Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

How can we say we love our children if we are not prepared to give to them loving smiles, loving time, loving conversation, loving interest, and even loving discipline? Proverbs 13:24 says: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth hi quickly.”

John 3:35 says: “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand” Even Jesus, the beloved Son, suffered the testings and disciplines of life (without sin) given to him by the loving hand of His Ever-loving Father.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Painting by Harry Anderson

I am shocked and horrified at how many children in our nation who do not have fathers present in their lives. The U.S. Census Bureau states in Fatherhood Data and Statistics that 24 million children, one out of every three, live without a biological father. These statistics are tragic!

Absent fathers have drastically weakened the nation. Fatherhood is an awesome responsibility. Failure to take up this challenge through lack of interest or selfish priorities reveals a great weakness of character that is not acceptable. In fact, if is plain irresponsible.

Marriage breakdown and divorce is also a main contributor to absent fatherhood. All children need loving, understanding, kind fathers who make every endeavor to be present and involved with their families. Every child is another link in the generational chain and parents must make every effort to make that generational link as strong as possible.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Painting: “Daddy Loves Me” by Jane Heinrichs

Most men react more rationally and calmer when a child has an accident or gets into trouble. I know that men cannot always be there because of working away from home, but when you get a lunch break or some time to take a break, please give your wife a call. Check up on what’s happening at home.

A husband’s reassuring voice of wisdom goes a long way to calm a wife’s frazzled nerves when things are not going well. When you are at home, be at home. In other words, be involved with your family as much as possible. I think it is possible for some men to be at home, but they might as well not be home. They shut themselves off from their family.

Genesis 22:7 says: “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, My father: and he said, here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for burnt offering?” Like Isaac, there are many sons and daughters crying out, “My father, my father, where are you? Please answer me. I need your help and wisdom now.”

Fathers, when you are at home, make yourselves available. Even though you may have responsibilities to take care of, even at home, be ready to drop what you are doing to attend to the needy request of your own flesh and blood, your children.

Beware of being overly taken up with your smart phone, computer, favorite hobby, or self-interest. Remember, you are a father FIRST OF ALL. You are an honorable, attentive father. Fatherhood is a crown for your head. Put it on and wear it with godly pride. It is your privilege.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Painting: “Once, they were young” by Pascal Campion

All fine jewelry is kept in a safe place where it is protected from thieves and destroyers, such as the Crown Jewels.

Sending one’s wife out of the protected environment of a godly home into the unprotected work place is not esteeming her value to be worth more than rubies. While your valuable treasures are kept in a bank vault or in a strong steel case with an expensive lock, your most treasured and loved wife is placed in a work environment of sleazy, flirtatious predators. This does not make sense to me.

No wonder our homes are falling apart and our treasures are thrown to the wind. If you regard your daughters as crown jewels, you will also protect them from the wolves of the work place or crazy colleges.

Father, you have a divine responsibility to protect your living gem stones.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

However, because they are more masculine in their ways, fathers must constantly remember they are not coaching a football or basketball team that needs knocking into shape. Nor are they army sergeants bulldozing new recruits into shape. Army drill sergeants and football/basketball coaches are often mean-spirited and aggressively controlling in order to produce a winning team.

This is not the way we raise our children, who are our own flesh and blood, into the image of God. Our children need to know that we love them, not only by our words, but even more importantly, by our actions and attitudes.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to meet the head Chaplin of one of the Los Angeles prisons for men. He told me the successful story in getting male prisoners to send Mother’s Day cards (provided free by Hallmark) to their mother on Mother’s Day.

Because it was such a huge success the prison authorities decided to provide Father’s Day cards for the inmates to send to their fathers on Father’s Day. All the men at the prison received a card to send to their fathers, courtesy of Hallmark. Sad to say, it was a complete failure. No one seemed to have any high enough esteem to send their fathers a Father’s Day card. How very sad, and yet what a revealing indictment regarding the failure of fatherhood in each one of those prisoner’s lives.

In many ways, one could conclude that one of the main reasons for their sons being I prison was the failure of their fathers to be loving, encouraging fathers. Conversely, how wonderful it is to hear sons and daughters speak highly of their fathers.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

And I must illustrate these tales,
Must imitate the northern gales
That toss the Indian’s canoe,
And show the way he paddles, too.
If in the story comes a bear,
I have to pause and sniff the air
And show the way he climbs the trees
To steal the honey from the bees.

