. I’m so blessed to be here where God has put me.” We took a step of faith, and God showed Himself faithful. It’s happened time and time and time again over the last 18 years.

Nancy: And here you are today, with eight beautiful children! Isn’t that just so amazing?

Julia: It really is.

Nancy: Yes. Tell us all the names of your children.

Julia: My oldest is Elijah. He just turned 18. Then I have Abigail who’s 16. Gideon is 12.

Nancy: Oh, between that time, I can remember you coming to at least two Above Rubies ladies’ retreats a year.

Julia: Yes, two a year, for sure!

Nancy: And you’d always be up when it’s time for prayer, asking God for the blessing of another baby!

Julia: Yes, I was desperate for more babies. Three-and-a-half years it took. It was probably six retreats that we prayed. It took three-and-a-half years. Because at the time, for me, my godliness, or my value as a mother was in the number of children I had. Well, if I’m going to trust the Lord with my family size then I must end up with all these children, and I only had two, and I’m not having any more, so what’s wrong with me? It was about the number of children.

It wasn’t until I was in my attic, pulling my baby stuff out, saying, “OK, Lord, it’s fine. It’s fine if these two are the only two I have, I’m going to do the very best I can with them.” I was literally pulling my baby stuff out of my attic. That evening I ended up pregnant. That opened the floodgates, because it didn’t stop after that! [laughter]

Nancy: Wasn’t that funny? So, keep going! Tell us!

Julia: Gideon is 12, and then Hadassah is 11 today. Today’s her birthday. She turned 11. Naomi is nine. Zadok is seven. Bethany is six, and Sarah is four.

Nancy: So wonderful! I think you had some rather interesting birth stories too. Have you got anything you want to share with us there?

Julia: Well, my two favorite . . . Well, OK, I have three pretty cool birth stories. Gideon’s was the hard one. When I had Elijah, he ended up being a C-section. I tried with Abigail to have a VBAC. Couldn’t do it. Different circumstances. Gideon, I was just determined that I was going to. . . We’d lost our home five weeks before he was due, so we were sharing my in-law’s two-bedroom apartment with our two children, and due any day with a baby. We ended up, I was just determined to have him. I ended up in my midwife’s apartment, in labor for 48 hours, 24 hours of that was pushing.

Nancy: Wow!

Julia: Turned out he was sideways, and he also had a 15-1/2-inch head, so his head was very large. He just was not coming. We ended up getting transferred to the hospital for another C-section.

I am not one of those that easily gives up, so when I got pregnant with Hadassah, I again just resigned it to the Lord. In Oregon the laws are very strict about VBACs. There was no one who was going to touch me or help me have her at home. My husband wasn’t even for it at the time.

My friend Jane’s midwife said, “Why doesn’t she just do unassisted?” It was the minute Jane suggested that to me that there was this peace that washed over me; this is what you need to do. I thought, “Well, I’ll bring it up to David, and we’ll see how THAT goes.” He still was very medically minded at that time. I said, “What do think about this?” He’s like, “We’ll give it a try.” I was like, “OK, Lord. That was from You.”

Nancy: It was a big step of faith.

Julia: It was huge! For him, especially, because he’s very reserved in that way. I just prepared and prayed, and gathered verses from ladies about fear and strength, and all the things. We put this book together. One of the retreats, Sonya, you were three weeks from having one of your babies too. I was two days from my due date at the retreat.

Nancy: Two days!

Julia: Yeah, the women just gathered around and prayed for me, and prayed that God would be in the birth. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Just godly. You know that time in transition when you kind of get scared? I called Jane, and I was like, “I don’t think I can do this! I’m terrified!” And she came over.

She was not walking with the Lord at the time, but she still took my verses and started reading off these verse cards that I had, of strength, and not being afraid. She read them while I sat there. She’s like, “Honey, you are in transition. You are very strong. You can do this. You’re close.” When that baby came out, I will never ever forget the experience that that was for me. In the tub in my apartment. My husband and I had had the most amazing day. The labor was not terrible at all. It was really amazing.

Nancy: That is so amazing. Just think, if you’d just resigned yourself. “Well, OK, I’ve had three C-sections. Well, I’ll just have to keep going.” But wow! What you would have missed out on!

Julia: So, I was able to have her and Naomi there in the apartment. Then Zadok was kind of a quirky situation as well, so we ended up having to go to the hospital for him. But it was a really redemptive birth because I had him vaginally in the hospital.

To the hospital people, I was like a legend, because I had had three C-sections and then two home births. And then here I was in the hospital, having another vaginal birth. That was a relief. That’s one of my favorite birth stories, too, because it was very redemptive for me.

Hospitals were very awful. I hated them. I didn’t trust anybody in them. I didn’t want to be there. God was so faithful in that birth experience, too, because I was only there 20 minutes before he came out. It wasn’t even like a full-on long labor situation. I was just, get me in the room.

Nancy: That was so wonderful! Oh, and then you kept on having natural births.

Julia: No, actually . . .

Nancy: You didn’t?

Julia: Bethany and Sarah, I developed cholestasis with Bethany. They wanted to induce me early because there is a high risk of stillborn births between 37 and 40 weeks when you have cholestasis. So, they wanted to induce me early. They induced me, but because I had had C-sections before, and all the circumstances, they wouldn’t let me move around, or do what I needed to do. I ended up stuck in a bed, monitored, and was never able to get over that hump with her.

Then Sarah was, I developed cholestasis again, but she ended up having to come early because she was not growing properly in the uterus. She was born four weeks early, but she was only four pounds, eight ounces. We spent some time in the NICU. She was my only planned C-section, because they were like, we have to do this. They weren’t going to try; with Bethany having to be a C-section, they weren’t going to try it.

Nancy: So, the Lord has been good.

Julia: Yes.

Nancy: And safely brought forth all your precious children. Time is going, but can you share with us just little bits about how the Lord has helped you in your mothering? Some little things He’s shown you as you’ve mothered now for 18 years.

Julia: I still feel brand new in it. It’s really strange. My oldest, I’ve never been a parent of an 18-year-old before, so each stage is a new stage. You’re still learning and growing.

Nancy: I think that’s so interesting, what you said, that you still feel as though you’re new. That is so true, isn’t it?

Julia: Um hum.

Nancy: Because you’re facing new seasons all the time. There are so many seasons of motherhood, aren’t there?

