Ambrose Brothers

You Can't Take It With You

I hope the meaninglessness of the last few weeks haven’t started to depress you yet. I know I have really started looking at things differently over the past month, as you start viewing some things of this world as the true futility that they are. But let me tell you to take hope, stick with us, because it all comes out good in the end.

Today we will continue on our journey through Ecclesiastes with chapter 5 verses 13-17. In these verses Solomon continues to take a look at the futility of wealth. In these 5 verses Solomon speaks of a severe evil that he sees across the land, the fact you can’t take your wealth with you. You spend your life toiling and working to achieve something, yet in the end you go out the way you came in; with nothing. Verses 15 & 16 say:

"15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return,
      To go as he came;
      And he shall take nothing from his labor
      Which he may carry away in his hand.
       16 And this also is a severe evil—
      Just exactly as he came, so shall he go.
      And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?"

Have you ever met someone who held tightly on to money? As a child I admired this type of lifestyle, my childhood hero was Donald Trump, (I even owned his board game). I not only wanted to be rich, but I wanted to be rich for selfish reasons. I used to tell my parents I wanted a big house, and an even bigger fence, to keep out those people who wanted my money. For years all I could think about was having money and lots of it.

Well to make a long story short, God has changed my views on this. Not that I am opposed to money, but I no longer live to acquire it, and I no longer wish to horde it. I guess its good I never bought into the whole idea of prosperity theology, or I would be in trouble now.

So today let me challenge you to take a look at your own views on money. Do you live to acquire it, do you desire to have huge amounts of it. Does making money control your life to the point you hold your work life to lower standards then the rest of your life. If you answered yes to these questions then today perhaps its time to look at where your priorities lie.

Now for the hope I mentioned earlier. In verse 15 we see that there is nothing we may carry away in hand. But there is something we can take from this life, and that is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Do you have that relationship today, are the things you’re doing here on earth going to count for something in eternity. Matthew 6:19-21 says:

"19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Remember today, store up your treasures in heaven, because as for the ones here on earth, you cant take them with you.

The Minister’s Cat

The last couple days we’ve been discussing things passed on to us by our father, as we enter back into thoughts from the book of Ecclesiastes I’d like to mention one more thing my dad did for me, he helped establish my love of Albert Finney’s Scrooge. Now if you’re unfamiliar with the film, it’s the classical Christmas Carol, put in a slight musical form. (By the way if you think I’m crazy this film was nominated for 4 Oscars, and won a Golden Globe). Any way, by now your all wondering what the film Scrooge has to do with Ecclesiastes? Well let’s take a look at today’s scripture then you can tell me. Today we’ll be taking a look at a short passage Ecclesiastes 4:7-8:

7 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun:    
    8 There is one alone, without companion:
      He has neither son nor brother.
      Yet there is no end to all his labors,
      Nor is his eye satisfied with riches.
      But he never asks,

      " For whom do I toil and deprive myself of good?"
      This also is vanity and a grave misfortune.

As I read these verses, I wonder if Charles Dickens was reading these exact verses as he came up with the idea for A Christmas Carol. As we enter today’s verses we again see Solomon viewing the futility of things in this world. He looks out and see’s the lonely man, the man with no family. This lonely man is wealthy, he works hard for his money, yet he never enjoys his money. He never asks himself why he does it all. Is this not an exact rundown of the fictional character Scrooge? Solomon describes this life not only as vanity, but a life that’s a grave misfortune.

So what, you may ask, well like Dickens, Solomon is offering a word of warning. And Solomon’s warning isn’t fiction. For this single solitary man we see no reason for great earthly gain. He cant even make the excuse he is doing if for his family, as he has none. All he has will pass away. It reminds of us the teaching’s of Christ that we’ve spoken about often during our look at Ecclesiastes. Matthew 6:19-20 says:

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Instead of an action point today, I’d like to look at the opposite side of Solomon’s "Scrooge". At a church I used to work at there was a man, lets call him Mike. Mike was in his 50’s and never married. Mike was a engineer, who did quite well for himself. Yet to look at him you would never know it. He lived in a small humble house, and did not overwork, as he kept his commitments to the church. He drove a church van Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday nights, sometimes multiple trips. He would bring those kids with mental and physical handicaps to youth events, helping them in all things they needed. He helped financially to those who needed it, and he was always full of joy. Mike’s work was not vanity. His life was no grave misfortune.

In a final thought today, several of you may still be thinking about the title "The Ministers Cat". Well, all I can say is it’s a delightful party game that always comes to mind when I think of Scrooge. I thought about relating it to Solomon, who refers to himself as the "Preacher", in 1:1. But I can’t think of any way to relate a cat. So, let’s just say a favorite memory of mine from the movie Scrooge, and if you want to know more, rent the movie.

