Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

The question is: Do we mourn over the innocent blood that is shed in the abortion clinics of our nation? Do we mourn more for the Christians who are beheaded, raped, and burned alive by ISIS? Both shed innocent blood and both deserve to be mourned. We should also mourn over the unclean pornographic addictions, not only in the world, but also via the Internet in the church. We should mourn over the marriage break downs within the church.

There are many things we should mourn over before the Lord in prayer. May God save us from insensitive hearts towards the great need in the world right now. What about the precious souls in North Korea who greatly suffer at the hands of a brutal, communist regime? What about the Christians who suffer and are tortured in Islamic nations? What about the multiplied millions of souls who have never once heard the gospel? Do we mourn over the corruption of our government? Do we mourn over the killings in our streets?

Does Jesus weep and mourn for the fatherless and widows? What do we do? Much of the time we seek for more pleasure and hardly shed a tear before out great High Priest and Intercessor. 

I think we desperately need our hearts to be softened so that we may feel something of the aching heart of Jesus Christ.

Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Should we not weep over our cities?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, the poor in spirit are those who are not full of themselves and their own importance. They do not try to push their own way on others. On the contrary, the poor in spirit realize the importance of being broken for Christ. They have come to understand how much their spirits need Jesus Christ to fill them and take control of them.

Those who know anything about horses know that they are not much use to man until they are "broken in." The term "broken in" means that their will is broken to do the will of the master. The poor in spirit have their will broken in to Christ. They do not fill their spirits with this world's goods even though they may live in the midst of luxury. They realize that the gap in their spirits is uniquely made for God alone.

Any man or woman who enters into marriage with the idea of pushing or shoving their own unbroken will on to their spouse will find their house in ruins sooner or later. The Christian marriage must be Christ-centered, not self-centered. What's the use of even trying to hold a Christian marriage together when our spirits have not become poor (broken) to our own willfulness and selfishness?

There may not be many who can be rich in this world's goods and at the same time keep their spirits poor. I believe it is possible but the person would need to be mature and always on guard.

The kingdom of heaven that is given to the poor in spirit not only refers to the next life. Rather, it talks about the effects of the heavenly kingdom on our lives now. The joy, peace, and provision of the heavenly kingdom are for us to experience now. Our marriages also can experience the unity and love of the heavenly kingdom right now. However, the condition required to experience the blessing of the heavenly kingdom never changes. We must be poor in spirit to the things of this world.

God spoke to the prosperous farmer in Luke 12:20, 21: "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

In Song of Solomon 3:6 they ask the question: "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh, and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?"

The bride describes the Bridegroom in Song 5:13: "His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips (his speech) like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh . . . his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedar. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend."

Men, this same Bridegroom lives inside of you and me by His Holy Spirit. Are you revealing these qualities to your wife? Do you speak gracious words to your wife?

John 12:16 says: "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." This anointing of the indwelling Bridegroom should make our Christian marriages very sweet, gracious, and full of gladness. This is what true Christian marriage is meant to be. These principle spices are in Christ for every Christian married couple to experience.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Those who begin their marriage by daily praying and reading God's Word together will soon discover the abundant happiness God wants them to experience. These principles, the most beautiful attitudes, that Jesus teaches are without exception to be learned and applied. It is sad that many Christian marriages are anything but happy and this is directly related to the amount of effort the husband and wife put in to apply these attitudes to their individual and collective lives.

What an amazing blessing for children to be brought up in an environment where these "principle spices" (Exodus 30:23), which I will talk about tomorrow, abound in both the marriage and family life.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

A home where there is constant disagreement, verbal fighting, clashing of wills, or even the cold "silent treatment" is no place for children. Tempers, anger, shoutings, and accusations destroy security and are not conducive to healthy emotions in children.

Christian couples may attend church and outwardly convey that "all is well with my soul," but is it really? Jesus Christ came and died for us that we might have life and have it MORE ABUNDANTLY (John 10:10). And yet there are few Christians among the multitudes who have really found this abundant life. The big question is: Why is this the case?

