God’s Living Ocean

We are much like vessels; traveling across the deep sea of life.

We are very fortunate and blessed if our vessels are HEALTHY and in GOOD SHAPE.  Well maintained and equip for the journey.

But sometimes we might experience ship wreck and need to be rescued; while in this sea of life, but we can make it if we understand from whence cometh our help.   All of our help comes from the Lord.

We are at the HELM and the captain of our ship, which is our life.  We own it. 

While traveling we make both positive and negative waves upon the ocean.  And we must navigate the waves of others.

Have we ever heard the expression; why don’t you stop making so many waves?

  It seems we are making waves for other and others are always making waves for us.  We are surrounded by waves and vibrations.  We either must harness and use them to our best ability or be thrown off course because of them. 

We need these waves each other’s waves; believe it or not.  But this is another message for another day.

While traveling along the sea of life you meet interesting people if we only take the time to be friendly and listen.

Let me tell you about the man from Indonesia; his country is where the disaster of tsunami occurred.  He tells of his culture of two people of different wave links. 

The ordinary people have communication on one and the religious people on another.  They are not allowed to cross over. 

He shared one of the most amazing principles to be learned, which is the Kung-Fu practice.  It’s the principle that gives every person the ability to generate power from within.  This power he says is available for survival techniques; and he underscored that with the word only.  You are not to use this power and force except for good of yourself and others. 

If you are under threat of attack simply extend your arm and spread your finger; with your palm of your hand displayed at the assailant; you can apply a force that can knock that person off their feet; without ever touching them physically.  That is a power in your hand and at your finger tips.  So when you are attacked verbally or physically remember this principle of the Indonesian man.

He spoke about his family (wife and children) back home waiting faithfully for him to return after his seven months on board the cruise ship “Fascination”.

He spoke of a relationships of trust in love ones and family ties that almost seemed possible to believe because of this loose morals of society today. 

We live in a society that applauses double dipping and profits off cheating relationships.  Fidelity, chastity and virtuous living are not a desirable practice being taught in our free-thinking Eurocentric society and western culture.

As we sail through life aboard vessels there are postings to be noted.  One such sign is the:

HIGH WIND AREA PLEASE TAKE PRECAUTION

This notice posted on the BOW at the front lookout on top of the ship.  Traveling at the speed of 15 to 20 knots the wind is strong enough to create a problem even for the strongest of us standing unsecured.  A slight error in judgment could cause loss of valuable papers, cameras or life.  There would be a man overboard.

After touring the Carnival Ship “Fascination” I went immediately to the information desk to request to speak with the captain.  The very friendly Romanian attendant was unable to schedule time with him, but gladly wanted to answer any of my questions. 

The first question was regarding the high wind notice.  I wanted to know had the captain ever lost a man, woman or child overboard?  She replied that she had never heard of ever losing a passage. 

The second question I asked, if a man would ever fall overboard would the ship stop; and all the passengers traveling be notified?  And would there be an alarm sounded and a cry from the PA system “man overboard” announcement be made?

She replied the ship would indeed stop but no notification be given to those on the vessel.  Later that day listening to the ship’s Captain talking to one of his insubordinate staff; I overheard him “joking” say; if you don’t straighten up you will be walking the gang plank tonight.  Needless to say, he quietly straightens up.  No one in their right mind wants to make that walk day or night on the gang plank.

Another question raised to the nice lady was about the high voltage rotating scanners on top of the Ship.  My question was to know what are where?  And are we being tracked?  She stated, we are protected and guided by this communicative system.  She wanted me to continue asking question because she was so delighted with our discussion. 

I told her she did a great job and I was finished; except for one more question, which really was my first question and was the real reason going to the information center in the first place.  My question was, “Is there a religious church service being provided this Sunday morning”?  She replies that it is not customary to offer anything like a religious service because of the many cultures and nationalities on board and everybody has their own beliefs.  We bided each a good day and I departed.

After leaving information center Mr. Evans and I was walking down Hollywood Blvd on broad the “Fascination” cruise ship.  And saw three ladies sitting along the way.  They had a bible on top of the table in open display.  I knew something good was about to happen.  I replied I finally found my church folk.  They jump up and ran to us and pointed to the Pastor and encouraged us to talk with him.  He was Pastor Tyree Smith of Popular Lawn Southern Baptist Church located in West Virginia.  We exchange greetings and was invited to assist.

The Lord had not let me down when I woke up that Sunday Morning with a message that he had given me to deliver to His people.

The Message I present is simply this:

Some folks declare that we can enjoy heaven here on earth; I declare to you today that heaven can be founded and enjoyed upon the smallest of Carnival Cruise Ships “The Fascination”.  In other words you can have heaven on land and you can enjoy heaven also upon the water.

Consider these thoughts about “Living on the Sea of Life”:

1.     You are being carried along, just like in life.  Carried in the hollow of His hands. Cast you bread upon the water in many days it shall return unto you.

2.     You don’t have any cares.  God takes care of the sparrows I know he cares for me. His eyes are scanning; He never sleeps or slumber.

3.     There are no real threats just our own.  He fights your battles.  He is your refuge in times of trouble.  He calms the tempest of the sea.

4.     There is a docking point a harbor for all of us.  We will get off at some point.  Only to start on another voyage and travel to distant lands and shores.

God’s Sea Of Love

God’s Sea Love is like the ocean that surrounds a mighty ship.  His divine love is surrounding everyone all the time.  There is nowhere that His love is not.  Poetically speaking, would you come and go with me to the sea of love; on the sea of God’s love is where tranquility and Harmony and they create children called serenity and Peace all on the sea of love.  On the sea of love is where couples make vows for a deeper and everlasting relationship and an intrinsic love is born.  And those without a deep affectionate relationship dream of a time when their soul mate will be revealed.  On the sea of God’s love is where individuals and God meet face to face and an understanding of God’s will is birth in their life anew.  A spiritually enriching time awaits all those who will venture in God’s Sea of Love.

In the vastness of God’s Sea of Love; we see displayed through his wondrous creations that he will forever be bound to them and us and throughout the generations to come. 

The fish beneath the sea harmoniously declare his goodness and the fowls in the air above wave their wings to His glory. 

His Love is deeper than the deepest sea and wider that the widest ocean.  His breeze is gentler than the mildest wind to guide us along our journey. 

The breath He sends moves us onward and upward to our final destinations of Love. 

When leaving the beautiful Bahamas Island I was struck with a little sadden, but God’s Spirit assured me there is nothing ever left behind to languish upon or lavish over; for all will be safely carried within my imagination; aboard God’s ship called the “Fascination”.

So I said, bye, bye to the Bahamas and my new found friends, but now I am saying hello to a new outlooks and to new lands as I continue my journey through this adventurous life.

NOT ONLY AM I TALKING ABOUT GOD’S SEA OF LOVE, BUT HIS SEA OF FORGEVENESS

GOD’ SEA OF FORGIVENESS

The Atlantic Ocean can also, be spiritually viewed as one of God’s great seas of forgiveness.  The word says, I will cast your sins as far as east is from the west. 

He tells us that He will cast our sins in the sea of forgetfulness and remember them no more.  Micah 7: 18-19  and   Psalms 103:12

I instructed those upon the Cruise ship “Fascination” on Sunday, to write those unwanted, unpleasant and sinful things down that they desired to cast into the sea and leave them in the sea of forgetfulness.  They were instructed to go to the BOW, STERN OR SIDE DECK and cast their cares unto the Lord and throw those things written down overboard as well.

For those of you listening today that would like to follow this exercise given to those at sea why not use what is at hand; the Mighty St. Joseph River to cast those ungodly feeling or challenges away once and for all.  This just may be your last time; it’s now or never time for some of you today. 

This is your time to win for God.

Like postings on the ship there is one posting of warning and precaution I would like you to be aware of before you carry out my instruction; be advised that the enemy of God will fight you all the way.

For instance when I had written my own personal challenges down on the note pad and went to the BOW of the ship to cast the notes into the sea of forgetfulness; the wind was high on the top deck and after tossing it over the side into the sea it simply returned back at me.  The devil don’t want you to rid yourself of his junk I thought to myself!

The devil doesn’t want you to cast you cares upon the Lord.  The greatest of his negative winds to watch out for are those negative triggers that will hinder you following through on my instructions.  The devil may give you an impulse of fear, unbelief or apathy or just plain procrastination saying “Oha that won’t work for you”.  That stuff don’t work.  It’s a foolish gesture!

Please don’t think that this exercise is not worthy of your participation and a nonsensical act.

Don’t let the devil steal your blessing and keep you from manifesting joy in Jesus.

So go ahead write down on a note pad your fears, doubts, diseases, mental, financial and spiritual shortcoming and cast them overboard in the sea of forgetfulness.  In this case the Mighty St. Joseph River.

Now let me make it perfectly clear that I am not suggesting that you jump overboard, but that you throw the list of your hang-ups that are stopping you from getting hooked up with God into the sea of forgetfulness.

Let’s follow the paper trail, which in our case is the note pad list of those items you are casting away into the sea of forgetfulness.

You make you list and cast it into the river, don’t leave this for anyone else to do it must be you.

Your lists of pains, diseases, fear and doubts will be carried along with the current.  We can see it as it goes down the river until it is out of your sight. 

In time it will find its way into the fish food chain and become food for a fish. The evolution of that little note of pain has become a blessing to that fish, but the evolution sequence of events continues.

Remnants of that little note pad thrown into the mighty St, Joseph River and eaten by a fish is now headed to one of the two largest seas on earth the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean.  But it ain’t over yet through this process evolution, that to be politically correct we now term recycle, the note pad listed with pain, disease, fear and doubt has gotten lodged inside the jaw of a clam. 

When the fisherman sorts through his net inspecting his catch he find one clam that looks like what he has been looking and fishing night and day to find.  He immediately leaves all the other fish in the net to inspect the inner jaw of this clam; and with great jubilee he shouts to his fellow fisherman that he has found a “Pearl of Great Price”.

This wonderful story provokes much thought and several meanings can be drawn from it but there is one that I would like for us to consider

The moral to my story is simply this; as you begin to follow my instructions and write on the note pad your list of pains, diseases, fears and doubts you desire to rid from yourself; something miraculous will be happening to you.  A process of evolving and a change in your spiritual mindset will be taking place.  Those unpleasant things you have written have no hold on you anymore.  And those cares you have cast upon him have improved greatly and you can see total satisfied and victory ahead.  In other word the weight of concerns and confusions you were totting around don’t belong to you.  They belong to Him.  He turns the wave of trouble around and sails you to victory.  And with that same trouble you unloaded He turns it around that other are blessed because of what you HAD BEEN CARRYING AROUND.  When we cast our cares on Him we release a wave of possibilities and blessing.  The blessing we are enjoying now are based on someone else release of it. 

If you are willing to allow yourself to follow the simple instructions it will yield to you manifested dividends and awareness of the power of God’s Love and forgiveness.

I will be singing and shouting;

My pains have been turned into my gains.

I’m sailing on; even if I’m ailing and all alone

I’m going to cheering life; never going to be fearing life.

I’m always grinning; because I’m always winning.

I’m going to shouting and not doubting.

My friend you may never travel and be a passage on a Sea vessel, but remember, it makes no difference because we are all travelers on God’s Sea of Love”and Living on His Ocean.

If you are not a passenger may I invite you to broad the loading ramp, because your boarding pass has been paid by Jesus Christ shed blood on Calvary’s cross. 

Romans 10

9.  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 10.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 11.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

 12.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

 13.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Micah 7

18.  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

 19.  He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

Psalms 103

 1.  Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

 2.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

 3.  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

 4.  Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

 5.  Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

 6.  The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

 7.  He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

 8.  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

 9.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

 10.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

 11.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

 12.  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

 13.  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

 14.  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

 15.  As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

 16.  For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

 17.  But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

 18.  To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

 19.  The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

 20.  Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

 21.  Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

 22.  Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Preached By    Rev. Rev. Sylvester Williams, Jr.    March 2, 2008