What is Your Ambition?

Volume 2 1988

Make sure that what you find worth living for i s worth dying for.

What is your ambition? What are you putting your energy, time, talents and life info? Is it for material reasons alone? Is it for selfish motives? Is it for temporary rewards? What are you aiming for in life? Promotion? Prosperity? Prestige? And after that?

Are you settling for less when you should be searching for more?

The Lord uses people who love Him above all else, with everything they’re worth. He uses people who do not live in fear of public opinion, group pressure or mass opposition. God uses people who hate evil. He uses such dedicated Christians as His shock troops — His elite storm— troopers to storm the strongholds of satan, to destroy false arguments, to pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:3-5).

On every continent the Lord is raising up an army of believers who have a vision of reaching a lost world for Christ, a burning desire to change this world for the better by bringing people to repentance from sin, and to faith in Christ.

They want to bring the saving power of Jesus Christ into the darkness and squalor of our sin-sick world. They refuse to ignore the devastation and destruction caused by drug abuse, alcoholism, abortion, pornography, materialism, crime, greed, corruption, communism, false religious cults and sects, selfishness and apathy.

By seeking to follow Christ’s example, believers have been inspired to step out and change history, ending the child sacrifices, cannibalism, voodooism, polygamy, slavery and widow-burning of heathen religions. They saw the needs of the world around them. They studied God’s answers in the Bible. And they courageously stepped out in obedience and faith, seeking to — change some part of their world for Christ.

Some of the more famous such examples have been William Carey ending widow-burning in India, Hudson Taylor launching a mighty missionary movement into China, David Livingstone opposing Islamic slavery in Central Africa, C.T. Studd countering witchcraft in the Congo, Jim Elliot dying for Christ among the Auca Indians of Ecuador, Richard Wurmbrand standing up for Christ in the communist prisons of Rumania, Brother Andrew taking Bibles into Russia, David Wilkerson taking the Gospel to the violent gangs of Harlem, and so many countless thousands of other faithful servants of Christ.

As Missionary C.T. Studd declared:

“Some like to live within sound of church or chapel bell. I would like to run a rescue shop — within a yard of hell.”

They live for God. They live in the light of eternity. They live with a purpose which they count as far more important than a competative salary or a comfortable lifestyle. What they do now affects their eternity and the eternity of others. To them, investing their lives in God’s Word and in Gods Will, is investing in forever. This they count as more important than temporary pleasures and man-made entertainment.

Willing to go anywhere God sends them
Ready to do anything God tells them
Running the full distance.
No holding back.
No turning aside.
No falling away.
No settling for less.
Striving for God’s best.

Their weapons are Prayer, the Word of God and Obedience. Their shield is Faith in an Almighty Sovereign Lord who can do the impossible and who will supply all their needs.

"Where God guides — He provides."

They are irresistable and unstoppable. They trust in, depend upon and rely on Almighty God.

" Got any rivers you think are uncrossable.
Got any mountains you just can’t tunnel through.
God specialises in things thought impossible.
And He can do what no other power can do.”

They have made Christ’s Great Commission their ambition. They have dedicated their time, talents and opportunities to the evangelisation of their world.

“Without God — I cannot.
Without me — God will not.”

Are you part of God’s army? Are you one of those with a clear vision of a lost world in rebellion to its Creator? Do you have the moral backbone to stand up against the immoral degeneration of our society? Do you have the spiritual guts to step out and do something about it?

It is the responsibility of every believer to seek God’s will for his life by studying God’s Word in the Bible. And once we see the Lord’s work for our life we are then responsible to fearlessly go and put our faith into action.

Perhaps you are called to be a missionary in Africa, or maybe you should start a creche in your area. God may be calling you to organise a prayer meeting at work or a Bible study at home. You may be gifted as an artist, musician or counsellor. The Church needs whatever talent or ability you have. You can write letters to prisoners in communist jails. You can bake biscuits for the soldiers on the border. You can make a stand against blasphemy at work. You can write for and distribute Christian literature, or organise missionary speakers for your church or group. You can select and give good Christian books as gifts, or perhaps even start a bookstall at church. You can share interesting and important facts with your neighbours. You can support worthwhile missionary ventures, making possible greater achievements because of your generosity. You can pray and intercede for God’s will to be done in your family, in your church and community and in your country.

Wherever you can see a need. And wherever you can see an ability, interest or talent in your life capable of meeting part of that need — there you may be realising part of what God has prepared you to do.

For further practical suggestions, please write to us for our “What Can I Do?" letter.

THE MEANING OF MISSION

Missions is the spearhead of the Church. Missions is the Church in action, in the frontline. Missions is the Kingdom of God advancing. Missions is lhe Church reaching the world for Jesus.

Missions is letting the world know that Jesus Christ is alive. It is knowing Christ and making Him known. Missions is the heart of God reaching out to a lost world. It is the Grace of God being manifested in the salvation of men. Missions is the Church bringing the saving knowledge of Christ to the people of “every race, tribe, nation and language.” Missions is the Church co-operating with God’s Divine Love in reaching every creature with the Good News. Missions is letting lost men and woman know that Jesus Christ has conquered sin, satan and death. Missions is obedience the Great Commission.

The word "mission" is derived from the Latin verb “mitto”, which means “to send." Some Evangelical Missionologists have defined missionaries as “Christian workers who are engaged in cross-cultural ministries with evangelistic goals.”

Another definition is: “A missionary one commissioned of God to evangelise, plant churches and disciple people of a different race, religion, culture, language or nationality. This would generally include those Christians who, having crossed such barriers already mentioned, are involved in missionary supporting roles full-time.”

God loves the World (John 3:16). Jesus died for the sins of everyone (1 John 2:2) God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). Christ gave Himself to redeem all mankind (1 Tim 2:6). God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (2 Co 5:19). Jesus commissioned us to Go to all peoples everywhere and make them His disciples (Matt. 28:19). Jesus commanded us to Go throughout the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mar 16:15). His message is to be preached to all nations (Luke 24:27). We must be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The Church in the end will consist of people from every race, tribe, nation and language (Rev. 7:9). The end will not come until the Gospel has been preached through all the world for a witness to all mankind (Mat. 24:14).

WE HAVE A WORLD TO WIN!