The answer is clear and simple. How much have you sought to familiarize yourself with Christ's teaching in the Beautiful Attitudes? Many Christian want Jesus, but they do not want His teaching. Perhaps they may listen to His Word, but they don't want to apply it to their lives. Jesus said in Luke 6:46: "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

To accept Jesus and yet not apply His teaching to our lives is false and results in the marriage chaos happening across the nation. The teachings of Jesus, coupled with willing hearts to apply them, will save our marriages and homes. To believe that Jesus is the answer to the world and yet fail to follow His Word with all our hearts is to build our marriages and homes on the sand.

Jesus' teachings are the only solid rock--the only solid foundation--that no storm, no matter how huge, can prevail against it.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The real reason why marriages (homes and families) fall apart is that we do not build them upon hearing and doing the sayings of Christ. The storms and floods are certainly assailing marriages and only those that are built upon the words of Christ will survive. The rest are falling and crashing to the ground.

The devil does not want Christian marriages to succeed because marriages mirror Christ, the Heavenly Bridegroom and the church who is His bride. Also, Christian marriages procreate children who when they are raised up in the fear and admonition of the Lord are a major threat to Satan (Ephesians 6:4).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

If married couples could demonstrate to the world the love, unity, and care that God intends us to express in our marriages, why, the world would knock down our doors to find out what we have that they do not have.

The question is: How is this possible if we, God's people, do not allow Christ into our marriages? He must be in control of our individual lives as well as our joined-together lives.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We all live in homes that too a few months or more to construct. But that is not the end. We have to keep maintaining the home in order to keep it ship shape and as new as it was the day we first took possession. We have to keep cleaning the home. Stains have to be removed from carpets, doors need new latches, walls and ceilings need repainting from time to time, plumbing needs constant attention and so on.

Our marriage is like a house. It may take a few months to prepare for the time of the wedding ceremony, the honeymoon is over in a week or two, and then the work of maintenance begins. Just imagine what a new home would look like, both inside and out, without a maintenance program. It would soon deteriorate.

Men, I believe that whatever brought your marriage into being in the first place is what it takes to keep it going. Whatever you did to win your wife's heart in the beginning is what it takes to keep her happy and contented through the years.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Vows are indeed sacred and we should treat them with utmost respect, coupled with the fear of the Lord.

The divorce rate in America has made a mockery of holy wedlock, thus weakening God's high moral standard. Divorce should in no way be "the norm" of the Christian church. Sad to say, with approximately 50 percent of Christian marriages ending in divorce, it is pretty much "the norm" in this nation.

We who call ourselves Christians should be weeping over the sacrilege of our broken vows that invoke the name of our triune God. Sadly, we ask: Where are the tears? This does not mean that I, as a pastor, should not be merciful and understanding to those who have, for whatever reason, suffered the sadness and hurt suffered by break-up and divorce. The church should make every endeavor to help and support a suffering couples with all the love and care we can give.

The reason why we Christians of this 21st century cannot muster the strength to fight in this day of battle and experience a resounding victory over the perversity of the homosexual agenda is that we have become weak through our failure to stem the tide of divorce. Sad to say, unless we repent, the homosexuals will put the final nails in the coffin of holy wedlock between one man and one woman.

We must ask ourselves: Is God pleased with the state of the church for the way it treats the values of a Christ-like marriage for the world to see? Answer: Definitely not. In fact, quite the opposite. We must repent that the pearls of God's design for marriage have, and are being trampled on.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We read in Scripture that marriage symbolizes the spiritual relationship that Christ, our heavenly Bridegroom has with His bride, the true church that is meant to be always seeking to please her ever-loving Husband. That is why we as the bride of Christ should steadfastly resist all efforts to pervert the marriage act and the ordinance of holy matrimony that God has blessed, not only within the church, but also outside of it.

