Prepper Recon

Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”

To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

Ezekiel 9:3-7

This is a deep section of Scripture and probably contains several Bible studies. I’ll try to get the largest points of the message.

First off, notice that the glory of God has departed the cherub which most likely is a reference to the cherub which has its wings outstretched over the ark of the covenant. The glory then moved to the threshold of the temple. It sounds as if that glory is about to depart the temple altogether. In today’s terminology, it might be akin to God’s anointing leaving the American church. Judging from the state of the churches I’ve visited in the last two years, I’d say we are precariously close to such and event.

Secondly, look at who the Lord chooses to be marked with his sign. It’s not the priests. While I think it is tough to please God without giving and  fellowshiping with other believers,  it’s not those who are bringing sacrifices nor those who are regularly attending temple. It’s not a lot of people who are doing things that we would think of as good. God tells the man to mark those who cry over the abominations which are done in the city.

Thirdly, God tells those tasked with slaying to begin in at His sanctuary and the judgement starts with the leadership in the Temple. Not only did the apostate clergy of the day not get a pass because they called themselves elders, they were the first to be slaughtered. This is very sobering to me and I hope it is for you also.

Here’s the two major takeaways from today’s verse. First, make sure the things that break God’s heart are the things that break your heart. Are you praying that abortion will come to an end in America? Do you remember your brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for the sake of Christ? Do you ask for healing for the sick, freedom for those in bondage, and deliverance for those under all sorts of oppression? And, do you allocate some portion of your resources, be it time or money to make these requests a reality?

Additionally, the judgement in this section of scripture begins with the spiritual leaders as God says “Begin at My sanctuary.” I often cite the poll from Crosswalk.com that states 54% of pastors admitted to looking at porn. While many of them, I’m sure have repented, I’ll still say most are unfit to be in leadership positions until they’ve spent a significant amount of time learning to follow the Spirit rather than their own flesh. Next, let’s look at the remaining 46%. It’s impossible to know the exact number, but some portion of those pastors are lying. After all, if you’re willing to compromise enough to look at porn, what’s a little white lie on a survey going to hurt? I’ll assume a third of them lied, which is probably overly gracious. Now we’re down to 30%. My guess is that half of them are so lukewarm that Satan has no interest in seeing them removed from the pulpit, fearing that someone with a passion for the truth may take their place. I realize I’ve taken great liberties with these assumptions, but that leaves us with only 15% of pastors who have a passion for teaching God’s Word and have learned the spiritual discipline of controlling their flesh through fasting and walking in the Spirit.

What does that mean for you if you’re not a pastor? It means be very careful about taking advice from a pastor or entrusting your family’s spiritual health to one. You HAVE to be in God’s Word every day so you’ll have the discernment and connection to God’s Spirit to make those decisions yourself. Hold everything your pastor says up against God’s Word. No one is perfect, but if he is consistently missing the mark, it’s time to move on to a church that teaches the truth. You should not be out of fellowship, so keep looking until you find a better church. If you can’t find one, start a home fellowship, but don’t be part of an apostate church!

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 he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.  And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord‘s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

Ezekiel 8:15-16

As the last days of ancient Israel drew to a close, God granted Ezekiel a vision which revealed just how bad things had gotten in the culture. The vision begins at the outer courts of the temple where he is shown the idolatry of Israel’s leaders. Next, the vision proceeds to the gate of the temple where Ezekiel sees women worshiping Tammuz. Finally, he sees men inside the temple, between the door and the altar worshiping the sun. No one else would be inside the temple except the priests, so this must be an indictment against the spiritual leaders of Israel.

America has recently made a turn in the right direction. The prepping industry is taking a major hit because of the confidence that people are feeling since the election. I understand that. We’ve averted a major catastrophe politically.

It’s okay, take a break. Enjoy the win for a few minutes and celebrate. But, don’t let your victory lap turn into a couch of complacency. Don’t kick off your shoes and lay back with the remote for the next four years.

We’ve still got a long way to go. Abortion is still legal. We still have 20 trillion in debt. The nation is divided more now than ever before. And, like the temple in Ezekiel’s time, the American pulpit is festering with abominations. Our pastors barely know the Bible and are willing to make compromises on sin and truth to be seeker friendly.

So, finish your celebratory ice cream sundae. You deserve it. Then, clock back in and get to work. We need personhood bills in every state and at the federal level to end abortion. Start getting involved.

Make sure you are financially hedged to weather the economic storm that is coming. President Trump is limited in what he can do to dodge this financial maelstrom barreling down the tracks.

Hedge yourself for the inevitable civil unrest that is still boiling in the hearts and minds of the left. They’re doubling down.

And finally, find a ministry. Maybe it’s sharing the gospel with people at work. Perhaps God’s been urging you to teach Sunday school. For many of you, there’s a painful awareness that the church you are attending has reached the apostate tipping point. It’s time to start your own home group or find another church. You’re number one ministry is your family’s spiritual health.

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 you will meet your 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