Julia: This interesting phase of like, here I have this four-year-old, but I have an adult now. That’s an interesting place to be. But one of my favorite things about my journey as a parent has actually been our MAAM group. Sonya and I would get together at the retreats, and we would lament about our struggles with our anger, and our frustrations, and how we weren’t . . . I’m sorry. Is it OK if I say this? I should probably check with you first.

Sonya: Go ahead!

Julia: Sharing our struggles and frustration with anger that we’ve dealt with, and how we handled it, and hurting ou (Sonya), and Charity, and Laurie. We talked about how we need, as mothers, to be able to be honest about these troubles that we have. Yeah, Lindy did end up joining us later, didn’t she?

We had this text group. We called ourselves the MAAM group. It was the Mothers Against Angry Mothering. We’d text each other. “Hey, I’m really angry right now. I’m not handling myself properly. Please pray for me.” That was really what developed relationships between all of us. We could be real with each other. To have that community and the encouragement of others; just having people that I could be real and honest with.

Nancy: I think that is one of the greatest needs of mothers, is TOGETHERING, being able to get together with other mothers. Sharing, talking things out. I often think back to earlier times. Mothers didn’t have all the mod cons that we have today. Maybe they’d have to even go down to the river to wash their clothes.

But imagine it! There they are, with their basket of clothes, and their little children round them. They’d go down and the children are all happily playing together. Maybe there are a few fights, but they’ll sort that out. But the mothers were there, washing their clothes, and they’re talking. They’re sharing their hearts and their struggles.

When you can share with someone, you can cope. It’s amazing. But today, there are so many lonely mothers because they don’t have anyone else around them. I think that’s one of the biggest things. The necessity is to have other mothers. So, I would encourage you, if there are any of you lonely ones we’re talking to today, and you feel so much on your own, well, look around. See if you can find even a couple of other mothers that you could get together with every week. Maybe have lunch together, may do a little Bible study together.

Loads of women have used my book, The Power of Motherhood, and gone through it little by little together. I had a Bible study in my home when I was having our children. Every week mothers would come. There would usually be more children and little ones and babies than mothers! But it was such a great time because it helped us through. I didn’t know you had that little special group, but that sounds so amazing!

Julia: It really was.

Nancy: Actually, you did it by texting, even.

Julia: Well, yeah, because everybody else was in Salem, but I was up in Portland, which was like 45 minutes away.

Nancy: Then you come to an Above Rubies retreat and stay up all night! [laughter]

Julia: I know. Exactly! It’s really sad to me, with as many means of communication as we have in our day and age, how utterly lonely, and on an island moms can feel. That probably is my biggest hurt for mothers is to reach out, and you’re not alone. You don’t have to do this alone. We all want to help you, but we also can’t if we don’t know there’s a need for it.

Nancy: Amen! OK, what’s our time, girls? Well, just as we’re closing, Julie, it’s been so great to have you here.

Julia: Thank you for having me.

Nancy: All the way from Idaho! We’re going to look forward to this weekend together. But can you just share some of the things you loved best about motherhood?

Julia: Oh my. My favorite things of motherhood lie in the candid moments. The moment (you see, I’m going to get all teary now) the moment you see your children, one sibling generously giving to the other of themselves. They don’t know you’re watching. They don’t know you’re watching, and you see it, and it’s so genuine and so real.

The moments where you see the people that don’t have super great attitudes, where the toddler goes running up to them with a hug and turns them right around. These candid moments, that’s what I live for. Mothering is hard. The training part feels never-ending, and sometimes devastating. But those little candid moments make it all worth it.

Nancy: That’s so wonderful. And even though you say it’s hard, yes, I think anything that is powerful is not going to be a piece of cake. But really, it’s knowing that what we are doing is the most powerful thing on earth. To have the privilege of conceiving a child from God, and bringing this child forth, and preparing it for this world, and for eternity, there is nothing bigger than that. That is huge.

And also, to know that God has chosen us as mothers in our role, in who we are, in embracing children, and nursing babies, and nurturing and mothering, that we have been chosen to reveal to the world the most tender attributes of God. That’s our privilege. When we embrace them, we are really showing to the world, OK, God is saying, “Look, that’s what I’m like.” Motherhood can reveal to our children, and to those around us, what God is like. Well, we don’t always do that, do we? [laughter]

But He created us for this purpose. When we understand that, we want to walk in that more and more, don’t we? And, of course, I think, even in the throes of motherhood, you don’t yet see all the blessings that you’re going to see. I’m now talking from looking back. Now I’m having great-grandchildren.

But you can see, the day comes when you see the fruit of all you’ve been doing. Your faithfulness, and your day-to-day plodding on. I think that’s what has been my life, really. I just think of it as a “plodding on from day to day,” being faithful!

Well, thank you again, and thank you for bringing her, Sonya. Let’s pray.

“Father, we thank You that we can sit here together and chat together about motherhood, and birthing, and all the things that are part of our lives from day to day. Lord, I pray for every mother and wife listening, that You will bless them, that You will encourage them, that You will, Lord, affirm to them again, right in their very beings, that they are in Your perfect will. They’re doing what You intended them to do. I pray for Your blessing on their marriage, on their family life, on their home. I ask it in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 282: God Loves Togethering, Part 10

What does God say in the New Testament about His people assembling together? What attitudes does God wants us to have about meeting together? We look at seven different attitudes which will completely change your attitudes to the positive instead of the negative.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies! Good to be with you again. We are continuing, and I think this will be the last one on our sessions of “God Loves the Gathering of His People Together.” Today I’d like to talk about the attitudes that we should have when we come to be with God’s people. God shows us in His Word these attitudes we should have. Therefore, we should understand them. I’m going to take Scriptures from both the New Testament and the Old Testament.

No. 1. IT WAS THEIR HABIT TO MEET TOGETHER

This is a very important principle. In Luke 4:16, it talks about Jesus. It says: “As was His custom,” or, “As was his habit.” he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” Every week Jesus, as a child, and now as an adult, continued to go into the house of God each week.

That is a scriptural principle, dear lovely ladies. I believe that we, as mothers, although our husbands are the head of the home, we are the heart. We determine what makes it happen. Therefore, it’s very important for us to know that this is a scriptural principle and something that we must work towards. Even during the week, we’re thinking about it. We’re making sure that everything is ready for us to get there . . . that we put this principle into our children.

