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Some Christians think that once they're saved, life will be like a cruise ship. False prosperity teachers tell us that too. All will be well, just sit back, enjoy the ride, it's the Love Boat.
On a cruise ship, it's all about you. The cruise is for YOU. You will be served at every moment. Need something? Want something? Our friendly staff will seek to fulfill your every dream. You deserve this cruise! Your Captain is the genial Joel Osteen, the ship is directed by the friendly Joyce Meyer. The ship was designed by corporate-model, seeker-sensitive guru Rick Warren, so you can be sure that the best minds thought ahead to what all your felt needs might be, and aboard this cruise, they will be fulfilled. You'll enjoy smooth waters, and clear skies- Gloria Copeland guarantees it. Aboard the Cruise Ship, Every Day Is a Friday!
Relax, lay back, sunny skies and a pleasant trip awaits. Come aboard, all you need to do is want it enough and your dream Christianity Cruise will be yours!
[Note small print, Captain Joel Osteen was taught by Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino on how to abandon the sheep to their fates and save himself. No worries though, because if the ship hits a reef and sinks, no one will come to harm, because as a Christian Cruiser, you already have enough faith on the inside of you to overcome any obstacle.]
Meanwhile, sailing on the same oceans, was the Christian Battleship. No one is allowed aboard this ship through enlistment. Only by conscription can a person board. The Captain, Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner), will hone His crew into a sleek fighting machine. The waters are infested with enemies seeking to sink the ship. Your Captain is the Lord Who Sees (Genesis 16:13) and He knows where each enemy legion lies in wait. This ship is the safest of all the ships plying all the waters of all the earth.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! (Psalm 24:8)
Captain Jehovah, The Shepherd and Bishop of Souls, (1 Peter 2:25) cares for each and every one of His draftees. He will care for them in battle or in between battles. He will never abandon them nor forsake them. When the enemy strikes, He knows where to station each crew member for maximum effectiveness. In between battles, there are lectures to show how to polish the draftees' armor, (Ephesians 6:10-18), army manual study time (bible) and special tutoring sessions for new draftees (Acts 8:30).
The song the Christians sing on this ship is:
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)
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Relax, lay back, sunny skies and a pleasant trip awaits. Come aboard, all you need to do is want it enough and your dream Christianity Cruise will be yours!
[Note small print, Captain Joel Osteen was taught by Costa Concordia Captain Francesco Schettino on how to abandon the sheep to their fates and save himself. No worries though, because if the ship hits a reef and sinks, no one will come to harm, because as a Christian Cruiser, you already have enough faith on the inside of you to overcome any obstacle.]
Love, exciting and new
Come Aboard.
Come Aboard.
We're expecting you.
And Love, life's sweetest reward.
Let it flow, it floats back to you.
Love Boat soon will be making another run
The Love Boat promises something for everyone
Set a course for adventure, Your mind on a new romance.
And Love won't hurt anymore
It's an open smile on a friendly shore.
Yes LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!
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Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! (Psalm 24:8)
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| USS Missouri (post refit) |
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| USS Eisenhower |
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!
Refrain
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, 19keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)
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I really enjoyed this post, Elizabeth. I couldn't help but notice you posted a pic of my old ship, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). I did two tours of duty on the Ike during the 1980s as an avionics technician, so it brought back memories.
ReplyDeleteOne of my fondest memories of my first tour on the Ike was the time a young Jewish guy reported aboard the ship and was assigned to my work center. He was a nice, polite kid, and was rather quiet and a bit reticent. His last name was Rubenstein, and we got the impression he had grown up in a somewhat sheltered environment with smotheringly protective Jewish parents. Although he seemed slightly self-conscious about being Jewish, he was a good guy and a sharp technician and the guys in my shop generally liked him, affectionately nicknaming him "Rube." And a rube he was.
Although I had grown up in a church-going family and in my youth had prayed the sinner's prayer on more than one occasion, in my heart I was far from the Lord and deep down I knew it. There were several Christians in my shop who were part of an onboard ministry, and the next thing you know, Rube got saved.
I'm sorry, I mean he got *s-a-v-e-d*.
Our God is a consuming fire, and I can scarcely remember ever meeting anyone so consumed by that fire. He became a maniac for the Messiah--it was all he talked about. It was all he cared about. Jesus oozed from the pores of his skin, and I distinctly remember thinking what a battle lay before him at home.
True to form, the Holy Spirit used Rube to pierce my flimsy Christian facade, and I also distinctly remember thinking "Huh...sure wasn't like that when *I* said the sinner's prayer. What did I miss?"
Although it would be many more years before it came to fruition, God's plan was to use Rube to begin drawing me to Himself, and I will be praising Him for eternity for doing so.
And I can't wait to meet Rube after the Rapture and report "Mission accomplished."
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane.
Dear Brother Greg,
DeleteThis is such a wonderful testimony! So well-stated and so refreshing to read! Thank you for blessing me this morning. I sent it to my pastor, who had mentioned watching a show about the Eisenhower and was the reason I chose that ship for the illustration. He will be tickled to read of the spiritual battle aboard the ship even more than the military battles!!
Thanks again for taking the time to write that :)
Loved this post! Good reminder of why we've embarked on this voyage.
ReplyDeleteI am now officially commanding you to take a break. It can't go on like this. Watch out for burnout! Yet another fantastic post.
ReplyDeleteBlessings.
Ditto to all the above comments. Great post. Refreshing to say the least.
ReplyDeleteI like the analogy of the ships, except battleships are obsolete for fighting in the sea - pretty much made that way during WWII (they are still great for floating artillery supporting shore units). The aircraft carrier is the top dog of fighting ships today.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I had a photo of an aircraft carrier but deleted it at the last second.
DeleteI loved the PBS program "Carrier." The tv crew had permission from the Navy to film life as it is aboard the USS Nimitz, in dock, at sea, day-to-day. A great series.
When I lived aboard my sailboat and was anchored at Norfolk, the USS Enterprise was at Norfolk. What a thrill to pass that mighty carrier, and know we plied the same seas!