And then I buzz like angry bees
And sting him on the nose and knees
And howl in pain, till mother cries;
“That pair will never shut their eyes,
While all that noise up there you make;
You’re simply keeping them awake.”
And then they whisper: “Just one more,”
And once again I’m forced to roar.

New stories every night they ask,
And that is not an easy task;
I have to be so many things;
The frog that croaks, the lard that sings,
The cunning fox, the frightened hen;
But just last night they stumped me, when
They wanted me to twist and squirm
And imitate an angleworm.

At last they tumbled off to sleep,
And softly from their room I creep
And brush and comb the shock of hair
I tossed about to be a bear.
Then mother says: “Well, I should say
You’re just as much a child as they.”
But you can bet I’ll not resign
That story-telling job of mine.

By Edgar A. Guest

Fatherhood is an HONORABLE estate.

Painting by Daniel Rodgers - "Learning to Ride"

Some may ask: in what way, should our children know we are for them if what they are doing is sinful and contrary to godly parental standards?

• They need to be assured that no matter what, we will continue to love them even though we do not love their sin. We are for them in that we constantly pray for their repentance.
• They need to know that we are for them being set free from the devil’s slavery and bondage.
• They need to know that even though we cannot put a roof over their rebellion when they are old enough to live away from us, they will always be welcome to come home when they repent.
• They need to know that we will never hold their sinful past against them when they desire restoration based on repentance.

The Father God reassured His children, Israel, with this truth repeatedly through the Scriptures. Even though our heavenly Father was constantly driven to anger and had to apply righteous discipline, His anger was always quickly appeased at the first instance of repentance.

Read 1 Kings 21:27-29 and Psalm 78:31-72.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

The righteous cry out: “Help. Somebody please show us what to do.”

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.”

We must pray for this special anointing that was prophesied for John the Baptist at the first coming of Christ to come upon another “John the Baptist” or many with this anointing for this generation that awaits the second coming of Christ.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

God was never an absentee Father with Jesus--from eternity past to eternity to come.

Fatherhood and sonship are inseparable positions. Each one of us fathers need to sit up and take note. Every father needs to be more deeply involved in the lives of all their children—sons and daughters.

God our Father is the prototype of all fatherhood. Ephesians 3:14, 15: “For this because I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”

God desires that all families should be under the influence of a godly father. We have allowed present day culture to virtually destroy God’s vision for fatherhood. What we now call fatherhood is almost unrecognizable compared to the image of our Father God from the beginning and revealed through Jesus when He was here on earth. It is truly a time to recap on the true image of our Father God.

Far too many fathers do what they think is right. The problem in most cases is that they have never been taught. How can we ever succeed in any career, especially one that deals with living souls who have eternal destinies, without first being trained by true, godly fathers?

To be continued. Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

Painting by Daniel F. Gerhartz

John 14:23 gives us an even greater revelation of God in the lives of those who love Him and keep His words. Jesus said: “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

This is amazing fatherhood. It reveals how much God our Father desires to be intimately involved in our lives. He wants to live with us. God is not an absentee Father. Perish the thought.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

We as Christian men must pray now for our president, Donald Trump, and all members of his cabinet. How can they be successful if we do no care enough to pray earnestly for them? We also need to pray for great repentance for all moral and civil disobediences. Locking up those who are rebellious, rioters, and murderers, although I agree it must be done, does not necessarily change their hearts and ways. We are reaping the results of a great national failure of godly fatherhood and motherhood, marriage, and pretty much all biblical family values.

But there is still hope if we repent and pray!

Malachi 4:5, 6: “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 heat 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.”

Pray for the turning of fathers’ hearts to their children and families. Fatherhood is not absentee fatherhood, but available fatherhood. Jesus confessed that His Father was always with him.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Thank you so much for your prayers for my healing. My wife and I are scheduled to leave in four weeks for ministry in New Zealand and so I am trusting for a supernatural healing.

~ Colin Campbell

Fatherhood, without doubt, is one of the most important foundations upon which we build a healthy society!

Fatherhood is one of the greatest roles a man can have the privilege to live and fulfill.

Without the function of true fatherhood, society quickly fails. Strong fathers are necessary to make strong families and strong families make a strong nation.

