TITANIC: flying in the face of God

 "Twelve months later, as King Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said Is not this the great Babylon I have built as my royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?" - Daniel 4:29

The following chronology constitutes a short summary of the main highlights of the story of the R.M.S Titanic in the British Inquiry into the disaster in 1912.

1898     - American author Morgan Robertson publishes the novel "Futility" in which a British                               passenger liner "Titan" hits an iceberg and sinks on her maiden voyage without enough                           lifeboats in the  month of April in the North Atlantic. Titanic was yet to be conceived.

1907 -     At a dinner party, Titanic is conceived by J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of White Star Line in                               William Pirrie's London Mansion. Ismay discusses the construction to compete with                                luxury, size, and speed of rival lines.

19011- May,31: Titanic hull successfully launched, witnessed by more than 100,000 people. At the                                time, she is the largest man-made object ever made.

1912- April 5, Good Friday: The Titanic is "dressed" in panoply of flags and pennants for a salute to                     the people of Southampton. Only occasion she is ever dressed.

         - April 10, Wednesday: Sailing Day. Estimated total number on board is 2,227.

          - April 14: Iceberg warning received via the Baltic. Message delivered to Captain Edward Smith.              Smith later gives it to J. Bruce Ismay, who puts it in his pocket.

           - 9:40pm: Iceberg warning received from the Messaba. Message overlooked.

           - 11:40pm: The Titanic moving at 20 1/2 knots. Suddenly, lookout see iceberg dead ahead. But                   the iceberg strikes the ship. it begins to founder. The Ship is doomed.

             - April 15:2:18 am: Many survivors witness the ship break into two. The bow half sinks.

             -2:20am: The Titanic slowly sinks into the sea. Over 1500 souls are lost in the "greatest                                           maritime disaster in history" with only 705 survivors.

1985- September 1: Dr. Robert D. Ballard finally recovers the wreck of Titanic after nearly 73 years in                 the ocean floor.

Titanic 109 years on. The story brings sorrow, grief, and a lot of emotions which doesn't seem to go away. The unsinkable ship made her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York but got hit by an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks. This was not the first maritime ship wreck, but this was a special wreck. We've heard from survivors, scientists, government officials, Hollywood etc but the "what if's' leger on.

There is something unique about this ship. The Titanic has made headlines since 1911. Why does it stirs our hearts? Why does she exert such a powerful spell over so many?

"But long ago, the Titanic had ceased to be just another shipwreck."- Dr. Robert D. Ballard, author, The Discovery of the Titanic.

"Is it the element of Greek tragedy that runs through the story - if only she had heeded the warnings ;if only there had been enough lifeboats; if only...if only. Is it the built-in sermon, the irresistible reminder that "pride goeth before a fall"? - Walter Lord, author, A Night to Remember

The built-in sermon is the cause of the downfall of the ship. In the Bible, we read about the rise and fall of the Tower of Babel, Pharaoh of Egypt, and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Men sought to do great things without depending or glorifying God. He often teaches us how weak, and frail we really are. God sunk the Titanic for the same reasons He destroyed the great empires of old. 

The sin of the Titanic:

"Not even God himself could sink this ship" - Employee of the White Star Line at the launch of the Titanic, May 31, 1911

" We place absolute confidence in the Titanic. We believe that the boat is unsinkable." - Philip Franklin, Vice President, White Star Line.

The owners of the Titanic, White Star Line were determined to boast about the construction of the ship. J. Bruce Ismay, Captain Edward Smith, crew members, rich and poor passengers all believed that the ship was unsinkable. In fact, tickets were sold out before the completion of the ship. God was displeased with such arrogant statements and He sent an angel of death to struck the Titanic. Like Pharaoh, God hardened the heart of Captain Smith, making him ignored all 30 warnings he received.

When asked about the Titanic, Captain Edward Smith said, "I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern ship building has gone beyond that."

Proverbs 18:12 says, "Before destruction the heart of man is haughty."

Benjamin Hart, a builder from Essex, England, was emigrating to Winnipeg, Canada, with his wife, Esther, and his seven-year old daughter, Eva. Esther thought the idea of the Titanic being "unsinkable" was "flying in the face of God", and tried to persuade her husband to change ships. Convinced that disaster would overcome them all, she slept during the day and kept watch at night.

BECAUSE WE ARE SO SURE. IT SEEMED UNBELIEVABLE!

Sometimes the most ordinary circumstances end in the most extraordinary discoveries. There were no coincident in the events of April 14, 1912. The natural elements points to the fact that there was a Divine involvement in the fate of the Titanic. Let us examine these facts;

1. With 40 years experience at sea, Captain Edward Smith mysteriously ignored all warnings of Icebergs in the North Atlantic.

2. The Iceberg was blue, the most difficult kind to see.

3. The night was moonless- no light to show the iceberg.

4. The sea was unusually calm that night.

5. The Captain of the Californian, a streamer nearby was too tired and asleep to be bored by rockets shots and distress calls for help.

6. J. Bruce Ismay had ordered the number of lifeboats to be reduced from 48 to 16.

7. The hymn "Nearer to God to thee" was the last song sung in the Titanic.

8. The Titanic wreck was buried for 73 years, enough time for bodies and bones to decay.

"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of Heaven, because everything He does is right and all His ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble."-Daniel 4:37

By : Samuel Mantey

Email: samuelmantey@gmail.com

Twitter: @samuelmantey

O.B.E.D.I.E.N.C.E

In the Old and New Testament, the word “obey” is related to the idea of hearing. Obedience is therefore the basis for knowing God’s blessing and favor. According to Noah Webster’s dictionary, 1898 to obey is “to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited.”

God says many times that he doesn’t want our gifts and sacrifices when we give them out of hypocrisy.  God wants us first to love and obey him. To him sacrifices are excuses. God’s love language is obedience.

In the New Testament, the obedience of Christ stands in contrast to the disobedience of Adam. The disobedience of Adam brought death, but the perfect obedience of Christ brought grace, righteousness, and life (Romans 15:12-21).

 

Some scriptures on obedience verses sacrifice;

1 Samuel 15:22 “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

Jeremiah 7:21-23 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Take your burnt offerings and your other sacrifices and eat them yourselves!  When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offerings and sacrifices I wanted from them. This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!”

Hosea 6:6 “I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me^. more than I want burnt offerings.”

Amos 5:22-24 “I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”

Micah 6:6-8 “What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

 

Matthew 9:13 ““Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’

 

God is pleased when we O B E Y.

THÉ LOVE FOR MONEY

Everyone knows that money can’t buy happiness but millions of people want to be the first person to disprove this fact. Why do they want more money? So they can afford luxuries. So they can buy happiness. In today’s world, money represent power, influence, status, and success. For many people, money is a god. Money is their purpose in this life.


True, money can buy certain comforts and provide some security. Ecclesiastes 10:19, “… and money answers everything.” The Scriptures puts money in its proper place. However, the love of money in this generation has caused many sorrows, shame, disgrace, and destruction. Rich people craving greater riches can be caught in an endless cycle that only end in ruin. Poor people lusting for money can be caught up in debts.


Government leaders, businesses, families even Churches get trapped into thinking money can meet all their needs. They throw money at their problems.

This is not teaching that money is evil, instead it is warning against greed, and envy. Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money. The love of money is sinful because we trust money rather than God to solve our problems. This has caused breakdown in marriages, friendships, businesses, government, Churches etc. In fact, any relationship (Husband - Wife; Employer – Employee; Parent – Children; Friend – Friend) base on money is destined to fail. Money is a poor foundation to build any lasting legacy.



1 Timothy 6: 9-10 says, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”



The good Book give examples of people whose lives were ruined because of the love of money;

1. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery for the love of money (Genesis 37: 27-28).
2. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for the love of money (Matthew 27: 3-5).
3. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, and his descendants were cursed with Naaman’s leprosy because of his desire for money (2 kings 5:25-27).

In 1988, Buddy Post won the Pennsylvania lottery. He won $16.2 million. But he found out, as all people do, that happiness does not come from riches, power, or fame. He stated, “Before I hit the lottery, I was more content. I had no pressure. I didn’t have the worries.”




How to keep away from the love of money

1. Be CONTENT: There is a difference between what we need and what we want. We can choose to be content without having all that we want.  “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. So if we enough food and clothing, let us be content.”- 1 Timothy 6:6-8.  Be thankful and be grateful with what God has given you. Someone will die for the husband you complain about, someone will kill for the job you constantly complain of, someone is praying to be in the same situation you are ungrateful for. Hebrews 13: 5 tells us to “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
2. Be GENEROUS: If you been blessed with wealth, then thank the Lord. Don’t be proud and don’t trust in your money. Use your money to do good. Be rich in good works, and be ready to share. No matter how much money you have, your life should demonstrates that God controls the wealth that has been placed under your care.                                                                                                                                         
3. LOVE GOD: Far more valuable than wealth is obedience to God because it is a heavenly treasure rather than an earthly one. We should do what God wants, regardless of the financial implications. To seek the Kingdom of God above all else means to put God first in your life, to fill your thoughts with his desires and obey him. As you serve God, check your motives - you can’t serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24).

Twitter: SamuelMantey

Email: Samuelmantey@gmail.com

TESTIMONY OF A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER

I’m a Sunday school teacher in our local church. I teach 10 to 12 year old’s each Sunday. The call to ministry is exciting yet a challenging one. It’s takes a lot of preparation both spiritual and physical to be able to effectively minister to the students.

I have served in this ministry since 2014, and although there is so much to learn, I would like to share a little of what I have experienced so far with you.

Sunday school ministry has a lasting effect on a child through to his or her adult and old age life. Most adults still remember their favorite memory verses, Bible stories and songs that they learned while they were young.

Today, I would like to share with you some experiences in the Sunday school ministry to encourage others to also serve in this ministry.

PREPARATION

A teacher must be constantly studying the word of God for him or herself and also to teach his or her class. Preparation to teach the class on Sunday must start early in the week.  Never enter your class with little or no preparation.

A teacher must consistently pray for the class, the lesson and the heart of the students. With prayer, God will give you the strength, wisdom and ability to deliver the message effectively.

Sunday school teacher must develop a mutual relationship with the students. This will create an enabling environment for the student to feel welcome.

DURING A BAD LESSON DAY

Each of us has those Sundays when for reasons in our control or out of our control, our lessons just do not go as we expected or desired. Sometimes we have a bad-lesson day.

When those times comes, we need to be determine to work harder for next Sunday, but we need to remember that we have something more influential and powerful than a good lesson- OUR LIFE AND EXAMPLE. That’s not to minimize the importance of striving for a good lesson. Simply put, even if things do not go well on a Sunday, we can still teach a powerful lesson through our lives.

HOW WE TEACH WITH OUR LIVES

• When we kindly greet our students as they enter class, we teach them the Biblical truth of treating people with respect.
• When we ask about their lives and problems, we teach them to care for other people.
• When we pray for their needs, we teach them the importance of prayer.
• When we handle a difficult situation in class with patience, we teach them the Biblical truth of self-control.
• When we visit their homes or make a point to see them during the week, we teach them the importance of caring for others’ needs.

Be careful! Realizing the teaching power of our lives and testimonies should encourage us when we are preparing for a lesson. We should not fall into the trap of saying “My lessons are unimportant. I don’t need to spend too much time on them.” Teaching by life and example is not meant to replace good lessons.

REWARDS IN THE MINISTRY

God is a good pay master! He rewards every good deed done in His name. As you serve Him, you can be sure that He will honor you.

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance It is the Lord Christ whom you serve

Daniel 12:3 says "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Our God is a God who sees in the secret and who rewards us openly, so others can see it. God will never forget your work and the labour of love you showed towards His Name (Hebrew 6:10).

By: Samuel Mantey

Twitter: @SamuelMantey

Email: Samuelmantey@gmail.com

7 SIGNS OF A FALSE PROPHET

The disciples asked Jesus for the sign of his coming and the end of the age. Jesus’ first response was “Don’t let anyone mislead you”- Matthew 24:4. The fact is that whenever we look for signs, we become very susceptible to being deceived.

We are in the last day whether you like it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not. All indication points to the fact that our King is ready to be unveiled to the world. One of the first subject Jesus spoke about in the last days is the “rise of false prophets”. Today, we see them on TV, Tabloids, Radio and even social media. 

There are many “false prophets” around with counterfeit signs of spiritual power and authority. Some people today claim they have messages from God. God still speaks to his people but we must be cautious before saying that someone is God’s spokesman.  

Let us therefore look at the seven signs of a false prophet.

1.   Does the Prophet use fortune-telling?

Divination is expressly forbidden by God. No true teacher or prophet would use fortune-telling or have any dealings with the spirits of the dead.

Jeremiah 14:14-16

Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts. ¹⁵ Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine! ¹⁶ As for the people to whom they prophesy—their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters—all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

2. Have the short-term prophecies been fulfilled?

We can check their word against the Bible. God never contradicts himself, so if someone say something contrary to the Bible, we can know that this is not God’s word. Remember that God is not interested in the score line of your favorite sports team, lottery results, or the prediction of a boxing bout.

Deuteronomy 18:22 

3. Is the prophet marked by a desire to say only what pleases people?

Many false prophets told people what they wanted to hear. A true prophet serves God, not people.

Jeremiah 8:8-10

“‘How can you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,”
    when your teachers have twisted it by writing lies?
⁹ These wise teachers will fall
    into the trap of their own foolishness,
for they have rejected the word of the Lord.
    Are they so wise after all?
¹⁰ I will give their wives to others
    and their farms to strangers.
From the least to the greatest,
    their lives are ruled by greed.
Yes, even my prophets and priests are like that.
    They are all frauds.

4. Does the prophet draw people away from God?

Many teachers draw people to themselves or to the system or organization they have built.  It is possible to say the right words but still lead people in the wrong direction.

5. Does the prophet’s prophecy confirm the Bible’s main teaching?

If a prophecy is inconsistent with or contradictory to scripture, it is not to be believed.

6. What is the prophet’s moral character?

False prophets were charged with lying, drunkenness and sexual immorality. Jesus said “by their fruits you shall know them’. Do not lift one’s talents above his character. If he has a bad character, his talent is useless.

7. Do other spirit-led people discern authenticity in this prophet?

Discernment by others who are led of the spirit is a key test. 1 Kings 22:7. We must check the spirit of any prophet who claims to speak for God. 1 john 4:1

Brothers and Sisters, false prophets are still around. The wise will carefully test ideas against the truth of God’s word.

The only sure way to keep yourself from being deceived is to focus on Christ and his words. Don’t look for special signs, and don’t spend time looking at other people. Look at Christ.