I am blessed, and my husband is blessed, to be part of a godly generation, a generation of God-fearing and church-attending families. Because of this, it’s blessed our lives. We have sought to pass that on into our children’s lives, and their children. Sometimes I see it weakening a bit. Wow! Maybe I’ve got to get a bit of strengthening going on there because God wants us to pass on these principles to the next generation and the following generation.

We can’t miss out, can we, without reading Hebrews 10:23-25. I’ve often mentioned this Scripture. This is a Scripture that we really should all know by heart. I wonder if you can say it without having to look it up. Do your children know it? If they don’t, why not make it a memory verse in your family?

Hebrews 10:25. We’ll read from verse 23 for now: “Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering.” Can I repeat that: “Without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised; And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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.”

Do you notice what is leading up to that Scripture? Verse 23: “Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering.” Then it goes on to say: “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together.” Now ladies, the coming together each week, as we come together as families, we as mothers are making it happen, helping our family to get there. As we make this happen, we’re going to strengthen our own faith and strengthen the faith of each one of our children, because it’s as we come together that our faith will be strengthened. Our hearts will be strengthened. We’ll be able to hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering.

OBEDIENT OR DISOBIEDIENT?

You’ll find that people who are wavering in their faith are people who are not attending church regularly. They are being disobedient to this Scripture. Ladies, we have to confess, if we are not obeying this Scripture, we are disobedient. We are either a doer of the Word, or a non-doer. What does Jesus say? “He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he is His that loveth Me, and I will love him, and My Father will love him.”

Everything hinges on keeping His commandments. Here is one that is so important for the strengthening and the continuing of our faith, that we will not waver. I know you want to have children growing up in the faith who will not waver. Of course! It’s not going to be enough, just taking them to church on Sunday. You have to be giving them the Word, day by day, in the home.

THE ASSEMBLING

But this is a very important part because it’s a coming together. There’s something wonderful about the coming together. God loves it. Oh, look at those words again: “Not forsaking the assembling.” I’ve heard many people say, “Well, we just do our little thing at home.” Well, that’s all very nice, but that’s not what the Word says. The Word says: “the assembling.” Then it says: “of ourselves together.” You’re not together with all the saints if you’re at home. No, we are assembling, we’re coming together. This is what the Word says.

Here are a few other translations.

The Moffat Translation: “Not ceasing to meet together.”

The Knox Translation: “Not abandoning, as some do, our common assembly.”

The Amplified Classic says, “Not forsaking, nor neglecting, to assemble together.”

The Jerusalem Bible: “Not neglecting our congregational meeting.”

We can go back to the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 29. We learn from the New, but we also learn from the examples of the Old. Go back to 2 Chronicles 29. This was in the reign of Hezekiah when he brought a great revival to the people of Judah.

Here it says, in verse 6 onwards: “For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.” That was talking about the temple, where they came to meet together, where they assembled.

It says they “turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs. Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. Wherefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem.” Why? Because they had turned away from the habitation of God’s house. They turned off the lamps and they had not burned incense.

Well, how does that relate to us? Very much. In God’s Word, the incense, the lighting of the incense, which was on the altar of incense right before the curtain before you went into the Holy of Holies. The altar of incense was not something that was only back in the Old Testament. The altar of incense is something which is present right now. It’s in the heavenly realm. It’s before the throne of God right now.

Of course, now there is no curtain separating that beautiful presence of God, the Holy of Holies. It’s open because of Jesus shedding His blood. When His blood was shed, that curtain was torn, from the top to the bottom.

But over in Revelation 5 and 8, John looked, and he saw that altar of incense before the throne. Yes, in heaven, right now! It is there in the Word, in the Old Testament, and in the New. Right there in Revelation it says: “And the incense was the prayers of the saints.” That’s what it’s all about, the “prayers of the saints,” morning and evening. They had to light it morning and evening.

I wonder how many have turned off from that. So many Christian families today are not lighting the incense morning and evening. Now, I’m not saying you go and light incense, no. It is what it typifies, the meaning. The lighting of the incense was the prayers of the saints and the worship unto God.

We still need to keep that going—every morning coming into His presence to pray, to worship and every evening, coming into His presence to pray and worship. When we come for the (not just our little family gathering), but then the meeting of the assembling of all the family of God’s people, we are to come and worship, and to pray. We make it a habit. Amen?

We also notice that, when they came, the whole assembly came. I think we’ll look at that a little bit further on, hopefully.

No. 2. THEY CAME ON TIME FOR THE MEETING OF GOD’S PEOPLE

We talked about that two podcast’s ago, so I don’t have to talk about that again. Just a little reminder—at least three of the Hebrew words for “assembly” mean “the appointed time, the calling out of the assembly.” God ordained trumpets to be blown when He wanted His people to meet.

No. 3. WE MUST HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF LOVING TO GET TOGETHER WITH GOD’S PEOPLE

It’s not only a duty. We do it because we can’t wait to do it! We can’t wait to be with the people of God. We can’t wait to get with others to pray and to worship. Oh, it’s just in our hearts! This attitude, lovely ladies, we’ve got to have this attitude ourselves, and get this attitude to our children.

Let me give you some Scriptures.

Ephesians 5:25. You all know this Scripture because it says: “Husbands, love your wives.” Then it goes on to say: “even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it,” But do you notice there, dear ladies, that it says that Jesus Christ loved His church. Jesus loves the church. He loves them individually, but He loves them as a church.

We talked about how God sees His people as a flock. He sees them gathering together. He loves the church. He gave Himself for it. Shouldn’t that be our attitude?

Over in 1 John 3:14 -16: “We know that we have passed from death unto life.” Why? How do we know? How can we be sure of our salvation? How can we know without a doubt that we “have passed from death unto life.”?

Here's the answer: “Because we love the brethren.” Do you love the people of God? Actually, this is one of the proofs that we are born again. If we are not born again, we really don’t have any desire to be with the people of God. But if you’re born again, you are a blood-bought believer. You have a longing to be with other blood-bought believers because you have been born again into this family. They are now your family. You love them, because Christ loves them. God loves them. Now He’s put this love in your heart for you to love them too.

Romans 5:5: For “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” We meet together because we love them! Amen? Oh, do you teach your children this attitude? My lovely ladies, what attitude do you have when you’re going each weekend to be with the people of God? “Oh well, I guess we’d better get ready for church. We’ll get home as soon as we can because we’re going to go for a picnic this afternoon. We’ve got to get to that sport,” or whatever we’re doing. No, that’s not our attitude.

