Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

God wants us to live in His presence. He gave His beloved Son to die for us in order to restore us to fellowship with Himself and to live in His presence. But do we really live in His presence in our daily lives?

What does it look like to live in God’s presence? If know we live in His presence we will live in . . .

When people come into your home to stay, how should they fit in? Should you allow them to make their own rules and do what they usually do? Or should you expect them to fit into your lifestyle and the way you run your home? What about when children come into your home and are disrespectful to your home?

No matter what the subject, my philosophy is to find out what God says about it. I am always amazed that I find the answer to all my questions in God’s Word.

The children of Israel had many strangers living amongst them. Egyptians came with them out of Egypt. So how did they work things out? Did the strangers live according to their own laws or did they have to fit in with the laws God gave to the children of Israel? God makes it very clear in His Word that the strangers were to have the same laws as the "homeborn.” Let’s look at some of the Scriptures:

Exodus 12:49, 50: "One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they."

Numbers 9:14: "Ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land."

Numbers 15:15, 16: "One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance forever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger before the Lord. One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you."

Numbers 15:29: "Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them."

Therefore I use this biblical principle in my home. Of course, I do have grace and mercy, but there are times when I have to lovingly, but firmly, state the rules of our home. If parents do not have the decency to stop their children jumping on my sofas, I will have to tell the children to stop. I have often seen them jumping on beds and had to curtail them.

We like to sit up at the table when we eat. And I don’t allow eating throughout the house, expect in the kitchen and dining room. It’s not easy to keep a home clean when crumbs are dropped through the house and drinks spilt on carpets.

We expect people who stay or live with us (and because we open our home continually in hospitality, we have many people coming and going) to join with us for Family Devotions morning and evening. This is part of the lifestyle of our homeborn family, and therefore we expect “strangers,” although usually friends, to partake with us. Now if we have non-Christians sitting at our table, we won’t expect them to pray personally around the table as we usually do. However, we don’t forgo reading the Word, but my husband will pray instead.

I could go on talking about many issues and you will have lots of questions too. We need to be sitting around together in a circle to discuss this question. However, I hope these Scriptures will give you a guideline as you face situations like this in your home.

In His love,

Nancy Campbell

Have you blown it? You've fallen again! You feel as though you have failed! Don't despair. God has put a principle in the universe that when we fall we will get up again. Isn't that great? Jeremiah 8:4 says: "Do men fall and not get up again? Does one turn away and not repent?"

If you've fallen, just get up again! That's the way! Isn't that how we encourage our little ones when they are learning to walk or when they are learning anything new as they grow older? This is the same way God treats us. He knows that we are weak and frail, but He encourages us to get up again. If you have sinned, repent and receive God's forgiveness which flows freely to you through His blood that He shed for you.

Genesis 2:18 says that I am created to be a help-meet to my husband. I can be a helper to him by:

H Heaping love and kisses upon him.
E Excitedly preparing meals for him.
L Lovingly serving him rather than my own pursuits.
P Praying for him.
E Encouraging him daily.
R Reverencing him and submitting to him.

How is your soul today? Downcast? Reveling in self-pity? Or even dead? I have answer for you. It’s God’s living Word.

Psalm 19:7 says: “The law of the LORD is perfect converting the soul.” Most other translations say either: “restoring the soul.” “refreshing the soul,” “reviving the soul,” and “renewing the soul.” I love Knox translation which says: “The Lord’s perfect law, how it brings the soul back to life.” Don’t you love that? Does your soul need coming back to life? Get back into God’s Word. You cannot expect to keep your soul alive when you don’t feed it.

What happens when we have a baby? We receive a child from the Lord. When Eve gave birth to Cain she exclaimed, “I have gotten a man FROM THE LORD” (Genesis 4:1). Some translations say “with the help of the Lord.” I love the Knox Version which says, “I have been ENRICHED by the Lord with a man-child.”

What an awesome privilege we have as women! Every child God gives you comes from Him. He is the giver of life. You cannot even conceive without God visiting you (Genesis 21:1, 2 and 1Samuel 2:21).

Do your dreams and prayers include the generations to come?

I am sure all mothers will enjoy reading this article. Here are a couple of lovely quotes:

“Becoming a parent looks—at least in the brain—a lot like falling in love.”

My life touched yours for a very brief space,
And what, oh what did you see?
A hurried, a worried, an anxious face?
Or the beauty of Jesus in me?

