Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

The fear of God is not a popular subject in many churches these days. If we have no fear of God we will have no sense of the need to repent of our sins. Multitudes of church goers have never felt any real remorse for the sins, nor have they felt they need to repent of the many sins they commit that offend God.

The holiness of God is also not a popular subject in most churches. However, I don’t think it is possible to have a serious encounter with God, even the love of God, without a sense of our own unworthiness. I think many so-called Christians and church attendees have created their own God--a god that fits right in with their liberal lifestyle. But the god they serve is not the true God of the Bible. The god they have created for themselves has no problem with their watching questionable movies or dressing in clothes that promote the lust of the flesh. The god they worship has no problem with people who live in homosexual unions. They even endorse gay marriages by attending their weddings. The tolerance list goes on and on.

However, the true God of the Bible is a holy God. He states in 1 Peter 1:16: “Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

Jacob discovered the holy presence of God at Bethel. Isaiah’s vision and encounter with God caused him to say and feel he was “undone” (read Isaiah 6:1-8). Perhaps for the first time he saw himself for what he really was and cried out: “Woe is me! for I am undone: because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). He felt as unclean as a leper.

True revival can only be measured by the depths of repentance and the depths of the fear of God.

Why did many Christians in America refuse to vote for a God-fearing, constitution loving candidate to be president? Instead, they chose a man who believes he does not need to repent. They think he may be better for their pocket books.

If we want God to bless America, we had better pray that America will repent, including our leadership. Our pocket book is not as important as the state of our souls.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

As God’s people, what do we have if we do not have His presence in our lives? We are told by biblical historians, e.g. Josephus, that the Ark of the Covenant was missing in Herod’s temple. It was lost or hidden somewhere during the final Babylonian dispersion of Judah. Therefore, the Shekinah glory of God’s holy presence would not have been in the Holy of Holies between the wings of the cherubim. All those who came to the temple would have been deprived of the great sense of God’s immediate presence. At least some measure of the glory would have departed.

Of course, when Jesus entered the temple and cleansed it, the glory of His presence would have been restored while He was there. However, when He left the temple, the glory of His presence left with Him.

There was no tabernacle or temple in Jacob’s time. Therefore, God chose to reveal His presence to Jacob in this quiet wilderness spot that Jacob called Bethel.

Today, we like Jacob, have no physical building we can resort to in order to feel His presence, such as the tabernacle in the wilderness, the permanent tabernacle in Shiloh, or the temple in Jerusalem.,

However, Jesus said: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” This does not mean the denomination, the church building, or the great preacher that guarantees His presence. It is the authority and power of His name--Jesus. The more His name is exalted and lifted up, the more we will experience His presence.

This is our Bethel and this is our Emanuel (God with us).

Be encouraged,

Colin Campbell

Bethel is a place where God’s preeminence is revealed. It is a place where God speaks to us. Some translations say that God came alongside Jacob or over Jacob. However, most translate the passage as the King James Bible does as “above the ladder.” The Amplified says “And behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said . . . “

I like the idea that God is preeminent over angels and not in any way compared to, or alongside the angels. Jacob’s faith was not focused on angels. Talking of Christ Hebrews 1:4 states that He is “made so much better than the angels as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Hebrews 1:6 says: “And let all the angels of God worship him.”

We rejoice that we have ministering angels. Hebrews 1:14 says: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” However, Jacob’s attention was not centered on the helpful angels, but on the One who was above them and sending them.

Our Bethel is to be a place where there is no doubt that God in Christ is preeminent. Bethel (God’s house) is to be a place where we hear what God says to us. His words have absolute preeminence in our lives. Colossians 1:18 says: “That in all things he might have the preeminence.”

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Colossians 2:3: “In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Bethel is a place where we can have revelations, visions, and dreams from God. Genesis 28:12 says: “And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” Dreams, visions, and revelations are mentioned numerous times throughout the Scriptures. They are some of God’s ways of communicating certain truths to His people.

Just because have the Scriptures, does not mean that we do not need these special visitations from God. Jacob’s dream of the ladder set up from earth to heaven with angels descending and ascending on it thrills my soul greatly. This ladder, accompanied by these heavenly messengers is still available to me and all God’s servants who believe in the God of Bethel. It is not that our eyes should in any way be taken off Christ and focused on angels. God forbid.

