1 Peter 2:11 NAS, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul.”

How would you like to be called an alien? Well, that’s exactly what we are called.  As you know, we are New Zealand born and not native to America. We feel very blessed to have Green Cards and to be able to live in this great country of America and enjoy all the benefits. We count it a privilege. However, on our Green Cards are written the words, “Resident Alien”! Yes, they actually call us aliens! 

I should not get too upset though, because isn’t that what we are meant to be anyway? The Bible says that we are to live like “aliens and strangers” in this world. What is an alien? It is someone who belongs to another country. Our true citizenship is in heaven! That is our real home! Do we live according to this truth, or do we live as if this earth was our real home?

In the faith chapter of Hebrews 11, it tells us about men and women who lived like “strangers and pilgrims” in this earth. As we read about them we begin to see the characteristics of aliens.  Let’s see if we line up shall we? 

1.    Aliens live by faith.

“By faith Abel… By faith Enoch… By faith Noah… By faith Abraham… By faith Sarah… By faith Isaac… By faith Jacob…  By faith Joseph… By faith Moses… By faith Rahab…” and so it continues down the chapter. 

The heroes and heroines of the Bible were not dictated to by their circumstances. They lived by faith. They trusted God when it looked impossible. They put their faith in what they could not see.

Hebrews 11: 9 says of Abraham, “It was faith that kept him journeying like a foreigner through the land of promise.” (J. B. Phillip’s trans.) Our journey through this world is a faith journey. It is only faith that pleases God. Are you going through a time in your life when you feel you are being stripped of everything? Don’t despair. You can praise God. You are in a place when you can exercise faith. Faith is meant to be the normality of your life.

Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” 

2.    Aliens please God.

Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death… for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” 

What an epitaph to have over our lives – “She pleased God.” That would be my greatest desire. I am sure it would be yours too.

Aliens are more interested in pleasing God than pleasing the world. Alien mothers are more interesting in pleasing God and doing what He wants them to do, than following the trend of society around them. They will stand up for God’s truth, even if the rest of the world is going a different direction. They confess, “Let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Romans 3:4)

Alien mothers raise their children by faith. They learn to lean on God and trust Him in the difficulties and challenges that they face each day.

3.    Aliens have a divine calling.

Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would afterwards receive as an inheritance.” 

Abraham was called out of one kingdom into another kingdom.  We are also called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. This is why we are aliens. We don’t belong to the kingdom of this world. We belong to the kingdom of God. We owe our allegiance to God’s kingdom. We didn’t just land in this kingdom – God Himself called us.

Deuteronomy 6:23 says, “He brought us out…that He might bring us in…”

4. Aliens are obedient to the country of their citizenship.

Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called…”

Abraham obeyed God’s call to him even though he didn’t understand it, and even though he didn’t know his final destination. 

If we are living as a pilgrim, we will be obedient to God’s ways, even if they are contrary to the way of society. When the apostles were on trial for preaching about Jesus, they were strictly commanded not to teach in His name. But Peter and John answered, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20. 

Again when they were on trial, Peter and the other apostles answered, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29.

We have 16 points to look at on this subject, so we will continue next week.

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“Lord, you have said that I cannot please you without faith. Please increase my faith. Ignite faith in my heart. Help me to live by faith, instead of trusting in the resources of this world. Help me to constantly remember that I am an alien in this world. Amen.”

QUOTE:

“I am a pilgrim, a foreigner, a stranger, a sojourner, a refugee, a nomad, a passing traveler, a temporary resident, a transient, an exile, and an alien in this world.”

Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Recently our daughter, Evangeline, was in a Wal-Mart with her five little ones. A lady came up to her and said, "I have to tell you that you are incredible mother. Here’s $10.00!"

Evangeline continued her shopping in Wal-Mart, but about ten minutes later this same lady came up to her again and said, "I’m not done. I have to tell you that you are a wonderful mother. Here’s another $10.00!"

Wherever we go, people are watching. We are either a light, shining God’s path before them or we show a blurred picture.

I believe that the greatest testimony a mother can give to the world is to be a joyful and contented mother of children. Psalm 113:9 talks of "the joyful mother of children."

When you go out with your children, lift your head high, put a smile on your face, and be proud to be a mother. You have the most important career in the nation. God Himself is your Employer and you are determining the future of this nation.

Be a light in the midst of a society that does not embrace children. Do not be intimidated. Show your love for your children as you speak sweetly to them and are patient with them. And if God has blessed you with a number of children, be proud to show off your "blessings" from the Lord. You will be showing to the world what God is like. God loves children. God loves life. Jesus did not reject children. He welcomed the children to come to Him.

Mark 9:36-37 says, "And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receives Me; and whosever shall receive Me, receives not Me, but Him that sent Me."

There is no more beautiful picture than to see a serene and happy mother with well-trained children in tow. There can be no argument from those who don’t embrace children.

I believe we should not only be happy about our own children, but also take notice of all children. When you see a mother with a baby, encourage her and tell her how beautiful her baby is.

I think of my husband’s father. He fathered nine of his own children, but he loved all children. He could not go down the street without stopping every mother with children. He would talk to the children and especially ooh and aah at the baby. He loved babies. He went to be with the Lord many years ago, but last Christmas our daughter, Serene, painted a picture of him for my husband. Underneath she wrote the caption – "Jack Hedley Campbell – Lover of children." What a testimony to have over his life.

Let your light shine. Let everyone see that you are a "joyful mother of children."

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

"Lord, please help me to be a shining mother – shining with the light of your joy in my home and shining with the light of your joy and glory when I go down the street with my children. Amen."

QUOTE:

Matthew 6:34, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” 

Are you like me? I have so many visions, so many ideas, and so many things that I want to do but can never find the time to do them all. “If only I had more time! I need 48 hours in every day!” I would constantly repeat. But not any more!  I will no longer let these words pass my lips.

I was convicted about this recently when listening to a preacher who was also convicted of the same thing. He shared how he spoke similar words in the hearing of a dear old missionary who answered him, “Brother, God has given you 24 hours in every day. That’s all you need!”  Those words really spoke to me! If God wanted me to have more hours in the day, He would have provided more hours. What He has given is enough for each day. I work hard, but am now learning to be content with what I accomplish each day. It is never as much as I want, but it is enough in God’s eyes. 

Perhaps you find it hard to accomplish everything each day too. Maybe you have been frustrated as I have. Relax. Don’t get upset over what you can’t finish today. There’s another day tomorrow. In the light of eternity, it’s not going to matter whether you finish your task today or the next day.

Are you a home educating mother? I know that often you find it hard to get through all the teaching you have planned for the day.  Dear mother, God only expects you to accomplish what is possible in the hours He has given you. You don’t have to get everything done. Be content with what you can accomplish. There is a new dawn tomorrow. 

It is more important to set the right tone in your home and create an atmosphere of rest, peace and harmony, than to make everyone tense by getting through something just for the sake of getting through it. True teaching is not just finishing a lesson, it is taking time to make sure the child understands the lesson. One thing well learned is more effective than rushed lessons that are not understood, will be forgotten, or which are taught in a tense atmosphere. Just do what you have time to do. That’s all God expects.

There is no need to put expectations upon yourself or your children that God doesn’t put upon you. Listen to these words from Psalm 103:14, “He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Isn’t that comforting? God understands our frame, because He is the one who created us. He created us with the ability to work for one day, not to put two days of work into one! 

Of course, there is no excuse for laziness and negligence. It is most important to set goals and a good idea to write your list for the day. Some mothers like to write their list the night before, others like to do it in the early morning quiet before they start the day. You will accomplish a lot more with a list. But remember, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t cross off everything on your list! I don’t think that I have ever been able to do this in my whole life.  Even if you cross off one or two things, you are accomplishing something.  When my children were little, sometimes I would only complete one extra task! At least it was better than nothing at all!

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

PRAYER:

“I thank you, Father, that in your wisdom you have given us day and night for our blessing. You have given us the night to rest and the day to work. I thank you that you have given me the right number of hours for each day. Give me wisdom to use my days wisely. Help me to relax and not get upset when I can’t do everything I planned. I love you, Lord.”

QUOTE:

P.S. You may like to look to look up the poem, “One Day at a Time” by Annie Johnson Flint which is on the Above Rubies web page.

1 Peter 3:6 Weymouth, “You have become Sarah’s children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.”

We all know that healthy fear for preservation is God given. But there are also deceptive fears, and Satan uses these fears as one of his big tactics. You’ve got to watch out for them.

One of the greatest strategies of the enemy is to bind us up with fear even when there is no valid reason for the fear at all.  Have you ever read Psalm 53:5? It says, “There were they in great fear, where no fear was.” The margin in my Bible says, “They feared a fear!” Isn’t that ridiculous? Satan deceives us to fear a fear! That’s right. It’s not reality. It’s just the fear of a fear. What deception!

When you understand Satan’s schemes, you can guard yourself from being hoodwinked.  Let’s read some more Scriptures:

Job 15:21, “The sound of fears is in his ears.” It was not a real fear, just the sound of a fear.

We constantly hear the sound of fears. We hear a negative verdict from the medical profession.  We hear that you may have a Downs Syndrome baby if you are an older mother and so on. These negatives are not always facts.  They are speculations as to what “might happen”. We have to decide. Are we going to base our life on what “might happen”? Are we going to be tortured by the “sound of fears”, or are we going to trust in God, who is sure, steadfast, and able to deliver us in any situation?

Job 3:25 says, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.”  Let’s look at the Hebrew words more closely. “The thing (pachad) which I greatly feared (pachad) is come upon me.” In other words, he “feared a fear!” He didn’t fear a reality, but a fear! But the fear had power to overcome his life.

Fear can overcome your life – even a fear that is not real. E Stanley Jones says, “Nothing that can happen to you will be as bad as the fear itself.” Francis of Sales said, “Fear is a greater pain than pain itself.”

Whooping cough was an epidemic when one of my daughters was a little baby. I feared that she would get it, and she did! What I feared came upon me. Another time an epidemic was going through our city. I was at home with my children and somehow I didn’t even hear about it until after it was all over. None of my children came down with the sickness. I believe it was because I didn’t hear about it and therefore I didn’t fear it. It’s amazing the power that hearing words can have upon us if we let the fear take hold.

1 Peter 3:6 tells us that we will be Sarah’s daughters if we are not afraid. The word for ‘afraid’ in the Greek is ‘phobeo’ which means ‘to run away, be frightened, trepidation.’ Is this where we get the word, ‘phobia’?

Isaiah 51:12-13 NAS, “You fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor…but where is the fury of the oppressor?” Don’t get trapped by deceptive fears. Do you fear a fear that is not valid? Stamp out your fears in the power of the name of Jesus. “God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

PRAYER:

“Oh Father, please help me to be aware of the deceptions of the enemy. Please show me when I fear a fear that is not reality. Help me to remember that fear does not come from you. Your truth sets me free; it doesn’t bind me in fear. Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

QUOTE:

E. Stanley Jones