Home based upon Christian marriage is so evidently an institution of God, that a man must become profane before he can deny it . . . Of this realm woman is queen. It takes its cue and its hue from her. If she is in the best sense womanly--if she is true and tender, loving and heroic, patient and self-devoted--she consciously or unconsciously organizes and puts in operation a set of influences that do more to mould the destiny of the nation than any man, uncrowned by power or eloquence, can possibly effect.

~ Dr. J. G. Holland

Words have power. God gave us the gift of speech to communicate to one another with words. Jesus Himself is THE WORD! John 1: 1, 2, 14 says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” God gives words of truth.

However, words can also deceive. Words can lie. Words are misleading the majority of this nation. By euphemisms-- nice sounding words to cover up the true meaning of something so it no longer sounds offensive. Our humanistic society and the political left use euphemisms to cover up their agenda. To change your thinking! Hide the real truth.

Let’s not be fooled. Don’t allow your children to be fooled either. If they grow up accepting these words they will be brainwashed and imbibe falsity. They will hook into an anti-biblical mindset and become self-deceived.

Let’s look at just some of the examples. Please forgive me, the list got a little longer than I intended:

Abortion mentality. Currently accepted as the “right to choose,” “pro-choice," "women's health," or "reproductive freedom." The real truth is: “I choose to murder my own flesh and blood baby.”

Abortion act is called the “termination of pregnancy, “removal of fetal matter.” Would abortion clinics have as many clients if they posted the sign: “Come in here to have your baby murdered”?

Abortioner. The evil act of the abortioner which kills a live human being is called “Embryo Reduction Procedure” (ERP).

Adultery which breaks sacred vows proclaimed before God and betrays the marriage partner is called “temporary marriage,” “extra marital affair,” or just “an affair.”

Assisted Suicide by physicians giving a lethal overdose to kill a person is called the nice sounding phrase of “Death with Dignity.” No matter how nice it sounds, it’s still murder.

Baby in the womb is called everything but a human baby. Instead it is called “uterine contents,” “birth matter,” “products of conception,” etc.

Bad debts are called “under-performing assets.”

Bums. The accepted word is “homeless.”

Charity is called “entitlement.”

Child sexual abuse is watered down by the words “intergenerational sex.”

Collapse of American society. Our president calls it “fundamental transformation.”

Confiscation by threat of what belongs to others is called “social justice.” It’s really injustice.

Contraception is advocated by “Every child a wanted child.” Sounds lovely, but does that mean that a mother who does not find the timeframe convenient to have a baby can abort?

Fornication which is sexual intercourse before marriage is accepted as “pre-marital sex.” God calls it sin and says that no fornicator (along with other listed sins) will enter the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 5:9, 10). Of course, God gives total forgiveness when someone repents (1 John 1:7, 9).

Downright lies are called “inoperative statements” or “terminological inexactitude.”

Drug abuse is called “substance abuse.”

Gangs are called “youth groups.”

Expecting people to accept lifestyles that are contrary to the Bible is called “tolerance.”

Government spending is called “investment.”

Homosexuals are called “gay.” How can it be gay when it is an abomination in God’s eyes?

Illegal aliens are called “undocumented immigrants,” or Obama’s favorite term, “Americans-in-waiting.” My husband and I came from a different country and had to pay thousands of dollars and work hard to receive our Green Card on which was printed “Resident Alien.” Even though we were here legally we were stilled called “alien.” Today people are no longer called alien even when they are illegal! We later went on to become US citizens.

Liberal Left are called “progressives” or “progressive change agents.” They are not progressive and it is more correct to call them “leftists” or “statists.”

Marxism (which is really socialism, communism, or collectivism) currently practiced by many in government is covered up by the misleading names of “fairness,” “economic justice,” “redistribution,” “progressivism,” and “spreading the wealth around.”

Southern American children from infants to 18 years, arranged by gangs and drug cartels and welcomed by Obama into this nation, are called “unaccompanied minors.”

Micromanagement of our daily lives, thoughts, and businesses by self-appointed elitists is called “socialism.”

Pedophiles who prey on young children are called “minor-attracted persons” (MAPs).

Perverts are called “sexual variants.”

Porn movies are called “adult movies.”

Prostitutes are called “sex workers” or engaging in “social activity.”

