Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs

In my last post, I asked the question: Do we not care if God should decide to stand up against us and become our enemy?

Isaiah 63:9, 10 says: "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."

According to the 1893 Webster's Dictionary, the word "tolerate" means:
1. "to allow or permit negatively by not preventing, not to restrain as to tolerate opinions or practices."
2. "the power or capacity of enduring."

The Holy Bible, from beginning to end, does not in any way encourage us to be tolerant of sexual perversions in whatever manner they express themselves in our own lives, families, or churches. As far as the world is concerned we are to be a righteous influence.

Our nation, including many of our churches, struggles with the "politically correct" doctrine of "tolerance." The colleges of our nation fill the minds of our youth with this doctrine, which on the surface, appeals to the human mind. However, tolerance is dangerous when taken to extreme. Unfortunately, what we face today in America is extreme tolerance.

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that homosexuality is an abomination to our holy God. Leviticus 18:22 says: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination."

I do not believe that homosexuals are born this way any more than I believe that murderers are born murderers. Prostitutes are not born prostitutes. Thieves are not born thieves. Those addicted to porn are not born addicted to porn.

"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel" (Deuteronomy 23:17).

I have just finished reading again the account in Genesis, chapters 18 and 19 about God's judgment on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. It would be a healthy thing if all church pastors would read this account to their congregations. I say the word "healthy" in the sense of preserving life throughout the many cities in our nation that could face impending judgment because of the same evil that was happening in these two cities. Those who read their Bibles sufficiently know that the sin of homosexuality was termed "sodomy" because of what happened in those two cities at the southern end of the Dead Sea.

STARTING A NEW SERIES TODAY

Joel 2:1: "Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is night at hand."

The homosexual marriage agenda continues to gain ground, now in 36 states of USA, the latest in Alabama which waits on a decision from the Supreme Court. We cannot help but wonder: where is the outrage from the Bible believing church? Many Christians must surely be concerned about how God feels about the moral implications and affect this evil has upon the so-called "Christian culture" of this nation.

Job's testing was more about the integrity of his words than anything else. Job confessed in Job 27:5: "Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me."

Job basically lost everything and everyone that God has been blessed him with. This was of no small account for Job was the greatest of all men in the East (Job 1:3). There is no question that Job would have been highly respected among all of his contemporaries in that part of the world .

James 5;11: "Ye have heard of the patience of Job."

Job was indeed a most patient man who could have collapsed in the heat of his trial which was perhaps one of the worst trials any man could have endured. Yet he did not fail. In a sense, the trial tested Job's patience with God.

Some will say that it was Job's trust in God that was being tested. Others say that Job brought it all on himself because of his own fears (Job 3:25). I do not subscribe to this last position for it discounts Satan's accusation in Job 1:11: "But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face." God did not challenge Satan regarding Job's fears, but his integrity which would have included his patience and many other virtues. Job 1:8 says: "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth (departs from) evil?"

"The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:3, 4).

We can see from this Scripture that patience is a principle virtue from which many other virtues are formed and developed in our lives. Without strong patience as a foundation in our lives we cannot be mature and perfected in Christ. This is the reason why Christians have to suffer trials, tribulations, and persecutions so that patience can be developed in us in order for us to be truly Christlike. Jesus Christ suffered many trials, tribulations, and testings throughout His earthly life, even before He went to the cross. He reveals His trial of endurance with the unbelief of that generation in Matthew 17:17: "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?"

Jesus' prayers and supplications, coupled with strong crying and tears, enabled Him to be the patient Savior He was. Hebrews 5:8-8 says: "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him."

Men, we cannot have perfection if we are weak in patience. Many may ask, "Is it possible to be perfect and entire, wanting nothing? The answer is a resounding yes. Through the exercise of patience.

Like the generation that tested Jesus Christ's patience, we likewise test His patience with our unbelief in the truths of God's Word. We can also be so impatient with one another and are far too quick to write people off.

