Ambrose Brothers

New Film: Fireproof

There are few movies out there I would promote on this site.  However I believe this may be one of them.  From the makers of facing the Giants (One of the best three Christian movies of the past 10 years).  And staring Way of the Master’s own Kirk Cameron, I am looking forward to this movie coming to a theater near me.

Perhaps once the DVD comes out we can get my good friend Kirk Cameron to sign a copy for us to give away here at ambrosebrothers.org.  OK, maybe “Good friends” isn’t completely accurate, but I did meet Tim Challies at the Basics Conference, And Tim Challies has met Kirk Cameron I believe.  So that means… well absolutely nothing.  Anyway enjoy the promo piece for the film.  I think you can watch the trailer and some behind the scenes footage.  Once the movie comes out, we should be able to discuss it further.

Book Review: Hopeful Parenting

Hopeful Parenting

Encouragement for Raising Kids Who Love God

By David Jeremiah

It’s great to be bringing you this review today from David Jeremiah’s newest book Hopeful Parenting. I am a long time listener and watcher of Dr. David Jeremiah yet this is the first book of his I’ve been privileged to read. And for starters I must say, The Lord has truly gifted his ministry. Seldom do you find someone with such a successful radio, television and writing ministry. If you are unfamiliar with David Jeremiah or Turning Point Ministries you can find out more at his website at: http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site

First let me tell you, this book isn’t a how to guide on raising children. It offers just what it says; "Encouragement for raising kids who love God". Dr Jeremiah goes as far to say that since God doesn’t change parents today can raise Godly families just like those raised 50 years ago, as long we look to the Lord for our strength.

Throughout the pages of this book, Dr. Jeremiah covers the entire length of child rearing As he speaks about baby’s he has this to say in chapter 2 "The bible insists that the little ones we have in our homes are from God. Children are not accidents that come to derail our career plans. They are not inconveniences or intrusions into the lives of busy parents. Our Parents are God’s gifts to us." And 7 chapters later this is said as we see our grown children leave the home "Yes strings turn into wings, but parents never turn into something other then parents. Once a parent always a parent. Parenting is forever."

Thought out all of this we are provided a healthy dose of scripture as the good Dr. backs up all he has to say with word of God. He also quotes the several great Christians of the past like A.W. Tozer, Jonathan Edwards, and Martin Luther. I always appreciate a book, when by notes when I finish have as much scripture as thoughts from the author. This book could also be used for a small group study of sorts as each chapter closes with discussion questions.

So does it work? Well, I didn’t use it as a small group study, but as the father of two small children I do feel encouraged. On top of that I will be recommending the book to my wife and other parents as well. It’s the kind of book that causes to pause and think of your own family as Dr Jeremiah shares heart felt tales from his own life.

So in the end, I would like to recommend this book to you with today’s posting. It isn’t a must read for Christians, it isn’t even a must read for parents. But I will say this, as we look around us we see young men and women leaving the church in droves. We see parents unable to control their younger children, we see kids committing sins, that are unbearable for us to even think about, at younger and younger ages. However the principles of the Word of God are timeless. God doesn’t change. Its an encouragement to hear that his promises to us and our children are the same today as they were 50 years ago, 500 years ago, and 2000 years ago.

A Thought for Couples

Sometimes you read things that just make sense. This happened to be yesterday as I ran into a quote by Martin Luther. Over the past few years I have seen a great number of marriages in distress. From husbands and wives of just a few months, to long term marriages that just never learned to work. This tares me up inside as once marriages hit this point; there is little that man can do. Yet perhaps these thoughts from Luther can help a marriage before it ever gets to that point.

"Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave."

Martin Luther may be the most influential church leader of the last century. Through him a number of denominations were born as they broke away from the Catholic Church. Martin Luther’s marriage to Katharina von Bora also set a seal of approval on clerical marriage (which had been forbidden in the Catholic Church.) Luther wrote almost nothing about marriages which is what makes this short quote so special.

As I share this quote with you now, please know I understand that in today’s culture the wife isn’t always waiting at home for the husband. And I have no problem with women in the workplace. But the idea of this quote remains true; make your spouse glad to come home, and sorry to leave. I believe this can do nothing but improve a marriage.

Martin Luther and his wife, Katharina von Bora

"Let God Be True"

During my daily quite time I have been slowly working my ways through a short but powerful book titled The Secret of Christian Joy by Vance Havner.  This morning I was reading the chapter "Let God Be True"  When I read the title I was intrigued.  Since one of our goals and focuses here at at Ambrose Brothers is to clearly present the Truth of God's Word, this title sparked my interest. 

Let me give you a brief overview of the chapter.  To sum it up his focus in these few short pages he clearly states that God's Word is Truth and we are not to interpret it to our own experience and our own explanations.

Let me give a quote to make his point more clear "We whittle down the Scriptures to fit experience.  We read that "whosoever is born of God sinneth not." Then we look around and say: "But yonder is a born-again believer who is living in sin," and thus we seek to adjust the Bible to experience."  Wow!  how I love to hear a man tell it like it is!  I even love to read the word "Yonder"

Gods Word is TRUTH, and all of life should be examined to the Scriptures!  Not the Scriptures should not be compared to life.  I once preached a sermon called "Raising the Standard"  In that message I made a point that there are two sets of standards.  Here they are:

1) Ideal Standard- What someone in a position of authority has stated to be right, proper, correct.

2) Actual Standard- What the majority has established to be good or accepted as normal.

