Author: Captain Bill

Relationship

1 Corinthians 10:13-14 says: No temptation has seized you except what is
common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

When Jesus said, “come to me”, He invited you into a relationship with Him. When you accepted what Christ did on the cross for you, you entered into a personal relationship with Him. He gave you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! He began a life-long process of molding and shaping you for His service.

Relationships are very important because the relationships you have had, and the ones you have now, have a significant impact upon the rest of your life. A relationship with God allows you to experience freedom and peace. With Him, you will discover the meaning and purpose for your life. Spending time with God every day strengthens your relationship with Him which changes you and the choices you make. These positive changes allow you to have stronger, more loving, and more meaningful relationships with others. Reflect on this: love is a choice followed by action; not a feeling that changes like the wind.

Spend time listening to God daily. He speaks to us through His creation, His word, His church, prayer and our life experiences. Spending time with God each day allows us to discovery joy; that confident unchanging inner peace that is not dependent upon our circumstances but entirely upon God’s presence in our life. Joy changes how we handle the storms of life.

John 8:31-32 says: If you abide in my word you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. His word, the bible, reveals God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He teaches us how to live and how to love. Read your bible daily then spend time thinking about what He is saying to you. Pray throughout the day every day. When you pray, you speak to God. This works any time every day because He is always with you. Be faithful in prayer. Be sure to set aside a dedicated time and place to pray daily. Then, listen as God speaks to you through His creation, the bible, other believers and your life experiences. Spend time thinking about how God is always with you, that He knows your needs and has the power to mold and shape you. Thank Him for loving you. We are to worship God by living a life worthy of the calling we have received. Offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Make a choice and follow it up with action as you use your gifts and talents to love and serve others with kindness; not expecting anything in return.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.

Faith

Romans 1:20 says: For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

I have studied and worked with electricity most of my life. People like me who believe electricity is real understand the power it has because they see the work it can perform. I cannot see electricity flowing on a wire, but I remain very cautious around live wires.

The first part of Hebrews 11:1 says: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. I am sure and certain children should not play around or with electrical power outlets! Are you?

Faith can be described as putting your full trust and reliance in something or someone; even in what we do not see. People with faith are sure and certain. We know things break and people, even our friends, can let us down. I am sure and certain God is always with me. No matter when or where I am, He gives me strength according to His will. Philippians 4:13 says: I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

My hope is in the living God. I am confident He will fulfill His purpose for me. Please read 1 Peter 1:3-9 today.

Joy Through the Storms of Life

People search for happiness in a variety of ways; buying things they want or doing certain activities are two common examples. All too often, the happiness people find is temporary and dependent upon their circumstances. Joy is different. The joy we have found in Christ fills us with a quiet confidence; a steady peace that is not dependent upon our circumstances. This joy changes how we handle the storms of life.

Angie and I sailed to and around the Key West area from January through March, 2022. While there, we experienced gale force winds several times during the day and at night. A gale is a wind storm of 34 knots and greater. These are just words until you experience a gale yourself. Violent forces are at work. Preparation is required and oddly, like love, it requires choices and actions. Knowledge is just the beginning.

How do you prepare for life? Who or what guides you each day?

Before our first gale of the season began, Angie and I found a temporary place to anchor based upon chart information. Selecting the right ground tackle and proper place to anchor is a significant factor in surviving a gale without loss. We set our anchor alarm and went to bed.

Our faith is in God who guides us through life. Christians experience joy because they put their faith in God. We are continually learning to live and love according to His will. We were at peace.

Just after midnight, Angie and I awoke to the awful sound of our anchor alarm. Our first anchorage here proved inadequate! Thankfully, our faith-our full trust and reliance in something or someone-is not found in a navigational chart! Thank God we set our anchor alarm, He knows our needs and is always with us.

We spung out of bed and began the process of moving to another location in the dark of night with no moon to help. With water spraying over the bow and the boat pitching and rapidly yawing from side to side, we raised the dragging anchor. I worked at the bow of our pitching vessel while Angie worked the helm following my instructions…so I thought. Since she could not see my hand signals or hear my verbal instructions, she began praying. Without incident, we got the anchor up, guided Liberty through the dark past other vessels and re-anchored in gale force winds. During the next 12 hours, our anchor held for two to three hours in violent winds before it was time to go through the process of re-anchoring again. On Saturday at 10:57 we finally found a firm foundation which allowed our anchor to hold within the gale.