The well-being of our nation is dependent on our allegiance to uphold the truth and our resistance to all that is false.

Men, we need to pray about the government taking control of the Internet. There is talk of them passing a bill, "Net Equality," but as usual, no one knows anything about it. Sound familiar? They will surely try to stop all opposition against gay marriage, etc. The Internet is a major bastion of our freedom of speech and we do not need the government taking control.

Pray, stand up, and speak out. Call your representative and be a voice.

Isaiah 59:19 says: "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." The standard needs standard-bearers. This means you and me.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

It would be a great testimony if all Christian businesses, and churches, who provide services for weddings would also follow her example and demonstrate to the world how deeply offended genuine Christians are regarding the defaming of marriage. The holy marriage ordinance, sanctioned by God for the purpose of joining together a man and a woman in holy matrimony has been abused and defiled. Homosexuals are trampling under their feet the holy things of God. Those who call themselves Christians and sanction this behavior need to read their Bibles a whole lot more in order to understand what God says about this subject.

Many argue that we should just love and encourage these people no matter what their lifestyle. I believe this is sloppy love, not biblical which puts our love to God first. It is cheap grace which is not true biblical grace.

Titus 2: 11-14 tells us about biblical grace: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

No matter what politicians do to change the laws of this land, we all have to one day answer to God's laws, whether we believe them or not.

2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The last enemy that America needs against them is Almighty God! But like Israel in the days of old, we have, and are rebelling against Him. We vex His Holy Spirit when we create laws that deliberately violate His moral laws. When homosexuals can enter into the same holy, ordained-by- God covenant of marriage as heterosexuals enter, we are thumbing our nose at God. We fail to connect the dots when calamites come upon us.

As a nation we desperately need God on our side. We constantly hear our present administration declaring that ISIS will never come and attack us here. How can they be so certain about that? Was not 9/11 a wakeup call for America? We are like an adulteress woman who cheats on her husband and defiantly states that nothing is wrong. All will be well. Really?

There is only one thing left for us to do if we are going to keep God on our side. And that is to repent. God loves us all, including homosexuals, but He has commanded all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We conclude that tolerance itself is not a bad thing if used correctly. However, if it is used to sanction evil behavior, e.g. murder, rape, and immoral behavior that corrupts cultural values as well as bringing judgment from the God fo heaven and earth, then we must steadfastly resist abusing tolerance.

Because the homosexual community screams out their values, flaunts their behavior in the gay pride parades, and seeks to push their immoral agenda in our state education system, it does not mean that the rest of us who fear God should not be alarmed, disgusted, or even outraged by all this being rammed down our throats.

They are alarmed when we express vocally our indignation and they want to imprison us for "hate speech" when we speak out. The fact that 36 states of our nation have now fallen for their demands to legalize homosexual marriage in the name of tolerance is like poking a stick in the eyes of God who has shown us many undeserved mercies.

Where is the fear of God in the legislators of our states? Why have we hardened our hearts against His laws? Have we become so ungrateful for all His benevolence towards us? Do we not care if God should decide to stand up against us and become our enemy? The words in Isaiah 63:10 should cause us to walk in the fear of God: "But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."

It seems to me that if we do not have the moral courage to stand against the violation of the sanctity of the holy marriage institution as given by God between one man and one woman, we are standing on dangerous ground.

All this is happening because we have, and are abusing tolerance.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

When we can no longer call extreme Islam terrorism for what it really is in case we offend moderate Islamics, we are in servitude. We are no longer free. When we can no longer speak out against terrorists who burn people alive in cages, behead ever increasing numbers of Christians, sell off young teenage girls into slavery, as well as blowup crowds of innocent people, tolerance has become our enemy.

When we can no longer denounce the slaughter of millions of innocent babies in their mother's wombs for the sake of tolerance it has become our enemy.