We set aside a day for the Lord. Some are meeting Saturday on the Sabbath. Some are meeting on Sunday, the first day of the week. But whatever day you are meeting, see it as the Lord’s day, set apart for Him. What I notice is those who meet with God on the Sabbath keep the Sabbath. They keep it as a day to the Lord. I see many who consider Sunday the day, but they might go to church, and that’s it! The rest of the day belongs to them. It doesn’t belong to God at all. Oh, let’s have a Lord’s Day.

Let’s go to Psalm 16:2-3. David says these words: “O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.” Did you get that, ladies? Did you see David’s attitude to God’s people? Oh, wow, this is amazing!

When David was talking to the Lord, he said, “Lord God, I can’t really practically show my goodness to You, so I’m going to show it to the saints that are in the earth, because they are Your people. They are Your footstool. Oh, Lord God, they are the most excellent in all the earth, and they are my delight!” Wow!

This is how God wants us to see His people. They should be our delight. This is how we show our love to God, by showing it to His people! As the New Testament tells us, our attitude to the humblest saint is our attitude towards the Lord. How we treat the humblest saint is showing how we treat the Lord, because He is in His people. If you haven’t got that, ask the Lord to give you a delight for His people. If you delight in His people, you will want to be with them! Amen?

No. 4. THEY WERE EXCITED TO MEET WITH ONE ANOTHER

Once again, David speaking. Psalm 122:1: “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” David was excited about going to the temple to worship the Lord with God’s people. He loved the assembling of God’s people. He loved to be in the midst of them. He loved to worship the Lord in the midst of His people.

Now, of course, we can worship the Lord on our own. Oh, we can pray on our own. We can have our own beautiful personal quiet time. Oh, I can’t wait to get up in the morning, to open the Word and hear from God personally. Oh, I just love it! I can’t wait for it! And yet, there’s even more. God loves to meet us in the assembling of His people. He wants us to be glad about it! Woo hoo! Glad!

Now, ladies, we’ve got to teach our children to get this attitude. But you know what? They’re going to get your attitude. What your attitude is, it will become their attitude. You’re going out of duty, going, coming home. Well, they’re going to see it as something boring. But if they see, wow! This is so important.

You can gear your children up. You don’t start on Sunday morning. You start in time to prepare them for having everything ready for Saturday or for Sunday. Say, “Children! Wow! It’s the Lord’s Day, and we’re going to meet with the people of God! Isn’t it going to be so exciting? Wow! We’re going to worship the Lord. We’re going to hear from God. We’re going to meet with His people. Oh, you’re going to see your friends at church!”

That’s a good thing. Yes, it’s a good thing that they can see their friends at church, hopefully. I know sometimes there are some of you, you’re in a fellowship, and there are no other children the ages of your children. That is sad, because it’s so wonderful when there are friends for every age group. That’s how it’s meant to be, of course.

We are so blessed here. Oh, the children are so blessed. They come to church, and they see their friends. As soon as church is finished, we have a fellowship meal. We don’t just go home. The children go out to play. They all find one another. The little ones all begin to play. Then the bigger ones. Then the bigger boys are out playing soccer. Then some are out playing volleyball. Everyone is finding their own age group. They’re excited to meet one another because fellowship is so important in this part of church life.

YOU DETERMINE THE ATMOSHERE! YOU MAKE IT EXCITING OR BORING!

But dear ladies, get some excitement about going to the house of the Lord. Of course, if we’re delighting in it, we’ll want to get there on time, won’t we? This is the same for our family devotions. I’ve had some people say to me, “Oh, our children find it a bit boring.” Well, it must be you who’s making it boring. Help! You can have it boring, or you can have it exciting! It’s all our attitude.

When we gather our families together every morning and every evening, when you’re getting them together, well, of course, what we do. We have them already gathered together. We always have our morning devotions after breakfast. Then evening at the supper table so that everyone is already there. But if you’re calling them together, say, “Come on, children. We’re going to get together. Daddy’s going to read the Word, and we’re going to listen to God speak! Oh, come! It’s going to be so exciting!”

Everything depends on our attitude. If it is exciting to us, we can’t wait to hear the Word of God, we make it exciting for our children, asking them questions, giving them opportunity to ask questions. Then perhaps after we have read to our children, ask, “What did God say to you?” It’s amazing to hear what God has spoken to our children.

It’s all your attitude. Even going to church, oh, if our children have negative attitudes, we don’t stand for them. We put a positive attitude into their hearts. I remember a family that we knew many years ago. They continually gave into their children. They would go to one church, and their children would get negative about it. They didn’t like this, and they didn’t like it. So, they’d take them to another church. Then they’d have groanings and complainings about that church. So, they’d go to another one. They didn’t stick.

Where are they today? Those children, a boy and a girl, are both on drugs and wiped out. They didn’t put those right attitudes in them. We don’t have to put up with the stupid little groanings and grumblings of our children. No, we put into them the right attitudes. We should give them the attitudes of making it exciting to be with the people of God.

That word, “I was glad,” it’s the word samach. It means “to be joyful, merry, glad, to brighten up, cheer up, gladden, make joyful.” It talks about having a joyful and cheerful countenance. So, encourage your children, when they go to church, to smile at everybody, to have a cheerful countenance. It’s amazing what cheerful countenances do to cheer others up!

LET’S GO!

Do you notice it says, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go!” Wow! Do you like those words? That’s what you want to say in your family. “Come on, children! Come on! Let’s go! We’re going to the house of God! Yippie!” Yes, be excited! That’s the words of the Bible, the living Words. “Let us GO!”

It doesn’t say, “Oh, well, think we’ll stay home today. We’ll have our little Bible reading ourselves.” No! “Let us go! Let us go unto the house of the Lord!”

Isaiah 56:7 talks about being “joyful in My house of prayer.” Amen.

No. 5. REVERENCE THE HOUSE OF GOD

We can be filled with joy, also having reverence. We realize we’re coming to worship an awesome God. We come dressed appropriately. I think if we’re truly reverencing God, if we come to meet Him, we won’t be coming with clothing that is exposing the flesh—

short skirts, cleavage, and so on. These are not showing reverence to God. They’re not walking in the fear of God.