Wasteful spending is called by our government “legislative directive.”

Rejecting the female role is called “feminism.” This term is devious because it sounds so much like the word feminine which gives the picture of a gentle, submissive, and nurturing woman. Instead, they want to annihilate motherhood and the family.

Sex change is called “Gender Assignment Surgery.” Everything that is against God and His creation is changed to a misleading word or phrase.

Twenty-four hour government-funded child care is called “flexible child care.” That doesn’t sound like a takeover, does it? But that it is the eventual plan.

Taxes. Obama, the professional euphemizer calls tax increase “Revenue enhancement,” “shared sacrifices,” or “advanced approach.” And yet he has already spent, using the people’s taxes, over $40 million on his vacations alone while in office. It will be over $50 million by the time his term ends.

We dare not be fooled by these euphemisms. The political left tells us like it’s not. Let’s not be afraid to tell it like it is!

We will not be seduced!

~ Nancy Campbell

No children in the house to play-
It must be hard to live that way!
I wonder what the people do
When night comes on and the work is through,
With no glad little folks to shout,
No eager feet to race about,
No youthful tongues to chatter on
About the joy that’s been and gone?
The house might be a castle fine,
But what a lonely place to dine!

Today is the first day of another year. The word filling my mind is AWAKE. In the midst of our busy lives and trying to keep up with everything we can still be asleep.

Asleep to the dangers of the changes happening to our communities and country. Asleep to the insidious plan of the enemy to keep us slumbering while he sows his deceptions into the minds of our children and this generation. Asleep to the plan of the progressives (the new word for socialists and Marxists) who are redirecting our nation from its core Judeo/Christian values to socialist and humanist ideology--opposite to our fundamental belief in God and family. Asleep to the plan to reeducate the children of our public schools to reject God, morality, the authority of their parents and instead embrace multiculturalism and political correctness (and everything that goes along with that word and which is also a form of Marxism). Asleep to our own materialism, half-heartedness, luke-warmnness, worldliness, and apathy. Asleep to the needs of others, the hurting world, and the persecuted church.

Good morning, dear ladies. Today begins another New Year. I pray God’s richest blessings upon you, your husband and your children. May we each come closer and closer to our wonderful Redeemer this coming year. May we seek to know Him MORE AND MORE, not according to our own imagination of what we want Him to be, but Who He is--our Savior from our sins, the Mighty God of the universe, King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Potentate of all.

Let’s seek Him MORE, pray MORE urgently and intensely, compromise less and stand MORE strongly for righteousness, and shine our lights MORE brightly (personally and as families) for God in this coming year.

“Christian parents who don’t have daily family devotions and don’t make time to build a solid Christian foundation to their children’s impressionable years should not be mystified when the children, in their teenage years, turn from the things of God.”

~ The Evidence Bible, Compiled by Ray Comfort

Children love to have friends. As they get older they love to have more friends. They love to get in the groove with their friends. In fact, many times peer pressure from friends becomes a greater influence than parent pressure! That’s why it is imperative to guard your children’s friends. Pray and look for godly friends for your children. Refrain from putting them into environments where they can be influenced by worldly and unbiblical influences.

When raising our children, I tried to do something different at the meal table one night a week. One of the things the children loved was COLOR NIGHTS. For example, I would choose a color and put up a notice:

“Tonight is RED Night
No admittance unless wearing something Red.
Supper at 6.00 p.m. Please knock before entering.”

She . . .
adds to his happiness,
subtracts from his cares,
multiplies his joys,
divides his sorrows, and
practices reduction in the
expenditure of his household.

~ Unknown

Painting: William Kay Blacklock (1872-1922) British Painter

Nowhere is Christianity more beautifully displayed, than in the home. It changes the home of wickedness, strife, and contention into a peaceful and delightful Eden. It converts the home of the wicked into a palace. It drives away discontentment, uneasiness, fear, and darkness and showers contentment, peace, and sunlight into every heart.

Christianity in home life makes all love and kindness between brothers and sisters; love and dutifulness between parents and children; love, peace, harmony, honesty, and faithfulness between husband and wife.

Home is the true wife's kingdom. Very largely does the wife hold in her hands, as a sacred trust, the happiness and the highest good of the hearts that nestle there. In the last analysis, home happiness depends on the wife.

Her spirit gives the home its atmosphere.