Men, although it is important to discipline our children when it is appropriate, we also need to temper our discipline knowing that they are still children and prone to make mistakes. We should deal with our children as God deals with us and He is called the God of Patience.

Romans 15:5 says: "Now the GOD OF PATIENCE and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Luke 21:19 (NKJB): "By your patience possess your souls."

In Luke 21:7-19 Jesus outlines to his disciples what would happen when the temple would be destroyed. He goes on to speak about the end of the age calamities that will happen. Verses 10, 11 say: "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in diverse places, and famines, and pestilences: and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven."

When speaking to the church in Philadelphia Jesus called the Word of God "the word of my patience" (Revelation 3:10). Patience and waiting go hand in hand. Patience and waiting are almost synonymous, but not quite, for it is possible to wait impatiently by throwing fits, fretting, or hyperventilating while waiting! Some become impatient to the point of disobedience while fooling themselves that they are still waiting, e.g. King Saul (1 Samuel 13:11). His impatience brought him into disobedience which in turn caused God to reject him from being king. What a terrible price to pay for impatience.

"His heritage to his children wasn't words or possessions, but an unspoken treasure, the treasure of his example as a man and father."

-Will Rogers Jr.

In the following posts I want to give you a few of the many Scriptures on the subject of patiently waiting on God.

Isaiah 40:29-31: "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 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." This is a favorite Scripture to many.

David had to go through many testings of patiently waiting before he could reign over God's people, Israel. In the same way, we who are being prepared to reign with Christ when He comes with His saints to reign over all the earth, must walk through the patience tests.

In a sense, we are learning to reign with Christ even now before His second coming. I am not in any way saying that Christ's millennial reign is in the here and now. What I am saying is that through the power of the indwelling Sprit of Christ we are meant to reign in victory RIGHT NOW over the world's temptations that wants to draw us into its mindset. We are meant to reign RIGHT NOW over our fleshly appetites. We are to reign RIGHT NOW over the devil's occupations, oppressions, and depressions, doubts, fears, devil suggestions, and pride. When Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan" He was declaring His reign over Satan's subtle attack on Him through Peter (Matthew 8:33).

By refusing to patiently wait on God we are now find ourselves in a mess. We have organized our own programs in our churches. We have figured out how to run a successful church based program on the successful ideas of how to run a secular business.

The early church got it right from the beginning and became the prototype for every generation following. They were told to WAIT in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father which was the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). The Holy Spirit came after a ten day prayer meeting where they continued with one accord in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:13, 14).

Acts 2:1-4 tells us what happened on the day of Pentecost. From that day forward the Holy Spirit filled, empowered, and directed His waiting and dependent people who understood the principle of what it meant to patiently wait upon God in prayers and intercessions. If the end time church is going to be successful, from God's perspective, we must teach and practice what it means to wait on the Lord.

As fathers we must teach our families, but by example and instruction, this very important truth.

We must refuse to put our own organization above God's organization, lest we organize God out of our families, as well as our churches.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

When you consider the many great promises and blessings that come to those who patiently wait on God, it's amazing that there are so few who actually do it. This is the weakest point of our humanity. The spirit is quick to acknowledge the need to be patient and wait upon God at all times, but the flesh is weak. We try to cover this weakness up by offering to God at least one hour per week of church entertainment, and even that is somewhat boring to the flesh of many.

To be honest, I think we would be astounded and ashamed of ourselves if we took time to consider the great victories we could win if we would spend more time waiting upon God.

Hosea 12:3-6: "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us; even the Lord of hosts, the Lord is his memorial. Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and WAIT ON THY GOD CONTINUALLY."

This passage reminds Israel of what happened in their beginnings when Jacob fought with the angel all night long and refused to let him go until he received the blessing. At this point his name was changed to Israel, which means "as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." Jacob knew what it meant to wait upon God even when it meant wrestling with God all night (Genesis 32:24-30).

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Patiently waiting upon God is a most rewarding virtue. Each one of us face many challenges, trials, and temptations that assail us almost daily. As men who earnestly desire for God to break through for us it is imperative that we learn this truth and never ever forget it.

It is very obvious that in every battle Israel had to face all throughout their history, they had to first wait upon God to give them the right wisdom and strategy for each battle, or at least obtain His approval, protection, and favor on what they planned to do. If what they planned to do did not have agreement with God, they were meant to patiently wait for God to reveal His will.

For this purpose of divine direction and special revelation concerning God's will He raised up prophets. Their sole ministry was to patiently wait upon God in order to give God's people, both singularly and collectively, His revealed direction and will for them

Without doubt, the ministry of the true prophet is very much needed in the New Testament church today. I believe that our modern day churches have put far too much emphasis on the ministry of the pastor to the detriment of the other ministries, including the prophetic ministry (1 Corinthians 12:28). In this way, the church in a general sense, has deprived itself from necessary warnings, specific exhortation, and direction.

1 Corinthians 14:3: "He that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort." Read also Acts 2:17, 18 and 21:9-11.

If the early church needed prophets, then surely in this hour of great deception we also need prophets of God. Men, it's high time for us to wait patiently upon God in order for these ministries to arise and take their rightful place in our 21st century church. We are in great danger if we silence the voice of the prophet. Like Philip the evangelist, who had four daughters who prophesied, you are also raising sons and daughters to speak God's Word in this hour. We must learn to think outside the box if the box in which we worship does not line up with the Scriptures.

Acts 2:17, 18: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy."

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

Psalm 40:1: "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry."

God made a promise to Abraham concerning a promised son who would become Abraham's heir (Genesis 15:1-6). This was 14 years before Isaac was born. Even though Abraham "believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6), he still did not know that the promised son who would come forth from his own bowels would be through his wife, Sarah until Genesis 17:15-19. This waiting time gave rise to the temptation of impatience. Even though Abraham walked with God, there is no record of him seeking God about Sarah's proposal concerning Hagar, Sarah's handmaid who was an Egyptian. Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham out of impatience and frustration.

We read in Galatians that Hagar, along with her son, Ishmael, represents bondage and is in opposition, or a persecutor to those born after the Spirit (Galatians 4:29).

In 1 Chronicles 5:18-29 we read that the Israelites were called Hagarites and they fought against Israel and were overcome. Men, we see how one act of fleshly impatience can have far reaching, negative, and troubling consequences. On the other hand, patience also has far reaching rewards. (To be continued.)

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7).

Psalm 37 is a great chapter to read and pray over when you are going through the trial of patience. Impatience has a number of evil kin and close cousins. Here are three of them:

FRETTING

Psalm 37:1, 7, 8: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers." Impatience causes us to fret which gives us anxiety, stress, and panic attacks.

ENVY

Psalm 37:1 "Neither be envious against the works of iniquity." Impatience causes us to envy the temporary success and prosperity of others.

ANGER

Psalm 37:8: "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath." Wrath is more than anger because you can have anger that is cold, e.g. "the cold war." Wrath is hot anger. It is fierce heat.

The above are all related to impatience. I believe it is a devilish thing when people allow themselves to get angry at God for various reasons. Jonah got angry at God and it cost him a rough ride in the belly of the big fish. He still did not learn the lesson of God's patience with Nineveh even while he sat under the booth (Jonah 4:1-6). God is often far more patient with the wicked than His people are.

Twice in Psalm 37 we are exhorted to "wait patiently" for God to intervene.
Psalm 37:7: "Rest in the Lord, and WAIT PATIENTLY for him."
Psalm 37:34: "WAIT on the Lord, and keep his way."

Psalm 37 describes patience as "resting in the Lord" and "waiting" for God to move.

Be encouraged.

Colin Campbell