Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

Whenever I read a book or watch a movie about our brave Navy Seals I am greatly impressed by their valor and courage to be able to handle and resist extreme opposition forces. Few who enlist in this training actually survive the extremely rigorous training in order to graduate. Often their trainers yell, scream, and abuse them to check if they can be broken down easily or not.

I think it is sad that there are many Christian families who have not been trained by their parents on how to endure hardship as good soldiers.

2 Timothy 2:3, 4: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

Of course, we should kiss and cuddle our babies and little ones. However, as our children grow older, I don’t believe it’s appropriate to continue kissing and cuddling them for every little offense and problem that happens to them. Do we want them to grow up wimps or are training them to be soldiers of the cross?

Have you ever heard of a soldier in training being kissed and cuddled by his commanding offer for every little offence, slander, rebuke, or disagreement that hurts his delicate feelings?

People remain babies even in adulthood by moms and dads who are always sympathizing with their children’s feelings. Children who are raised like this are the chocolate soldiers of this world. They quickly throw in the towel. They quickly melt when the heat comes on.

There is no strong army in this world that could possibly win a battle, let alone an all-out war with chocolate soldiers who have weak constitutions. These delicate chocolate soldiers are best left at home to look after the flower gardens. Better not to enlist them because they do not have the stomach to take the hardships of life, let alone a battle.

There comes a time in the raising of our children when we must encourage them to toughen up, buckle up, stand up, and stop crying.

When our children grew older, I would tell them if they kept on crying because of a spank, they would get more spanks until they stopped their fussing. I was teaching them to face their discipline like a man. I cannot tolerate winging, whining, griping, complaining children who need to learn what it means to grow up.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Every man should stand by his wife and not side with the children against his wife. If he does not stand by his wife, she will not feel secure and she will feel more frustrated than ever. The situation cannot be allowed to continue. If it is not dealt with quickly the wife will feel trapped, alone, and not loved and supported.

Children need the wise, masculine discipline of an interested and involved father. Parenting children throughout all ages is a mother/father team effort. Believe me, your wife will find it easier to endure the immaturity of the children when she knows that her husband supports her in whatever way she needs him. Not only that, she will love him more for it.

Children need the feminine love and nurture of their mother. However, sons and daughters, on a daily basis, need the masculine encouragement, correction, and if needed, discipline of a loving father.

Regular, daily family reading of the Scriptures, coupled with corporate prayers and a hymn or Scripture worship song provide a basis and anchor for all godly parenting and character training.

When reading the Bible to your children, try to incorporate some good illustrations or examples to assist their understanding of the Scriptures. Always ask questions and try to develop their attention by getting them to share their thoughts on the subject matter. Discussion increases their own input and helps their attention span.

Give them matters for prayer on a small card. This helps them to learn to pray for important matters.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

If you have not already purchased DAILY LIGHT ON THE DAILY PATH Plus Creative Ways to Read God’s Word to Your Children, you will want to have this book in your home.

It is a compilation of Scriptures on a certain theme for every morning and every evening for every day of the year. It is only a small portion, so it is not too long for the family.

This particular book gives you different ideas at the beginning of every month to help make your reading the Bible more exciting and interesting for the children.

You will find it a wonderful resource for Family Bible Reading in your home.

Go to: http://tinyurl.com/CreativeIdeasToReadBible

Deep inner peace is directly linked to righteous living. The more we actively promote righteousness, the more we experience greater and deeper inner peace.

Isaiah 32:17, 18: “And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

We must teach our children the doctrine of righteousness.

Firstly, the only righteousness that is acceptable and pleasing to God is our full acceptance of Jesus Christ into our lives. He is our only source of righteousness. Without Christ we cannot live lives pleasing to God.

How does this work? When we accept His perfectly righteous Son, Jesus Christ, into our lives as our Savior and Lord He accepts us as righteous and declares us righteous. It is all through His beloved Son (Colossians 2:3).

In Genesis 15:5, 6 God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as many as the stars in the heavens: “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD, and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

In Genesis 12:3 God promises Abraham: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

In Galatians 3:16 it states that the seed coming from Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth was Jesus Christ and all those who receive Him as their Savior and Lord. When Abraham believed God for the promise of an immeasurable multitude (all the nations of the earth), he was actually believing in Jesus Christ who was the ONE SEED by whom all the nations (by believing in Jesus Christ) would be declared righteous.

Galatians 3:16 (ESV): “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”

Secondly. The state of being declared righteous must reveal its fruit in our lives so that our homes will experience the peace of righteousness.

How can we have peace with God because we believe in Jesus Christ and yet at the same time not have peace in our homes? The state of righteousness must find its fulfilment in a lifestyle of righteous acts.

