I am piggybacking on an EXCELLENT sermon I heard at church this morning. So excited for the pastor. He has heard the glory train sounding its horn. I told him, I know from your sermon that train will pass by you soon. I will pray and intercede that, when it passes by you and Jesus holds out His hand, “Climb aboard!” you grab it and go and let nothing stop you!!!

He said AMEN please do that!!!

That train always leads eventually to Heaven. Some fast some slow but always to Heaven in the end.

The church has been going through the Book of Acts. The pastors have been puzzling over, so WHY are these people SUPER THRILLED about being imprisoned and BEATEN BLOODY for the gospel?? Joy and rejoicing even???

Here to shed a little insight on that.

God Is Love So Church Should Be The Love Boat!

But first, he used the excellent example, which he in turn got from somewhere else, an old video, of churches as CRUISE SHIPS.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Julie was your cruise director and life was like that?

It’s not, for anyone.

 

The pastor used this quote, and I found a more complete version. “Go to the grave with the song still in them.” CHILLING. And sadly so true!!!

But back to cruise ships. He said, again from his source and getting this from him, that people tend to show up and evaluate the environment like a cruise ship.

And that’s reality. In America at least. Probably many other places too.

This is a reality at ODDS with people in Acts rejoicing in persecution, imprisonment and BLOODY BEATINGS.

“…They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” ~ Acts 5:40-42 NIV.

The Dark Reality

We live instead in a reality of pastor suicides. There was another one recently, sadly.

If you feel the need to rag on people who die by suicide or re-victimize their families and loved ones, please remove yourself from my page right now. I am serious. Just go look at some other page; it’s a free world.

Nonetheless this sad horrible reality should not be. I am fond of saying, happy people don’t do drugs. They do not commit suicide also. This guy’s life was NOT WORKING in a really huge fashion to end up dead of suicide. The article said he had mental health struggles like many. God rest his soul and bless his widow and family, sincerely and from a full heart.

He was preaching Jesus and living Henry David Thoreau. And there are many many many like him. Maybe even YOU, dear reader.

How Do We Get From Here To There?

That is what the pastors of my church are sincerely struggling with. How do we get from cruise ship church, money, trappings of life, success, to First Testament Church they beat us up for JESUS CHRIST YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!

Because they have seen the first does not work and the fruits of this can lead to LITERAL DEATH!!!!

WHAT DID THE APOSTLES AND EARLY CHURCH KNOW??? WHAT WAS THE LIFE THEY WERE WILLING TO SUFFER AND DIE FOR????

You Have To Let Jesus Live His Life Through You

That is the answer literally.

Everyone has their own path, laid out by the Lord. No two paths alike. The narrow path by the narrow gate. Overgrown, rocky, weeds, secret, off the highways and byways of life.

You have to surrender to Jesus, let Him do a work in you, let Him remove your SELF which will get in your way, and this is a PROCESS for everyone. A process for which there are NO SHORTCUTS!!

If YOU are doing it, that is always wrong. If YOU are in charge of your life, you have missed the point, even if YOU are doing good Christian things.

Romans ch. 6, 7 and 8 have all the deets on this.

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” ~ Romans 8:13 NIV.

Pastor suicides are a very very sad real life confirmation of this Word. They were doing a lot of good things but THEY were doing them. They lived their own lives for Jesus and they ended up DEAD in a literal fashion, and not in the sense Jesus wants us to die to ourselves. 😦

When Jesus lives His Life through you instead of YOU living your life, well that’s when it gets crazy. 😀 😀 😀

The Cruise Ship Becomes A Battleship

You see, the early church was full of JOY POWER THE HOLY SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH. When they encountered opposition, their attitude therefore was IT’S ON!!!!!

You want to know this LIFE?

Only available through THE LORD JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!! It is HIS LIFE AND SPIRIT LITERALLY!!

Want it?

Just ask!

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” ~ Isaiah 55:1 ~ NIV.

Pray this with me now:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son, The Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I believe He came in the flesh, died for my sins, and rose again in a new real body to save me. I now accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for Your Love, Father. In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name, Amen!!

Then let Him work!!!!

Welcome to the great adventure!!!!!!