This year, the 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s dreadful night fell on “Good Friday,” April 15th. The date of April 15th is better known as Tax Day, so the reminder of the Titanic is often overlooked. However, it is one of the great lessons of the past two hundred years.
On April 10, 1912, the RMS Titanic left Southampton, UK on April 10, 1912, on its maiden voyage to New York City, USA. After stopping at Cherbourg, France and Queenstown, Ireland, the captain turned the ship toward New York.
As the RMS Titanic approached Newfoundland, the Titanic hit an iceberg at 11:40 pm on April 14, 1912. The ship SS Mesaba had given warning to the RMS Titanic of drifting ice along the path, but Capitan Edward Smith ignored the warnings. A little later, the Titanic stuck an iceberg, buckling the seams in the hull and creating a series of holes below the waterline.
The RMS Titanic was considered to be unsinkable. The name Titanic comes from the gods or the Titans of Greek mythology. However, the term “unsinkable,” when applied to the Titanic, referenced the watertight compartments in the hull. The compartments were designed to seal in case of a hole in the hull.
While the watertight compartments were designed to seal, the interior walls were not designed to hold all the water. As a result, when the outer seams busted, allowing water into five of the compartments. When the bow of the ship dipped forward, the water spilled from one compartment to another. The result was the ship continuing to fill with water, and finally sink to the bottom of the ocean.
What can we learn from this tragedy? Remember Proverbs 16.18, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughty spirit before a fall.” We must be aware and beware of the situations around us and heed the warnings of others, yet we fall.
In 2018, Stacy Edwards and her daughters were in a horrible accident caused by a lady running a red light at 45 MPH. While Stacy and her daughters walked away without serious injuries, the statement of the lady who ran the red light was confusing. The lady at fault made a statement, included on the police report, that she “felt like the light was green.” (Homelife, December 2018)
Can you imagine the look on Stacy’s face as she read what the lady had said? Her life was put in jeopardy because someone “felt like the light was green” instead of the fact the light was red.
While feelings matter, they do not trump facts. In the case of Stacy Edwards and her family, the facts were simple; their light was green and the cross-traffic light was red. When we rely on only our feelings, we risk putting ourselves in danger as well as others.
Take Ananias and Sapphira for example. I am sure that both felt their decision was justifiable. However, the fact was they were lying. The knew the truth, but possibly relied on feelings to guide their path to danger.
Consider these verses:
“Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” (Proverbs 28.26)
“The way of a fool is right in his own eye, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Proverb 12.15)
Your feelings do matter, but we must remember our feelings do not trump facts. As Christians, the facts of spiritual life and given to us by God and we must live by them. (2 Peter 1.3)
As we all know, the Christian life is one of action. James writes Christians should be “doers of the word and not hearers only.” (James 1.22) James goes further in his writings be saying that faith without works is dead (James 2.14,26)
Actions matter to a because, not only is it required, but when Christians act on their belief, it keeps us going. The example of the early church is powerful because, even in the face of persecution, they never stopped meeting (Acts 5.42) and they never stopped serving and growing (Acts 6.1-7). Just as they kept moving, so should we.
During the pandemic, the Giant Dipper rollercoaster in Mission Beach, California, kept on moving, but there were no human passengers. When the pandemic happened and places were shutting down, the staff at Belmont Park determined the rollercoaster needed to run 12 times a day to keep in it good repair.
They wanted to maintain the rollercoaster so it would be ready for its centennial birthday in May 2024. To do this, they would need to keep running the rollercoaster. Instead of human passengers, the Belmont Park staff filled the rollercoaster with large stuffed animals from the nearby games. Videos of the stuffed animal filled rollercoaster circulated across the internet bringing publicity to the park, and the rollercoaster kept moving.
Christians need to keep moving as we press on toward the prize. (Philippians 3.14) Even in the hard times, like a pandemic, we need to keep moving so we do not let our spiritual lives deteriorate. (Galatians 6.9).
To circumvent the road rules in Jakarta, consider to be the world’s most congested city, people are becoming “professional passengers.”
The idea of being a professional passenger began after city officials created a new rule for the roads. The new rule, called the 3-in-1 rule, created car-pooling to lessen traffic on the roads, but it created another issue – professional passengers.
Professional passengers are people hired to sit in a car and do nothing. They do not know about the journey or the destination. They are there to be paid. The professional passengers (sometimes called jockeys) include single mothers and children. Officials have found that children have left school to become professional passengers because of the money.
Would you become a professional passenger? Would you sit in a car and just “be there?” You would not know the destination and have no care for what might take place?
The question I would ask is, “Are there professional passengers in the church?” Are there individuals who are filling pews instead of living a Christ filled life?
Certainly, we know that being a Christian is more than filling a pew. It is living a life of a higher purpose (1 Thessalonians 2.12). While we are to be listeners of the word of God, we are also to act on what we hear and have learned. (James 1.22)
Remember what Paul said to Timothy, “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…” (2 Timothy 1:9)
I am going to say it and give everyone a break from the past few years and where your mind may have gone. To show you how this year is going to be a great year, let’s start off with some promises made to us, which provide a reminder of the greatness of the lives we are living.
Each promise brings us hope of a greater tomorrow and a better year. You and I can begin today and create a better day today for a better life tomorrow. We are do not by adjusting our vision and purpose, along with our mindset. Instead of seeing the negative of teh world, let us focus on the positive promises we have.
Give yourself a moment and consider the promises on this list. On one hand they are simple, and on the other hand they are huge. Their benefits are beyond our imagination.
“Ten Promises for a Better Year!”
1. The Promise of a Gift— “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” (Ephesians 4.7; ESV)
2. The Promise of the Son — “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2.29-32; ESV)
3. The Promise of the Spirit — “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Romans 8.26; ESV)
4. The Promise of God — “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13.5; ESV)
5. The Promise of a Rainbow — “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9.16; ESV)
6. The Promise of a Crown — “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4.8; ESV)
7. The Promise of Better Promises — “But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” (Hebrews 8.6; ESV)
8. The Promise of Cleansing — “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1.7; ESV)
9. The Promise of Forgiveness — “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you…” (Matthew 6.14; ESV)
10. The Promise of Heaven — “And this is the promise that he made to us–eternal life.” (1 John 2.25; ESV)
What are some promises that you will add to the list?
Supply change management and organization mean something different today than it did 5 years ago. The necessity of a good supply chain is the core of many businesses today amid the shortages and
During this most recent shortage of goods, the owner of Ty Beanie Babies company, Ty Warner, assured his customers that “I’m here to tell our customers that Christmas is not canceled.” Mr. Warner took action on his words by chartering flights to and from China, to bring the toys to his customers.
To date, over 150 flights have been chartered to deliver the toys to the United States for Christmas. The Beanie Babies that may not have arrived in time for Christmas were flown out of China on a chartered jet because Mr. Warner knew the importance of his product in the lives of people. The reason for this massive effort is that Mr. Warner said, “There’s too much doom and gloom out there.” He wanted to bring happiness to the world.
Are we, as Christians, willing to take the same measures to share the gospel?
Are we willing to take the gospel to the world? Wo a world to “too much doom and gloom.” We have the saving power of Jesus Christ. (Romans 1.16).
Have we shared the message of Jesus to others so they can be brought out of the “doom and gloom?” (Jude 1.23)