We see examples of this fear of God coming on the church in Acts 5:12. That’s in the story of Ananias and Sapphira because they deceived the Lord. You can read this story again. “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” It says: “Great fear came upon all the church.” It didn’t come upon the building. No, “all the church.” That means all the assembly of the people gathered in the church.

Leviticus 19:20 and repeated in 26:2: “Ye shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord.”

Psalm 89:7: “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him.”

Psalm 5:7: “But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy, and in Thy fear will I worship towards Thy holy temple.”

The New Living Translation says: “I will worship with deepest awe.”

No. 6. THEY CAME TO GIVE PRAISE TO GOD

When we come as the assembling of God’s people, we’re coming to give to God. We’re not just coming. “Oh, what can I get out of this place?” No! It’s nothing to do with what you’re going to get. It’s what you’re going to give. Firstly, you’re going to give to God.

The Scriptures speak (and I’ve got all the references that I’ll put in the transcript). The Scriptures speak about blessing the Lord, praising the Lord, giving thanks to the Lord, exalting the Lord, singing new songs to the Lord, and lifting up His Name in the congregation of the saints. God wants us to do all these things personally. But, oh, He especially loves us to do them in the congregation of the saints.

By the way, that word “congregation” in the Old Testament is used 335 times! That’s how much God loves it. Of course, He also wants us to shout and clap in the house of the Lord.

Psalm 132:16: “Her saints shall shout aloud for joy.”

Psalm 35:18: “I will give thanks in the great congregation. I will praise Thee among much people.”

No. 7. THEY CAME TO GIVE TO ONE ANOTHER

That is such a big thing, such an important attitude for us to have, dear mothers, and to teach our children. We don’t wait for them to be adults to understand this principle. We teach them right from the beginning that we go to the assembling of God’s people to bless others, to encourage them, to pray for them, to lift them up, and to build one another up.

I think I’ve talked about it before, but I discovered in the New Testament 41 different things that God wants us to do to one another. We can’t do them to one another sitting in our homes. We’ve got to meet with one another to do all these things to one another. It’s a whole one-anothering lifestyle.

When we go to be with the people of God, we’re going with a smile on our face. We’re going with a little word in our heart to pass on to someone, to cheer them up, to comfort them, to bless them. That’s why we need the times of fellowship. Oh, it’s so wonderful if your church has a fellowship meal. But maybe they don’t. We have found this the greatest blessing over our lives. But then we have also been in the past to different countries and churches where they didn’t have a fellowship meal. What would we do? Then we would ask people to our home.

Every week, after church, we would always ask people to come back to our home so we could fellowship together. Oh, it’s such a blessing, because this is God’s whole plan, to build one another up. What does it say in 1 Corinthians 14:26? It says here: “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together,” (notice the words “come together) “every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” That means “building up.” The early church conducted their meetings a little differently than we do.

Today, most churches will have worship and then the minister gives the Word, then the closing prayer. And bye-bye! But back then, when they came together, they came ready to participate! Every one of you has something to give to the body. A word, a doctrine, a revelation, and so on. They don’t always have that in churches today, do they?

We have always given opportunity in our fellowship. My husband has always done this for people to share, and have an opportunity to share, because it is biblical. It is for the building up of God’s people. However, if your church does not have that, well, you can also bless other people.

Don’t run home from when the meeting has finished. If you’ve got a little word in your heart, maybe it’s for someone who is lonely, they’re hurting, they need comfort, they need cheering up, look for that one. Give them that little word. Give them that word of encouragement. Give them that blessing. Pray over them. Always seek to come to give to someone who needs cheering up, because so many do.

And you can inspire your children to do the same. “Children, we are not going to church just for ourselves. We are going for the people, to bless them. If you see someone lonely today, why don’t you give them an especially big smile? Why don’t you go up to them and give them a big hug?” Oh, a hug from a child can do wonders for an older person. There are people who live on their own, widows who live on their own. When a child will come up and say, “I love you,” or “God loves you so much,” and hug them. Oh, it can do wonders for them, miracles. Teach your children how to bless other people.

Of course, they’ll see that we’re doing it too. They’ll see that we want to invite people home, to keep blessing and encouraging them, fellowshipping together. When we have all these different attitudes, dear mothers, oh, it makes all the difference! It makes it exciting and full of purpose. We’re also training and teaching our children from little that this is their lifestyle. It’s the lifestyle of the kingdom of God. Amen?

“Dear Father, we thank You with all our hearts again, for Your precious Word that shows us the way. I pray, Lord, for these lovely families. Each family, Lord, the representatives that are listening, I pray that You will give them a new inspiration, a new purpose, a new desire for the meeting with Your people. Firstly, Lord, because it’s Your commandment, and we’re being obedient, that is the very first thing, Lord, being obedient to You.

“But help us to do it, Lord, in the way You want us to do it, Lord. Oh, coming, Lord, with our hearts filled with love and joy and delight at being with the people of God. Coming ready to give, and to bless, and to build one another up, Lord God. That we will all be strong in the faith, never wavering. We ask this in the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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www.aboverubies.org

Transcribed by Darlene Norris * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Scriptures about praising the God in the congregation of His people:

Psalm 22:22, 25; 35:18; 26:12; 68:26; 107:32.

 

LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell

EPISODE 281: What Does God Say About Israel and Togethering in the New Testament, Part 9

Do you know what God says about Israel? What about the land? Do you have a biblical worldview on this subject? Do your children know God's mind on this subject? It is imperative that we know the Scriptures regarding Israel, as it will affect our future destiny, and the destiny of our children. Please don't miss this podcast.

Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.

Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies! Great to be with you again today. At this time, we are all, I’m sure you are, as well as we are, facing the burden of this war in Israel. It’s a burden that is upon all our hearts because everything that happens in Israel really is at the very heart of what is going to happen in the whole of the world.

This little bit of land over there, in the very heart of the world, the middle of the world, which God chose—in fact, the Bible says that God went before His people, and He searched out a place for them. And He chose this land. This land, in the Bible, is called “God’s land.” When God is speaking, He says: “My land.” Then, when He’s talking to the people of Israel, He says, “It’s your land,” because God chose this land. Ultimately it is His, but He gave it to His people.

He chose these people, through which He would bring forth the Scriptures, through which He would bring forth the Messiah, Yeshua Mashiach, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. This land belongs to His people forever. I think this is something we have to know deep in our spirits. We’ve got to know the truth because all around we are being bombarded with lies and deceptions and protests from the Palestinians, the people who want to take this land that doesn’t belong to them.

