"A society based upon the opinion of civilians."
~ Winston Churchill
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Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.
Goliath was a physical giant, David was a spiritual giant. Guess who won?
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Exodus 16:19, 20: “And Moses said, let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.”
There is an amazing truth in this temptation. We know that the manna represents God’s Word. The manna also represents Jesus Christ.
John 6:32-35: “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believed on me shall never thirst.”
We see three important truths in these words of Jesus.
1. Jesus is the true bread
2. Jesus came down from Heaven
3. Jesus gives life to the world
God told the Israeliltes that if manna was left over until the following morning, it would breed worms and stink. It was disobedience to leave it till the next morning.
The manna, which is a type of God’s Word and Jesus Christ Himself, was miraculously provided from Heaven And it was not to be left over until the next day. How much more should Jesus Christ, the true Bread that came down for Heaven and who gives life to the world not be LEFT OVER BREAD. He is not “take it or leave it” bread.
We cannot be casual about Jesus Christ, our Bread of Life. Jesus, the true Bread, must be eaten of every day.
Matthew 4:4: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but be every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Jesus Christ is the Bread of God’s presence. The shewbread in the temple was called “the bread of the Presence” (1 Samuel 21:6 (NASB).
The question that amazes me is this: how is it possible that the manna which came down from Heaven, if left over until the following morning, bred worms and stank? Who wants to eat bread that has worms wriggling around in it and stinks? What do we learn from this?
We must not allow Jesus Christ to be stale, left over bread which we don’t eat until we feel like it. When Jesus called His disciples to follow him “They immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him” (Matthew 4:22).
Luke 9:57-62 tells us about different men who wanted to follow Jesus wherever He went. But one said, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” Another said, “Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.”
What was Jesus’ answer: “No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The word of Christ, if it is not received with instant obedience has the power to destroy us. We become stale, and in a sense, we allow worms of disobedience and disrespect for God’s Word to breed in us. We also begin to stink of staleness and mustiness.
Jesus Christ is FRESH BREAD. He is PRESENCE BREAD. He is the FRAGRANT BREAD of Song of Solomon 4:11-16.
If we desire to be fresh, we must eat fresh bread, not left over bread.
As fathers and mothers, we must be fresh bread to our children. We must teach them to daily partake of God’s Word. Yesterday’s revelations of God were for yesterday. We must get fresh revelation of God for each new day.
If we don’t eat fresh manna, we will spiritually stink, to ourselves as well as to others.
1 Samuel 15:22, 23: “Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity an idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”
King Saul, through disobedience, began to stink of human reasoning.
Let’s be those who reveal the fragrance of the freshness of God’s presence upon our lives each new day.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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It didn’t take long for the fleshly nature of the Israelites to show itself. They had just been redeemed by the Passover blood of the lamb. In type they had been baptized by coming through the Red Sea. They were also covered by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, a type of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
It was only one month and 15 days from leaving Egypt when they failed to pass the third test of hunger. The wilderness was a proving and testimony time. If they overcame these temptations, they would enter the Promised Land. But once again, they insulted God by complaining.
Exodus 16:2, 3 says: “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full: for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger,”
They should have said: “God: You did such mighty signs and wonders to set us free from the slave chains of Egypt. You will not forsake us now our food is running out. We worship You for the miraculous provisions that You will provide. We thank You in faith.”
Now I am quite sure most of us would have also failed God in this test, especially if our children were crying out in hunger.
We remember that the devil tempted Jesus when he was hungry after fasting for forty days and forty nights. Jesus was also going through a wilderness experience following His baptism. When the devil tempted Jesus to command the stones to turn into bread Jesus reminded the him: “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
Jesus was saying, “I am turning my natural hunger into a spiritual hunger for every word that comes forth from God’s mouth.” He told the devil that every word coming from God’s mouth would keep him alive.
Even Job understood the wilderness experience. Job said in Job 23:10-12: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."
Job esteemed God’s words more than his necessary food. Is that your testimony regarding God’s Word? One Chinese saint used to say: “No Bible, no breakfast.” He would never feed his physical body before he fed his spiritual inner man.
Fathers, do you accept this truth? Do you teach this truth to your family? How hungry are you for EVERY word that comes from the mouth of God?
Both Jesus and Job overcame but Israel failed. May God help us not to fail.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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Read the story in Exodus 15:22-27. After walking for three days in the wilderness with their families and little ones, they still found no water. This was a very difficult test for them. Anyone, no matter how strong they were, if they were to walk in the wilderness without water for three days would become very parched and thirsty.
Finally, they found water at a place called Marah, but they couldn’t drink of it because the waters were bitter. It would be more than disappointing to discover water only to find it was undrinkable!
Verse 23 says: “And the people murmured against Moses.” They had not repented of their wrong attitude towards Moses when Pharaoh was about to crush and destroy them. In fact, their false accusations were not only towards Moses but ultimately towards God.
God opened up the Red Sea so His people could escape Pharaoh’s army. Even though they all rejoiced to see Pharaoh’s army drown in the sea, they still had not repented of their bad attitudes toward Moses and ultimately toward God. And therefore, this attitude now rises again at the waters of Marah.
Moses cries out to the Lord. Instead of crying out against Moses, the people should have done exactly what Moises did—cry out to the Lord themselves.
The flesh nature of man always seeks to blame somebody else when things go wrong. Their problem of murmuring and blaming others was what God wanted to deal with them about. He wanted them to repent of this sin. But God, who is rich in mercy, was patient with them.
Verse 25 says: “The LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.”
Their problem of thirst was resolved but they did not repent of their attitude. It would rise again.
The end of verse 25 says: “There he proved them.” The word means “tested.” Did they pass the real test? No, they did not and yet God gave them water, plus a great covenant of healing from all the diseases He had put upon the Egyptians.
Verse 26: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I AM THE LORD THAT HEALETH THEE.”
What should we do when we get into bitter experiences in life? Cry out to God. If we will only cry out to the Lord, He will always show some way to sweeten the bitter waters and He will make your bitter experience sweet. And He will bless you,
The Israelites once again rejoiced in the miracle of sweet waters, but they still did not repent of their wrong attitudes towards God and Moses.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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The children of Israel tempted God 10 times in the wilderness.
Numbers 14:22 says: “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these TEN TIMES, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto the fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it.”
Today we will look at the first temptation:
1. FEAR AND PANIC
Exodus 14:11: “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were SORE AFRAID and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?”
The children of Israel failed in their first temptation (trial) because they feared the enemy. Fear blinded their eyes to the awesome power God had already displayed by miraculously and mightily delivering them from Egypt’s slavery and bondage.
What was Moses’ response? “Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Verses 13, 14).
We often fear when things go wrong in our lives. Sometimes we panic. We open our mouths and speak words that not only make us more afraid but cause others to fear and panic.
Moses gave them the overcoming remedy.
a) KEEP YOUR EYES UPON THE LORD
Stand still. Stop running around in panic. Look for God’s salvation. When a flood of trouble threatens your life as well as your family it is most important where you put your eyes. Do not ever take your eyes off the Lord. Do not look at the enemy’s strength. If you keep looking at the Lord, your eyes will see His strength and power. What a powerful vision.
If you look at the enemy, your eyes will see more and more of his destructive power which causes more fear and panic.
b) ZIP YOUR LIP
Refuse to speak negative words. Hold your tongue tightly.
We are exhorted in Philippians 4:6, 7: “Be carefully for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Christ is the only Prince of peace. There is no other.
As parents, we must apply this truth to our lives as well as the lives of our families. We must each earn to overcome fear, panic, speaking rashly, inadvisably, and negatively. All these cause us to lose our peace and eventually stop us from inheriting the promised land.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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1 Corinthians 10:6: “NOW THESE THINGS WERE FOR OUR EXAMPLES.”
1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened unto them for EXAMPLES: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that think he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
In the last devotion we mentioned the things that Paul said we must not be ignorant about. Now he writes about things that are written for our example.
1. DO NOT LUST AFTER EVIL
V. 6: “To the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”
Parents, we must speak to our children and families about lust. We must teach them to steer away from it because it is all around us these days.
2. DO NOT HAVE IDOLS
V. 7: “Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them: as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Refer to Numbers 32:6-8.
3. DO NOT COMMIT FORNICATION
V. 8: “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.” Fornication is the Greek word “porneuo” and means “to have sex outside of marriage, to indulge in unlawful lust.” It includes homosexuality, harlotry, and all types of sexual perverseness. The Bible warns us against all sexual sin.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NET) states: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
4. DO NOT TEMPT CHRIST
V. 9: “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.” We read in Numbers 21:4-9 how God sent fiery serpents among the people because of their complaining.
5. DO NOT MURMUR
v. 10: “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.” IN Exodus 17;2 it says: “Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink.” And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? Wherefore do you tempt the LORD?”
The word “chide” in the Hebrew means “to wrangle, hold a controversy, complain, contend, debate.” When you murmur and complain, you tempt God.
Arguing and debating with God’s given authority, whether parents, pastors, or the authority of government and law (police) must be discouraged because it tempts God to judge and discipline in His displeasure.
Next post we will look at the 10 ways the children of Israel tempted God in the wilderness.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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We as parents and grandparents must instruct our children on the importance of faith and obedience.
