Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

In Job chapter 26 Job tries to describe some of the wonders of God but it is an impossible task. In verse 14 he says: “Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him?”

All the while we live on this earth, we can only gain partial knowledge of who Jesus Christ truly is.

When I was a young boy, every Sunday morning our family of nine children attended a small “Open Brethren” church in a small township in New Zealand. Most of us who gathered were all related with some visitors from time to time. We loved to sing hymns from the hymnal, “Hymns of Light and Love.” We still have one of these hymn books in our home. I loved to sing No. 239. Here are some stanzas from the seven verses of the hymn:

It passeth knowledge, that dear love of thine,
My Savior, Jesus, yet this soul of mine
Would of thy love in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, it’s everlasting strength,
Know more and more.

But though I cannot sing, or tell, or know
The fullness of thy love, while here below,
My empty vessel I may freely bring,
O Thou, who art of love the living spring,
My vessel fill.

Lord Jesus, when Thee face to face I see,
When on thy lofty throne I sit with Thee,
Then of thy love, in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, its everlasting strength,
My soul shall sing.

It will take better minds with much better powers of understanding to comprehend all there is to know about our Lord Jesus Christ. But we are promised in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that when we see Him “face to face . . . that then we will know Him as He really is." So great will be the revelation that all our prior knowledge will be so limited in comparison. It will be considered “partial knowledge.” Partial knowledge will be replaced with full knowledge. “Face to face” knowledge.

However, we cannot ever give away our pursuit of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Even though our faith is weak and frail, we must make every effort to gain more heart-knowledge of the One who is our Lord of lords and King of kings. The more we know of Him the deeper our love will be for Him on this earth NOW.

The bride in the Song of Solomon describes her Beloved with the most endearing terms. Read Song of Solomon 5:10-16.

The greater our knowledge of Him will determine the greater our worship of Him.

When I was a young man, along with other young people who were on fire for God, we used to sing:
To know Him, to know Him
Is the cry of my heart,
Spirit reveal Christ to me.
To hear what You’re saying
Brings life to my bones,
To know Him, to know Him alone.

Most Christians would tell you that they know Jesus Christ from a historical perspective, e.g. they know how He was born, they know some of the Bible stories about Him, and they know some of the miracles that He performed. They know that He went to the cross and paid the price for their sins. They know that He is their Savior and that He was buried and rose again on the third day. They know that He ascended into Heaven and that one day He will return to earth and they will be changed into their glorious heavenly bodies.

However, sad to say, many Christians do not know Him NOW--on a daily basis. They do not know much about what Jesus Christ is doing for them and others NOW. They do not have a daily relationship with Him in His Word and in prayer. Therefore, they do not have an increased desire to worship Him.

If what we know of Jesus Christ does not move us to seek Him, love Him, and worship Him more, could it be that our knowledge of Him is only intellectual and has not yet reached into our spirits? The spirit part of man is where the knowledge of Christ must enter in order for our lives to be changed. All our knowledge of Jesus Christ must affect “the hidden man of the heart.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Let’s look at the three NOWS of 1 Corinthians 12;12, 13: “For NOW we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: NOW we know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known. And NOW abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”

1. WE SHOULD BE LOOKING RIGHT NOW INTO THE MIRROR OF GOD’S WORD

“NOW we see through a glass darkly.” This speaks of looking into the Word to see Jesus. This may also relate to spiritual truths relating to the future “when that which is perfect is come” (1 Corinthians 13;10). Our knowledge and understanding of the future promised to all believers in Christ is at present obscure. It’s described as looking into a polished brass looking glass (which they used in those days) or reflection in water.

We definitely see things through the eyes of faith as we look into the Scriptures. They reveal to us that we will be resurrected from death and given an incorruptible body and we will be in a place called Heaven where the streets are paved with gold. We read that there will be many mansions for all of the resurrected in Heaven. We read that we will reign with Jesus Christ over all the earth.

Even though we have limited understanding of the hereafter, it does not mean that we should not be looking at Jesus Christ as read the Word and listen to the testimonies of His people. On the contrary, we need to make every effort to look earnestly into the person of Jesus Christ. The more we look at Him NOW, this side of eternity, the more we will be transformed NOW into all the various aspects of who He is in all His glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18: “But we all, with open face beholding in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

1 John 3;2: “Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” The greatest and highest pursuit of every Christian should be to live, look, and act like Jesus right NOW.

When He shall appear, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. All through our Christian life we should constantly strain our eyes into the looking glass of God’s Word, as well as His people, to behold the image of God revealed in His Son.

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:2: “Ye are our epistle (letter) written in our hearts, known and read of all men.” Therefore, as we look into God’s Word, as well as the lives and faces of the “hungry for more of Jesus Christians” we will see more and more of Him. The Spirit of the Lord will take the image of Jesus that we look at and place that same image upon our lives.

Hebrews 9:28: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

I believe that what I am about to say is very important. When the Scripture says that Jesus Christ is appearing the second time to those who look for him, it does not mean that He is only coming to those who are looking for His second coming. He comes to those who are looking right NOW to see His glory. It stands for reason that those who are looking for His return and can’t wait for this great event to happen are those who have already been looking, seeking, and straining to see something more of His glory every day. They look for Christ daily while they patiently wait for the shout of the archangel, the trump of God to sound, and the Lord Himself to descend from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Two more NOWS coming.

Be encouraged. Colin Campbell

God’s acceptable time is always RIGHT NOW.

Malachi 1:6: “A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honor, and if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the LORD of hosts unto you.”

We do not honor or fear our great God when we drag our feet to respond to His call upon our lives.

We notice in Matthew 4:18 that when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee that He saw Peter and his brother, Andrew casting a net into the sea. Verse 19, 20 says: “He saith to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they STRAIGHTWAY (IMMEDIATELY) left their nets, and followed him.”

Then he noticed James and John in a ship with their father mending their nets, and He called them. Verse 22 says: “And they IMMEDIATELY left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

Matthew 10:37, 38: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

With our most joyous and gladdest response, we should give instantaneous obedience to our great and mighty God, especially because of all that He has done for us.

Hebrews 3:7-15 (NET) talks about the NOW response of our hearts to God’s call: “Oh, that TODAY you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.”

The word TODAY is mentioned three times in this passage. Check it out. To refuse to give instant obedience and willing response is to do what the Scripture says is to “harden your hearts.” To harden the hearts is serious with God.

Proverbs 21:29: “A wicked man hardened his face.”

Proverbs 28:14: “Happy is the man that feareth always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.”

Proverbs 29:1: “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

And Jesus reminds us in Matthew 19:8 that the “hardness of your hearts” is the root of all divorce.

How can we who are fathers hope that our children will give spontaneous response to God if they have not been trained to give it to you?

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

God wants His people to be filled with bread, His living Word, each new morning. If we do not get filled with the Bread of Heaven every morning, our appetites will crave other sources of food.

We become what we fill ourselves with. We need to be a people with an ever-increasing appetite for Jesus Christ, the Living Bread.

I love to sing the great old hymn, “Guide me O thou Great Jehovah.” The last lines of the first stanza say:
“Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.”

Matthew 5:6; ”Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they SHALL BE FILLED.”

Luke 6:21: “Blessed are ye that hunger NOW: for ye SHALL BE FILLED.” The word NOW is an important word when it comes to feeding on God’s Word which also means to feed on Christ NOW, and at all times.

It is true that we need to have a “now appetite” when it comes to Jesus who is our Daily Bread. He does not want us to be treating Him as past bread or future bread when we hope we may have a better appetite for Him. No. He wants us to have a ravenous appetite for Him RIGHT NOW. He wants to fill us to the full right now. The bread upon the “Table of Shewbread” in the tabernacle was called the “Presence Bread” speaking of God’s continual presence, not past or future, but NOW.

Have you got a NOW APPETITE?

At the original Passover, they had to eat the entire lamb. Many Christians these days have a very picky appetite for the Bread of God. They want to hear Jesus concerning His grace, but they have little appetite for all His truth.

John 1:14, 17: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and, we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,” FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH . . . For the law was given by Moues, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.”

Our relationship with Jesus should be RIGHT NOW—not somewhere in the past or future.

Be encouraged.

More points to come.

Colin Campbell

It is important to start the day with God’s Word. I remember an old Chinese saint saying:

“NO BIBLE; NO BREAKFAST.”

This Chinese Christian would never eat breakfast to satisfy his physical appetite without having first filled his soul and spirit with God’s Word. We often remind our children and grandchildren of his confession. It’s a good one. For our own personal reading, and also reading God’s Word to our family each morning.

Psalm 5:3: “My voice shalt thou hear IN THE MORNING, O LORD; IN THE MORNING will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

Song of Solomon 6:10: “Who is she that looketh forth AS THE MORNING, fair as the moon, clear as the sunk and terrible as an army with banners?”

Matthew 21:4, 12: “When the MORNING WAS NOW COME, Jesus stood on the shore . . . Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.” Jesus still wants to come and dine with us each morning. He desires our fellowship as we dine from His fully laden table. His Word is filled with all we need to face each new day.

Acts 5:21: “They (the apostles) entered into the temple EARLY IN THE MORNING, and taught.”

Don’t miss your morning time with God.

More points coming with continuing posts.

Be encouraged. Colin Campbell

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

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

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

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

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

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