Welcome back friends!  Are you ready for “the rest of the story?”  We’ve taken a cruise through Bible prophecy, and yesterday we learned lessons from the very first cruise in history….Noah’s Ark!  But keep in mind, this is a tale of THREE cruises, so here we go with the tale of the third cruise!

Take a look around…

…we have indeed arrived back in harbor!

However, the vessel on which we have sailed is really….

…a reconnaissance vessel cleverly disguised as a cruise ship!

Yes, we have had grand adventures together, but my hope is that we have made good use of the radar equipment on this recon mission!

Thus, it is time to use the “intelligence” we have gathered!  It is time to take action, and that requires leaving the comforts of our cruise ship to board…

…our battleship!

Dear friends, our Commander-in-Chief is warning us to be ready, and He is calling us to action!  Will you accept the mission?  One of our study objectives is to exhort the Body of Christ to action, and it is a battle of sorts.  It takes time and effort to take action, but our Commander is requiring that of us!

So we’ll use the word “SHIP” to remind us of four specific ways to take action…

• Study – Habakkuk 1:5: Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days – You would not believe if you were told.   I want to know what He’s doing, don’t you?  His Word will guide us in these last days.  Let’s study it!
• Hang out – Matthew 28:19-20: Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  If we are truly obedient to God’s Word, we must love as Christ loves, tell others about the love of Christ, teach them, disciple them, and baptize them.  That could be Gentiles, Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, Muslims or whoever else God should choose to cross our paths.  Share God’s great plan with all those you hang out with!
• Invest – Matthew 6:19-21: Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Though “invest” could mean giving financially to causes that bless Israel and her neighbors, it could also mean investing time, talents, and availability.  Find ways to “invest” in others.  God has given us a treasure trove of wisdom in His Word and we’ve discussed much of it.  Invest your knowledge in others!
• Pray – Romans 12:12 (NIV): Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  So, even if you don’t study, hang out, or invest, EVERYONE can pray!  In fact, the SHIP sinks without prayer!  May I encourage you to be a prayer warrior?  If you have followed our study plan, you have already made a habit of praying for the peace of Jerusalem.  Followers of Jesus have confidence that God is a prayer-hearing, prayer-answering God, with unlimited sovereignty and power!  Let’s tap into that power!

So, are you ready to man your battle station?  As we shuffle to our new cruise ship, be reminded of the crown that awaits you in heaven:

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but to all who have loved His appearing.  2 Timothy 4:8

 

May all of us who love His appearing stand in line together on that day!  Meanwhile…

Maranatha…come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Shalom, friends!  Our study is over, but I invite you to continue following as I continue to share insight about current events.  We must be ready…and one way to be ready is to view current events through the lens of Scripture.  That is my plan as we go forward.  Stick with me!