How thankful and grateful we should be that the God we serve is a God who loves to bless all His creatures, especially those who seek to follow Him.
I am sure that most of the prayers that Heaven receives day after day, year after year, even from the beginning of time, are prayers requesting God to bless. We all know that no matter how difficult our situation, God is more than able to bless us with deliverance and divine help.
When you pause and think of the multitudes of people who are calling on God every day and the millions of individual needs, whether small or great--from a toothache to a broken back, from a sore throat to a serious case of pneumonia, from the need of a few hundred dollars to pay the rent to several million dollars to save a business from failing--our God is more than willing to bless and supply all our needs.
I think that if Heaven is divided into departments, the blessing department would have to be the biggest of all. Perhaps the main reason why we love God so much is that He loves to bless us, despite all our failures.
Men, do you think that we who are created in God's image should also be big on blessing others? Just like our Heavenly Father?
Be encouraged. Colin
Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Faithfulness gives victory in battles.
Revelation 17:14 says, "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and FAITHFUL."
Men, when it comes to overcoming the enemies of the Lamb of God, one of the three requirements is faithfulness. If we want to be victorious in overcoming the many battles we face in life, we cannot possibly succeed on our own. We need the company of the Lamb. "And they that are with Him" and "the Lamb shall overcome them" the Scripture says.
The Lamb speaks of His meekness, humility, innocence, and faithfulness. Isaiah 53:7 describes him, "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." These character qualifications are also necessary for us in order to overcome the evil one.
Relation 19:11 says, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." The world does not understand lambs winning wars. Neither did Goliath with David. And guess who won? David.
Be encouraged. Colin
"Easy believism" could well be the greatest deception of the Christian church!
Psalm 116:10 says, "I believed, therefore have I spoken." This Scripture is repeated again in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 4:13.
Men, I believe that faith without confession is just a lot of religious humbug. It counts for nothing. Bread is not bread until it is baked.
John 12:42-43 tells us, "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." I believe that their failure to confess Jesus revealed that they did not have saving faith at all. Their so-called belief in Christ was not sufficient to make them faithful to confess Him before their fellow men.
"Easy believism" could well be the greatest deception of the Christian church. It's okay to divorce one's spouse because of so-called "irreconcilable differences." What a cop out! It's okay to cheat on your spouse? No, it is not! Where is the faithfulness in that?
Faith without faithfulness is part of the broad way that leads to destruction.
Men, it is definitely not my desire to sound judgmental, for it is the grace of God that leads us to repentance, but repent we must for this sloppy, mushy thing we call the 21st century church.
Be encouraged. Colin
Men, the opposite of faithfulness is faithlessness. Now here is something to really think about.
I believe that one of the reasons why Christianity is so weak and ineffective in this 21st century, compared to the Christianity of the 1st century early church is that today's church has separated faith from faithfulness. And what do we have left?
- Faith without fullness.
- Faith without works (James 2:20).
- Faith without commitment.
- Faith without adherence.
- Faith without Christian discipline.
- Faith without following.
When Jesus saw Simon Peter and Andrew casting their nets into the sea, He said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him" (Matthew 5:18-22). This is faith with commitment. This is faith which is legitimized by following.
In the Greek, the two words "faith" and "faithfulness" are the same, "pistos." Check the Strong's concordance 4102 and 4103.
Each one of us will have to give an account to God as to our faithfulness. In this dark hour God is calling for men who are like Himself, created in His own image. A big part of this image is FAITHFULNESS.
Revelation 3:14 says of Him, "These things saith the Amen, the FAITHFUL AND TRUE witness."
Be encouraged. Colin
We love to sing the amazing hymn, "Great is Thy faithfulness." It seems a pity to me that the same words cannot always be sung about us men who profess to be His followers. And yet, the great faithful One dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16). What a paradox!
Men who profess Christ should be faithful in every area of their lives. God is calling for faithfulness in marriage, fatherhood, business deals, employment, prayer, and reading the Word of God. A man's word should be his bond. It should never be said that a Christian man cannot be trusted to keep his word.
One cannot be faithful, and at the same time go back on his word. It is wrong that politicians do it all the time. In some cases, they are respected by men, but they are certainly not respected by God. And in the end, they will have to answer to Him.
All stewards must be faithful. This is a number one requirement. 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."
Stewards are household managers. They are in charge of all the affairs and servants of the house or estate and are answerable only to the owner.
Men, we are steward of our body which is the house of God. We are also steward of our families that belong to God.
Be encouraged. Colin.
Christian men should be the kindest and most gracious men on the planet earth today.
A big powerful guy who can play a great game of rough football should also be a very kind man to all who know him. It would be wrong for a physically strong man to use his strength to bully and be roughshod with his fellow man. All men, whether weak or strong physically, should be known by all, including their wife and family, to be gracious and kind.
Manliness should never be used as an excuse to be mean and abusive to any one, especially to women (mothers, wives, and daughters). The Son of God may not have looked stronger physically than the average man, but He was not short on power to raise the dead, cast out strong devils, give sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf. He was a real man in the fullest sense of the word.