That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love the Palestinians. No, the fact is that He gave the land to His people, Israel. It’s nothing to do with, “OK, God does not love them because he’s not giving them the land.” No, He has already given it to His people. It doesn’t belong to us Gentiles at all. It belongs to Israel.

I’m sure you are praying much for this situation. We are here. We, of course we pray morning and evening at our family devotions, but we also have two prayer meetings a week, one at our place, and one at Serene and Sam’s. Of course, currently we are praying very much for Israel. Last night we had a special prayer for Israel. It was such a wonderful prayer meeting.

I had this thought during the day of writing out, in big print so it was easy for people to see, loads of the promises that God has given to Israel. I typed them all up in great big print and pinned them all around the wall of our big meeting room. After worship we all got up from our seats. Everyone began to walk around the room, and speak out the Scripture, and pray over the Scriptures, and pray these promises. Because every word of God is pure, every word of God is truth, and every word of God is eternal. The Bible says: “Heaven and earth can pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.”

It was so good to be praying the Scriptures! I thought I may mention a few Scriptures to you this morning. I put them around the wall. I put up over 30 Scriptures and I’ve yet to add to that. Of course, this is only a little wee fraction of the promises that God has given to His people for His land that He gave them.

In fact, we read right back in Genesis 13:15, and God is speaking to Abram. His name has not even been changed to Abraham yet. He says: “Abram, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed, thy children, and thy children’s children,” for how long? For a few years? No, “forever.” The word is “forever.”

That word was written right back in the very first book of the Bible. It is amazing, ladies, isn’t it, that here a promise, a personal promise given to a man, and to his children afterwards, that here three thousand years later, we are still standing for that promise. It is a promise that has never gone away! Here we are today, we’re still reading about it. We’re still praying about it. We’re still standing for it, contending for it, because although we know God’s words will come to pass, the devil tries to come against them. The devil attacks everything that God has promised.

We go over to Genesis 17. God is speaking to Abram again. Here in this chapter, He changes his name to “Abraham,” because he is going to become the father of many nations. We go down to Genesis 17:8. God says again to him: “And I will give unto thee, and to thy children after you, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan,” (not part of it) “all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” Read that whole chapter of Genesis 17 when you have some time.

Let’s go over to Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah. By the way, as I’m turning to this, ladies, I believe these Scriptures are so important, not only for us personally to know, because when we read them and know them, we know God’s heart. We know His plans. We know His truth.

But we must get them into our children’s hearts and minds. They must know what God says about Israel, which begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation! Right throughout the whole Bible! No wonder the devil wants to get rid of Israel! If he can get rid of God’s land, and God’s people, well, that’s it! The Bible’s finished! Throw it in the fire. Because it’s about Israel, and His promises to Israel from Genesis to Revelation.

Here in Jeremiah 23, oh, read that whole chapter too. It is the most wonderful chapter. I love reading it over and over again. But let’s just read. Jeremiah 23:7-8: “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the children of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their OWN land.” Did you get that? “In their own land.”

I’d love to read that from the Knox Translation. It’s an old translation of the Bible. I love old translations. I’m not so crazy about the new translations although I do like to read them. I am a King James version Bible reader, but I do love to look at other translations.

Here is the Knox Translation: “I will reassemble all that is left of my flock, scattered over so many lands, and restore them to their old pasture grounds.” I love that. God is bringing them back to where they originated. We go to verse 8: “The living God will be the One Who rescued Israel and brought them home from the north country, and from all the places of exile He had once designed for them, to live in their OWN land again.”

We are living in the days of the fulfillment of these prophecies. Since 1948, and even before 1948, although it began to accelerate after that when Israel become a nation, God has been bringing His people back from the four corners of the earth, back to their land. He promised He would, and He is doing it, and He is still doing it. They’ve come back to the land, a nation that was once forgotten. They were taken to all the countries all over the world.

Any country, any nation that that has happened to has never ever risen again. But Israel has risen again! It became a nation again. They’ve become a nation significant in the world. They are back in their own land. Let’s get it ladies. Their own land. Let’s get this truth to our children. Our children must have a biblical worldview.

Having a biblical worldview is not just knowing the doctrines of Scripture about justification, and sanctification, and glorification, and so on. No, it’s knowing God’s heart and mind on every subject that there is in the world! God doesn’t leave one thing out. It’s all there in His Word. Israel is a huge part of His Word. God tells us His plans and His promises. We must know them.

We’ve got to have a biblical worldview, not a humanistic worldview. Not a worldview of the media telling us everything. No, that’s not truth. It’s all lies and deception. Our children have got to be embedded with a biblical worldview about Israel, especially at this time, when all these deceptive voices are coming through the media, through those who hate God’s people.

There is rising more and more this antisemitism again. Where does it come from? There’s no excuse for it. There is no need for it. Why, why, why? There’s only one reason. It’s demonic. It’s because the devil hates God’s people, and hates the land, because it’s God’s plan. Everything that God has planned and promised, the enemy seeks to destroy. He’s the one who comes to “steal, kill, and destroy” (John 10:10).

So, ladies, I think it would be so great if you could take these Scriptures, read them to your children, tell them about them, let them know. I’m just giving you a few little teasers. You can go to my website, aboverubies.org. On “Articles and Stories,” you can click on “Israel and The Land.” Then you can click on “Everlasting Possession.” You will see many, many, many Scriptures there. You can go through them all. It will take you weeks! Go through them with your family. It will give you God’s plan and heart for Israel which we must know.

Let’s move on a little bit. We go over to Ezekiel 34. Oh, I would encourage you too, to read Ezekiel chapters 34, 35, 36, 37. Oh, just amazing, amazing chapters of prophetic promises for the land of Israel and for God’s people. It’s just amazing! It’s so incredible. Many of these things have yet to come to pass but we can pray them into being.

I love Ezekiel 36! It became so real to me when I was in Israel a few years ago, out there on the West Bank. I went out to be with the beautiful people of HaYovel, the Waller family, and all those who are helping them. This family has gone out to the West Bank, the heartland of Israel, to help support the Israeli farmers who have gone out there to possess the land.