In 1 Corinthians 13:1-12 the Apostle Paul used the analogy of the children of Israel coming out of Egypt and going through the wilderness to get to the Promised Land. However, the adult generation, through unbelief and disobedience, did not enter the Promised Land. It was only Joshua and Caleb of that generation who experienced the privilege of entering in.
Paul says at the beginning of this passage: “I would not that ye should be ignorant” and proceeds to tell them the things of which they must not be ignorant.
1. Every family had to have the blood applied to their homes (speaking of our acceptance of the blood of Jesus Christ being applied by faith to the doorposts of our hearts).
Exodus 12:7: “And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat of it.”
Earnestly seek to make sure each of your children to faith in Christ through the precious blood of Christ.
2. They “were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea” (10:2). We are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of our baptism and the cloud represents the presence and protection of the Holy Spirit.
3. They “did all eat the same spiritual meat” (10:3). This speaks of the manna God provided for them six days of every week throughout the whole of their journey through the wilderness (Exodus 16:14-18). The manna speaks of our daily feeding upon God’s living Word. Don’t miss feeding your family with their “spiritual manna” each day. The biblical pattern is to do it morning and evening.
4. They “did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (10:4). Refer to Exodus 17:6.
John 4:13, `14: “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a WELL OF WATER SPRINGING UP into everlasting life.”
John 7:37-39 (NET): “On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, ‘If anyone Is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.’ (Now he said this about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
5. “But with many of them God was NOT WELL PLEASED” (10:5). We don’t want to be in this camp, do we? May we be those who please the Lord and walk in the fear of the Lord each day in our families.
We will continue in tomorrow’s post.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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The children of Israel could not go into the Promised Land until they had been tested and proved. God ordained the wilderness to test and prove His people. They could not inherit the Promised Land without many challenging battles. They could only be won by a people who had learned to keep their eyes on God and to trust Him to give them the victory.
This good land that flowed with milk and honey could only be taken by a people who had learned the right attitudes. They would could not allow pessimism, negativity, grumbling, or complaining to rear their ugly heads. On the contrary, they needed the attitudes of zeal, faith, positive confession, courage, an optimistic spirit, and an obedient and humble heart that waits on God for His counsel and directions.
Joshua and Caleb were the only ones of that entire adult generation that came out of Egypt who made it through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. It was the next generation that went with Joshua and Caleb.
Read 1 Corinthians 10: 1-12:
v. 5-7: But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our EXAMPLES, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”
ARE YOU PLAYING OR PRAYING?
v. 8-10: “Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
ARE YOU A GRUMBLER? A COMPLAINER? NO MURMURERS GOT INTO THE PROMISED LAND!
WILL THERE BE MURMURERS IN HEAVEN? NO. WE BETTER STOP MURMURING NOW!
PLEASE READ NUMBERS 14:26-38. IT IS FOR OUR WARNING.
v. 11, 12: “Now all these things happened unto them for EXAMPLES: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”
Hebrews 10:39: “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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Bright, positive, optimistic men make the best husbands and fathers. A gloomy, pessimistic person who cannot see the bright side of life is very difficult to live with. Who wants to hang around a person who is always down in the mouth, depressed, and negative about everything? I for one would not like to live a single day around such a person, let alone be married to one.
The children of Israel, having left the great oppression and “doom and gloom” of the slavery of Egypt, could not shake the negative mindset. It had become so ingrained into them over the years of their slavery. They were freed from their physical slave shackles, but were still mentally, emotionally, and spiritually slaves to fear and unbelief. All this negativity and unbelief eventually stopped them from entering into the Promised Land.
God did not want this complaining spirit to enter the Promised Land. This attitude of negativity would never enable them to bring down the giants that inhabited Canaan. The strongholds of Canaan could only be defeated by a people with an optimistic belief that with God nothing is impossible.
Proverbs 15:13, 15: “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. . . . All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”
The Passion Translation says: “A cheerful heart puts a smile on your face . . . When you CHOOSE TO BE CHEERFUL, every day will bring you more and more joy and fullness.”
It’s your choice.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
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Religion today is not transforming people; rather it is being transformed by the people.
It is not raising the moral level of society; it is decending to society's own level, and congratulating itself that it has scored a victory because society is smilingly accepting its surrender.
~ A. W. Tozer
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Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.
~ A. W. Tozer
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You can be as straight as a gun barrel Theologically, and just as empty as one spiritually.
~ A. W. Tozer
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The greatest thing you can do as a man is to reveal the heart of God the Father to you children and to mankind.
~ Colin Campbell
Painting by Vickie Wade.
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...has grown out of too much government.
~Thomas Jefferson
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...Are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.
~ Thomas Jefferson
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"A lie has many variations, the truth none."
~ African Proverb
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If Capitalism is evil and Socialism is the answer, why is the caravan not headed to Venezuela? It's less than half the distance. Liberals, feel free to answer my question.
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