AMBITION
DEFINITION:
An eager desire for distinction, power or fame.
SCRIPTURE:
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. Philippians 2:3.
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
We have been involved in Christian ministries now for over 60 years. During that time we had responsibilities of working with all kinds of people. The one thing we have noticed is that all things being equal, such as talent, ability, and experience, the person that had ambition excelled far and above those that he or she worked with. But we also learned that a person with ambition needed to be watched to make certain that their ambition was not motivated by selfish desires to elevate themselves or by a conceited attitude of superiority.
Probably one of the worst things that one could have on his or her performance review is lack of ambition. When it comes to work, those who lack ambition seldom rise to the top of their profession or ministry. Without a strong desire to achieve something, nothing is accomplished.
But ambition also has a dark side. Often one with ambition is dedicated to elevate themselves to a higher level and not to what the Lord has called them to do. This was the case of many of the kings of Israel, including the first one.
Saul started out with humility and with great ambition but soon Saul grew impatient waiting for God’s leading and he decided to take matters into his own hands (I Samuel 13:8-10). He forgot that he had a special assignment from God to lead His chosen people in a way that would show other nations the way to God.
Not only did Saul disobey God by not allowing God to lead him, but he failed to give God the credit for his victories in battle. After the victory over the Amalekites, Saul set up a monument to honor himself (I Samuel 15:12). We are told in I Samuel 15:30 that when God rejected Saul as king, Saul’s only concern was for his own honor.
We are living in a world where people only think of themselves. Often ambition compels people to do whatever it takes to put themselves in a position of power over others. God calls His people to a different way of living. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition (verse above).
In addition in Hebrews 12:1 the writer tells us to lay aside the weight of sin that ensnares us. Sin is what causes us to seek our own selfish ambitions instead of seeking the will of God and then to give ourselves the credit and honor for our successes. This is not acceptable in His sight. God should receive the honor for the successes He has given us.
If you want to be someone who truly wants to rise above others that you work with and meet daily, then make your ambition to humbly love and serve God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. God honors those who honor Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me to understand that the ambition that people who do not know Jesus strive for is short-sighted. Help me to be ambitious for Your sake, not mine, so I can bring honor to You. May my family be a family that serves You with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength.
December 11, 2011
Character: December 8, 2011
CHARACTER
DEFINITION:
The qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from another; a trait; good qualities such as honesty, integrity and fortitude; moral or ethical quality.
SCRIPTURE:
There was a man whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many people today appear to have character problems. When faced with a dilemma, they seem to forget the right thing to do and instead choose the easy way out of that dilemma. When this happens it becomes a character issue.
God called Job, in the verse we have written above, a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil. Job was a man of character. He had strong principles and lived his life daily honoring those God given principles.
When you read the book of Job you will see how Satan took everything away that Job had --- his children, his wealth and his health. Despite all of these heart wrenching circumstances, Job refused to deny God. In Job 1:22 we read that “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” You see Satan had challenged God’s assertion of Job’s blameless character because Satan mistakenly thought Job's blameless character was only because of his prosperous circumstances.
Satan was certain that if hardship and suffering were inflicted on Job, then Job would turn against God. Satan was proven wrong because Job stood firm in his belief in God. Terrible circumstances did not change the person that Job was. Through all his pain and suffering he maintained his righteous character.
The writer of Romans tells us, in Romans 5, that faith always triumphs over trouble. Job proved this and the first five verses of Romans 5 tells us to glory in our times of trouble knowing that trouble or tribulations produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces our hope. This is the exciting hope that believers have of spending eternity with our Lord.
Character is who we are. It is not something that we forget. When one has a loss of character one has made a choice. Let us remind you that when wealth is gone, little is lost; when health is gone, something is lost; but when character is gone, all is lost.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Lord, give me strength to maintain strong faith in You and be of blameless character no matter what my circumstances may be. Help me to be faithful in teaching my children Your principles to enable them to develop a Christ-honoring character.
DEFINITION:
The qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from another; a trait; good qualities such as honesty, integrity and fortitude; moral or ethical quality.
SCRIPTURE:
There was a man whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:1.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Many people today appear to have character problems. When faced with a dilemma, they seem to forget the right thing to do and instead choose the easy way out of that dilemma. When this happens it becomes a character issue.
God called Job, in the verse we have written above, a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil. Job was a man of character. He had strong principles and lived his life daily honoring those God given principles.
When you read the book of Job you will see how Satan took everything away that Job had --- his children, his wealth and his health. Despite all of these heart wrenching circumstances, Job refused to deny God. In Job 1:22 we read that “In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” You see Satan had challenged God’s assertion of Job’s blameless character because Satan mistakenly thought Job's blameless character was only because of his prosperous circumstances.