He gives us strength and endurance in our times of need! Philippians 4:13 says I can do everything through him who gives me strength. We persevered without fear and acted as a team; Angie, myself and God as our guide. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. We were at peace and never worried despite hearing reports of distress that night and throughout the next day as we rode out the gale. The joy we have was on display for each other to witness.

Angie and I have joy in our lives because we can count on God to be with us every moment of every day. He gives us courage, strength and the ability to endure. Our joy increases as we grow closer to Christ. It grows with our assurance that we are in God’s hands.

Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The winds calmed to near 20 knots early Sunday morning; well before serving as the weekly on-line worship service host for LifeSpring Church of Bellevue, Nebraska.

Our hope is in the Living God. We have a confident expectation He will fulfill His promises. Psalm 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at you right hand.

Joy comes from God. It is based upon God’s presence in our lives.

God of all comfort

At various times in our lives, we all experience affliction; pain, suffering, distress. When this happens to someone around you, you are presented with an opportunity to demonstrate love by reaching out to comfort them. People often comfort others by hugging, listening, being supportive and encouraging. Another way to comfort those afflicted is to reinforce their worth to build confidence and the courage to persevere.

2 Cor 1:3-4 says: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. The reason we are comforted is worth repeating; so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. This is a life-long assignment. Seize each opportunity to comfort others around you.

Even with our best comforting efforts, the cut on the knee of a child or the trouble causing distress for a friend may not go away instantly. This is also true when God comforts us. This is because healthy relationships matter. If God were to take away all of our pain every time we asked, we may not turn away from the bad behaviors that inhibit our ability love others and to live a peaceful life full of joy. Many of us would simply turn to God for pain relief then continue hurting others.

Hebrews 12:11 says: No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

We are thankful for our all-knowing, loving God who comforts and guides us along our life’s journey. Following His guidance brings joy to our lives and helps us avoid the routes that lead to destruction and discomfort.

Our Shining Light

While sailing offshore on a dark moonless night, the stars fill the sky. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. For centuries, sailors have used these shining lights to find their way. Lighthouses and other lighted aids to navigation offer additional guidance to help us safely reach a desired destination at night. To avoid dangers along the way, prudent sailors diligently seek the lights they need, understand and follow the guidance offered by those lights. This takes preparation, continuous effort, trust in the guidance, and focus to avoid the numerous distractions along their journey.

John 1:1-5 says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

For the unaware and untrained, navigating in the dark of night can be confusing; even frightening. For most, the problem isn’t that they are incapable, they simply have not learned and practiced the things that make navigating through their life’s challenges possible. With training and trust in the guidance offered, navigating to the desired destination at night becomes possible.

John 1:6-9 says: There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Through His light, we can see we are imperfect people. Many feel lost or that they have no direction and purpose in life. His light stands out in the darkness and provides the guidance we need to get home safely, reach a desired destination, and to avoid dangers along the way.

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

We are to shine like stars!

Ephesians 1:18a I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

A sailing experience…

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

As we set sail for our next destination, we look forward to the adventure God has in store for us. Sailing allows us to experience God’s creation through the blessing of all of our senses! We see numerous shades of blue and green, sea creatures and star lit nights. We hear the wind blowing through the rigging and wave as they slap the hull. We taste and smell the fresh salt air as well as some things not so pleasant. We feel warm breeze, the force of the waves, the power of a fresh breeze, cool rain on our skin and tired at day’s end. As we experience God’s creation, we feel alive!

Blessed to be flexible, we are called to sail toward the Son, for the Son, throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean. We serve where God leads us with the understanding that it’s good for a ship to be in the sea but it’s bad when the sea gets into the ship. For we are God’s craftsmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

We believe to love one another means to use the gifts we were blessed with according to His will. Relationships matter most. While living our life’s adventures, we strive to be joyful, patient, faithful in prayer, share with those in need and practice hospitality. We find joy in being a blessing to others by encouraging, serving and giving unexpected gifts.