April 10, 2011

  • The Titantic Sets Sail? - The Arrogance of Man

    Ninety-nine years ago today, the Titanic set sail for New York from Belfest, Ireland(1) and five days later, the Titanic sank.  The Titanic was the largest passenger steamship in the world(1).  It was considered one of man's greatest engineering feats, designed by the most experienced engineers and some of the most advance technologies of the time(1).  The ship was equipped with extensive safety features(1).  "There were 29 boilers fired by 159 coal burning furnaces that made possible a top speed of 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph). Only three of the four 62 foot (19 m) funnels functional: the fourth, which served only for ventilation, was added to make the ship look more impressive (1)."  Indeed, the extra funnel made the gigantic titanic looked ever more impressive, powerful, luxurious, and the grandest ship of its time (How impressive!)!  To top it off, this is what Wikipedia (which is referenced here as (1)) goes on to further describe the ship.

    Titanic surpassed all her rivals in luxury and opulence. The First-class section had an on-board swimming pool, a gymnasium, a squash court, Turkish bath, Electric bath and a Verandah Cafe. First-class common rooms were adorned with ornate wood panelling, expensive furniture and other decorations. In addition, the Café Parisien offered cuisine for the first-class passengers, with a sunlit veranda fitted with trellis decorations.[13] There were libraries and barber shops in both the first and second-class.[14] The third class general room had pine panelling and sturdy teak furniture.[15] The ship incorporated technologically advanced features for the period. She had three electric elevators in first class and one in second class. She had also an extensive electrical subsystem with steam-powered generators and ship-wide wiring feeding electric lights and two Marconi radios, including a powerful 1,500-watt set manned by two operators working in shifts, allowing constant contact and the transmission of many passenger messages.[16] First-class passengers paid a hefty fee for such amenities. The most expensive one-way trans-Atlantic passage was £875 (£64,204 as of 2011),[17] or $4,375 ($99,237 as of 2011),[18].

    Indeed, it was the best way to travel - the most luxurious ship in the world and man's greatest invention or so they believed at the time because they were full of themselves.  (We now know in hindsight that there are airplanes and of course, there are better things too!).

    But, what does the word of God say about man's plans without God?  What does the word of God tell us about man's way versus God's way?  When we examine the word of God clearly, there is no dispute that man's ways without God lead to destruction and that God's way leads to life.  By divine revelation, we know this to be Biblical truth.  Jesus clearly tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life, that no one comes to the Father except through Him.  Many people have been trying to do things their own way, trying to work their way into heaven, but they cannot - this is not how God works.  God works simply through mercy, truth, and grace and through the death and ressurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.  We are never good enough for Him, we cannot never build anything as magnificent, as grand, and as great as the titanic to gain His attentions and His affections.  He loves us because He is love - that is the simple truth about His existence as the Trinity, loving one another in perfect love.

    If we think we can build the grandest, most luxurious ship, most powerful, and greatest ship in the world - we are kidding ourselves.  God can definitely do better than us in creating.  He created us.  If we built such a ship and say things like, "It's unsinkable!" then we are indeed very arrogant and we do not trust in Him, but in ourselves, in our knowledge, and in our abilities to plan -- especially when logic and reason, given to us by God, reveals clearly to us that the possibility of sinking is there.  But, then when the maiden voyage of the Titanic did happen, people were happy, cheering, and encouraging it all.  Yep, the humanistic spirit, the encouraging spirit blinded to truth and discernment was there, and it is ever so prevalent to today in the churches.  You have to love them, they say!  You have to show them encouragement and support at the expense of God's truth even!  And, pray tell who is the father of lies?  Satan himself, of course.  These churches have walked into a death trap, exchanging the truth of God for a lie. Indeed, everyone was excited that the Titanic set sail.  It was the biggest steam ship ever built during peacetime - it represented how far man could go if man worked together without God (which leads to doom and destruction!).  Little did they know Biblical truth regarding the Tower of Babel - the pinnacle of the arrogance of man and how God dealt with that.  And, then came the humbling experience, but was it ever a surprise that the proud are humbled?  Remember that the word of God stands firm in the heavens and heaven is eternal.  Therefore, the truth stands and the proud shall be humbled according to His word.

    So, if you are doing something grand, something great, something powerful, something liken to the Titanic- you must ask yourself a few questions and check the spirit behind those motivations.  Are those motivations really from God or are they from the arrogance of you and within?  For if they are from the arrogance within, they will definitely fail and you will fall flat - this is a guarantee, guarantee by Biblical truth.  You may not fall flat immediately because God is graceful and allows time for repentance and acceptance of His Son as Savior, but God's patience has a limit and He will discipline and punish (yes, He does according to His word as He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow - if you think that God does not do this because He is loving, kind, gentle, and caring (as the spirit of these times are teaching), then you need to open your eyes and read the Old Testament - He is God then, He has never changed).  You don't believe me?  Don't take my word for it.  Read the Bible from cover to cover and know who He really is instead of the commercialized version of "Jesus" the world has been spoon feeding you and brainwashing you to believe.  That commercialized version of "Jesus" is not the real Jesus as Jesus clearly states that those who know Him knows the Father - clearly those who know Jesus knows the God of the Old Testament too.  So, if you cannot bear to see God do what He did in the Old Testament or wonder why God would do that, then the question is, do you really know God?  The question becomes - are you really saved?  That's a question you should ask yourself and is for you to answer.  The truth is hard to handle isn't it, but God is not the God that you imagined in your head, He is not the god that you built like the Titanic.  Such a god is an idol you conjured up in your mind and will fall.  The God you worship should be the one true God, Jesus Christ, and only in Him will be you will be able to stand.

    So, do set sail and proclaim your faith in Jesus, but is the "Jesus" you believe really the Jesus of the Bible or a "Jesus" that is manufactured by today?  Is the Jesus you believe really God Himself or a "Titanic?"

    Copyright 2011 by Christenstein

Comments (11)

  • Are those motivations really from God or are they from the arrogance of
    you and within?  For if they are from the arrogance within, they will
    definitely fail and you will fall flat - this is a guarantee, guarantee
    by Biblical truth.

    Yes! This is something that God has checked me on time & again, and in particular over the past week. We always need to keep submitting myself to His Spirit's searching ~ Psalm 139:23-24.

    (It's great to see you back again ... though I admit a little strange now to be reading after having met you in person. :) Hope all is well w/ you & your wife!)

  • That was well said. A good eye opener. I am very impressed. 

  • Amen to this! There are some "Christians" who disregard the Old Testament and just live by the New Testament. I have told people time and time again that you can't do that because if you do then you don't know God. People say God is good, well yes He is. People say God is just, He is that as well. He is also our Father and He teaches us all a lesson when we need to be taught one. He may be tough sometimes but, I figured if He wasn't then, how are we to learn anything from it? What you said is so spot on! I am glad to know someone who has the same views I do. Well done! Blessings to you!

  • Great blog really enjoyed it. 

  • @naphtali_deer - Thank you for edifying me with Psalm 139:23-24.  It is one of my favorite verses.  Definitely a great verse to meditate on day and night, especially when moving into a new season of life and traveling into uncharted waters. 

    Yes, I agree that it is a little different having met you in person and knowing you outside the parameters of this blog.

    @Mal_P - Thank you. 

    @Two_of_Six - Thanks. 

    @boricua_chic_2008 - Agreed. There are some "Christians" who not only disregard the Old Testament, but also disregard parts of the New Testament that they do not like.  Some cherry pick the Bible and follow what suits them and their way of life instead of doing it God's ways.  Thanks for your comments.

  • I wrote this post as a prophetic warning against something that is occurring right at this moment and some wrongly believe will overflow into other areas of lives.  It is rather unfortunate that some are deceived, deceived to the point of losing a leg to stand on. 

    The prophetic message is related to this story, but then most of us having not yet been able to decipher it just yet.  http://blogs.catster.com/kitty-news-network/2010/10/14/three-legged-cat-wins-aspca-humane-award/.  Definitely, all of this does not make any sense now and it is not supposed to, not until the time comes for revelation of its true meaning.

  • @Christenstein - Yes, deception is the devil's way: he is a liar and the father of lies. Just a little twisting is all it takes... We must remain rooted in the truth or we will be tossed to and fro by the waves and every wind of doctrine (~ Eph. 4).

  • i really needed this, thanks very much for it.

    i am glad you are back on here also =). i look forward to meeting you and your lovely wife, and Karen sometime too =)

  • @estadquietos - How are you doing?  I just returned from my honeymoon.  Hope all is well with you.  It is unfortunate that we missed each other during my wedding.  It was wonderful meeting Karen and I am positive that one day, God-willing, we will meet each other.  In the mean time, let's move full throttle ahead for God's kingdom.

  • I wholeheartedly agree :) yes, i look forward to that sometime :)

    I'm so happy for you both. I hope to hear more about you both.
    Yours is such a beautiful and inspiring story.

    Thanks for asking :) I'm trying to be content and more thankful
    Im thankfully healthy, roof over my head, daughter and I are closer again.
    God is really working on my fearful heart. Helping me to trust Him more,let go of unhelpful things; be still in some ways/ take more risks in other areas.

    I'm caregiving right now for my dad. There have been some tough challenges there, but God really helps me through. It also helps that I've begun working outside of the home again. And, Lordwillingly
    going back to sub teaching soon :D

    Take care, brother. God bless

  • A year ago this Wednesday (May 19, 2010), there was a divine phone that was a "well-timed rescue" from the old church.  When I obeyed God and left that church, I met my wife.  http://christenstein.xanga.com/727359126/memory-stone-the-divine-phone-call-another-mentors-birthday/

    Yesterday (May 18, 2011), Father reminded me of that "well-timed rescue" not only out of the old church, but also out of something recent.  As yesterday a year ago was when my wife told me that God told her that "He reserved me for her."  It was the confirmation that I was trying to get out of her for some time.  http://www.harvest.org/devotional/archive/devotion/2011-05-18.html

    So, the message was clear.  Yesterday was a memory stone about rescues, rescues from "titanics."

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