You see it is simple Romans 3:4 "Let God be true, and everyman a liar" The standard has been set by God!  The ideal standard.  Unfortunately we have settled to the actual standard, and we look for ways to explain away the powerful absolutes of God's Word!

Vance Havner says this in his book "We must believe what God said because God said it, not because logic or life seems to verify it."  How dare we lessen God's word to our own sinful, foolish understanding and interpretation.  Let God be true!

Here is the action step for today:

"If there is any doubt on any point, give God the benefit of the doubt.  If circumstances seem to contradict what God has said, let God be true and circumstances be liars." (Vance Havner)  It is just that simply. God's Word is TRUTH.  Do not simplify and bring it down to what the majority has decided to be good and accepted.

Blog of the Week

I’m not sure if this is really a blog of the week, since I can’t be sure I will have one next week. However I did want to encourage our readers to check out this blog:

http://www.raycomfortfood.blogspot.com

Formally called the Soap Box, this blog is written daily by Ray Comfort. Ray is probably known best for his book, television show, radio show and witnessing model called "Way of the Master". Outside of that he is an amazing evangelist, and author of such books as; Evolution: A Fairy Tale for Grownups, God doesn’t believe in Atheists, and How to Know God Exists.

Even with all of this on his plate, Ray is able to keep up this near daily blog now called "Atheist Central". Atheist Central offers a quick read, good humor, and additional proof you could use when debating with you evolution believing friends.

Ray’s blog has become one of my daily stops now well surfing the net, and provides yet one more reason to say there are good things on the internet. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and make it a daily stop of yours after www.ambrosebrothers.org.

Sticks and Stones

Today's passage: Ecclesiastes 7:21-22

21 Also do not take to heart everything people say,
      Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
22 For many times, also, your own heart has known
      That even you have cursed others.

"Sticks and Stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me." "I'm rubber your glue, whatever you say bounces of me and sticks to you." Or my personal favorite "I know you are but what am I." Now to be honest I'm not sure if any of these sayings of my youth are still used today, but in there time they were the most powerful way to fight of "mean" words from ones classmates. In the end however those words still hurt.

Even as adults it's still tough to take personal attacks on your character. The tongue is one of the fiercest weapons we have available to us. James says this about the tongue in chapter 3 verse 8 "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." So the tongue is evil, its words can cause damage like poison. You may still remember to this day something someone said to you years ago. The tongue breaks up friendships, breaks up marriages, and leaves people bitter enemies by the time its all said and done.

The tongue is not just a problem today. We see even in Solomon's day people were hurt by the cutting things people said about them. And Solomon as he is offering wisdom on everything under the sun, offer's wisdom on this as well, telling us simply, to let it go. He doesn't tell us to talk it out, he doesn't tell us to get even, were not told to send the negative words right back at them, he advises us to just let it go. And why should we let it go? Because we've done the same thing.

Even if you don't make a habit of it, at some point in your lives we have all said something bad about someone else. And if we somehow haven't, we have at least thought it. We are all guilty as well Solomon tells us, so just let it go. It may not be easy, it may not be pleasant, but its time to let it go.

Application:
1. Are you still holding a grudge because of something someone said about you years ago? Do you still feel emotional pain when we think of something someone else has said about you? Perhaps something said about you is still sending your life is a bad direction today. Let me encourage you to let it go.

2. James continues with his thoughts on the tongue in verses 10-12 which state: "10 Out of the same mouth precede blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh." Is this true with you, do you continue speak badly towards those around you. Do you speak badly about people behind their backs? Let me encourage you to change today. Repent and ask for the Lords help in taming your tongue.

No More Self Rightousness

Ecclesiastes 7:20  There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.

Wow!  Are we ever going to make it out of chapter seven?  I promise we will, and I ask you to not become impatient, and in doing so rush and skip over these important verses.  Today we will again only look at one verse but this one verse has the power to change your life.

In today's world the self righteous rule.  We continually lift ourselves up with self motivation that makes us feel good about ourselves and what we have accomplished.  We are all good people, and as long as we are doing the best we can then we will get to heaven.  We have world famous speakers and authors who write about becoming a better you, and living your best life now.   I have heard sermons that make me sick with the message of self righteousness. 

Here is the simple truth.  Stop believing the false teachings of the world that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy and instead believe the Truth of God's Word.  It is taught in the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament.  It is not hard to understand,  you don't have to be  scholar, and it applies to everyone.  The rich and poor the week and strong, the wise the foolish, everyone!

The bottom line, THERE iS NO ONE WHO iS GOOD!!!!!!!  There it is.  We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), we have all fallen short.  None of us are without sin, no matter how many good deeds you have done, or how much money have you gave.  None of that matters.

We have broken God's law. (Exodus 20) the Ten Commandments.  If you have told one lie, that makes you a liar.  If you have stole one thing, that makes you a thief.  If you have looked with lust at someone, you have committed adultery in your heart.

The Bible is clear, that the wages of sin is death(Romans 6:23). This death is separation from God for eternity in a place of literal eternal punishment called Hell.  Jesus Christ came and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.  He suffered yours, and my punishment.  He was crucified, and while on the cross God poured out his wrath, that was meant for us, on His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)

If we do not repent and call upon the name of Jesus Christ as our savior, we will spend eternity in Hell.  However if we confess, repent, and trust in Jesus Christ, we will conquer death just as Jesus did when he rose from the grave on the third day, and we will live forever with Him, in a perfect Heaven.

Action Step for today:

Listen and respond to these words.  It is the most important thing you will ever do.