That’s the heartland of Israel, where the children of Israel first came into the Promised Land. It’s the heartland, where they first put their feet when they came in. Well, first of all, Abraham had walked the land to and fro, but when they came in as a people, this was where they put their feet. It’s the heartland. But now it is overtaken by the Palestinians, although there is 60% of this barren land still waiting to be possessed. Yet God says it's going to be possessed. Oh, you’ve got to read these chapters to see what is going to happen out there.

But I love this Scripture. The whole of Ezekiel 36 is the prophetic word, not so much to people, but to the land. God is speaking to the land, and the mountains, and the valleys, and the rivers, and the wasteland. He says, in Ezekiel 36:8: “But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come. For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown.”

Yes. And that is happening before our eyes. This word was prophesied so many years ago! And now, in our day, it is being fulfilled. There is no one alive on this planet who can say that the word of God is not true! Because here is prophetic fulfillment happening right now, before our eyes. Well, if you go over to Israel, you see it.

I remember standing out there, on these barren hillsides, looking around and seeing just dirt and stones. Then we walk up to a vineyard that has been planted, a vineyard planted in this barren soil! Really, how can it grow anything? And yet, out of this barren ground grow these prolific vineyards, giving off tons and tons of grapes! It is miraculous, because it’s what God said, that He would prepare the land when His people came back to shoot forth their branches, and it would be tilled and sown.

He also said He would send aliens and strangers to be their vinedressers and help them on the hills of Samaria. That is what is happening. HaYovel brings in, every year, at harvest time, hundreds of families and young people from all over the world, to help these Israeli farmers harvest their grapes. They bring in teams to do the pruning and the planting. Now they do many, many other projects out there to help these people possess the land. They do it all for nothing, just to bless God’s people, and for His glory. It’s all happening.

But anyway, I’m telling you verses about the land, aren’t I? We were reading Ezekiel 34:13: “And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their OWN land.” Do you see these words repeated over and over again? “Their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.” And so, it goes on.

Oh, yes, I love this, verse 14: “I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be.” This is where so many of these Israelis have gone out to possess the land. “There shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.” 

All right. Let’s go over, shall we, to chapter 36. I was reading from there before, but let’s read verses 11-12: “And I will multiply upon you,” that’s upon the land, “man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates.” Yes, you once lived in the land, and now I’ve brought you back. “And will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall possess thee, and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.”

Verse 24: “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your OWN land.” There it is again, ladies. “Your own land.”

Let’s go, shall we, to chapter 37. I hope you’re going to read all these chapters. You need to read every Scripture. They are all so amazing. Ezekiel 37:14: “And I shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your OWN land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.” Yes, God has spoken it, and He is performing it now, bringing them back to their own land. And He will continue to perform and fulfill every promise.

Let’s go to verse 21: “And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their OWN land. And I will make them one nation in the land.” One nation. Did you get that? “One nation upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.”

Verse 25: “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children FOR EVER: and my servant David shall be their prince forever.” David was a type of the Messiah to come.

Well, dear ladies, that was just a few Scriptures to give you that give understanding of God’s heart for His land, and for His people, because we must know the truth. Please, impart this truth to your children. Not only take the Scriptures I’ve given you today but read those chapters. Look up that link on my website and begin to read all the promises and all the Scriptures that God has given for His people.

Today I have to tell you something, ladies. I said last podcast, “OK, I think we’ve talked enough about how God loves the togethering of His people.” But this last week, I just realized, oh my!  I can’t stop! I do have to give you one more, or maybe two. Let’s see how it goes.

WHAT DOES THE NEW TESTAMENT SAY ABOUT ASSEMBLING?

But ladies, I didn’t even take you to the New Testament! I think it was eight podcasts we did, and we were mainly talking about the words that God gave for “assembly,” and for “congregation,” and “convocation,” and the “gathering together” in the Old Testament. What I will do, because I haven’t given them all to you, but I will write in the next transcript the 17 Hebrew words for “assembly” so you can have them if you are really interested to look into them.

But today we’re going to move on to the New Testament, because really, the Bible, although we have the Old and the New, it’s not really meant to be separated. It is one book. We go to the New Testament. It’s amazing. We’ve been talking from the Old, and now we go right over to the New. Wow!

We read in Hebrews 12:22-23. It was talking in the previous Scriptures about how awesome it was when God came to Mount Sinai and gave the Ten Commandments. He came with lightning, and burning with fire, and blackness, and darkness, and tempests, and the sound of the trumpet; oh, all these things happening.

But he says to us that now: “Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn,” the firstborn being Jesus, the firstborn risen from the dead; “which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

This is now bringing us to all that we have come into in Christ because of His death, and burial, and resurrection, because of the Son of God being willing to shed His own blood for our sins. And now we have come into the greatest of assemblies.

We’ve been talking about how God loves the gathering of and the assembling of His people on earth. But this Scripture . . . it’s still speaking of the assembling of all His people who are the blood-bought believers, but not only here on earth—those who are in heaven, those who have gone before, and also the innumerable angels. Wow!

Imagine the hosts that are going to be in heaven, the hosts of angels (because the angels are often spoken of as “hosts.”) When it talks about “hosts,” it’s speaking of an innumerable number that cannot be counted. In fact, one of the most prolific names of God in the Old Testament is “The Lord God of Hosts.” That is speaking of the Lord God of the armies, the angelic armies of heaven. They’re called “the hosts” because there are so many of them!

Then, of course, there are going to be so many of God’s blood-bought believers. Can you imagine this festive assembly in the heavenly realm one day? Oh, we have been given the inheritance to this. We’re part of it already. We belong to it already. We’re on earth belonging to it.

But one day, we’re going to belong to it in the heavenly realm. That will be the greatest assembly of all! Just think of the marriage supper of the Lamb! What an incredible assembly that is going to be! Of every blood-bought believer, from every nation, tribe, and kindred in the world, surrounded by the angelic hosts! Oh, we can’t even imagine it. Our brains can’t even take it in. Even when you get little glimpses of eternity, dear ladies, doesn’t it make you think, “What on earth are we worrying about things here on this earth? Why are we taken up with so much of these temporal and material things?” Oh, every day is a day worth living, preparing for this eternal world.

Now, we have two words for “assembly” in the New Testament. We have synagoge. I think I’ve pronounced it sort of correctly (soon arh o gay), something like that! You can see that comes from “synagogue.” We do read about the synagogues in the New Testament. That word in the Greek means “an assembling together.”

Back in Jesus’s time, it was usually an assembly of Jews, formally gathered together to offer prayers and listen to the reading of the Scriptures. Later that same word was used for the assembling of Christians gathering together for the same reason; to offer prayer and to hear the teaching of the Word. That word was used for the assembling of the Jews and then later, the assembling of Christians together.

Then we have the word “church.” Well, we use that mostly today, don’t we? The word “church” in the Greek, as I’m sure most of you will know, is the word ekklesia (ek klay see ah). It means “a calling out, a gathering of people called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly, an assembly of Christians gathered for worship, united into one body.”

It can also mean the Christian community of members on earth and the saints in heaven. This is the word “church” that we read in the New Testament. It’s used 118 times in the New Testament—115 times, it’s translated “church,” and three times it’s translated “assembly.”

This word, of course, often we talk about the church. “Oh, I’m going to church.” We think of the building, don’t we? Well, that is true. That is the church building. It’s where we go to meet.

But the full meaning of the understanding is that it’s the people in the building. Of course, we know that. The ekklesia is God’s people when they are assembling together. So, it’s the assembling of God’s people, coming together in a building. Sometimes we talk about it as, “OK, I’m going to church.” You may be going to a building, but you could be going to a specially designated place outside. That would be the church too, because it’s the people you are gathering to. You’re gathering firstly unto God and then with His people.

What did the early church do? They were the first example. Everything that’s written in the Word is written for our example. We have to go back . . . we have to go back to the very beginning, in Genesis, to find out the truth on so many areas of what we even need to know today. We need to go back to Genesis to understand God’s account of creation, of the world, and of mankind, of male and female, to know the truth.

Why are people walking in such delusion today? We are now facing this ridiculous deception, transgenderism, because people have forgotten to go back to their roots, back to the truth, back to the very beginning. Creation is the beginning of God in the Word of God. He created male and female, only two genders. Of course, we’re speaking about church now.

We’ve got to go back to the beginning of the church to see how they operated. We go to Acts 2:42-43, and we see what they did: “And they continued steadfastly in” four things.

No. 1: THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE

That was teaching. They came together, they assembled together to hear more of the understanding of what God had to say to them.

No. 2. FELLOWSHIP

Oh, that was such a big part of their gathering together! That’s missing in many churches today. Yes, many people, “OK, we’ve got to go to church, folks! Let’s go!” We go, and we have singing. Then we have a message. Then we go home. I beg your pardon. We’ve only had one thing: just teaching. Oh yes, and some worship. That’s wonderful. But when did you fellowship? Fellowship is so important.

We, at our fellowship now on the Hilltop, our HOUSE OF PRAYER. We nicknamed it “The Hilltop Fellowship.” We have fellowship lunch after every service, where we all bring a dish, and we hang out, and we talk, and we fellowship together. There’s still never enough time to fellowship!

No. .3. BREAKING OF BREAD

That could be Communion, yes, but it was more than that. When they fellowshipped, they broke bread together. That’s how they ate back then. Even in Middle Eastern times now, they have the flatbread, the matzoh, which they break and tear off to dip in the hummus, and the baba ghanoush, or whatever dish they are eating. It’s the fellowshipping over food.

No. 4. PRAYERS (Notice the word is plural)

Prayers.  Oh, wow! How much time does your church spend praying? Wow! Often, we have an opening prayer and a closing prayer. But it should be a very big part of our service, and also throughout the week as well.

I can’t believe it. Time has gone. We’re going to have to do one more. We’ll do that with you next time. We’re going to look at the attitudes God wants us to have toward coming together with His people, and how we are to teach these attitudes to our children. They’ve got to get it while they’re young.

“Dear Father, thank You so much again. I’m always thanking You, Lord, for Your precious Word, because it’s so rich. It shows us the way. Every word You speak is filled with truth. It’s what You have given us to live by.

“I pray that, Lord, You will help us to truly have a biblical worldview on every subject, and every aspect of our lives, and to teach it to our children, that they will understand Your heart and Your ways. Lord God, this young generation must know your heart for Israel. I pray, Father, that You will teach us more and more as we read Your Word.

“Give us Your understanding, Your heart. Give us Your burden to pray. I ask that You will put this anointing and burden upon every family listening, that, Lord God, if they’re not already praying for Israel, they will begin to pray for Israel as families together. Lord, You’ve said those who bless Israel, You will bless. You’ve told us that we are the watchmen who never get off the wall, who do not keep silent! Lord, we do not give up praying until we see Jerusalem established as a praise in the earth! Help us to be faithful, Lord God. We ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

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Transcribed by Darlene Norris * This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

17 DIFFERENT WORDS FOR ASSEMBLY

 

Genesis 28:3: “And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a MULTIDUDE (assembly - qahal) of people.”

The Bible uses 17 different Hebrew words in the Old Testament to describe the assembling of God’s people. This is how important it is to God.

1. QAHAL (an assemblage, assembly, company, congregation).
2. ASAPH (gather, assemble together).
3. EDAH (an assemblage, family, crowd, company, congregation, people, multitude).
4. YA’AD (to meet at a stated time, to appoint, to fix a time and place, to meet by agreement, come together, gather together, to summon). It speaks of the congregation assembling to worship God at designated times and places.
5. MO’ED (an appointment, a fixed time or season, specifically a festival or assembly convened for a definite purpose, congregation, the place of meeting, set time).
6. QABATS (to collect, assemble, bring together, assemble together).
7. ZA-QQ (to announce or convene publicly, assembly, call together, cry out, come with a company, gather together).
8. ATSARAH (an assembly, especially a festival or holiday, solemn assembly or meeting).
9. MIQRA (something called out—the act, the persons, or the place, assembly, calling, convocation, reading).
10. MAQHEL (an assembly, congregation).
11. SOD (a company of persons in close deliberation, intimacy, assembly, also secret counsel).
12. SHAMA (to gather together, to hear with obedience and attention, give ear).
13. Y’QAHA (“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Genesis 49:10).
14. YAHAD (union, unitedness together, altogether in one place).
15. Q’HILLAH (assembly, congregation).
16. YACHAD (together, altogether, unitedness) Strong’s 3161, 3162, and 3163 are all similar but different Hebrews words.
17. ADA (congregation, company, assembly, multitude, swarm).

We cannot come to the full understand of all that God wants us to know without each other!

Ephesians 3;17-19: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that yew being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend WITH ALL SAINTS what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”