Prepper Recon

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

Jeremiah 23:14

The prima facie reason that I had supposed hearing about sin from a pulpit to be such a rare occurrence was that it was simply bad for business. If a pastor suspects the majority of his flock is given to one sin or another, he risks empty pews and fewer donations, should he choose to confront those sins. The congregants might find another church which will be content to let them wallow.

I remain convinced that full auditoriums and lavish salaries are the major culprits in this willingness to be derelict in their duties, but after reading today’s verse and considering recent headlines, there may be more to it. The recent hack of Ashley Madison, a website designed for married people to have adulterous affairs, revealed that more than 400 pastors, deacons, and church leaders were using the site. Of course, it is the obvious outcome when 54% of pastors looked at porn in the last year.

There is a personal line of hypocrisy built into most of us. If a pastor is looking at porn, he is going to have a hard time telling you not to do it. If you are in a church that is not calling you to live a holy life, get out now. You are wasting your time. As I’ve said before, don’t take up fishing on Sunday instead, get on your knees and pray for God to lead you to the right church. He will.

If you are a man, you are a leader, even if it is only of your own household, so lead with integrity. Even if you are single, you are the leader of your home. You CANNOT afford to compromise your ability to lead by getting caught in sexual sin. If you are struggling with porn, the solution is the same as it is for all addictive behavior. Pray and FAST! By fasting, you are teaching your body, your very flesh, to say NO! to its most basic need, food. Fasting is an active way that you can take the steering wheel away from your flesh and put your spirit in control. Try doing without solid food for 24 hours. You’ll sense your flesh getting weaker and your spirit getting stronger. That is the key to having the power to overcome.

Ladies, porn might not be your weak spot, but you probably have issues with things that you know don’t please God as well. If it is something you have struggled with, over and over, and you can’t get victory, fasting will work for you also. Give it a try.

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

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

Jeremiah 14:13-14

Don’t let the false prophets fool you. Our economy is a house of cards being held together by chewing gum and paperclips. If the $19 trillion-dollar debt doesn’t worry you, if you sleep easy despite the fact that we doubled our money supply since 2008, then let this little factoid sink in. 94 million or 38% of working age adults are not participating in the labor market. Yes, a few of them are stay-at-home moms, and folks who were fortunate enough to take an early retirement, but that is a very small percentage of the over all number.

That doesn’t include the sugar-coated unemployment number which is reported as 5.1%. The BLS U6 unemployment number, which includes people who want a full time job but can only find part time is 10%. Add that to the people who have completely given up and are no longer counted as part of the labor force and you find that only 52% of working age Americans have full time jobs.

I recently visited a mall in my area for the first time in a long time. It’s the only mall around for our county and is located on the main strip. I counted 21 vacancies, several of which were the larger stores in the center of the mall, near the theater and food court. I counted the Halloween costume store as being filled, even though they will be out of business at the end of the month. I did not count the phone-book distribution recruitment center as it doesn’t sell anything and is likely only there for a week at most. The temporary job recruiting center consisted only of a foldable table and a few folding chairs.

Anyone who tells you the economy is doing good and you don’t need to concern yourself with preparedness is either stupid or lying. Make sure you are living on a strict budget and are being a good steward with the resources God is blessing you with. As tight as it is now, things are likely to get much worse.

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