When, in the fear of God, we cannot denounce homosexuality for fear of offending someone who may be involved in this sin, then tolerance has become our enemy. The homosexual crowd think nothing of offending the consciences of Christians who believe that from the beginning God ordained the holy institution of marriage to be between a man and a woman. In this they are hypocrites.

To be continued.

Colin Campbell

All men and women are prone to sin in one way or another. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." However, certain sins bring about judgment from God on the land, as well as cities, and one of these sins is homosexuality. It would be wrong for God to judge anyone who was a homosexual if they were born that way. However, because God calls homosexuality an abomination and brought terrible judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah for this sin, it is obvious that God Himself does not agree with those who believe they are born this way.

It is obvious that homosexuality is not natural. It is contrary to nature and against God who created the way male and female are to function as He ordained in order to populate the earth (Genesis 1:27, 28 and Romans 1:28, 29).

It is absolutely wrong for these people to demand that the God-designed, holy ordinance of marriage be applied to something that is not designed by God, and which is an abomination to Him. Genesis 2:24 says: "Therefore shall a MAN leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his WIFE: and they shall be one flesh."

Furthermore, many homosexuals want to have a Christian minister or priest to solemnize their vows to each other. This is a slap in the face to God. Any government, whether federal or state, that in anyway seeks God's protection on their city, state, or nation had better take heed and warning from God's Holy Word that they are breaking the commandments and laws of the Ruler of all the earth. He will hold them accountable at His Great White Throne of Judgment (Romans 14;11, 12; James 3:1; 1 Peter 1:17; and Revelation 20:11-15).

Psalm 2:10-12 says: "Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."

To be continued.

Be encouraged. Colin Campbell

There are many who scoff at this truth recorded in the Bible for our admonishment and say it was just a fable and has no relevance for today's world. But it is not a fable. It did happen. I have been to a museum not far from where I live here in Tennessee. The owners were involved in an archeological dig and displayed some of the sulphur balls found at the location of these two cities. They informed me that the ignitable sulphur in these balls is not found anywhere else on the earth. It was indeed rained on those cities from Heaven just as the Bible states.

The words Sodom, Sodomite, and Sodomites are mentioned at least 39 times in the Old Testament and ten in the New Testament.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Already, many churches are not prepared to speak out against this attack on the holy institution of marriage between one man and one woman. I fear that the present generation of children growing up in American churches will soon accept that homosexual marriage as acceptable and normal.

It is ludicrous to think that it is right and proper to denounce murder as a sin that cannot be tolerated, even though murderers may feel discriminated against or believe they are receiving hate speech or intolerance for what they have done. Without a doubt, to those who read their Bibles, all homosexuality is condemned as a serious sin. It is regarded by God as an abomination that brings cities and nations into God's judgment if they do not repent.

This is not hate speech, but a genuine concern that the judgment of God will be averted from falling upon our nation.

America is weighed in the balances and found wanting.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We read the description of God's blessing on Job's life in Job 29:2-10, 22, 23:

"Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;
When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;
When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;
When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;
When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!
The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.
The princes refrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth.
The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth. . . .
Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.
After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them."

Not only did he lose all his material possessions, but now he is covered with boils from head to foot. To top it all off, here comes his so-called comforters, sent by Satan, to criticize and discomfort him. Worst of all, he seems to have lost all fellowship and contact with God.

For a period of time God demonstrated to Satan that here was one man that, no matter what calamity came upon him, he would not ever slander or speak evil of God. Job states in Job 13:15, 16: "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: . . . He also shall be my salvation."

After Job received the news of all his material possessions being wiped out and his ten children killed, "Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:20-22).

Men, it is very important for us fathers to train our children in this most important virtue.

America needs a revival of integrity in the White House, Senate, House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, CIA, IRS, and all state governments. We need integrity in our church pulpits. But most important of all, we must have integrity in the foundation of our society which is the family.

Integrity is a foundational virtue.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell