Modern Morality and Intentional Impact

Look at where our world is now. What a police officer has to encounter on the streets. What our society considers “normal.” (If you would’ve told me ten years ago that our country would be having a debate on the definition of marriage, I would have told you that you were crazy!) The decline in the morals of our society is unbelievable! There is no doubt in my mind that our nation is not going the direction it should.

Look at the battlefields that are public schools, what our teachers have to deal with now. When I was going to school, chewing gum in class was the biggest sin of all. When I got into middle school, smoking in the bathrooms was the big thing. There was some alcohol experimentation, but I don’t believe it was to the degree it is now. I cannot remember a single incident where someone brought a gun to school. (Well, I take that back: Several of the country boys had their shotguns in the gun rack in the rear window of their pick-ups, but that’s not the same as the issues we’re having now.)

What is wrong with having morals and standards nowadays? Why do those who disagree with Christians want to tell us to keep our religion to ourselves? Every time a politician talks about his faith, the media seem to go crazy about it. I don’t understand this, not one bit. It seems that every time we turn around, Christians are attacked by those who say we need to be tolerant—but the very ones who tell us that are not tolerant of us. As Christians we should love other people, and I think for the most part we do. I can remember when we as a country could have a political debate from different viewpoints and still be friends. Now, people who don’t believe the same as others call each other all kinds of derogatory names. (On the back windshield of my car I have a bumper sticker that promotes President Bush. There have been several instances when someone has shown me a derogatory gesture just because of that sticker. Why? What did I do to them? I don’t know them, and they don’t know me.)

It has become clearer to me that this world needs to return to the morals that we celebrated in an earlier time. But to reach people in this new age, we’ve got to try something new ourselves. Standing on a street corner, waving your Bible in the air, shouting at the top of your lungs that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” turns people off, no matter how true the statement is. I have met those who are “Bible thumpers,” and I wonder why they think they can convert people by forcing the Bible down their throats. Shouting aggressively doesn’t promote God’s message of love! Building relationships with people and being an example for others is a much better way of bringing others to Christ.

While relationship-building is important across the board, I especially want to challenge my fellow Christian small business owners to make a new effort in this area. That’s where we can intentionally impact our world for Christ: using our businesses as a mission field, from the relationships that we have built with our customers, employees, vendors, and communities.

Agape Travel has a business seminar coming up Labor Day Weekend, Aug. 30 – Sept. 3, 2012, with Evangelist Dave Kistler of HOPE Ministries International. This seminar will change your life! Brother Dave will take the Word of God and show us how we can impact those around us in light of the Prayer of Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:10). By bringing just one person at a time to Christ, our sphere of influence will grow larger and larger, allowing us to bring the light of Christ to a dark world. Brother Dave and others will share with us how they have impacted their own communities through faith, charity, and life examples. Additionally, you will also learn valuable customer service skills to assist you with those clients who are a challenge to deal with, especially in a disputed transaction. Do not miss this study!

The coast for this seminar at sea is $465 per person for an inside stateroom and $500 for an oceanview stateroom. If you make your deposit before March 10, 2012, the normal $150 per person deposit is reduced to $75. The next payment of $200 per person is due April 30, and the final payment is due June 25. (I could be mistaken, but I believe a portion of this cruise’s cost is tax deductible. Don’t just take my word for it; please check with your CPA.)

Visit www.agapecruisetravel.com or email me at rick@agapecruisetravel.com for more information. I will get a registration form to you, and you can join us on this 4-day cruise from Tampa, Fl., to Cozumel, Mex., on the beautiful Carnival Paradise. We have limited space, so don’t delay—call or email me today!

God Bless,

Rick

Living a Prepared Life

I haven’t written about the tragic Costa Concordia incident until now. First, my heart goes out to those on the ship and their families. No words can express the tragic loss of life and the sorrow these families must feel. How surreal! I mean, I have been on 18 cruises, and though some of them were not up to our standards, we never, ever felt we were in danger. We have been through some very rough seas, 15 – 18 foot waves and winds blowing across the deck so fiercely the captain of the ship wouldn’t let anyone go outside because of the danger. But each and every time we have had the muster safety drill before we ever left the dock, and we trusted our captain to act responsibly. (Though the drill is required, it seems that there is always someone trying to get out of going to their muster station. Matter of fact, just yesterday I read an article from a colleague of mine, about how Holland America removed a passenger before the ship left port because he tried to skip the muster drill. I mean, they put him off the ship, and I really don’t think they gave the person a refund.)

This tragedy is sending shockwaves through the cruise industry, and I’m sure it will trickle down to other vacation and tour operators. Most of the cruise lines that I deal with on a daily basis have issued press releases stating they intend to review all their safety standards and immediately retrain the crews on the ships. What does this mean for Costa, who is owned by Carnival Corporation? I’m not sure. I have never sailed on Costa, but I’m sure it will take them a very long time to recover. They may have to undergo a major marketing overhaul. I can remember an airline called ValuJet that had a couple of incidents, including a major crash in the Florida Everglades. They became AirTran, revamped and restructured, and have now become one of the leading budget airlines in the nation. (I was actually sitting in Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, waiting on that plane, the day it crashed. Yeah, the news gave me a bit of a shake.)

Something like this just brings some thoughts to the forefront. None of those people on Costa Concordia, never in their wildest dreams did they think their lives would take such a tragic turn. They were sitting at dinner, many of them, talking about their day on the mainland, taking pictures, smiling, hugging, sharing time with loved ones. But in an instant, their lives changed forever. The souls that were lost on that night, were they ready? Did they have things in their lives they needed to take care of? Did they need to make something right with another person? We never know what the next minute brings, so we ought to have things in order.

I really would like to plead to my readers: Live so that you never have to look back and say, “I should have done something differently.” Especially where spiritual matters are concerned. If you are not saved, if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savor, why wait?

I’m not talking about, “I’m a member of such-and-such church,” “I’ve gone to church all my life,” “I’m a good person; I have never killed anyone or stolen anything.” These things, works, will not get you into heaven! Jesus said that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except by him. (John 14:6) The Bible also tells us in Ephesians 2:9 that works will not earn us heaven; salvation is “not of works, lest any man should boast.”

I’m afraid that some of those who died on the Concordia left this world unprepared for eternity. Are you ready? It’s not complicated; it’s really not. Organized religion sometimes makes the plan of salvation sound that way, but Jesus made it so a child can understand. We just have to accept one simple thing: Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. He was sent to this world, to all mankind, to save us from our sins. You see, people are sinners, and we fall short of God’s standard. But through Jesus Christ, all your sins are forgiven. Yes, all! But you say, “Rick, how can Jesus forgive me? Do you know some of the things I’ve done?” I don’t, but God does. In John 3:16, we are told that Jesus came to this world to expressly die for us, you and me! He was God’s beloved Son. God (yes, The God, not Allah, or Mohammed, or Buddha) “so loved the world.” Black, White, Asian, European, Latino, etc.—everyone who lives and has ever lived. God sent his Son that we may have eternal life though the redemption he offers.

How? Right now, right were you’re at. You don’t have to get on your knees; prayer is a position of the heart, not the body. Speak to God. There is not a script. Just acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. That he died on the cross at Calvary. He and was buried, and on the third day, he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. He is now in heaven, and someday Jesus will return to take us to heaven with him. If in your heart of hearts you have prayed for God to forgive you and you have taken Jesus into your heart, you are saved. That’s all!

I pray for those who were on the Concordia, that God will help them heal through this tragedy. Sometimes we don’t understand why things happen, but God has a plan. He is always in control. If you have any questions or would like to talk to me, please contact me. If you need to find a Bible-preaching, Gospel-teaching church in your area, I would love to help you with that. Feel free to email me: rick@agapecruisetravel.com.

God bless each and every one of you!

Rick