This begins right now in our own homes. There are far too many Christians who declare their state of righteousness in Christ and yet their homes, and even their churches, are filled with arguments, disunity, debate, and turmoil.

Love and unity, which we all have in Christ, must be worked out in our homes, families, and churches.

How can we have righteousness and peace in our churches if we do not have it in our families first? How can we have it in our families if we do not have the righteousness of Christ filling up our minds and hearts with His peace?

God declared Abraham righteous, but he lived out his righteousness in his daily life.

Genesis 18:19: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the LOD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

Abraham’s righteousness resulted in the working out of judgment and justice through all that they did and wherever they went.
1. He COMMANDED his children and household after him.
2. He and his family KEPT the way of the Lord.
3. He and his family executed justice and judgment.
Working out his righteousness would have resulted in great peace, not only in his own home, but in all the homes that believed in God as Abraham did.

Ephesians 2: 8-10: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works (righteous actions), which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Philippians 2:12, 13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”.

Be encouraged. Colin Campbell

Luke 9:26: Jesus said, “For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.”

As Christians, we must highly esteem the value of our homes and families. This is a big political battle. The extreme socialist agenda wants to minimize the importance of home and family. They want women to deny their God-given instincts to mother, manage their homes, and raise the children God Has planned for them.

They want women to be self-centered, independent of men, self-reliant, and nurturing their own career outside of the home instead of mothering their own children in the home.

To encourage and incite women out of the home and into the work place is negative to nation building.

The ultimate aim of communism is to deny all God-given and traditional roles for men and women.

Communism is socialism in its purest and extreme form. Every business and every person, along with all their assets, belong to the government. Every person is put on the same level, and in most cases, receive the same weekly allowance. The only people who benefit more than others are the leaders of the communist party. They make sure they get all the perks and advantages.

All incentive to stay at home, homeschool, and train and nurture future generations in biblical truths is indoctrinated out society.

Communism and all forms of socialism that denies, minimizes, and denounces all Christian traditional and biblical ethics (including home and family) will eventually torture and imprison those who desire to hold on to the biblical values and freedoms.

We have already seen this happening to those who do not support the LGBT agenda.

Communism and extreme socialism are anti-Christ. Millions of God-fearing people who have resisted communism and the socialist agenda have been tortured and put to death. This is still happening in Venezuela, North Korea, and China and is beginning to happen now in many western countries that are giving themselves over to socialist propaganda.

The Democrat party here in the USA is being hijacked right now as we speak. Multitudes of women are being lured away from their homes through the propaganda of socialism which is taught in our public schools and colleges.

We must not take our freedoms and Christian privileges for granted. We must stand up and fight for our families and our homes. If we do not fight and we do not resist we will soon lose all the freedoms that we so easily take for granted.

Nehemiah 4:14: “Do not be afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”

My wife and I have been twice to see that current anti-abortion film, UNPLANNED. It is R rated but we would encourage you to take your young people. We understand why Hollywood made it an R. The liberals do not want the nation’s teenagers to see it.

Isn’t it amazing that a 15-year-old can legally have an abortion without parental knowledge and consent, and yet they don’t want them to see this movie at this age?

The abortion industry is a big money-making business. Planned Parenthood is revealed as an organization that is primarily concerned with women’s health but that is window dressing. The abortion industry’s main provider is Planned Parenthood and they can only survive by increasing their abortion quotes.

Be challenged,

Colin Campbell

A society of law and order begins in the home.

The home is the nation’s first place of government and law and order. This is why the home is so important to a healthy society.

To think that the first place of government is where your capitol city is situated in your state and country is not correct thinking. Respect for law and order begins in the home. It is not in the capitol building, but the home building.

The home is the first place where we teach right from wrong and all the fundamental principles of law and order. The home is the first place where godly parents should teach their children to respect family rules and laws along with the disciplines of refusing to obey family values and ethics.

Even the church you attend is not the first place where your children should be taught law, order, and values. The public school, or even the Christian school, is not the first place of teaching. It’s not kindergarten or preschool. It’s not the military, navy, or boot camp.

ELEVATE YOUR HOME TO A CAPITOL STATUS FOR THIS IS WHERE GOD’S GOVERNMENT BEGINS.

Elevate your home to a capitol status for this is where God’s government begins.

Every child that is born into this world is meant to be nurtured and taught the first principles of right and wrong and justice and judgment in the home.

Genesis 2:17-19: “And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations o the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

God would not hide from Abraham what He was about to do in Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? Because . . .

1. God knew that Abraham would “command his children and his household after him.” In other words, Abraham and Sarah would be the first to follow God’s commandments and then teach their children and all the servants.
2. God knew that Abraham would “keep the way of the Lord.”
3. God knew that Abraham would execute “justice and judgment.”
This enabled God to bring to pass His prophetic word given to Abraham.

The parental teaching of the way of the Lord, as well as justice and judgment, made Abraham’s home a capitol home.

All the capitol buildings in the world cannot surpass or even equal the importance God has placed upon your family home.

When the mother vacates the home to pursue a career outside of the home, she vacates the most important position of government and learning to be found in all of society.

Abraham’s home was the learning center of justice and judgment and the commandments of the Lord.

Abraham was God’s president and the supreme court judge of his home.

Abraham’s tent was God’s capitol building.

Abraham was God’s pattern father.

The reason our government can make so many wrong decisions is that there was, and is, a big failure in the teaching of God’s ways and commands in the family home.

Justice and judgment were not taught by God-fearing parents in their homes. Foundational truths were not ingrained into their hearts when they were little and growing up. The failure of righteous government can be easily traced back to the failure of law and order and the teaching of justice and judgment in the home.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

What I am talking about can also apply to a church. There are some churches where the leadership are at odds with each other, fighting amongst themselves. Often in times like this many people will be offended and leave the church. Every church should have a strong atmosphere of love, peace, joy, and a feeling of being at home. If a church does not have an atmosphere of feeling ‘at home,” all I can say is find one that does.

These are days where many young people are leaving their homes because of the pain of not feeling loved and wanted. They can only get their pain of loneliness and hurts satisfied temporarily by drugs and needles containing opioids and dangerous drugs. All of this is because their deepest desires are not being met by families caring for each other.

Ultimately it takes Christian homes where prayer, praise, worship, and God’s word is a high priority.

Children need to know that their Mommy and Daddy truly love each other—by the way they speak and communicate to teach other before their children. Every child needs to daily experience the loving, caring interest and interactions of a loving father and mother.

As parents, we must resist all negative debates, arguments, and all that which creates an atmosphere of tension, stress, and emotional disorders between each other, as well as our children.

We need to train our children in early life through appropriate discipline, as well as constant encouragement, to live peaceably with each other.

Romans 12:18: “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”

How can we invite people into our homes if our homes are chaotic and anything but peaceable? I think that tensions are often felt long before they are heard. People who have tensions are really very difficult to live with. We must take a strong stand against tensions in our own lives.

Psalm 144:15: “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Illustration by Frances Hook – 1963.

One of our favorite stories. The million-mile journey of Arnold Pent, Jr. and his wife and eight children as they traveled through US and Canada together. The father preached along the way. But no matter where they were, or whoever they stayed with, they never gave up their practice of daily Bible reading and memorization.

Challenging and inspiring reading.

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY?

“TEN P’S IN A POD should be required reading. I still count it among one of the handful of most important books I have ever read.”
~ Andrée Seu Peterson, World Magazine Columnist

“Your book is a breath of fresh air.”

“In a society where the Bible is rarely read, even in Christian homes, this book should be necessary (but enjoyable) reading for EVERY Christian family.”

“How this husband and wife were able to take a family of eight children across both the United States and Canada throughout the 1950s and early 1960s in various old cars is a story worth reading.”
—
“I read this book out loud to my husband while we were on a long trip. Reading it out loud made the Scriptures and stories come alive. I’ve been greatly affected by the book.”

To order now, go to: https://tinyurl.com/10PsBook

We must all learn the art of peacemaking to avoid chaos from taking over our families and homes.

Matthew 5:9 says: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Fathers, we are peacemakers, and we are raising peacemakers.

I think the family home is the most important of all places to have peace.

This is where we live together as a family.
This is where we eat and fellowship together.
This is where we find rest and a sense of belonging.

We all know Psalm 23:2 which says: “He maketh me to lie down in great pastures: he leadeth ne beside the still waters.”

I looked after sheep in the early days of my life on our farm in New Zealand where my father owned many hundreds of sheep, up to a thousand when the lambs were born. Sheep require a place of tranquility in order to lie down and rest. The pastures must be green and healthy so their stomachs will be full and satisfied. Only then will they cease to be restless and able to lie down and sleep peacefully.

This verse also mentions that they need to be led by “still waters,” not raging chaotic flood waters where we endanger their lives and they cannot drink of those dangerous waters.

As parents, we are in a real sense, shepherds of our families. God calls His people “His flock” and “His sheep” (Psalm 74:1; 79:13; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; and Zechariah 10:3. Therefore, the whole of Psalm 23 is a shepherd’s manual for both pastors and parents. We are indeed the shepherds of our families.

“Still waters” are peaceful waters. A chaotic environment is not a healthy environment for children. “Still waters” are tranquil waters where your family can rest and be at peace.

Are you a peacemaker in your home? Or are you a troublemaker in your home? Even hidden sins can disturb the peace in your home such as looking at violent movies or watching secret pornography. Entertaining lustful thoughts or angry attitudes (even in secret) can disturb the peace in your home. Secret negative attitudes can be felt by those who walk in the light.

1 John 1:7 says: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

There is nothing worse than trying to hear something important when there is static of some kind or electrical interference (radio or cell phone). Secret, negative attitudes will create static and interference with the atmosphere of your home.

Parents, we have to get to the bottom of these negative attitudes, even when they are not verbally expressed for they will create static or a flickering light. True fellowship can only be enjoyed by those who walk in the light. Those who are peacemakers and light makers will automatically have the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing them from all sin. They are more than willing to confess their sins and faults to one another and to the Lord.

As parents, we must teach our children to confess their faults and sins so that they will forsake the things that hinder the fellowship.

How can we call ourselves the children of God if we do not actively engage in peacemaking?

Does Jesus Christ feel at home in your home?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Painting by Ron DiCianni

Where there is righteousness there will be peace. Psalm 85:10: says: “Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Peace has an intimate relationship with righteousness. It actually kisses righteousness. Kissing someone or something is a tangible expression of heartfelt emotion. The kiss of peace is given to those who seek to live righteous lives through their relationship with Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 says that He is called “The Prince of Peace.” Until Israel accepts Jesus Christ (Yeshua Hamashiach) as their Prince of Peace they will not know any true lasting peace.

As Christian parents, we must make Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace over our marriages and our homes. As godly fathers, we must teach our children to seek after the things that make for peace. We should pray daily that the peace of God will rule in the hearts and lives of our children. Colossians 3;15 says: “And let the peace of God RULE in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

We don’t want our homes to be filled with arguments, debates, discord, anxieties, defiance, depressions, fears, and bad attitudes. These things are opposite to the peace of God’s kingdom which consists of righteousness, peace, and joy! Romans 14:17 says: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, a nd joy in the Holy Ghost.” Is this Scripture the testimony of your home?

We are also exhorted to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6 says: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Our Jerusalem, as Christians, is not only the natural city in Israel which we must definitely pray for constantly.

However, in another sense, our Jerusalem can be our homes and families where we live.

It can also be the churches we attend.

It can also be the individual bodies we live in for these bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:15 and 2 Corinthians 6:16-18). Wherever the temple are, that’s where the New Jerusalem is.

To be continued.

Colin Campbell

Bad moods, the silent treatment, a refusal to be bright and happy, straight-out defiance, dirty looks, and a negative attitude cannot be tolerated if you want to save your home from chaos and a bad atmosphere.

If you do not apply the rod when the rod is appropriate you will create a rod for your own back.

Shouting, anger, and temper tantrums must not be tolerated or allowed to prevail.

Pouting, hateful speech, and cussing must be dealt with quickly by a firm hand of righteous, godly discipline.

If we do not take appropriate action, our homes will quickly become chaotic, unhappy, unloving, and anything but a home of peace and healing.

Christian graces and righteous attitudes must be constantly taught and applied in our homes.

Around the table, both morning and evening, we must unfailingly share the teachings and admonitions of God’s Word and the instructions of righteous behavior that will save us from the chaos and evil that easily destroy homes and families.

As Christian families, we must actively pursue the things which make for peace. Romans 14:19 says: “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

There are things we can do, both in our individual lives and families, that make for peace. God’s home is a place of peace, not contention. This is where the rubber meets the road.

What are these things which make for peace? Are we actively finding out these things which make for peace? Is your home and marriage a place of peace? I am not talking about noise, for where children are, noise is inevitable. Happy noise is healthy noise.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Your home is a place where you have control over who comes and goes. Your home is not a place where you allow anybody to come in and eat the food they want from your pantry and refrigerator. You don’t allow people to come in and sleep in your bedroom and wear your clothes.

Your home is meant to be a place where the parents rule and not the children, or anyone else who thinks they are entitled to usurp your authority. Your home is a place where you rule and not your invited guests, relatives, or friends. If you let others take control, the home is no longer yours.

To those who think they can just come in and take over, you need to rise up and lay out the basic rules of your home. You need to inform them that if they do not comply, they are no longer welcome in your home. When, out of compassion, you bring folk into your home, it does not mean they have the right to dictate their own terms.

Your home should be HOME SWEET HOME.

Your home should be a place where LOVE AND PEACE REIGN.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell