Edward Smith, Captain of the Titanic said, “I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster.” These famous last words illustrate why the apostle Paul warned people about being over confident in 1 Corinthians 10:12. Unfortunately, Vince Young, former backup quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t learn from history calling the 2011 Eagles the next “dream team,” ending in a nightmare at 8-8. Starting quarterback Michael Vick revised this statement with one of his own, calling the 2012 Eagles “a dynasty.” After 8 straight loses following a 3-1 start to this NFL season, at 3-9 its time to abandon ship.
The word hype means to advertise, build up, excite and publicly tout. If a professional athlete wants to get on ESPN, they will celebrate excessively or show boat to draw attention to themselves hoping to make Sports Center. Meanwhile, if a journalist wants national exposure, he or she will try to write something controversial so that people will talk about their piece around the water cooler at work. This probably explains why writers of the 1997 film Titanic include a scene with Leonardo DiCaprio standing up on top of the forward bow, yelling, “I’m king of the world!” Instead of jumping ship, our culture has abandoned humility.
Gone are the days of acting like you have been there, handing the ball to the official after scoring a touchdown in football. Or simply running around the bases following a home run in baseball. Meanwhile, narcissists are running rampant in society, likely due to a lack of discipline, parenting and the rod of correction, Proverbs 13:24. Either way you slice it, people are abandoning the principles of the Magna Carta. Europeans came to this country on ships to fulfill the great commission, Mark 16:15-16, by spreading the gospel to the new world. Today, revisionists are erasing Christ from our history books as we now live in the Common Era.
As the ship called America is sinking, I am optimistic that Captain Jesus can save us from a sea of despair. However, its not a bad idea to put on the life vest of salvation, 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9. When the upcoming financial cliff approaches, be prepared for the worst, 1 Peter 1:3-7 so that through this adventure your faith will be refined for the next ice berg. As for now, slow speed ahead with your eyes on the prize, Philippians 3:20-21!
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 