However, I am greatly encouraged and comforted by one of the great names of God--Jehovah Tsva-ah (Strong’s Concordance 6635). It is the revelation of The Lord of Hosts which is mentioned in Scripture too many times for me to count as I write this post. Although for your interest, this name of God is used 14 times in only two chapters of Haggai. It is used 53 times in the only 14 chapters of Zechariah. And 24 times in only four chapters of Malachi.

It reveals God as the mightiest Warrior and all-powerful King of Israel with His host of angels who surround the throne of God, His ministering angels, His military service. It is always in the context of warfare. If only we had eyes to see this great, powerful, and enormous army that God has at His disposal to help us to overcome all the powers of the evil one.

I love the lines in the beautiful hymn written by John Newton, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” which we sang at our Family Devotions yesterday morning. Verse three says:

Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding Place,
My never failing treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace!

Jesus Christ is our Treasury! He is filled with boundless stores of grace! Jesus is greater than Fort Knox where the gold of our nation is kept. The Lord of Hosts uses His angelic ministers to take from Heaven’s Treasury (Jesus Christ) and as we lay hold of these treasures, the angels communicate them to us in many different ways. Hallelujah.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Psalm 62:5: “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.”

Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Our Bethel should be a place where we spend quality time with God, seeking His face and calling on His name. The true Bethel experience is not rushed like a fast food restaurant. So many churches have a program that is so tight. The pastor opens in prayer, we sing a few worship songs, we take up the offering (we must never forget the offering), we make the announcements, the pastor gives his 20 minute message, closes in prayer, and everyone hurries out to get on with the things that “really matter.”

Our 21st century church has no understanding about tarrying or waiting upon God to manifest His presence. Our impatience concerning God “showing up” and downloading to us is as shallow as an empty tin can. If God doesn’t show up on our tight schedule, it’s just too bad. We give Him at least a few minutes once a week. Isn’t that enough? No wonder the church is so impotent, lifeless, and without any great impact upon the affairs of our fellow mankind

When Jacob returned to his own kindred, he wrestled with an angel all night until the break of day (Genesis 32:24). Jesus, the great Shepherd of our souls regularly spent lengthy times to tarry and wait upon God. Luke 6:12 says: “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.” Read also Matthew 14:23.

Bethel is to be a place of waiting or tarrying on God. Our 21st century is a time of great opportunities and challenges. How sad it is that we are too busy to take the time to wait.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jesus Christ found a “solitary place.” “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).

“And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up pinto a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone” (Matthew 14:23).

“And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 12:6).

When Jesus taught about prayer in Matthew 6:6 He said: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Jacob lay down and went to sleep in his Bethel experience. Sometimes when lying down alone with God you can have great conversations with Him. If you fall asleep, God can give you a dream. What an amazing dream Jacob had!

Acts 10:9-16 tells us how Peter went up on the housetop to pray. “And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened . . . “

Your Bethel could be in a nearby mountain, in a closet, in the woods, or on a roof top.

Find a suitable place and make it your Bethel.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Men, we all need to have a Bethel (house of God) experience in our lives. We all need a place where we, like Jacob, actually encounter the presence of our great God. Each one of us has physical feelings for good or bad when we are in certain people’s company. We should also experience spiritual feelings and emotions (because we are both physical and spiritual beings) when we are in God’s presence.

I personally believe it is wrong to discount our feelings and emotions regarding our relationship with God. Of course we do not make feelings our ultimate evidence regarding the will of God, or any given matter, because sometimes our feelings may be contrary to the direct written Word of God. Often people can be deceived because they mistake physical feelings for godly and spiritual feelings. There is indeed a difference.

I am sure that Jacob’s feelings concerning God were deeply and strongly affected by his Bethel experience. I believe that if we do not spiritually feel God in our gatherings, and have not become aware of His presence for some time, then perhaps there is something wrong with us personally or collectively.

Our gatherings, whether it be our own private devotional times, our family devotional times, or our church gatherings need to be a spiritual encounter with God where our emotions are heightened and stirred. Wherever this happens--in our home, in our closet (our secret place), walking in the woods, out under the stars, or inside a church --it becomes our true Bethel (house of God). When we encounter the presence of our most awesome God our whole beings are changed. Our spirit feelings are stirred, which affects our physical feelings too.

God does not want us to be refrigerators without warm feelings, or even hot feelings towards Him! Far too many Christians are almost emotionless and without passion when it comes to their relationship with God. They need a real Bethel experience.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Even though God is omnipresent and the whole of heaven and earth belongs to Him, He chooses certain places to reveal Himself to us. God wanted Jacob to understand that He chooses some places to be more special than others. Some places will be more like God’s house to us than other places. God loves to dwell in houses and He loves to reveal Himself to us in special places.

Jacob honestly felt that God’s presence was in this place far more than any other place he had been. He was so impressed with this place as he realized it was a gateway or an entrance into Heaven itself. This was where angels came down on a ladder to bring answers from Heaven. This was where angels took our requests and needs back into Heaven to God Himself who stood above that ladder.

What a great thing it is when we can find such a place where God’s ministering angels are so active to meet our needs. How blessed we are when we find a place like this where we can lay down our wearied heads at night and have God minister to us through His angels.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

1. THE FEAR OF GOD
It brought the fear of God into his life. Genesis 28:17: “And he (Jacob) was afraid and said, How dreadful (fearful, awesome) is this place! this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven.”

Jacob was a wheeler and dealer. He was a trickster and used his cunning to outsmart his brother’s birthright. Any true encounter with God’s presence and holiness causes us to realize that our God cannot be taken casually, lightly, or flippantly.

He is three times holy! Isaiah 6:1-3: “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled them temple. Above it stood the seraphims . . . And one cried unto another, and said, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Because they took the holy presence of God too lightly, the men of Beth-she-mesh learned this lesson the hard way. Because some of the men of Beth-shemesh looked into the ark, 50,070 men were smitten before the Lord. 2 Samuel 6:20 says: “And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this HOLY LORD God?” Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

Some may think, “Well, that was Old Testament; we now live in the New Testament, the dispensation of grace.” We have many New Testament examples also. We read about Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Ghost. They were also smitten (Acts 5:1-11). Read also Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 12:14-29).

We now live in a time when the church in general takes the holy things of God too lightly. But God has not changed. He is still the same yesterday, today, and forever.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Jacob’s well was deepened with his first encounter with God. In his dream he saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder reaching from earth to Heaven. In this revelation, Jacob realizes that God uses ministering angels to provide for our many needs, especially for our protection and help in trials and danger. Hebrews 1: 7, 14 says: “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. . . . Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” Jacob was an heir of salvation, even as we are today. God still uses His ascending and descending angels to dispense His provisions for our every need.

God delivered Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Daniel l3:28 tells us: “Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trust in him.”

God delivered Daniel from the blood-thirsty lions. Daniel 6:21, 22 says: “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me.” Read also Daniel 9:21.

Jacob needed to get his well deeper with the fear of God. Jacob learned in this first encounter with God to fear the Lord, to give God great reverence and respect. We must never take God for granted or treat Him without deep respect.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

I believe that negative experiences can have very positive results if we use them to dig deeper into God in order to find the water of life. Jacob’s deep well became a legacy for his future generations.

In Genesis 28:11 we read: “He took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows.” They would have been hard pillows, but God used that place to deepen Jacob’s well and he discovered that God was there. Genesis 28:16 says: “And Jacob woke out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD IS IN THIS PLACE; AND I KNEW IT NOT.” How ignorant we can be concerning the presence of God.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Romans 11:33 says: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

God wants His people to also be people of depth. He does not want us to be shallow people.

♦ Shallow Christians have no depth of experience with God.
♦ Shallow Christians have not learned what it means to suffer with Christ (Philippians 3:7-11).
♦ Shallow Christians want everything handed to them on a silver platter.
♦ Shallow Christians do not want to go down into the deep places with God where the flesh screams out in pain.
♦ Shallow Christians do not want to deprive their own fleshly desires (Titus 2:11, 12).
♦ Shallow Christians are self-oriented.
♦ Shallow Christians do not desire to step down into a suffering world. Jesus came from the highest down to the lowest in order to set the captives free.

God’s Word is a deep well and the Holy Spirit wants us to keep digging into it. Prayer is another deep well and the Holy Spirit will deepen us greatly as we dig into Him.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Prayer, waiting upon God, and meditating in God’s Word deepens our wells. Men, the patriarchs of Israel were well diggers. They did not live close to a great river--the Nile that flowed through Egypt or the Euphrates river that flowed through Assyria. Canaan relied heavily on rains and the small Jordan river for its main water supply. In order to have water in the dry seasons for their own needs as well as their stock, they dug wells to make use of the water under the ground.

God promised the patriarchs numerous times that the land of Canaan would be their own inheritance for ever. God gave it to them for an everlasting possession (Genesis 12:5-8; 13:14-18; 17:8; 26:2-5). However, when they lived in that land they were sojourners, living as pilgrims and strangers.

Wells were not easy to dig in those days compared to how we dig them today with steel bits that can drill through rock as if it were butter. Back in those days they used specially designed iron or wooden staves, or a combination of both, a possible primitive form of our spades and shovels. If they dug and did not find water, their animals as well as their families would die of thirst.

Ever believer in Christ is a well to be filled over and over again with the water of life, but God looks for deep wells where the water is not contaminated by the decay and filth of the surface flotsam. It takes effort to deepen the wells.

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Even though our Shepherd “prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies” you can guarantee the table and immediate surroundings would be safe and the sheep would feel safe. Enemies are forced to retreat from the immediate presence of our great Shepherd.

We must not allow the spirit of criticism, gossip, and back-biting to invade our immediate presence--not even our home tables, let alone our church gatherings.

We desperately need to have our heads anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit every time we meet together. We desperately need our cups to run over with the water of life. All too often we allow unforgiveness, jealousy, and envy to destroy the precious moving of the Holy Spirit in our marriages, our families at home, and our church family.

It is not ISIS, Boko Haram, Hamas, or a suicide bomber we should fear gate-crashing our gathering together as much as critical and judgmental attitudes that divide the brethren and hinder the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. These chains must be broken.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

These verses describe the conditions for the free flowing of the anointing oil that is upon Aaron’s head who was Israel’s first high priest and typically represents Jesus Christ, our New Testament High Priest.

This anointing oil was poured out copiously upon Aaron’s head so that it ran down upon his beard and on to his garments (the skirts). This anointing oil is likened to the dew of Hermon that descends upon Mt. Zion. Dew comes only when all is peaceful and calm and when there are no winds of discord, striving, debate, or argument.

Dew is very refreshing to the grasses and plant life on the mountains and also to God’s people.

No church can afford, in any way, to hinder the flowing of this precious anointing. In this passage the unity of brethren and unity of family is likened to the precious anointing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came down in great power upon the unified disciples in the upper room (Acts 2:1-4).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

By continuing in the truth of Christ we learn how important it is to repent of all pride. Jesus speaks about this subtle sin that binds Christian in His opening remarks in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-15): “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” These are the followers of Christ who do not have an inflated ego concerning themselves. They are not proud about their intelligence, their financial strength, their good looks, their opinions as opposed to others, their education, their self-made accomplishments, the high regard others have for them, and especially religious pride which is insidious because it gets in the way of being able to flow and fellowship with other Christians outside their own circle.

Paul said in Philippians 3:7: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” It is only embracing of the cross of Christ that enables us to break this weakening chain. To repent of our pride allows the anointing of the Spirit to set us free.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

By the power of the anointing of His Spirit, Jesus Christ is more than able to break all their chains. However, the Lord wants us to use His own people to set the captives free. But how can the church operate in His power when we have not applied His truth to break the different type of chains that bind us in weakness and impotence?

What are some of the chains that bind the church?

UNBELIEF

Unbelief causes us to say that God is able, but hesitates to say He will. The chains of unbelief hindered the release of miracles of healing in Jesus own home town (Matthew 13:58). Unbelief is a big chain which continues to bind much of the church. This chain must be cast off. cross of Christ has already broken its power to bind us.

Will we continue to allow this chain to stop miracles from happening?

To be continued.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell