Eleven beautiful girls graced our Shabbat table last night, granddaughters and friends in the Hilltop. It was such a precious time.
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Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.
Mother, you are the backbone of the nation! You are the greatest threat to those who want to turn this nation away from God’s ways. As you pour out your life to nurture, train, and educate your children, you determine the course of this nation and even the world.As the backbone of this nation . . .
B You are a BUILDER, building a godly marriage and family and consequently helping to build a strong nation.
A You are ANOINTED by God to mother and nurture your children. This is more powerful than any career you can have outside the home.
C You are CALLED by God to this great career. If you turn away from it, you miss your highest calling.
K You are the KEEPER of your home. You are keeping your marriage and family strong. Homekeepers are definitely the backbone of the nation. As mothers build strong homes the nation becomes stronger. When mothers vacate their homes, the nation becomes weaker.
B You are the BRIGHTNESS and glory of your home. A home is only truly a home when mother is there, making it a beautiful place with her presence.
O You are an OVERCOMER. Building a godly home, family, and heritage is no easy task. It takes strength and courage. It takes fortitude and endurance. But God is with you moment by moment, giving you the power to overcome in His name.
N You are a NATION CHANGER. When mothers get back to the home, embrace the children God wants them to have, and train them to be godly sons and daughter, they change the course of the nation.
E You are an EDUCATOR. There is no one more powerful than you, mother, to influence your children for God, to reveal to them the awesome wonder of your God and His universe. As you seek after truth, you teach your children the truth and you become an educator not only to your children but to the rest of society.
Together, mothers, we are the BACKBONE of the nation. Let’s not give up influencing this nation and generations to come.
Blessings to you today,
Nancy Campbell
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Build into your marriage each day. Say something encouraging and positive to your husband. Respond to him lovingly. Think of something special to do for him. “Every wise woman buildeth her house” (Proverbs14:1).
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There’s no other way. Otherwise you can be deceived without realizing you are deceived. What about your children? Are you filling them daily with God’s living word? Is it in their mouths?
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When you worry about your problems and concentrate on them you will be filled with misery. When you keep your eyes upon the Lord, peace will fill your heart. “Thou wilt keep him in PERFECT PEACE whose mind is stayed in thee” (Isaiah26:3).
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Dear mothers, Today I am sending to you something very special for your young and older daughters. It is 21 points on what to look for in a husband. These points are good points for you to pray over as you pray for the future husbands of your daughters. Also, print them off and give them to your daughters. Encourage them to pray over these points and have them in their hearts as they wait for this special man God has for them. Pass this on to other friends who have daughters too. May you all be blessed, NancyWHAT QUALITIES SHOULD A GIRL LOOK FOR IN A HUSBAND?
No. 1: A MAN WHO IS A VIRGIN
Hopefully, he will be a virgin. In the Bible, it speaks of virgins getting married. Sadly, in this fornicating world, sometimes there can be a man who was in the world and has come to Christ and is now truly repentant and walking in holiness. You cannot completely wipe out the fact that unless he’s a virgin, you cannot marry him. But you had better truly know (along with your parents) that he will strongly stand against all fornication. It is imperative you begin your marriage on a holy foundation.
No. 2: A MAN WHO IS FREE FROM PORNOGRAPHY
This is very important for your parents to check out. If he is drawn to pornography, don’t count on a good marriage. He must be totally free from this abomination.
Sometimes a young man may have delved into it in the past, but you must know without a shadow of doubt that he is completely delivered from this evil thing, totally free, and walking in holiness.
Pornography is one of the biggest things that destroys marriages.
No. 3: A MAN WHO FEARS THE LORD
In Psalm 112, there’s a wonderful passage about men: “Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delights greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty upon the earth. The generation of the upright shall be blessed.” God promises that your children will be blessed if you marry a man who fears the Lord. If you want to have children who are blessed of the Lord, marry a man who fears the Lord.
No. 4: A MAN WHO LOVES GOD’S WORD
You want a man who not only believes in the Bible but LOVES the Bible—who loves to search it out and study it (Psalm 1:1-3; 112:2; Joshua 1: 8; and 2 Timothy 3:15). If he spends time each day reading God’s word, he will be strong (1 John 2:14). He will be kept from deception.
Ephesians 5:25-26: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.”
That is a very beautiful thing for a husband to do when he is married, to wash his wife with the Word. It means more than a little wash. It means to bathe her. That means he’s going to read the Word to you, or with you each day. You’ve got to find a guy who will bathe you in God’s word. If you’re looking at a guy who doesn’t even read God’s word, how is he ever going to do that? Find a man who loves God’s Word!
No. 5: A MAN WHO LOVES TO PRAY
Look for a man who will pray with you throughout your marriage. It is so sad that there are many couples who don’t even pray together! I love that Scripture in Matthew 18:19 where it says: “If two of you shall agree on earth, as touching anything, it shall be done by My Father which is in heaven.”
If “two of you.” That Scripture is tailor-made for marriage. It can be any two people who agree but when you have a husband and wife who agree together in prayer it is a powerful thing. Does the guy you are looking at love to go to prayer meetings or would he rather stay away? If he is not interested in going to prayer meetings now, or praying with you each time you meet, don’t expect him to be a man of prayer when you marry him.
No. 6: A MAN OF COMMITMENT
Look for a man who you know is committed to marriage and who will stay glued to the marriage through thick and thin.
No.7: A MAN WHO LOVES TO BLESS HIS FAMILY
A wonderful part of our marriage is our Shabbat meal which we enjoy every week. This is a meal where the husband blesses his wife. Then he blesses the children. That is such a beautiful thing. Of course, he doesn’t have to wait until Shabbat. He can constantly bless you. But you need to see this quality in the man you want to spend your life with.
No. 8: A MAN OF STRONG CHARACTER
A man who holds fast to his convictions. He is not swayed by any “Tom, Dick, and Harry” but seeks out what God says and sticks to it.
No. 9: A MAN WHO IS A HARD WORKER, NOT A SHIRKER
Look for a man who knows how to work hard. He doesn’t do things half-heartedly. He gets “stuck in.” He does the job properly. He finishes the job. He doesn’t leave it half done. He knows how to fix things. Look for a guy like that. Never marry a lazy man.
No. 10: A MAN WHO BELIEVES IN PROVIDING FOR HIS FAMILY
It is the responsibility of the man to provide for his wife and the home so the mother can stay in her nest to care for her children (1 Timothy 5:8). Look for a man who has that conviction. If he doesn’t, well, you won’t want to marry that man.
If a young man is not ready to take on the responsibility of embracing and providing for children, he is not ready for marriage. He does not have to have a lot of money when he first gets married, but he must have a job and understand that it is his responsibility to provide for the family.
No. 11: A MAN WHO LOVES CHILDREN
Is the man you are looking at open to embracing all the children that God has for you in your marriage? Does he have a heart for children? Do you notice him picking up babies and little children and carrying them around? It is so important to find this out before you get married.
There are so many mothers who are heartbroken because their husband does not want any more children. That is a very sad thing because God has created the womb to cry out for children. Proverbs 30:15, 16 says there are four things that never say it is enough, that are never satisfied. One is the barren womb. God has put that cry within the womb to long for children. A husband who does not understand this can be very cruel to his wife. He denies the very instinct God has put within her.
No. 12: A MAN WHO WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON ANY LEVEL OF EVIL
He will not watch movies that are slightly tainted or have immorality in them. He will have high standards. It’s not enough to marry a man who says he is a Christian. If he’ll watch anything without being troubled, finish with that guy.
No. 13: A MAN WHO IS ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP OTHERS
He does not always think of himself. It’s so wonderful, isn’t it, to see a young man who doesn’t only think of himself. He sees someone who has a need and spontaneously goes to help them. That’s a good quality to look for.
No. 14: A MAN WHO IS COMMITTED TO THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SAINTS
That means he is a regular attender at church. He doesn’t go sometimes or when he feels like it. Find a young man who is committed to fellowshipping with the people of God because it is a command from God.
Hebrews 10:25: “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. But so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”
This is a normal habit for a God-fearing person. The Bible talks about Jesus who went into the synagogue on the sabbath day “as was his habit” (Luke 4:16). The family went to the synagogue. It was their habit, so it was still His habit. It should be the habit in a young man’s life so it will continue to be a habit as children come along and you continue to attend church as a family.
No. 15: A MAN WHO BELIEVES IN HOMESCHOOLING
He is willing and has a vision to homeschool the children God gives to you. There was a time years ago when children could go to public school, but no longer. Today it is a place of brainwashing in humanism, progressivism, alternative lifestyles, homosexuality, and transgenderism. It is no place for a child of God.
No. 16: A MAN THAT IS A “ONE-WOMAN” MAN
You don’t want a womanizer. You want a man that is a ONE-WOMAN MAN. Marriage is an exclusive relationship where you “forsake all others.”
17: A MAN WHO HONORS HIS PARENTS
How a young man treats his mother will be how he treats his wife. Do you see him respecting his parents? Do you see him respecting his sisters? Is he a man who respects and protects women?
18. A MAN WHO LOVES HOSPITALITY
It would be pitiful to be married to a man who is stingy and who does not want anyone to come to your home and join your table for meals. Look for a man who loves people and is open to hospitality. Hospitality is the lifestyle of the early church. It is the heart of God.
19. A MAN WHO IS HUMBLE AND TEACHABLE
Along the road of life and during your marriage you will face many challenges and many lessons. We are all learning along the way, until the very end. A man who has a proud heart and will not listen to reproof can cause heartache in a marriage. Look for a man who is teachable, willing to learn, and who is open to receive reproof. The word reproof occurs 90 times in the Bible. Here are just a few examples: Psalm 141:5; Proverbs 9:8, 9; 10:17; 12:1; 13:1, 18; 15, 10, 31; and Revelation 3:19.
David was a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22). He certainly wasn’t perfect, but God saw his heart and loved him. Look for a young man who has a heart after God.
And please, never marry a man who has a problem with anger. That is a No No! If he shows signs of anger, run from him.
No. 20: A MAN WHO IS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD
Is he open to the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit? Does he long for revival?
No. 21: A MAN WITH WHOM YOU WILL “FALL IN LOVE”
Of course, above all these qualities, you will “fall in love.” Yes, I believe in falling in love. I believe that God is very interested and very involved in bringing couples together. He puts a spark in you and that other person that draws you together. A man could have all the above qualities and yet you are not attracted to him. But there will be a certain man that God ignites you to. It is one of the most exciting things in life. And God is in it.
However, if this young man does not have the above qualities, steel yourself and do not let your heart become involved. You need that spark of love, but marriage will not survive on a spark of love. It needs commitment. And to be committed you need sterling qualities to be committed to.
A godly marriage is the most beautiful thing on earth;
a miserable marriage is the worst thing to endure.
May God bring this wonderful and godly man to you. Amen and amen.
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My friend, Erin Harrison, got a great revelation. We were talking about the way to make our marriages, our homes, and our families prosper. To do this we need to get back to God’s way. It’s God’s ways that work. When we fill our lives and our children’s lives RICHLY with God’s Word, we will be filled with wisdom and knowledge of the right way to do things. Instead of following the world, we follow the Word.All of a sudden, Erin realized that there’s only one letter difference between the Word and the world. Take out the L from “world” and you’ve got Word! We are either going to live our lives according to the mindset of the world or the mindset of the Word of God. Which will it be?
We need to get the L of leftist ideologies out of our lives. We must choose whether we will have a biblical worldview or a liberal worldview.
We’ll never be old-fashioned when we choose the “old paths” because they lead us to rest and blessing. Jeremiah 6:16 says: “Thus saith the LORD (not Nancy Campbell or anyone else, but GOD), Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the GOOD way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
God’s living Word is the secret to prospering. Joshua 1:8 says: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way PROSPEROUS, and then thou shalt have GOOD SUCCESS.”
Live by the Word, not the spirit of this world!
1 John 2:15-17 says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
And James 4:4 is challenging too, isn’t it? “Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Be a Word family, not a worldly family.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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You can change the atmosphere of your home by your smiles. Are you smiling at your husband? Are you smiling at your children? Smile even if you don’t feel like smiling because when you smile it will change your attitude, and consequently the attitude of all your family.
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Do you sometimes feel a little inferior because you don’t have time to get involved in ministry for the Lord? Dear mother, please remember who you are. You are in the perfect will of God. You are doing what God intends you to do. You are His missionary in your home, training disciples for his kingdom. That’s what Jesus did when He was here on earth. He trained twelve disciples who turned the world upside down! There is nothing more powerful than training disciples!Next time someone asks you what ministry you do for the Lord, perhaps you could answer, “I’m involved in the signs and wonders ministry!”
“Wow, that’s pretty cool,” they answer.
“Yes, God says that my children are for ‘signs and wonders’” (Isaiah 8:18).
Isn’t that amazing? Both words are similar. The word “signs” is “oth” and means “an appearance, a flag, a beacon, a monument, a miracle.” Each one of your children is a miracle from God. He gives them to you to train and prepare to be beacons of light in this dark and deceived world. They are to be a revelation of God to the world.
The word “wonders” is “mopheth.” It is a plural word meaning “wonderful deed, miraculous sign, miracle, prodigy.” The birth of each one of your children is a miracle of God. And their lives will continue to reveal the miraculous works of God.
Be encouraged today, dear mother. Lift up your eyes and understand the powerful ministry God has given to you.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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Awhile back we enjoyed showing hospitality to some dear friends. As we talked together, the guy shared a phrase that a friend of his constantly affirms. When facing problems, difficulties, when things are not going as planned, or some project is not as successful as he thought, he always says, “It’s too soon to tell.”He doesn’t give up. He gives God time to work.
I think this is a good affirmation to add to our vocabulary, don’t you? We often give up too soon. Or despair. But God is not always in a hurry. The Scripture says: “Better is the end of a thing; than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Ecclesiastes 7:8).
Zechariah 4:10 SAYS: “For who hath despised the day of small things?”
The beginning or the foundation of something is the most important of all. It often takes time. If we get it right, the rest will fall into place.
You haven’t seen the answers to your earnest prayers? Don’t give up. It’s too soon to tell. God doesn’t work according to our time factors. He knows what He is doing, and He sees everything from the beginning to the end.
Joseph must have thought that God had forgotten him. He was just a teenager, only 17 years, when his brothers sold him into slavery. He was about 30 years when he became overseer of Egypt and many of those waiting years were in prison. But God had the perfect timing. He was working out great things for Joseph as well as his whole family, and a nation!
Joseph saw the hand of God and was able to say to his brothers: “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, BUT GOD” (Genesis 45:7, 8 and 50:20, 21). God was working behind the scenes in all his suffering, in all his long imprisonment, and in all his loneliness.
Be encouraged today. Remember, it’s too soon to tell!
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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We usually think of food being only for the body, but the Bible tells us that food is also for our hearts. Acts 14:17 tells us that God loves to fill our HEARTS with food and gladness. He doesn’t even mention our bodies.I think we need to starting thinking like God thinks, don’t you?
The Passion translation says: “For he blesses us with rain from heaven and seasons of fruitful harvests, and he nourishes us with food to meet our needs. He satisfies our lives, and EUPHORIA fills our hearts.” Is this translation getting a little carried away? No. The Greek word for “gladness” in the KJV is “euphrosune.”
Euphoria is associated with the hormone oxytocin and it is well known that we release oxytocin (joy, happiness, and love) when we sit at a table to eat and fellowship with others.
Therefore, dear mother, as you think about what you will prepare for your family this evening, don’t only think about their bodies. Think about their hearts. Think about how to make your table a place that will draw your family to the table. Think about things you could talk about at the table that will release joy, laughter, and happiness. Think about how you could enjoy a little euphoria. Maybe you could ask each one to share the funniest thing that has happened to them this last week.
As people made of body, soul, and spirit we hunger for more than physical food. We hunger for nourishment for our soul. David confesses in Psalm 63:5: “My SOUL shall be satisfied with marrow and fatness.”
He’s talking about his inner man. He wants to satisfy it with marrow. Do you know what marrow is? Have you ever sucked marrow out of a bone? Most people haven’t today, but we grew up doing this. There’s nothing like marrow. We all competed to get the bone with the marrow. It is so rich and satisfying. But we need marrow for our souls as well as our bodies. Psalm 107:9 says: "He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”
And our spirits hunger too. Does your spirit cry out to be fed? Don’t let the spirits of your children starve each day. Make sure you give them a nourishing portion of God’s Word at your table this evening.
Much love,
Nancy Campbell
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The following is an essay on motherhood from my daughter, Evangeline.
WHO WILL RESPOND?The power of your mothering is not in whether we feed your children organic, subterranean extractions of pure milk, from the extinct koi koi nuts secluded in the Andes mountains, whether we read them Dr. Seuss or Bill Peet, or whether we take them on expeditions around the world but this . . .
That we feed them Jesus!
The Jesus of selfless love!
The real Jesus!
Alive!
All that He embodies!
Jesus with skin on and read more in your life than the brightly colored picture books of Bible stories!
Jesus, who is not just a cultural backsplash to our home and mothering but is the volcano who forms the land mass of our lives!
Erupting daily to a power that WE ALLOW to change our selfish lives, and family’s lives, to live like we really do know this Hero in the atmospheres of our mothering!
The true extent of our mothering is not whether we curdled our yoghurt, dressed our children perfectly, or crossed off all our boxes, but that they knew His Presence.
This joyful overwhelming love coming out of us, no matter what the circumstance!
There is nothing else!
True Mothering is the Heart of Jesus!
It’s the first glimpse of the Gospel!
The First Glimpse and The Last Farewell!
Jesus, the author of the universe, yet born of a mother, lying in her arms, a baby, about to change the universe!
Then . . . His last words. The farewell speech if you will.
He enters Jerusalem, the city of the world, to break the curse forever!
Does He take the form of a king? A soldier? A rioter? A revolutionary world changer?
Yes!
A World Changer with the anointing of a mother! “Oh that I could gather you under my wings as a mother gathers her babies.”
And again, on his last agonizing breath He suddenly defies the tormenting pain of death by cruxifixction!
What was happening? Was this the moment the disciples prayed He would be delivered?
A movement . . . and He starts to stand back up!
The universe waits with bated breath and all wonder at this last heroic act. What? He heaves through excruciating pain against the nails in his feet! The crowd press in to listen!
He looks over the crowd and finds her!
His mother!
This man . . . this King, this Savior, with one final act to heal the hum of humanity does something so beautiful, so healing, yet so simple that the world missed it!
What could be the plan of God that was so simple, yet so profound that it was the last thing He did?
He gave a mother!
“John! Look! She will be a mother to you!”
His last hope and eternal smile is giving a mother!
Then He cries . . . “It is finished!”
The women who decide to mother the spirit of Jesus in the ones around her are so rare, they are to be looked for, sought for, shared, cloned, adopted, multiplied, and revealed!
Mothering is the most powerful movie ever played!
The comeback to all creation crying out . . .
Feed me! Love me! Nurture me!
It never leaves!
It never turns off!
It never stops!
The hum of humanity never gives up crying MOTHER ME!
But culture drowns it!
Yet can you hear it still screaming?
Love me! Feed me! Nurture Me!
So culture screams even louder in the women’s ears . . .
“Me first!”
But wait! There in the darkness a woman picks up a sound . . . the sound of drums . . .
No! It’s the sound of heartbeats in her ears!
One heartbeat!
A few heartbeats!
A hundred heartbeats!
A thousand heartbeats!
A hundred thousand heartbeats!!!
She hears the cries from the belly of her womb!
The mother rises. The Spirit of God has found one!
The heavens are teetering on the edge of their seats!
‘Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!’
And then . . . Yeeeees!
She pulls her sword out and visibly slays her selfish life for the epochal cry of all time and once more the gospel is shown!
The flame of hope is released again to society!
The Deborah’s! The Mary’s! The Mother Teresa’s!
The one whose name is not known but rises to the sound!
And she fights too!
She fights against the drum of that other heartbeat!
That endlessly tiring ol’ sound, her own voice, mimicking the words “Serve me, give me!”
To try and mother oneself is to lose the image of the Gospel through self-indulgence! Therefore, you can never mother yourself! You can only mother others!
Vangibabe.
EVANGELINE JOHNSON
Photo from Etsy.
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I believe that one of the most powerful helps in raising our children, especially our teens, is to find godly peers for them. I know this is not always easy, but I would encourage you to pray earnestly about this and do all in your power to facilitate good friends for your children.When children are nearing their teens, and in their teens, they have a great need for friendships. And they are very guided and influenced by their peers. In fact, you can be the most amazing parents in the world, but if your children get into the wrong company, they can often go the wrong way.
We raised our children on Proverbs 13:20: “He that walks with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
It’s so great if you can find a good church fellowship with pro-family families. If children establish friendships with children from godly families when they are young, they will have those friends as they go into their teens.
We encouraged friendships with families with kindred spirits. We enjoyed loads of hospitality in one another’s homes. Our children stayed with them, and their children stayed with us. Of course, you can’t do this unless you know the family through and through. Hospitality is a wonderful way to cement these friendships.
One family, a fellow pastor with Colin in our church in New Zealand, had boys similar ages to ours. The boys became like family and today, even though they are in their fifties and living in different countries, they are still great friends and constantly in touch with one another.
Our grandchildren had it even better. Our daughter’s families have grown up here together on the hilltop and their children have grown up together. Each family was unique and established their own patterns, but the children saw one another every day of their lives. It was such a keeping power. They didn’t need to be lured into the spirit of the world as they enjoyed so much adventure with one another.
Most of them are married now and raising a new generation (our great-grandchildren) who will enjoy this same lifestyle.
Recently one of Pearl’s married sons came to her and said, “Mother, you were a great mother, but I have to say that it was growing up on the hilltop with all my cousins that was my greatest keeping power from the ways of the world.”
Here are some more Scripture for you to teach your children. It’s good to make these Scriptures memory verses for your children. Print them in big letters and pin them up on the wall for them to see.
Exodus 23:2: ¨Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.” Do you notice that it says to “not follow.” Malachi 2:11, 12 tells us that the follower will receive the same judgment as the initiator. We must not be followers. We must teach our children not to be followers.
Another translation says that the tempted will receive the same judgment as the tempter! It’s not the temptation that is evil but yielding to the temptation.
I love the old hymn which we sang at our family devotions the other morning:
Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin,
Each victory will help you come other to win;
Fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue,
Look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through.
Proverbs 1:10, 15: “My son, if sinners entice thee, CONSENT THOU NOT . . . My son, WALK NOT thou in the way with them, REFRAIN THY FOOT from their path.”
Proverbs 4:14, 15: “ENTER NOT into the path of the wicked, and GO NOT in the way of evil men. AVOID IT, PASS NOT BY IT.”
Here are some other translations:
Berean Study Bible: “My son, if sinners entice you. DO NOT YIELD TO THEM.”
New Living Translation: “My child, if sinners entice you, TURN YOUR BACK ON THEM.”
May God bless you and help you in finding good friends for your children.
Many blessings from Nancy Campbell
P. S. One of the wonderful ways to find good friends for your teens is to come to Above Rubies Family Retreat where you can meet up with other families of like mind. We love it when families bring all their unmarried children and even their married children. By the way, Colin and I met at a Christian family camp, so we believe in this idea! Go to the website, www.aboverubies.org to check it out.
Other Scriptures to reference: Psalm 1:1; 34:14; 97:10; Proverbs 14:7; Amos 5:15; Romans 12:9; and 1 Corinthians 6:18.
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What power we wield through our tongues. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” What kind of words are coming from your mouth? Are your filling your home with life-giving words?
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The Scriptures in 1 John 2:14-16 tell us three things about our young men.1. YOU ARE STRONG
We are to raise them to be strong in the Lord, strong in the faith, and strong in their convictions. Not mediocre or status quo but STRONG! This takes serious effort on our part.
And I believe strong physically too. Men are meant to be strong and the protecters of wives and children. Too many young men are wimpy and weak today. They have never been trained in hard work.
2. GOD’S WORD ABIDES IN YOU
This is the secret of their strength. They literally have God’s Word abiding in their hearts. It’s not enough to hear God’s Word at church or a few minutes at Youth Group. It’s our responsibility to get it into their hearts richly, strongly, and powerfully when they are young and train them to get it for themselves as soon as they can read and understand.
Deuteronomy 6:5-8 (NLT) says: “And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves WHOLEHEARTEDLY to these commands that I am giving you today.”
If we are not passionate about God’s Word, how will our children be? If we don’t make a commitment to daily (morning and evening) read God’s Word, they will see that other things are far more important in our lives than God’s Word! Children imbibe our lifestyle.
“REPEAT THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN TO YOUR CHILDREN. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” This is a daily lifestyle, not a weekly church service!
I like the Amplified version of this Scripture too: “You shall teach them DILIGENTLY to your children (IMPRESSING GOD’S PRECEPTS ON THEIR MINDS AND PENETRATING THEIR HEARTS WITH HIS TRUTHS) , , , ”
3. YOU HAVE OVERCOME THE WICKED ONE
How do our young people overcome the devil? By having God’s Word written in their hearts. The word is their power and victory over sin, evil, and temptation.
Psalm 37:31: “The law of God is in his heart; NONE OF HIS STEPS SHALL SLIDE.”
I love the NLT which says: “They have MADE GOD’S LAW THEIR OWN, so they WILL NEVER SLIP FROM HIS PATH.”
Psalm 119:9: “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mind heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
And they also know how to pray. They pray personally. They pray out loud in prayer meetings. The greatest place to fight the devil is in prayer meetings.
The church waits for strong young men. The nation waits for them. But they don’t just appear; they come out of godly homes.
Let’s intercede for all the young men and women of our nation. My heart cries out daily for the young people in our high schools, colleges, and universities who are daily brainwashed in socialism, homosexuality, and now the transgender lifestyle. Lovely young people from Christian homes go to these “deception infiltrating” colleges and come out blatant socialists and no longer believing in God.
It's time for revival.
Be blessed,
Nancy Campbell
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In my post yesterday, WHEN SHOULD YOUNG PEOPLE MARRY? I mentioned that in all probability most of the disciples were teens. Some folks in the thread asked for more information of why I would make this statement. Here are a few things to think about.1. Jesus referred to His disciples as “little children.” E.g.
John 13:33: “Little children, yet a little while I am with you . . . “
John 21:5 (ESV): “Children, do you have any fish?”
Read also Matthew 11:25 and Luke 10:21. Would older men like to be called “little children”?
Often Jesus said to His disciples: “How is it that ye do not understand?” (Mark 8:21). In Mark 4:13 we notice He is patient with His young students. I am sure He would not talk like this to older men.
Do you remember the story in Matthew 20:20-28 of the mother of James and John who came to Jesus and asked: “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.”? Can you imagine grown men allowing their mother to ask such a question of Jesus? And even more embarrassing, to let their mother be their spokeswoman? Impossible. Her sons were obviously young boys.
Many references to the disciples in the gospels reveal their immaturity. Remember how they were so afraid of the storm on Lake Galilee? Seasoned sailors would be used to these storms and not end up in such panic (Mark 4:35-41).
James, son of Alphaeus, was also called James the Less in the Bible. He was obviously shorter than the other disciples and most probably because he was the youngest and may not have yet had his growth spurt which often happens in the mid-teens.
2. In Bible days, most young men finished their early education by 13 - 15 years. If the young man was intelligent and interested in pursuing a religious training, he would seek a rabbi to disciple him. A rabbi began his ministry at 30 years of age and gathered young men around him to teach and disciple. That was the culture at that time.
If a young man did not want to pursue religious studies, he would apprentice with his father in the family business and help toward the economic success of the family. All young men would follow either of these courses by 15 years of age. They married at about 17 or 18 years.
A rabbi did not become a rabbi until 30 years of age and would then begin to gather students to him. A rabbi simply means master or teacher and his disciples were his students or learners. The Jewish Encyclopedia says that some rabbis continued in their former trades (such as a laundryman, shoe maker, water carrier, or sandal maker) while they continued to teach. Students joined themselves to a rabbi usually between the ages of 13 and 15.
Even today a young Jewish boy celebrates his Bar Mitzvah at 13 years of age where he is expected to leave his childhood behind and begin the journey into adulthood. It is a time of purpose and mission, not a time to waste on entertainment, self-serving, laziness, and teenage mentality as they wait for adulthood. No, they press into manhood and adulthood.
3. Do you remember the story in Matthew 17:24-27? Jesus told Peter to go fishing. He told him that the first fish he caught would have a coin in its mouth, the exact amount to pay the temple tax for Jesus and Peter. In Exodus 30:14, 15 it states that every person 20 years and over must pay the temple tax which was half a shekel.
Jesus miraculously provided a shekel to pay the tax for Peter and Him. Peter was the only disciple who was married (Matthew 18:14, 15) and at the time of this story must have been at least 20 years of age. Jesus didn’t need to find money for any of His other students because they must have all been under the age of 20.
4. The Bible does not tell us, but I don’t think Peter had not yet been blessed with children. He must have been newly married. This is another reason Jesus would not have chosen grown men to be His disciples. Older men already had the responsibility of their families to provide, protect, and care for. They would not be so free to leave their families and livelihood to travel around the country as Jesus did with His young disciples.
Jesus often sent forth His disciples around the country to preach and heal the sick (Matthew 10:1-25; Mark 3:13-15; 6:7-13; and Luke 9:1-6).
Why should we be concerned at the age of the disciples? To me it is very challenging. I must admit that I always imagined them around the same age as Jesus (mostly because of pictures and movies). It shows how we are conditioned by pictures we see and how we can believe something without really checking it out. I have changed my understanding after looking into history and the above Scriptures.
Now I realize that the disciples were young, it inspires me to inspire our young people. It grieves me to see young people becoming the victims of a teenage mentality. I believe young people are capable of doing great things and mighty things for God. And yet so many waste these years in a self-centered lifestyle when they could be changing the world. Instead of growing into men, they prolong their adolescence. Instead of being passionate for God, they are more interested in the entertainment of this world.
But these young disciples of Jesus changed the world. As young people, Luke 9:9 tells us that they “Went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.”
That must have been exciting, but it would not have been a picnic. They would have suffered great hardships. Most likely dangers from bandits on the solitary mountain tracks and valleys. They preached this new radical message in a region controlled by Roman authorities who were always ready to snuff out political rebellions and messianic movements. They left the comfort of their families to hit the road, sleeping rough and relying on the hospitality of locals for food and shelter.
Are your teenage sons ready for this? Or are we still treating them as little boys?
Psalm 144:12 (Youngs): “Because our sons are as plants, BECOMING GREAT IN THEIR YOUTH.”
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
Photo: An old picture of our son, Rocklyn, when he was 13 years. Preaching in the streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia. He was a powerful young preacher. He is now 55 years!
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We are continuing to look at Malachi 2:14-16 passage about marriage. I notice another interesting phrase in this passage. This Scripture talks about the “wife of thy youth.” That’s a rather interesting phrase, especially in the light of society today.The word youth is “na’uwr” and means “the state of juvenility, youthfulness.” That means mid to late teens. That’s certainly a different concept than the average age for marriage in the United States which is nearly 30 years for men and nearly 28 years for women.
Although many couples may not meet the right one until they are older, there are some who meet when they are younger. I don’t think they should be disqualified from getting married if the parents believe the person they have chosen is a godly young man or woman. The young man should have a good work ethic and be able to provide for his wife. The young couple should be ready for the responsibility of parenthood for that is part of being prepared for marriage.
I know many young couples who have married at 18 years of age, including many They have beautiful marriages. The young men are mature, providing well, and embracing children with love and joy.
This maturity often depends on the way they were raised. Too many young people today are not raised for maturity. They are in a prolonged state of juvenility. When our children turn 13, we should be encouraging and programming them into adulthood—to take responsibility, to work hard, and to prepare for marriage and parenthood. This training is even more important than the rest of their education.
Instead, many young people expect everything to be done for them. They have not been trained to work hard or to work for what they want. The number of young people who are now part of the “Peter Pan” syndrome is increasing. They still live at home with their parents. They take no responsibility for themselves. They can’t even bring themselves to get married, let alone take on the responsibility of children. It’s also called the “Failure to Launch” syndrome. According to the July 2022 US Census Bureau, 58 percent of 18 – 24 year olds are still living at home with their parents, and the percentage is increasing.
Psalm 144:12 talks about our sons “GROWN UP in their youth.” The Young’s Literal Translation says: “BECOMING GREAT in their youth.” Rather than wasting teen years like irresponsible children, they should be moving into adulthood, preparing for marriage and family.
This phrase in Malachi is not an isolated phrase.
Isaiah 54:4, 6 also speaks of the “wife of thy youth.”
Proverbs 2:17 speaks of the “husband of thy youth.”
Psalm 127:4 talks of the “children of the youth.” They not only married young but had their children young. Many young people waste the energetic and glorious years of their twenties, filling their lives with selfish pursuits that will be left behind, when their twenties are the greatest time to have their children.
I believe it is another ploy of the enemy to stop the “godly seed” coming into the world. Often it is more difficult to conceive with they marry later and they miss the blessings of children God longs to give to them. We could even use a stronger word. They are often stolen from them by the enemy who deceives them into thinking that other things are more important than bringing eternal souls into the world. And then sometimes it’s too late.
Before David went out to kill Goliath Saul called him a “youth” (1 Samuel 17:33). Most commentators say that David would have only been about 17 years when he killed Goliath. King Saul promised he would give his daughter to the man who killed Goliath so he must have married soon after.
King Solomon would have been no more than 20 years when he began to reign and began to make his kingdom the richest in the world at that time. Josephus puts his age at 14 years.
King Josiah became a king at eight years of age and was guided by the priest. However, when he was only 16 years of age “while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father” (2 Chronicles 34:3).
And did you know that the disciples were most probably all in their teenage years when Jesus called them? Peter would have been the oldest at about 20 years and he was married.
Let’s not settle for allowing our children to waste their adolescent teen years, but let’s prepare them for maturity for marriage.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
Picture: Cedar and Halle Allison, married December last year. Halle was 18 years and Cedar 21 years. Cedar built their house in readiness for their wedding day, and they are expecting a baby girl later this year. They are both very mature and productive young people. Cedar is Sam and Serene Allison’s son, and Halle is the daughter of Daniel and Allison Hartman who organize the Above Rubies Family Retreats in Florida each year.
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More thoughts today from Malachi 2:14-16. We understood something of God’s heart yesterday when we read that God’s longs to see godly children come from our marriage.What were the words again? “Didn’t the LORD make you one with your wife? And what does he want? Godly children from your union.”
The King James says: “That he might seek a godly seed.” The word “seed” is the Hebrew word “zera.” Did you know that God uses this same Hebrew word for sperm as He does for people?
The word “zera” is used for sperm in Leviticus 14:16-18 and 22:4. And then we read multitudes of Scriptures where God uses the same word for people.
Genesis 46:6, 7 tells how Jacob and all his family came down from Canaan to Egypt: “And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed (zera) with him: His sons, and his son’s sons with him, his daughters, and his son’s daughters, and all his seed (zera) brought he with him into Egypt.”
Did Jacob come down from Canaan with lots of little sperms floating down with him? No. This Scripture is talking about sons and daughters of all ages, and grandsons and granddaughters of all ages—babies, little ones, teens, and adults! And they are all called zera, the same word for sperm!
In Numbers 14:24 God says that because Caleb “followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed (zera) shall possess it.” Imagine if Caleb lived in our society today. There would be many people who God intended to be born, but were not born, and would therefore miss the blessings of possessing the land.
Because Phinehas was zealous for the Lord and stood against the adultery that was happening amongst the people, God said: “Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed (zera) after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God” (Numbers 25:12, 13).The blessing God gave him was also for his coming descendants. If they were contracepting as so many Christian parents are doing today, they would not have been born to inherit the blessings God gave to his future posterity.
Let’s go to the New Testament. Hebrews 7:9, 10 tells us how Levi paid tithes to Melchisedec while he “was yet in the loins” of Abraham who was his great-grandfather! He wouldn’t have even been a twinkle in Abraham’s eyes and yet God knew him before he was conceived. The Bible states that he literally paid tithes as Abraham paid tithes (because he was already in his loins)! Wow, God’s understanding is far beyond ours, isn’t it?
We understand that life begins at conception but God sees life coming from the sperm. He even sees the future generations. He sees far ahead of our puny thinking.
Serene and I were talking about life on one of my podcasts. One-year-old, Solly was sitting on her knee ( she is now five), and she said, “Oh my goodness, imagine if I didn't have her! And look at her personality! God had a vision of her. Imagine if I had said, ‘No, God, I don't want her, I don't care for Your desire to have her in eternity with You.’”
What a powerful revelation! This is something to think about. When we say No to a child that God has planned before the foundation of the world to spend eternity with Him, we deprive that child of life. Not only of life in this world, but of the opportunity to enjoy the glories of the eternal world forever—glories that are beyond the scope of our human minds to comprehend! What a terrible thing to deprive someone of this glory.
Our minds are so puny. I constantly ask God to open my mind to think His thoughts and understand His ways. To save me from putting Him in a box, from bringing Him down to the level of my puny thinking, of making myself a god instead of allowing Him to be God!
If we belong to the kingdom of God, we better be on God’s side. God is a God of life, and His kingdom is a kingdom of life. The devil hates life and his kingdom is a kingdom of death. John 10:10 says that he comes to “steal, kill, and destroy,” the anti-life trio. He does this through contraception, sterilization, and abortion. The devil wants to eliminate life before it is even conceived through contraception and sterilization and abortion is his back-up plan!
Did you know we can be against abortion and yet not pro-life? If we are truly pro-life, we will not take the Pill or any of its associated methods which have the potential to abort babies. If we are truly pro-life, we will believe in life from the very moment of conception. And . . . even before!
Blessings to your home from Nancy Campbell
Painting: "In His Hands" by Graham Braddock.
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In this marriage passage in Malachi 2 that we are pondering, the question comes forth: “What does God want from your union?” We wait for the answer.Let’s read it: “That he might seek as godly seed.”
It is true that God ordained marriage for intimate companionship which every one of us were born for. He ordained the “holy estate” marriage to satisfy the sexual desires He put. But ultimately He ordained marriage for the brining forth of children. We see this in the very first words God spoke into the ears of man: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28).
The New Living Translation says: “Didn’t the LORD make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union.”
The Berean Study Bible says: “Has not the LORD made them one . . . And why one? Because he seeks godly offspring.”
Therefore, a young couple are not ready to marry if they are not prepared to embrace children. To go into marriage with the plan to stop children for a certain length of time is not God’s will. To stop God visiting you with His gift of life for any human reason (even “spiritual sounding” reasons) is not God’s will.
I know more than one couple who stopped having children because they were in “the ministry” and wanted to serve God. These couples have the wrong concept of God and the Bible. The perfect will of God will never negate God’s existing commandments.
God desires and looks for children from the marriage union. If we don’t want children, we have a different mindset than God. We are not in step with Him.
And it is not just children He looks for. It is “godly” children. The word is “elohim.” This is one of the names of God. The very first name of God revealed to us in His word in Genesis 1:1.
God looks for goodly couples who will bring forth His children and who will train them in righteousness, justice, and godliness (Genesis 18:19). Who will faithfully teach them God’s ways. Who will pray daily for them that they will be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29) and reveal His image in this earth.
This is the highest purpose for marriage. When we refuse this command, we deny God. We deny His image in the world. We deny our own blessings. And we deny filling eternity.
Blessings to you today,
Nancy Campbell
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This liberal society brainwashes women that the home is insignificant. The opposite is true. God did not create the woman until He had the home ready for her. The home is the foundation of society and the mothers of the home determine the destiny of the nation.
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