I do not agree at all with those who paint Jesus as feminine, or who preach a feminine Jesus. A man does not have to be physically strong to have authority. Jesus had authority to rebuke the wind and the waves and to bring forth Lazarus from the tomb. Yet, He was full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 says, "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."
If Jesus Christ lives in us, should not we also be full of grace and truth?
Be encouraged. Colin
Men, we should never equate graciousness only with femininity. It is wrong for us men to think that only women should be gracious and that men are to be rugged and tough and what we equate with real masculinity.
Talking of Jesus, Luke 4:22 says, "And they wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth."
While toughness and roughness tend to exemplify the masculinity of our nature, it must be kept in balance. To be continued.
Be encouraged. Colin
Christmas is all about loving and giving.
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Scripture reveals what the cradle of Bethlehem was all about. God never intended that loving and giving should be only demonstrated annually at Christmas. Christmas giving should only be the ICING ON THE CAKE.
May God open our eyes to the full revelation of becoming men who know and practice the love that causes us to be the greatest givers at ALL TIMES.
Be encouraged, Colin
Men, we who call ourselves born again Christians firmly believe that Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. This truth is one of the strongest pillars of our faith. The paradox is that this truth is not manifested as it should be in and through the daily lives of us "Christian" men who dare to call ourselves believers.
We know little of laying down our lives for Him who laid down His life for us. The obvious question is, how do we lay down our lives for Christ? The answer is not at all complicated. It is laying down our lives without reservation for others with the new dynamic that only the new birth in Christ can give.
Men, I do believe that before the fall in the Garden of Eden that loving and giving were like a great river that was not tainted or restricted, but flowed deep and wide. After the fall, love and giving became contaminated by self gratification and self idolatry. In other words, what can I benefit from giving and loving? The new birth must change this old selfish mindset of loving and giving to be all that Christ Himself exemplified by the laying down of His life.
Be encouraged. Colin
The wise men that came from the Orient far brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Son of God. Our Lord and Savior gave His all for us, even to the shedding of His precious blood.
I believe one of the greatest evidences of our new birth in Christ is that we lose our stingy selfishness and become givers in thousands of different ways. It is possible to give with loving, but it is impossible to love without giving.
Our giving back to God cannot be separated from our giving to one another.
Be encouraged, Colin Campbell
I am a strong believer in the doctrine of earnestly seeking God, coupled with fasting and prayer, and yet there must come a time in which the seeking heart must come to the place or believing that our heavenly Father has heard our prayers and will faithfully provide us with the answers in His own time and way.
All physical and natural endeavor, even though pointed toward spiritual attainments, must in the end cease from struggle and in childlike faith and trust yield to the truth that "It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). The truth is that every aspect of our salvation is a free gift from God and can never be earned by our most earnest endeavors. This is not saying that there is no need to seek God for higher plains, but rather that this endeavor is only that God can get our attention away from ourselves and earthly things. When God gets our attention, and not that we need to forever try to get Luke 11:13 says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
In all religions there are some very good people who love their wives and families and are prepared to lay down their lives for their country and friends. There are many good men who are hard workers and faithful in their convictions as to what the believe. Even some atheists can be good men in many ways.
Likewise, in Christianity there are many "just good men," born again, but that's it! That's the beginning and the end of it!
But, this is not all that God is looking for in us men. He wants men who are born of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit, and filled with the Spirit. This indeed is real New Testament Christianity.
The old covenant written on stone lacked the power and fullness of the Spirit. All Christian men must shake the deadness of what is called "normal" in their church and learn what it means to experience the fullness of the Spirit.
Acts 6:3 says, "Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST AND WISDOM, whom we may appoint over this business."
The fullness of the Holy Spirit is certainly not normal!
Be encouraged. Colin
Acts 10:38 says, "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Jesus "went about doing good." Sometimes we just "go about."
Why is the church is reticent when it comes to preaching good works? Many evangelical churches avoid the subject like the plague which they do to their own detriment.
The neglect of the doctrine of "good works" has come about by the danger of churches believing that we can be saved by good works, which we cannot. However, justifying faith, which is not evidenced by a life of good works, is dead.
James 2:17 says, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." This means that true saving faith is manifest by good works. The truth is that just as an over emphasis on good works is dangerous doctrine, so is an over emphasis on saving faith without being substantiated by a changed life full of good works. This has possibly led many people in today's church to believing they are saved because they said a sinner's prayer.
But, we must ask ourselves, "Where is the evidence?" And "What is the evidence?"
Be encouraged. Colin.
Titus 2:14 says, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
The word "peculiar" in the Greek means "being beyond usual, special, over and above, super abundance." In other words, we are God's "treasured people, His special chosen ones." I realize how much I need to claim in prayer this special zeal for good works in my own life, as well in all my fellow Christians around me.
Good works should not be something we do grudgingly and miserably measure out to our fellow man. We men, who claim to be Christians, should literally be oozing with creative and helpful ways to assist our fellow many on a daily basis.
Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it very clear that we are not saved by good works, but rather by faith. However, it also makes it very clear that we are saved by faith "UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Putting it plainly, we are to walk in nothing else but GOOD WORKS. And we are to be very zealous about them. This is what makes us special and different to everyone else.
Be encouraged. Colin
A man without zeal will tend to be overly casual. He will be a "moocher" (Do you know this word? We use it in New Zealand and Australia for loitering about aimlessly.)
A man lacking a zeal is like trying to drag around a heavy weight. He has no spring in his step, no oomph in his personality, no twinkle in his eye, and no passion for anything. He is like a dead man walking. He is a bore to be around, a fire without heat, a drag on society.
This is not the man created in the image and likeness of God. The devil creates zombies. God creates men with fire in their bones.
Zeal knows no apathy. It deplores laziness and slackness. It believes in creativity, enthusiasm, and a job well done. Zeal cannot tolerate sitting around and accomplishing nothing (mooching!)
Zeal loves motivation. It rejoices in challenges. It will fight for what is right.
Seven times God is mentioned as possessing and acting with zeal. Zeal is a great motivator. If God uses it to get things done, so should we.
Isaiah 9:7 says, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."
Be encouraged. Colin
Some may thank that zeal sounds a little fanatical, but the truth is that most of us could do with a bit more of it! Some, a lot more of it!
True zeal spurns compromise, especially when it comes to principles.
Most of us conservatives are somewhat anxious as to whether the Republican led House of Representatives will cave in to Obama's liberal agenda on spending and raising higher taxes on the rich. I think in the end they may "cave in" out of fear of being blamed for causing America to go over the Fiscal Cliff. It's better for conservatives to have enough zeal for standing true to righteous principles than to cave in to compromise. Perhaps the economy needs to take the cliff in order for the country to wake up.
Jesus acted with fanaticism to cleanse the house of God. John 2:17 tells us that it was zeal that motivated his actions.
It's okay for communists and socialists to be zealots. What about Christians?
Be encouraged. Colin
Proverbs 1:5 says, "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels."
How important it is for us men to have a teachable spirit. I believe that God has a special love for men who have a yearning to learn more and more, especially about God and His ways.
Romans 8:14 says, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." The sons of God in this Scripture means the mature sons, compared to the immature children who have not yet learned how to listen in order to be led. Many Christian men know how to listen to their own minds, and the thoughts and ideas of others, but have not yet learned how to listen to the voice of the Spirit of God in their daily lives. I find this most challenging myself.
Romans 8:19 says, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." The words, "earnest expectation" in the Greek come from "kara" meaning "head" and "dokao" meaning "to expect." The full meaning is "to look anxiously with the neck stretched out and the head thrust forward." Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit of God, hear His voice, and interpret the Scriptures to individually directing our lives daily should be the most consuming passion of our lives. This hunger and desire should, spiritually speaking, STRETCH US OUT.
Be encouraged. Colin
With all my heart I believe that the knowledge of God far outweighs and exceeds all other knowledge. The man who truly knows God, and is ever seeking to know Him more, is the man that this sick world really needs. This is the man who God can use to make this world a better place. This does not mean that one should not pursue the academia of this world in order to benefit mankind, as well as oneself.
However, we must never forget that the highest education is the pursuit of God.
Read Philippians 3:7-14. Verse 8 says, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
Be encouraged. Colin
The story of Achan and the tragedy that befell him has its application to the church of America today.
Joshua 7:11-12 says, "Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from among you."
Abortion, adultery, divorce, homosexuality, marriage breakup and pornography are "accursed" and unless the church repents and cleanses itself by the blood of Jesus Christ, we will continue to lose in the battles of the Lord. This could well be the reason why we lost the battle over our recent elections. Only God knows what other battles we are losing in this country because we are so insensitive to what is sensitive to God.
Have our hearts become so hardened and indifferent to the holiness of God that we no longer care enough to address these important issues? Joshua cared enough to tear his clothes, fall to the ground and lay face down before the ark of the Lord until eventide. He and the elders of Israel put dirt on their heads to show their sorrow (Joshua 7:6).
What will it take for us to repent like this?
Be encouraged. Colin
The real men of God will hang their heads in shame and embarrassment. How can we fight and win victories in the battles of the Lord when there is such a flippant attitude towards Christian marriage breakup?
It seems to me that one of the most dangerous places in the church these days is the Woman's Bible Study. I am not a legalist and I am not in any way down on woman having their own Bible studies. My wife led ladies' Bible studies for years. However, I have recently heard from many men of adverse repercussions after their wife joined a certain Bible study where a number of other women were either separated or divorced. Somehow or other, the Bible Study turned into a liberal, feministic, husband-rejecting, wife-complaining, self-exalting event, and in time, women were encouraged to get up and walk out of their marriage.
Shame! Shame! Shame! Men, we must be sharp enough to address this problem.
Be encouraged. Colin