Christian men are greatly privileged to know God as their Father. Jesus said in John 14:6: “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” To know God as our Father is indeed a priceless treasure to experience. In the Gospel of John alone the name of the Father is mentioned approximately 123 times. Jesus spoke of God as Father more than any writer in the Bible.

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). To me, this surely means that the name of God as Father is a hallowed name, a name to be reverenced, to make holy and sacred.

God is the prototype of all true fatherhood. There is a strong sense of love, intimacy, care, protection, and mercy that God graciously provides for us through our relationship with Him as our personal father. God is the greatest Father of all. He is perfect fatherhood.

We are so amazingly and unbelievably privileged to always address Him each time we pray as “Our Father” or even better, “My Father which art in heaven.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Painting by Terri Meyer (watercolor). The artist describes the painting: “My grandson melted into my father's arms.”

When it comes to prevailing prayer and seeing our prayers answered, it is important for us to see ourselves seated together with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). This enables our faith to rise and become strong because it is not based on our righteousness, but on His righteousness.

Psalm 24:3: “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?"

When we look at all the moral and ethical qualifications listed in the following verses in Psalm 24, we could easily shrink back into our own hopeless despair. However, we have the amazing truth that through identification with Christ Jesus, we have the privilege of being not only welcomed up into the holy hill (heavenly places), but we are given a front seat!

In fact, even more than front seat. We are given a governing seat in Christ at the right hand of the almighty throne of God.

Psalm 15:1-5 also speaks of the righteous qualifications of those who can dwell in God’s holy hill.

We Christian men but not view ourselves apart from Christ-worthiness. This is where we so often fail to see our prayers answered. We must appropriate our ascended position in Christ.

From our position of being ascended and seated at the Father’s right hand of total and complete power, we dare not plead our own name. God has given Jesus a name which is above every name and at the mention of this name “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10,11).

This name has been given to us to plead in the place of our own unworthy name.

1 Corinthians 1:30: “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

Colossians 2:10: “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”

Teach Your families these truths so they can have their prayers answered.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Obama Care, with all its liberal agenda and unaffordable costs is in the process of being repealed and overturned.

Immigration, designed to stop easy access and illegal entry of terrorists through porous borders is being put into effect as we speak. About time!

So many things are changing for good, almost daily. I think It is hard for the media to get focused on any one thing, for as soon as they do, there is immediately more ground-breaking, earth-shattering news that freaks out the liberal media and makes them increasingly dumbfounded. The Lord is indeed giving us a window of opportunity to push back the forces of darkness and to advance the kingdom of righteousness.

We must be watchful and pray like we never have before. We must pray that . . .

• God will continue to give our president great favor, coupled with much wisdom, and understanding.
• Pray that he will continue to have the strength and stamina that will enable him to stay the course.
• Pray that he will not flag in his zeal for good, righteous government.
• Pray that all those he has chosen to govern in all areas of his administration will do their job well and with honor.
• Pray that all their marriages and families will be kept strong so the enemy will not be given any opportunity for slander.
• Pray that none will compromise in any matter of morality or ethics.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

I was reminded of what I believe God spoke to me on the final day of our elections. He challenged me that if he would give America Donald Trump to be our next President, would I pray for him daily? I did not want to be presumptuous or careless with my answer, knowing how easy it is to say Yes to something, but not follow through. And so, I answered, “By your grace I will commit myself.”

I never realized at the time just how quickly such yelling, hateful speech actions and protests would immediately happen. Much of it is inspired by a reprobate, liberal, and extreme socialist media, as well as being financed by the wealthy communist, George Soros.

I am reminded of the battle between Israel and the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-16. Verse 11 says: “And it happened, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”

Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands on both sides. Trump, like Joshua, is physically fighting against the enemies of our country and constitution. Many of these people prefer Islam above Christianity. They prefer abortion and death of innocent unborn children. They oppose life and all that is godly. Romans 1:28 says that God gives them up to a “reprobate mind.”

When Moses was up on the hill with his arms held high and the rod of God in his hand, Israel prevailed. The rod of God is now in the hands of Jesus Christ, the son of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1). Men, we must get up in the high hill of the Lord (Psalm 15) and lift holy hands. Get your wife and children to join in the fight and hold up your hands together for our land.

1 Timothy 2:8: “I will therefore that men pray every where, LIFTING HOLY HANDS, without wrath and doubting.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4: “I exhort therefore, that FIRST, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior: Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, I believe we should be most grateful for our new president. God, in His mercy, has given us a president who wills to work very hard to save America from the extreme socialist agenda and global ideology of our last president, Barak Obama. Hilary Clinton would have taken this country further into the pit of destructive liberalism.

Now that God has so graciously answered our prayers, we must be faithful to pray daily for our new government.

When listening to Donald Trump’s White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer give his second interview with the press, he was asked how the new administration felt about the woman’s demonstration. He defended their rights to free speech, which to my mind was a compromise, as much of the demonstration protest was loud and filthy abuse of the liberty of free speech.

The people of America, or any country for that matter, should not have to have such vulgarity displayed before their eyes and the eyes of their sons and daughters. This is plain straight abuse of freedom and liberty of public, moral decency. It would have been good if he had brought this to the press’s attention. However, he is doing a good job with the press.

When Donald J. Trump was first nominated to be president of this nation, God challenged my heart to pray for him. At that time, I sent out some pointers to pray for the president. Now that he is in augurated and in power, I feel it is important to remind one another to keep praying. He is only a man, and he cannot do this job without the anointing, wisdom, and help of Almighty God. He needs the prayers of God’s people.

Can I ask you to faithfully pray for him each day? You can do this personally, but, I would also encourage you to pray with your families.

Here are some pointers for you:

1. That he will personally seek God. Pray that instead of being a man of the flesh, he will be become a man of the Spirit. 2 Chronicles 26:5 says of Uzziah: “As long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.”

2. That he will seek God for:

a) Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:7-10).
b) Godly counsel
c) Humility before God and man
d) Righteousness

3. That he will choose righteous people to take the key positions in our federal government, cabinet, Supreme Court, etc.

4. That he will gather around him godly advisors—God-fearing men and women who stand uncompromisingly for God’s ways and for the Constitution.

5. That he will be fearless and strong against all national and international ungodly, unjust, liberal agendas, especially foreign policies.

6. That he will expose and deal with all government corruption.

7. That he will not compromise on all matters of importance, e.g. life (against abortion and euthanasia), marriage, Common Core, national security, border control, military, etc.

8. That he will stand for ISRAEL and not give in to the UN and the Palestinian propaganda.

9. That he will increasingly have his eyes opened to God’s ways. That he will have discernment between good and evil, right and wrong, clean and unclean, e.g. homosexual agenda. Ezekiel 44:23 states: “They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Read also Jeremiah 15:9 and Ezekiel 22:6.

10. For divine protection for him and his family, Mike Pence, and his family. Pray against assassins.
11. That he will take the office of the presidency seriously and be a godly example to the nation and to the world. Pray that he will be a great example for good, respected both at home and abroad, and all enemies will shut their mouths.
12. That he will be gracious and kind, but bold and strong when appropriate.

“God Forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23).

“I exhort therefore, that, first, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty . . .” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

It boggles my mind why most of the world support the so-called “Palestinians” and reject Israel. The “Palestinians” were kicked out of Jordan in 1970 when they tried to take over Jordan. The Palestinian militia were poor and there was no central control, New groups among them sprang up spontaneously or were set up by foreign governments, e.g., Syria and Iraq. The groups rapidly spawned, merged, and splintered, often trying to outdo one another in radicalism to attract recruits. Sounds a lot like ISIS, Boko Haram, and Hamas, etc.

In 1964 PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) took the main stage under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, the militant hater of Israel.

These people began to question the legitimacy of the Jordanian government and called for an overthrow. Between 1968 to the end of 1969 there were no less than 500 violent clashes between the Palestinian guerillas and Jordanian security forces, frequent kidnappings, acts of violence against innocent civilians, and plane hi-jackings.

One time, they beheaded a Jordanian soldier and played football with his head. King Hussein eventually kicked the Palestinians out of Jordan. King Hussein, at the time, was not prepared to go along with the proposed two-state solution called the Roger Agreement with the Palestinians in control of what is now known as the West Bank because he considered it too dangerous for Jordan. If it was too dangerous for Jordan to have a two-state solution with the Palestinians in the 1970’s, why does the world force this upon Israel today?

Kicked out of Jordan, approximately 50 percent went to Lebanon and the other 50 percent were given refugee camps in Israel controlled West Bank. However, in Lebanon they brought about a civil war and in the occupied West Bank they struck out with all forms of killings, death, and destruction against Israel.

Even when Israel wanted to bulldoze down the refugee camps and provide better accommodation, the Palestinians would not allow it for propaganda reasons.

The question is: why does the world support these people instead of little Israel? I say, little Israel, because compared to most other countries in the world they are unbelievably small. Most certainly, in 1967, they took back land that historically belonged to them, but only because they were attacked most severely.

They desperately need this land as a buffer zone for the split seconds required to intercept the thousands of rockets fired against them. How would any of the UN counties accept it if they faced the same situation?

The only reason the world supports the “Palestinians” is because the world, which has little understanding of the Bible and its promises for Israel, is deceived by Palestinian propaganda.

Much of our current, modern media is anti-God and anti-Bible. The Jewish people are returning to Israel by God’s divine decree, fulfilling the Biblical promises. They need room for settlements even though it is dangerous. And they know how to make the barren land productive.

Even though Israel, like Jordan (who at one time offered the Palestinians seats in government and shared leadership in Jordan), has on numerous occasions offered the Palestinians virtually all they have demanded. In fact, at one time they offered them the entire West Bank, except Jerusalem and what was mandated to Israel in 1948. However, they refused to accept that offer. They want all of Israel or nothing. They have proved repeatedly that they cannot be trusted to observe the rules regarding a two-state solution.

Why does the world back this wild horse called the PLO when they should be backing Israel, the peaceful, democratic, small nation living amid enemies?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Picture: A Jewish family prays at the wailing wall which the world wants to take from Israel.

BIBLICAL BORDERS OF ISRAEL
Genesis 15:18; Exodus 23:31; Numbers 34:3-12; Deuteronomy 11:24; Joshua 1:3, 4; Ezekiel 47:17-20.

Many people have never taken the time to study the history of both the Palestinian and Israel issue relating to the “West Bank” or “Disputed Territories” as they have been coined and are therefore, easily deceived by propaganda. The correct name for this area of land is Judea, Samaria, and East Jerusalem, the heartland of Israel.

The Bible clearly marks the boundaries given to each of the twelve tribes of Israel for an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:8). Read further Scriptures at the end of this post to give you more explicit understanding of the borders. The fact that through their sin and failure to be faithful to their God, they were scattered throughout the nations does not negate the many prophecies from God telling them they would be restored again to their own land, which includes all the so-called West Bank, Gaza strip and Golan Heights etc.

This promise of return and restoration is prophesied in many places through Holy Scriptures. Read Ezekiel, chapters 36 ad 37 and refer again to the link:
http://bit.ly/EverlastingPossesion
Even after Judah’s dispersion by the Roman Empire, a small remnant of Jews remained in the land of Israel. This remnant of Jews remained right up until the time of their nation’s restoration in May 1948.

The so-called “Palestinian” people were primarily based in Jordan and were never the permanent occupiers of the mountains of Israel. They were never driven out of the Promised land by Israel and have never been interested in doing anything agriculturally with the land. This land was promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and will only produce fruitfulness under their possession.

The land is arid, rocky, inhospitable, and desert like. The Palestinians are not in the slightest bit interested in taming and growing it. They only want to use it to obliterate Israel’s presence completely off the map! They only want to steal the land to build strategic rocket launching sites to kill and destroy the innocent and persecuted people of Israel.

On the other hand, Israel is making this barren land blossom like the rose as the Bible states (Isaiah 35:1, 2). They grow luscious grapes and olives out of dry stony ground. Israel needs to occupy this desolate wilderness (which they took back into their control in the 1967 war when they were so viciously attacked by Egypt, Syria, and other surrounding Islamic nations) to settle so many returning Jews.

If you study the wars immediately following Israel’s statehood and the 1967 attack by their Arb neighbors you see that it was only divine, miraculous intervention that caused Israel to win these wars and take back East Jerusalem and other strategic areas.

The “Palestinian” Arabs were kicked out of Jordan in the famous Black September of 1970 when the PLO tried to take over Jordan. In 1970 some two thirds of the Jordanian population were “Palestinian” Arabs. Israel took in approximately 50 percent of the refugees and Lebanon took the other 50 percent. They refused to become one with Israel or receive any offered help to assimilate, but as they had done in Jordan against King Hussain, they now sought to destroy their benefactor, Israel. The same thing happened in Lebanon.

To be continued.

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell