Prepper Recon

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Revelation 22:11

I had no intentions of writing any more Trump-bashing Sunday Prepper Bible Studies. I have a multitude of reasons for being reluctant to write such posts, not the least of which is my worry that I’ll cause someone to stay home on the day of the general election and allow comrade Bernie or Hillary to win,  taking our country on an accelerated downward spiral. As I’ve said many times before, if Trump gets the nomination, I’ll be up before the sun to go vote for him. Given the alternatives, I’d vote for Darth Vader over Hilary or Comrade Bernie.

Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, I’ll say what I need to say. Last week after the debate, I had an epiphany about how Trump serves as an iconic bellwether for our nation as a whole. I had a very clear understanding of the parallels between Trump and America at large.

First is pride. Both Trump and our country at large have an enormous amount of arrogance. Neither seem to think there is anything in heaven above nor on earth below that can bring them low. Both will be proven wrong, in the long run.

Second is wealth.Obviously, Trump is a billionaire, but even those who are dependent on welfare and other social programs in America rank in the top 20% of income earners in the world. The average American earns $51,939 annually and falls in the top quarter of the top 1% globally. Keep that in mind before you attend the next 99% rally. To attend such a rally you’d have to make less than $32,000 a year to not be a total hypocrite, and then, you’d just barely eek your way under the wire. In fact, even if you only make $25,000 a year, you’re still in the top 2% of the richest people on earth. There is nothing wrong with wealth, but when you allow it to give you a false sense of security, you loose your dependence on your Creator, and that is dangerous territory. I dare say Trump and America are both too far over their skis in that regard.

Third is the hypocritical proclamation to be Christian by both. After the last debate, Trump professed to not only be a practicing Presbyterian but he actually claimed to be a strong Christian. We pointed out many reasons in a recent Bible Study why Trump shows no fruit of being a follower of Christ. Likewise, America still professes to be a predominantly Christian nation. While the numbers have certainly slid since this proud, rich, strong Christian nation has kicked the Bible and prayer out of school, more than 70% still identify as being Christian.

Forth is pornography. Trump is an avid promoter of pornography through Scores, his very own strip club located in his den of debauchery known as the Taj Mahal. Besides lust, the Taj also accommodates your flesh to indulge in drunkenness, covetousness and greed throughout the various bars and gambling tables. As reported by Crosswalk.com, 54% of pastors admitted to viewing porn in the past year. No wonder Trump has so many endorsements from the evangelical community. And America as a whole stands above every other debased nation as the number one exporter of pornography in the world. We also have excessive rates of alcohol and drug dependency as well as gambling addictions.

With the so-called conservative party so adamantly behind a man who falls so miserably short on traditional conservative and biblical issues, I fear that Trumps poll numbers are only a symptom of the underlying issue in the United States and even American Christianity. This is the man the conservative party and many evangelicals are saying best represents their values, their worldview and their Christian beliefs. I fear that by selecting this man as our leader, even choosing him as an iconic emblem of what our nation represents,  it is tantamount to signing a confession in the spiritual realm which will be used in a heavenly court of law to convict this country for its abominable sins and our wanton disregard for God’s word and God’s way. Once we are found guilty, we must brace ourselves for the sentence that must come from a righteous God. Prepare accordingly.

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

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 “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.” 

1 Corinthians 5:11-13

In the first video, you’ll see David Jeremiah, Robert Jeffress and a host of other big-name pastors praying over Trump. Notice, they are not praying that he will repent from owning bars, nightclubs, casinos and the infamous Scores strip club, which effectively degrades women to be objects that can be bought and sold, but rather these prominent men are praying that God will bless Trump and essentially grant him the Republican nomination. Jerry Falwell Jr has also used his position at Liberty University to endorse Trump and provide a platform for him to reach more evangelicals.

In the second video, Trump claims to be a Christian. Keeping today’s verse in mind, we can’t see inside Trump’s heart to say whether he is an idolater who puts money above God, but we can say he promotes covetousness, drunkenness and fornication through his casinos, bars, and strip clubs. Today’s verse says we should not keep company with such a person. If your pastor fellowships with such men, he is not obeying God’s Word which says “put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” You need to carefully consider if you are in the right church.

Don’t get me wrong, if Trump gets the nomination, I’ll be up before the sun to go vote for him. Given the alternatives, I’d vote for Darth Vader over Hilary or Comrade Bernie.

It’s not the lesser of two evils, you are literally sending someone into a room for the next four years with a hole puncher and the Constitution.You better do everything you can to make sure the guy with the smallest hole puncher is the one who ends up in that room. It’s a sad commentary on wholesale American Christianity and Conservatism though, that Trump is the front runner.

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

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