A Father's Day Follow Up

I know that we are two days past Father's Day, but I would like to postpone our study on Ecclesiastes for one more day.  As I have reflected the last two days about my father, and examining myself as a father my mind has been flooded with things my dad taught me, and what things do I want to teach my son.

Now my brother already focused on probably the most important thing I learned from my dad.  The importance of spending time fellowshipping with other believers, and hearing the Word of God!  Church was always a priority.  It came before Little league Baseball.  It came before spending the night at a friends house.  It came before getting things done around the house, and even before deer hunting.   What a valuable lesson that I have carried with me for all these years, and am making a priority in my family as well.

One of the other life changing lessons I have learned from my father is "If your going to do it, your going to do it right."  You have probably heard this saying before, I would hardly say it is a new thought.  However it is a thought that has had a great impact in many areas of my life.  From my first Job when I was thirteen working on a farm, to my four years of service in the Marine Corps. Things just are not worth doing if your not going to do them right.

I have found in my Christian walk this same principle applies.  In todays society where commitment is like a dirty word, and people are more dedicated to turning their children into Major league athletes than into a generation of young people that are passionate about the things of God.  It seems a lot of people decide to give their life to Jesus Christ, but once they start the journey of spiritual growth they are unwilling to do it right.

What do I mean?  What does in mean to follow Christ right.  Matthew 22:37 Jesus puts it plain and simple for us. "Jesus replied:" ' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  It doesn't get much more clear than that.

Let me challenge you today with from wisdom from my earthly father and my Heavenly Father both.  If you have decided to follow Jesus Christ then do it.  Don't do it half way.  Jump in with both feet.  Don't look back.  Don't just love God part way, do it right with all heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  Because anything worth doing is worth doing right!

Thou shall not Covet

I have been a Christian for a number of years, and much of what the Bible says makes sense to me. However one thing that has never made complete sense to me is the tenth commandment which basically says, don’t covet what your neighbor has. (Exodus 20:17). Now don’t get me wrong, I understand what it means, don’t sit around wishing you had what your neighbor has. But in my human thinking this one just doesn’t seem on the same level as things like lying, stealing, killing, blasphemy. Today’s reading in Solomon however has helped me look at this in perhaps a little different light.

Although I haven’t mentioned it in awhile, let me encourage you today to flip your Bibles open, as we will be looking today at Ecclesiastes 4:4-6. If you don’t have a bible handy never fear, you can find an online King James version at http://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kjv/ . And if you’re in a spot where you can’t do either, keep reading, and I will share part of the passage with you.

Ecclesiastes 4: 4 says "Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind." Here we see both sides of coveting. First, there is the man who strives to have all things to be envied by his neighbor, and the neighbor who looks and thinks I want what he has. Both sides however are pointless and futile much like grasping at the wind.

We’ve all heard the old adages; the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and keeping up with the Jones’s. And are human condition brings a lot of truth to both of these sayings. Most of us spend our lives striving fro what is bigger and better then we already have, what people around us have, and we don’t. We buy our first house, and refer to it as a "starter house" until we can afford something better. We long to upgrade our vehicles. We get jealous we don’t have the biggest boat or biggest camper on the block. Day in and day out, most Americans spend time daily wanting more. But to what avail.

Solomon tells us that living this way is vanity; it is like grasping at the wind. You’re never going to have everything you want. No matter what you get you will always want more. For example: after college I really wanted a truck, I worked hard, with the big desire to get a new truck, and finally I did in 2001 I bought a 1998 S-10. It was just what I wanted, and I found happiness in that truck. Well at least for a week, after about a week; I started thinking to myself how many years should I wait until I trade this in for a bigger truck. I ran computer searches on bigger trucks, brought home wheeler dealer flyers on bigger trucks, and was generally unhappy because so many people had bigger trucks then I did.

Today I still drive my 1998 S-10. I say this not so you will feel bad I haven’t gotten a bigger truck, but to show the futility of getting caught up in such things. At some point my truck will break down past the point of no return, and I will have to get a new vehicle, but to think of the time I wasted striving to get things bigger and better then I already had, when it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t matter if you have the biggest boat on the block, and its sinful to sit around wishing you did. Jesus said in Matthew 6: 19-21:

"19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Today let us make sure we ourselves are not gathering our treasures here on earth. It’s not wrong to have things but wrong when those things hold any kind of importance in our lives over the things of God. And wrong when we have to-great of a desire to acquire these things. Are we happy and content with what God has given us? Could we give it all up to follow Him?

Getting out of the Boat

There is a story that tells of a famous French tight rope walker, who’s biggest claim to fame was crossing over Niagara Falls on a tight rope. He had performed this feat several times when he came back across pushing a wheel barrow. He asked the crowd that had gathered if they believed he could do it again, and the crown cheered. He asked if they believed he could do it while pushing someone in the wheelbarrow, and they cheered even louder. Then he asked for volunteers, and all went silent.

Lets take a moment to to look at Matthew 14:22-33

[22] And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. [23] And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. [24] But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. [25] And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. [26] And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. [27] But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. [28] And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. [29] And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. [30] But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. [31] And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? [32] And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. [33] Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Its always easy to believe someone when we don’t have anything to lose. The story of Jesus walking on water has always been one of my favorites as we see 12 disciples who claimed to follow Jesus, but only one willing to get out of the boat.

Often we are like those disciples afraid to get out of the boat. Its easy to trust the Lord with the small stuff, but when it comes to the big things we would rather keep our fate in our own hands. Today, let us strive to follow Peter’s example and get out of the boat with our Lord.

I have decided to follow Jesus

It’s always good to start out the Lords day with a hymn, and is there any better then I have decided to follow Jesus its on page 454 in the hymnal here on my desk, (although I doubt that will do any one else much good.) This morning churches will close their services with this song all over the country, and life changing decisions will be made. But as we pause and think about it what does it truly mean to follow Jesus, to become his disciple, to become a Christian.

This week I was teaching a lesson Wednesday night on the call of Elisha (1 Kings 19: 19-21). Which made me think of the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-23). Through the examples in these to stories, I think we can at least get an idea of how to start to follow Jesus.

The first story I’d like to look at is that of the Rich young ruler, I’d encourage you to flip your Bibles to Matthew 19:16-26 to read the full account there, as we won’t have time now to examine each verse. As the story goes a man came to Jesus and asked him how he could have eternal life. Christ then took him to the Ten Commandments and asked him if he obeyed each one (Maybe Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron are on to something) the man however responded with a resounding "Yes, I have" now normally we would respond with an open Bible and Romans 3:23. But Christ responded in a different way in verse 21 Jesus said "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me". The man went away sad because he had many positions. First I love the question by Jesus, as the man falls right into the trap, by being unwilling to give up everything for Christ, he shows he has not kept the commandments because money had become more important then God to him. Second, we see a man who was unwilling to pay the price to follow Jesus. Did Jesus really care if he gave everything up, I doubt it, but it was his hears attitude that he would not.

Next let’s take a look at the other side of the coin, and then we’ll draw some conclusions. In 1 Kings 19:19-21 we see the call of Elisha. Let’s take a look at that account here;

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you."
And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?"
21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

We can gain an understanding on Elisha by reading this passage. First he wasn’t expecting the call, but was excited to get it. It says he left his oxen and ran after Elijah. Second Elisha probably had money. It says he’s out plowing with 12 yoke of oxen, I’m not sure what oxen, yokes and ploughs cost in those days, but my guess would be this must be unusual for it to be specifically mentioned. And finally Elisha was willing to give it all up to follow the Lord. I am excited about this part of the account, probably because I did not remember it. But Elisha kills a yoke of oxen and cooks it over his ploughs. He is in this act not only having a celebration feast with his family and friends, but is symbolic of leaving his old life behind. He kills his oxen, burns his plough, kisses his parents goodbye; and leaves to follow Jesus.

Now some of you may be getting nervous about now. You’re thinking I can’t believe he’s telling me to kill my cows and serve my Pastor. Don’t worry that’s not the case. But it is a case of attitude. If we are willing to follow Jesus do we put things ahead of that? If you were called to do so, would you honestly give up all your money to follow Jesus? Would you give up your home, your cars, and your job to follow you’re your Lord. Could you kiss you friends and extended family goodbye never to see them again, in order to minister to those who need you elsewhere?

Where does our heart lie this morning? Have we broken the First Commandment, and most important commandment today? Have we placed things as more important then our relationship then God? Would we rather sleep then attend Sunday school, would we rather watch TV then spend time with the lord in devotions. Would we rather spend a Wednesday night watching a ball game then at prayer meeting? Have we truly decided to follow Jesus in every aspect of our life?

God may convict us of different things at different times in our life. But if we pause today and can think of something in our lives God is telling us to leave behind, let me encourage you to do so. And to remember the words of the hymn writer:

I have decided to follow Jesus ...No turning back, no turning back

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."