Prepper Recon

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.

Mark 9:38-40

At first glance, today’s scripture could appear to be telling us that Jesus is okay with apostate teachers and that we shouldn’t speak out against them. But is that really what he is saying here?

The key to understanding today’s verse is in examining John’s question. John says that they follow not “us” which is very different than if he’d told Jesus that they follow not “you.” I’m sure, had the question been worded that way, John would have certainly gotten a different answer. Often times, when we look around at out fellow Christians, we are examining them to see if they are on the same page as us, when we should be more concerned about whether they are on the same page as Jesus.

When Joshua had his encounter with the Jesus in Joshua 5, he made the same mistake that John and most of us have made in thinking his side was the right side. Not knowing who he was speaking to, Joshua asked Jesus if he was on his side or the enemy’s side. Jesus responded by telling him neither. In other words, the question wasn’t whether Jesus was on Joshua’s side, but was Joshua on Jesus’s side?

For a quick clarification on why we say that Joshua’s encounter was a Cristophany, or Old Testament encounter with Christ, the captain of the LORD’s army in that chapter not only allows Joshua to worship him, unlike any other angel in the Bible, but he also instructed Joshua to remove his shoes, because he was on holy ground, just as Moses was instructed when he encountered the Lord in the burning bush.

Back to my point; the Bible is very clear about how we are to treat the apostate that would call themselves brothers. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 says “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

So, let’s examine ourselves before we snub our nose at other believers that don’t follow Jesus in the same way we do, because of denominational differences. But let us also be careful to not keep fellowship with those who call themselves Christians but are not following God’s Word. And, let us pray for discernment, so that we can know the difference.

Come back every Sunday for a new Prepper Bible Study! The most important prep of all is knowing GOD. Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.

Have a blessed day and happy prepping!

Mark