Satan was certain that if hardship and suffering were inflicted on Job, then Job would turn against God. Satan was proven wrong because Job stood firm in his belief in God. Terrible circumstances did not change the person that Job was. Through all his pain and suffering he maintained his righteous character.
The writer of Romans tells us, in Romans 5, that faith always triumphs over trouble. Job proved this and the first five verses of Romans 5 tells us to glory in our times of trouble knowing that trouble or tribulations produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces our hope. This is the exciting hope that believers have of spending eternity with our Lord.
Character is who we are. It is not something that we forget. When one has a loss of character one has made a choice. Let us remind you that when wealth is gone, little is lost; when health is gone, something is lost; but when character is gone, all is lost.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Lord, give me strength to maintain strong faith in You and be of blameless character no matter what my circumstances may be. Help me to be faithful in teaching my children Your principles to enable them to develop a Christ-honoring character.
Usefulness: December 7, 2011
USEFULNESS
DEFINITION:
Being of use or service or worthwhile; having a practical function, purpose, or effect.
SCRIPTURE:
After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. Judges 3:31.
So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” Exodus 4:2
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Today is the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. We remember that day even though we were young children. It made an impact on people of all ages. Over the next days, months and years scores of heroic stories surfaced telling of things that the United States servicemen accomplished that day. Many stated that what they did was insignificant but at a time of need they became useful.
One of the stories was what Major Shapley did to save the life of Marine Corporal Nightingale. They were presumably the last two alive on the ARIZONA before it sunk. The Marine Corporal had done all he could to save the lives on the ship but no one survived. As he was preparing to jump into the water an explosion helped put him in the water. The Major was next to him and saw that he was not making it to shore. The Major grabbed the Corporal’s shirt, and even though exhausted, pulled him to shore. The major saw the Corporal’s need and made himself useful in a dire time of need.
All around us today people are perishing in a sea of despair and hopelessness. Like the Corporal they are drowning, not in a sea of water but in a sea of sin. They are in need of rescue. All of us who know the Lord have a God-given responsibility to do all we can to rescue the lost in this world. We have the responsibility to lead them to the Lord so He can do His work in and through them. It should be the desire of our heart to be useful in serving our Lord and Savior who gave His life for us.
Many people are saying today that they just do not have the talent or ability to be useful for the Lord. Conventional wisdom seems to question how much can be accomplished with little. We tend to believe that a lot can be done if we have large financial resources, talented man-power, and innovative ideas. These things just do not matter to God. What does matter to God is the attitude of our heart. Do we desire to serve the Lord and are we willing to let Him use us, no matter what the cost?
We read in Judges 3:31 (the verse above) about a relatively unknown man named “Shamgar” who delivered Israel from the Philistines, single-handedly, with nothing more than an ox goad. This is a stick sharpened on one end to drive slow-moving animals.
In Exodus, when God asked Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses was afraid the people would not listen to him or follow him. So God said in Exodus 4:2, “What is that in your hand.” God knew what it was but needed to convince Moses that this was all he needed. Moses used the “rod” to turn the Nile River into blood, to bring plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, and to perform all the miracles in the wilderness.
The rod of Moses and the ox goad of Shamgar, when dedicated to God, became mighty tools. This helps us see that we can be useful to God with what-ever we have to give to Him. God is not looking for people with great abilities, even though He will use them, but for those who are dedicated to following and obeying Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me to realize today that little is much when God is in it. May You use what little I have to do the things You want to accomplish through my life.
DEFINITION:
Being of use or service or worthwhile; having a practical function, purpose, or effect.
SCRIPTURE:
After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. Judges 3:31.
So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” Exodus 4:2
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Today is the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. We remember that day even though we were young children. It made an impact on people of all ages. Over the next days, months and years scores of heroic stories surfaced telling of things that the United States servicemen accomplished that day. Many stated that what they did was insignificant but at a time of need they became useful.
One of the stories was what Major Shapley did to save the life of Marine Corporal Nightingale. They were presumably the last two alive on the ARIZONA before it sunk. The Marine Corporal had done all he could to save the lives on the ship but no one survived. As he was preparing to jump into the water an explosion helped put him in the water. The Major was next to him and saw that he was not making it to shore. The Major grabbed the Corporal’s shirt, and even though exhausted, pulled him to shore. The major saw the Corporal’s need and made himself useful in a dire time of need.
All around us today people are perishing in a sea of despair and hopelessness. Like the Corporal they are drowning, not in a sea of water but in a sea of sin. They are in need of rescue. All of us who know the Lord have a God-given responsibility to do all we can to rescue the lost in this world. We have the responsibility to lead them to the Lord so He can do His work in and through them. It should be the desire of our heart to be useful in serving our Lord and Savior who gave His life for us.
Many people are saying today that they just do not have the talent or ability to be useful for the Lord. Conventional wisdom seems to question how much can be accomplished with little. We tend to believe that a lot can be done if we have large financial resources, talented man-power, and innovative ideas. These things just do not matter to God. What does matter to God is the attitude of our heart. Do we desire to serve the Lord and are we willing to let Him use us, no matter what the cost?
We read in Judges 3:31 (the verse above) about a relatively unknown man named “Shamgar” who delivered Israel from the Philistines, single-handedly, with nothing more than an ox goad. This is a stick sharpened on one end to drive slow-moving animals.
In Exodus, when God asked Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses was afraid the people would not listen to him or follow him. So God said in Exodus 4:2, “What is that in your hand.” God knew what it was but needed to convince Moses that this was all he needed. Moses used the “rod” to turn the Nile River into blood, to bring plagues on Egypt, to part the Red Sea, and to perform all the miracles in the wilderness.
The rod of Moses and the ox goad of Shamgar, when dedicated to God, became mighty tools. This helps us see that we can be useful to God with what-ever we have to give to Him. God is not looking for people with great abilities, even though He will use them, but for those who are dedicated to following and obeying Him.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me to realize today that little is much when God is in it. May You use what little I have to do the things You want to accomplish through my life.
Helper: December 6, 2011
HELPER
DEFINITION:
One who gives aid, assists in doing or attaining, or brings relief to; one who furnishes another person what is needed.
SCRIPTURE:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. I Thessalonians 5:16-19.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. John 14:16
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Have you ever wished that you could have a 911 number that rang in heaven so that you could call whenever you needed help with a situation or a crisis? We want to remind you that we all have, as believers, divine assistance that is even closer than a phone call. Our helper dwells within us and we know Him as the Holy Spirit. The problem is that many people today are either unaware or just do not care that He is available for us. We miss so many opportunities to benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian life --- the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus knew that when He left this earth, His disciples would be totally inadequate to handle the task that Jesus was giving them. He knew they would need supernatural help and so would we. So He gave us the Holy Spirit who comes to our aid, empowers our service and transforms our lives from inside out. (John 14: 16 above)
The Holy Spirit is a personal Helper. He is a member of the Trinity and coequal with both the Father and Jesus Christ. He is also a practical Helper who involves Himself in every aspect of our lives. He convicts of sin and calls us to repentance. (John 16:8). He guides us into all truth, John 16:9. The Holy Spirit helps us to know the truth of the message of Jesus Christ and He helps us to discern what is right and what is wrong. The Holy Spirit enables us to align our will with our Father’s will so that we will receive God’s best.
The Holy Spirit helps us with our prayer life if we will only involve Him. He burdens us to pray. The Spirit convicts you by giving you a strong sense that you need to pray. He does this because He may know you need strength because of a present difficulty or situation. The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us. Have you been in situations where you just do not know how to pray? When sorrow or helplessness overwhelms us we find it impossible to know what we ought to pray for. The Holy Spirit understands the depth of our thoughts, feelings and needs and He translates them into effective supplication according to God’s will and intercedes for us before God’s throne of grace. The Spirit helps in our weakness and even if we do not know how to pray the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me to recognize the power and love of the Holy Spirit that dwells within me each and every day. May Your Spirit comfort, enable, and guide me each and every moment of this day.
DEFINITION:
One who gives aid, assists in doing or attaining, or brings relief to; one who furnishes another person what is needed.
SCRIPTURE:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. I Thessalonians 5:16-19.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. John 14:16
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
Have you ever wished that you could have a 911 number that rang in heaven so that you could call whenever you needed help with a situation or a crisis? We want to remind you that we all have, as believers, divine assistance that is even closer than a phone call. Our helper dwells within us and we know Him as the Holy Spirit. The problem is that many people today are either unaware or just do not care that He is available for us. We miss so many opportunities to benefit from the greatest asset in our Christian life --- the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus knew that when He left this earth, His disciples would be totally inadequate to handle the task that Jesus was giving them. He knew they would need supernatural help and so would we. So He gave us the Holy Spirit who comes to our aid, empowers our service and transforms our lives from inside out. (John 14: 16 above)
The Holy Spirit is a personal Helper. He is a member of the Trinity and coequal with both the Father and Jesus Christ. He is also a practical Helper who involves Himself in every aspect of our lives. He convicts of sin and calls us to repentance. (John 16:8). He guides us into all truth, John 16:9. The Holy Spirit helps us to know the truth of the message of Jesus Christ and He helps us to discern what is right and what is wrong. The Holy Spirit enables us to align our will with our Father’s will so that we will receive God’s best.
The Holy Spirit helps us with our prayer life if we will only involve Him. He burdens us to pray. The Spirit convicts you by giving you a strong sense that you need to pray. He does this because He may know you need strength because of a present difficulty or situation. The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us. Have you been in situations where you just do not know how to pray? When sorrow or helplessness overwhelms us we find it impossible to know what we ought to pray for. The Holy Spirit understands the depth of our thoughts, feelings and needs and He translates them into effective supplication according to God’s will and intercedes for us before God’s throne of grace. The Spirit helps in our weakness and even if we do not know how to pray the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me to recognize the power and love of the Holy Spirit that dwells within me each and every day. May Your Spirit comfort, enable, and guide me each and every moment of this day.
Focus: December 5, 2011
FOCUS
DEFINITION:
A center of interest and activity; bring into focus a clear vision.
SCRIPTURE:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.
What then? Notwithstanding in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. Philippians 1:18.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In Acts, chapter nine, we are given the account of the Apostle Paul’s conversion. Before Paul was converted to Christianity, his focus had been on the persecuting of Christians. God confronted Paul on the road to Damascus to change his focus. God had temporarily blinded Paul physically so that he could see spiritually. Paul was like an out of focus camera. Before a camera is properly focused the true picture cannot be seen clearly.
When Paul met Jesus he had a clear vision of his out-of focus life. From that point in his life, Paul changed his focus. He focused on Jesus alone and on spreading the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness that brings salvation to all who believe.
Despite times of great physical discomfort and emotional trials he was consistently focused on the fact that he was under God’s sovereign hand. His focus on the Lord kept him from being resentful and walking away from his faith. He faithfully continued through-out his life to be focused on the Lord and preaching the gospel.
Paul learned early in his walk with the Lord to focus on God’s sovereignty rather than his own will. It is easy to become bitter or feel frustrated with situations that come our way in life. When our focus is not on the Lord, the minute we start thinking that our enemies and difficulties are in control of our circumstances we are in, we are defeated.
In Psalm 103:19, the Psalmist tells us that, “God has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” He is in absolute control and our focus in life needs to be on Him at all times. We may not understand His reasons for permitting hardship or pain in our lives, but His plan is always for our good and His glory. Read the verse we have put above from Jeremiah and this will become clearer to you.
We can learn, as believers, from Paul. He was focused on his godly purpose rather than on personal gain. For example pain, whether in the body or the heart, often absorbs all of our attention. Paul’s words and life style reminds us that there is no victory to be had when we dwell on our hurts. For example, Paul rejoiced when the guards that were guarding him while he was in jail found Christ. That was where his focus was --- not on his situation in that jail.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me and my family to focus today on our heavenly Father, and Your love and Your goodness. Keep us from allowing trials and suffering to defeat us and cause us to lose our focus on Jesus and His message of love and salvation.
DEFINITION:
A center of interest and activity; bring into focus a clear vision.
SCRIPTURE:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11.
What then? Notwithstanding in every way, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. Philippians 1:18.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
In Acts, chapter nine, we are given the account of the Apostle Paul’s conversion. Before Paul was converted to Christianity, his focus had been on the persecuting of Christians. God confronted Paul on the road to Damascus to change his focus. God had temporarily blinded Paul physically so that he could see spiritually. Paul was like an out of focus camera. Before a camera is properly focused the true picture cannot be seen clearly.
When Paul met Jesus he had a clear vision of his out-of focus life. From that point in his life, Paul changed his focus. He focused on Jesus alone and on spreading the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness that brings salvation to all who believe.
Despite times of great physical discomfort and emotional trials he was consistently focused on the fact that he was under God’s sovereign hand. His focus on the Lord kept him from being resentful and walking away from his faith. He faithfully continued through-out his life to be focused on the Lord and preaching the gospel.
Paul learned early in his walk with the Lord to focus on God’s sovereignty rather than his own will. It is easy to become bitter or feel frustrated with situations that come our way in life. When our focus is not on the Lord, the minute we start thinking that our enemies and difficulties are in control of our circumstances we are in, we are defeated.
In Psalm 103:19, the Psalmist tells us that, “God has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” He is in absolute control and our focus in life needs to be on Him at all times. We may not understand His reasons for permitting hardship or pain in our lives, but His plan is always for our good and His glory. Read the verse we have put above from Jeremiah and this will become clearer to you.
We can learn, as believers, from Paul. He was focused on his godly purpose rather than on personal gain. For example pain, whether in the body or the heart, often absorbs all of our attention. Paul’s words and life style reminds us that there is no victory to be had when we dwell on our hurts. For example, Paul rejoiced when the guards that were guarding him while he was in jail found Christ. That was where his focus was --- not on his situation in that jail.
LEARNING:
Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.
He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given.
PRAYER:
Help me and my family to focus today on our heavenly Father, and Your love and Your goodness. Keep us from allowing trials and suffering to defeat us and cause us to lose our focus on Jesus and His message of love and salvation.
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