Day 4 Lessons – Independence of the Seas
Today we docked in Jamaica! Ya man! We climbed a waterfall! Yes, you read that correctly! We stood at the base of the waterfall, and you could tell it was a scary feat climbing against the flow of the water on rocky paths, but we did it! The day closed for me with joining the crew fellowship, I felt so much like Paul, going to join a fellowship so we can engage them, and bring them up to date on what God was saying and doing. It was fulfilling.
Lesson 1: How to accomplish Big and Impossible tasks
Today we looked up the waterfall, and when we were told we would climb it, some people backed out immediately. Think about it. How do you climb a waterfall? There are so many places to fall from, and the height and speed of the waterfall looked real!
It took us about 1hr and 30 mins, but we climbed the waterfall. I think there are plenty of lessons there for people all over the world who want to accomplish great things! I think there is a key in there for what God is doing in the midst of the earth.
A. Don’t go solo: The first we did was hold hands! It wasn’t because we wanted to pray; it was because our chances of doing it together and doing it safely greatly increases when we are together. If one person falls, someone is there to hold him/her up. It was not a “nice to do”, it was quite critical and valuable.
If you can do what you are doing by yourself, it’s not big enough!
B. Break it down into smaller tasks: We didn’t try to climb it all through at once; we did it level by level. Even though the mountain was not labeled, there seemed to be natural places to stop and do some video recording and picture taking. We didn’t do it all at one stretch, we ate the mountain bite by bite.
C. Do not look at the size of the problem: Looking at the problem has the capacity to discourage you from the solutions. The further up you looked, the more it looked like you needed to quit. By looking at the next milestone however, we found comfort to keep going on.
D. Celebrate small milestones: Every step of the way was celebrated. We took a plunge into the small pools created by the crevices of the rock from time to time, we took group pictures and got our backs massaged by the waterfall flowing down with our backs against the rocks. We expected to have water splash on us, we were thoroughly soaked. We were also cheered on and reaffirmed by so many people around us trying to accomplish the same feat. We were not at the waterfall alone.
E. Enjoy the journey: Finishing was great, but the journey was fun! Every step of the way was grand! We had people of different age brackets from Age 4 to Age 55 climb with us. Yes, there is no excuse that says you cannot climb the mountain. We can do this, with the support of a guide!
The whole experience simplified the gospel for me. How difficult it looks to become our Lord’s Christ, how monumental to become the dwelling place of God. I am however encouraged that with the Holy Spirit as our guide, we will do the impossible!
Lesson 2: The Christian walk is Radical – No middle ground!
It’s interesting when we fellowship together, we realize the different consecrations of each one of us! One thing stands clearly in my view – The walk with Jesus is radical! There are no middle grounds! When you surrender to Jesus, it’s absolute! His life becomes your life and your life ends! To have life, you have to lose life! To have life and to still have life is to have no life!
When it comes to serving God! There is no agenda! None! Everything must be submitted at the table of His agenda. It would sound unreal and theoretical, but God’s demands as well as His standards are high!
Lesson 3: Question: Pastor, Where is your church? Answer: Nowhere!
It’s quite offensive to me when people ask me for my church. I understand what they are trying to ask, but it’s important we get it right. I don’t own a church, don’t get paid by one, don’t get worries or jitters about one and don’t own one. God wanted to do a work, and he separated me to do it for Him. It’s His church! No Pastor ought to have any Church! Jesus has the church; any Pastor that has his church really has his business! As believers, it’s our delight to be a part of what God is doing! The real church and body of Christ is a subset of organized religion called Christianity. If you are not sensitive to the headship of Christ and are locked into the headship the pastor of your local assembly, you are doomed! The true body of Christ has one head! One! That head is Jesus Christ.
I had the privilege of joining the crew fellowship on Day 4. It was quite exciting for me as it made me understand how Paul will go to new cities and find where debate and discussions are going on, and then join them so he can share with them the latest update and upgrade to what they have believed. When I joined them, they were having a discussion on demons and their Characteristics. It sounded like an army really spending time understanding their enemy without really understanding themselves or the powers vested in them. We participated in their conversations, and gradually steered them in the direction of the pre-eminence of Jesus and the ultimate aspiration of every believer – Christ in us, the hope of Glory.
By the time we were done, we were invited to join the leadership in praying for some of their team members who wanted to be prayed for. It was a diverse audience of people from different nations. The great commission sounded more real – disciple nations!
Who is your head? Is it Jesus Christ? Where is your loyalty is it your Church or the Church of Jesus Christ. God is calling out is ecclesia, are you a part of that company?
