Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

THANKS SO MUCH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin.

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

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

Colin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be encouraged. Colin

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

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

Colin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Truth is of little value until someone puts arms, legs, tongue, and pen to it. It is only when truth is lived and spoken that it has the power to break the false and scatter the darkness."

"We cannot be passionate lovers of God without being passionate lovers of His truth."

"TRUTH FAILS FOR THE WANT OF THOSE TO SPEAK IT! "

"Faithfulness is proved by time."

God's Word--ancient words made new each day by the Holy Spirit.

"The best learners are the best listeners."