Spiritual Archives - Ready Your Future

The Most Important Prep

What is the most important prep? After years of running Prepper Website and hosting The Prepper Website Podcast, I know what kind of articles and topics are popular in the Preparedness Community. I know that articles on bugout bags, EMP’s and 10 Ways to Do Anything are always going to get a lot of clicks. I’ve also seen a lot of click bait titles, the ones that promise you something good but is really just another mediocre topic or articles. This is not a click bait article!

Prepping Mitigates The Impact of Emergencies

Preppers prep for emergencies. We know that things can go sideways, in real, everyday life and sometimes in bigger SHTF scenarios. We want to mitigate the pain our family and loved ones might go through. I open every podcast with the line, “…so that you can love your family, get prepared and live free.” I believe that preparedness does that.

I often think about a father or mother who doesn’t prep and then finds themselves in an emergency situation where their kids are looking at them scared and uncertain. Prepping gives you options. Prepping gives you breathing room so you don’t have to panic and make bad decisions. And the thing is, prepping is really just common sense. You don’t need a 4 year degree or go live by yourself in the woods for a year to do it and do it well.

The Downside of Prepping

But there is a downside to prepping that many don’t think about. Prepping is usually about acquiring “stuff.” Food, water, firearms, finances, gear are all topics that the Preparedness Community discusses. But stuff runs out. You stockpiled six months of food! Good! What if the emergency goes 12 months?

Yes, we talk about building our skills. This is very important! Knowing how to do something, especially when it comes to survival, in one form or another, is a big deal. But it isn’t the most important prep!

M.I.P. – Most Important Prep

If you’ve read this far, you’re like, “Come already! What do you think is the most important prep?” Here it is – the most important prep is your spiritual preparedness. If you just felt a big let down, please keep reading.

Just like your food, ammo and gear are going to eventually run out, your life will eventually run out. It doesn’t matter if you eat healthy, exercise five times a week, take your vitamins and never do anything risky, one day you will breath your last. At that point, your preps, if you still have any, won’t do you any good. The only thing that will matter is your relationship with Jesus.

Aware of SHTF Scenarios

Preppers like to war game scenarios. Who hasn’t thought about what a post-EMP world might look like? But I would suggest that we are experiencing a slow slide into godlessness that many aren’t realizing. Prophecy preachers used to have a harder time talking about new and relevant issues going on in the world. But lately, many have too much to talk about that they can’t fit it all in a normal broadcast. People who are paying attention feel like something is coming.

To add to the godlessness, just research a little into what is happening in the Middle East. Russia, Turkey and Iran are in the news all the time. These countries are big players in End Times scenarios. And because this country has been knee-deep in Election 2020, Antifa, protests, Hunter Biden and social media banning, many haven’t been paying attention to what is going on over there.

What If the Balloon Goes Up?

I’m not talking about a nuke or financial collapse. I’m talking about the trumpet sounds, the sky splits open and Jesus comes riding on a white horse. At that point, it is game over. And the most important prep is going to come into play. Who do you belong to? Are you in the sheep category or the goat category?

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
Matthew 25:31-33 NASB

Do you know what happens after the above Scripture? The sheep, although they are always depicted as dumb animals, will go to Heaven. The goats, well let’s just say there is going to be a big BBQ going down. Actually, I shouldn’t kid so much about what happens if you are not found on the right side. The reality is Hell is a place where no one wants to be.

Matthew 25:41 says, “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” Understand, Hell wasn’t prepared for humans. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. God made a way for us to not have to go to Hell. But it is our choice.

No One Chooses Hell

No one in their right mind would want to choose Hell. Of course, many people would want to go to Heaven and live for all eternity. But the most important prep is that you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That means you repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness and choose to live by His commands, under His authority. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15 NASB

Many people will say they are Believers, but it is only talk. Just like that arm chair commando that tells you all the best preps to have but has never really done anything but read articles and respond on forums. Jesus knows who are truly His. He knows those whose names are written in the Book of Life.

More Reading: Christian Preppers – Should Christians Prep?

Growing In Your Faith

And just like we read preparedness articles, listen to podcasts, watch videos and practice to gain knowledge, we are to grow in our faith too! This is another place where many Believers are weak in. Many Christians can recite every episode of “fill-in-the-blank” but haven’t opened their Bible in forever.

As true Believers, we should desire to grow in the Lord. It makes sense! If we are going to live with Him for eternity, shouldn’t we learn as much about Him as possible? But not only that, growing in our faith helps us as we navigate this life.

The fact is that God has a plan for your life. Yes, you! And His plan for your life includes you being salt and light in the world that we live in. We are called to make a difference, not just warm a pew on Sunday morning!

Be Purposeful!

So be purposeful and get serious about the most important prep – your spiritual life. Here are some things you should be doing!

Read the Bible everyday! The Bible is God’s Word to us. He speaks through His Word. It is our standard. Here is a plan for reading the Bible if you don’t have one, complete with download.
Pray! When we pray, we share with the Lord what is on our heart and the things we need. We also listen to what He might say back. Here is a message and links to a prayer doc that can help you stay focused.
Stay in Communion with Christian Friends. You need Bible believing friends who are going to pray with you and give you sound Biblical advice.
Go to Church! I hear from many preppers about not having a church around them that preaches the truth and many churches don’t believe in preparedness. If you are looking for a church, feel free to join our online church every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. CST. We go LIVE on Facebook and also stream the video on our website. Click here for more information.
Join a Bible Study! Again, if you are looking for an online Bible Study, we meet on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 pm CST. Check this out!
Be Salt and Light! In our current climate, it is easy to circle the wagons, put on our camo and protect and defend until THE END! But that is not what the Lord has called us to do. In the midst of all the craziness, we should live lives that glorify Him!

Are You Ready?

If Jesus came today, would you be ready? If He did come, would you regret that you didn’t do more to honor and glorify Him with your life? The fact is that He can come at any hour. When He comes, I want to be ready. And I hope you are ready too!

Peace,
Todd

The New World Order to Keep An Eye On

Preppers believe in being situationally aware. Usually, that means that the local surroundings should be assessed and measures should be taken to protect one’s family from potential dangers. But being situationally aware includes looking beyond the local predicament and could even include being aware on a global scale. This would seem like a daunting task. But there are others who are helpful in providing information that can easily be digested to help preppers understand the scale of topics like, the new world order.

I remember reading a book about the New World Order when I was around seventeen. As a kid, I was interested in Bible Prophecy, but it seemed to get old to me. It has only been in the last five to six year that I have found Bible Prophecy again and realized how important it is. Did you know that about 1/3 of the Bible is considered prophecy?

According to “The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy” by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 prophecies in the New Testament for a total of 1,817. These prophecies are contained in 8,352 of the Bible’s verses. Since there are 31,124 verses in the Bible, the 8,352 verses that contain prophecy constitute 26.8 percent of the Bible’s volume.
Grace Through Faith

The New World Order Pieces

One major topic in Bible Prophecy is the New World Order. It sounds very tinfoil hat when you start to look into it. But if you start to piece it together, you start to see it right in front of your eyes.

Recently, I watch a video by Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries. I don’t agree with everything she shares, but I feel her information about the New World Order and the players involved is very beneficial to those looking to understand it.

Further Reading: Spiritual Preparedness –
9 Things Christian Preppers Should Be Doing

Christian Preppers need to remember that we aren’t only preparing for the this world, but we are getting ready for the next. And the next is spiritual. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that those who worship the Father would worship in spirit and in truth. We need to remember that the spirit world is very real and there is a battle going on that collides with our physical world. That is what you have when you consider the New World Oder, the spiritual colliding with the physical. The path is being prepared for the end.

I hope you take some time to watch this 1 hour video. If you need to watch it a little faster, you can always hit the gear in the lower right corner of the video and change the video speed to 1.25x or 1.5x.

The Church at Home: Could Your Church Go Underground? Part 2

There are many types of “Believers” in the church. Some truly love the Lord and desire to worship corporately with other Believers on Sunday morning or some other designated day. Then there are those who like the social aspect of church or those who just do it because of habit. And, there are those who go to church out of fear of not going to Hell! But what if church as we know it ceased to be? What if those getting their social fix couldn’t meet with others? Or, what if those who did it as a habit, all of the sudden realized their world upside down and ALL of their usual habits disrupted? What if those who loved to worship corporately didn’t have that option? Would the church meet underground? Could the Church adjust to church at home?

The Church and Hard Times

Years ago I wrote part 1 to this article, “Outlaw Faith: Could Your Church Go Underground? Part 1.” Back then, I was looking at the anti-Christian climate and wondering out loud if Christians would stand in their faith during a time of persecution. I still believe the church is persecuted today. The world hates us. Jesus said it would happen. (John 15:19) But now, due to the COVID19 pandemic and many churches moving to online services, I’m wondering, if Christians are standing strong in the faith and keeping their relationship with the Lord their number one priority?

Another things that I’m wondering about is, what would happen if all of these platforms, that are allowing online church services, suddenly started shutting down their access to churches, or started throttling them back to where video and audio is so choppy it isn’t able to be understood by an end user? Big churches who have the funding for it would most likely still find a way to share their online services, but the small church, the backbone of American Churches, would greatly suffer!

Already, small churches are seeing a decrease in their weekly tithes and offerings. This is due to many losing their jobs, spending more on groceries or just not remembering to give because they aren’t getting up and getting dressed to go to a church building on Sunday morning. As a result, many small and medium churches will be forced to let go of church staff or even close because they can’t pay salaries, mortgages and all their other monthly expenses.

In part 1, I brought up the idea of churches being able to go underground in hard times. This could be times under a harsh tyrannical government, or this could be the situation in a collapse scenario. Either way, would your church be in a position where it can still minister to the congregation? Are there contingencies in place for church at home?

This rest of this article will discuss more practical considerations on how a church can function in a collapse situation and then look at the possibilities if the pandemic gets worse and Christians are social distancing.

Church at Home Needs to “Get Small”

In order to be effective, the church will have to get “small.” This means that there wouldn’t be one pastor that everyone goes to church to hear on Sunday morning. It means that families will gather in homes. 10-20 people gathering in homes is a good size for a small group. The great thing is that many larger churches already have some sort of small group ministry in place. So the structure is already there in some cases.

Church at Home Leadership

As far as leadership goes, I can foresee a couple of different options. One option, if the situation would allow it, would be for the leader of each small group to meet with the pastor on a weekly basis. The pastor could provide encouragement, lessons and even strategic planning with the rest of the leadership. Another option would be that each small group ran independently of each other.

The leader wouldn’t necessarily have to be the one that shared messages or the Bible with everyone. They could be, but the sharing of Scripture and messages could be shared among everyone present.

Music Ministry

Music could be easily provided by someone who plays a guitar or even done accapella. I would not disregard music in your worship time, it is very powerful! Worship songs, with chords, can be easily found on the internet. If you rather go the traditional route, you can find good deals on used hymnals at used book stores.

I know of one church who didn’t have a band for the longest. The pastor played worship music and he sang along with the track. This is another option. Again, don’t neglect music.

Church at Home and Kids

If we are honest, some parents like going to church because they can let their kids go to “Children’s Church” and it gives them a little break. Many Christians appreciate having “Children’s Church” during “Adult Church” because it takes away all the distractions from the service. I have a problem with this. You will notice I put Children’s Church and Adult’s Church in quotes.

When did “The Church” move to this model? You never see this in Scripture. In fact, when the disciples tried to remove kids from Jesus’ presence, He told them to bring them to Him.

Children don’t have a a Jr. Holy Spirit. If they belong to the Father, they have THE Holy Spirit. When we remove children from our services, it is for our own selfishness. As adults, we don’t like to get distracted.

Instead, we should teach children to be part of the Church. They should be active members of the church, listening to the messages, praying and singing. Yes, they might squirm a little. They might fuss a little. But adults should look at this and know that this is another soul that is learning to worship the Lord.

So in a collapse scenario, where church at home is the norm, children don’t need to be removed from the adults. Instead, they should be allowed to participate. They should be asked to read a Bible verse, pray and sing along. Give them two sticks and have an adult help them keep the beat of a song. They might not get everything that adults would get, but they will catch more than you realize. Not only that, they are seeing the Faith modeled right in front of their eyes.

Tithes and Offerings

If the church is in a collapse scenario, but church leadership is in place and the pastor is ministering to home church pastors, there should be an attempt to bless him and provide for his family. Galatians 6:6 says, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.” This could be monetary, but it could also be vegetables, eggs, milk, etc…

If there isn’t church leadership in place, the church at home could choose to not necessarily take up a weekly offering, but instead, choose to help those in their group who are in need or even reach-out to those in their local community that could use the help.

The Word

So many Believers have become accustomed to going to church and having a “professional” minister share the Word on Sunday morning. They believe that teaching or preparing a sermon can only be done by someone who has a degree or went to seminary. That is so far from the truth!

In a collapse scenario, where small groups are meeting for church at a home service, someone will have to share the Word. Yes, the more knowledge someone has of the Word, the better. But, the real key is listening and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

The Believer that has a close relationship with the Lord, who reads His Bible daily, who prays and who is led by the Holy Spirit is qualified to bring the Word. And in reality, that needs to be every single Believer, all the time!

Church at Home in a Pandemic

Church at home during a pandemic would look very differently. First, the pandemic that I’m talking about would mean that there is a serious public threat that would cause everyone to quarantine AND, churches wouldn’t be allowed to use online services like Facebook and YouTube LIVE.

Read: Prepping for Quarantine

Instead of meeting together in small groups in homes, church members won’t gather together. Instead, they would have to meet in their own individual homes. The responsibility of the message, music and prayer would all fall on individual family members. The family could still use a CD player or their online playlists if they are still available. But someone would have to bring the Word. This could be a short, prepared, inspirational message or even a Scripture passage that is read aloud.

Again, the key here is that Believers are taking their walk with the Lord seriously and seeking Him daily, even in all the chaos of a pandemic and what that means for the general public.

Conclusion

In, Spiritual Preparedness – 9 Things Christian Preppers Should Be Doing, I listed nine things that Christians could be doing now to help them in their walk with the Lord. All 9 don’t apply in a collapse or pandemic scenario, but most do. I encourage you to read that article and evaluate your own spiritual preparedness.

One of the sayings that I like to say is “just because we experience an SHTF scenario, it doesn’t mean that Christian Preppers suddenly put on their camo, grab their AR’s and turn into Rambo.” Christian Preppers are Christian’s first. Nothing changes when the Poop Hits the Fan! Jesus is still Lord and your Faith is still important, if not more important. The one thing that an SHTF situation will do is to show those who are true believers.

So whether you are in a time when you are worshiping in your local church building, attending an online worship service or doing church at home, make sure that Jesus is your very first priority. Always adjust to Jesus and be found right in the middle of His will!

Peace,
Todd

Spiritual Preparedness – 9 Things Christian Preppers Should Be Doing

1. Get right with God – the first step in spiritual preparedness

This might be a no brainer as the article addresses spiritual preparedness and Christian Preppers. But we should take time to make sure our hearts are right with the Lord. Have we allowed other things to become more important to us (even preparedness), than our relationship with the Lord? This is personal and something only you and the Lord knows. You might even want to pray the Psalmists words, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalms 139:23-24 NASB)

2. Read the Bible Daily

The Bible is God’s Word to us! It helps us to understand God’s character and how He relates to His creation. But it is even more! Ephesians 6:17 calls the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit. Hebrews 4:12 calls the Word of God a two-edged sword. A sword is an offensive weapon (of the time).

In an age when we have more Bible tools and resources than ever, many Believers don’t read their Bible daily. As a result, they are not able to go to war when they face the onslaught of the enemy. Remember, when satan tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11), Jesus didn’t have a conversation with the devil! Instead, Jesus quoted Scripture. Jesus fought off the temptation of the devil with Scripture – spiritual preparedness perfection!

Reading the Bible doesn’t have to be difficult. If you find the text too Shakespearean, get a more modern day version, like the Holman Christian Standard Bible. But just read it! If you don’t know where to start, watch the video below. I made it a while back to help others start reading the word of God!

3. Pray

When Jesus would disappear, the disciples always knew where to find Him, somewhere praying! Mark 1:35-37 NASB says, In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Simon and his companions searched for Him; they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”

As a pastor, I have found that there are two major issues with Christian prayer. The first is that Christians just don’t pray unless something bad happens. The second is that Christians use prayer to give the Lord a long list of needs and wants. The thing is God isn’t a Cosmic Santa Claus. But He does answer prayer!

Prayer is a two way communication. Imagine if your communication with your spouse was always just one-way. That wouldn’t work very long! When we pray, we need to ask the Lord for what we need, but also listen for what He will say. This is important to spiritual preparedness!

My favorite book on prayer is by Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. If you’ve never read it, you’ll be inspired to pray and seek the Lord more.

4. Connect with other Christians is also key to Spiritual Preparedness

The Christian faith isn’t a solo endeavor! From the very beginning, Believers met together in upper rooms, from home to home, in the Temple, on the shore, wherever. But they did it together!

When Christians don’t gather with other Believers, they are missing out on the mutual encouragement that coming together brings. Paul said in Romans 1:11-12 NASB, “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

I often hear from Believers who live in smaller towns with just a handful of churches who really aren’t preaching the Word. My reply is to continue to go to the church, pray for the Holy Spirit to get a hold of the pastor, but more importantly, build relationships with other Christians.

Just like it is important to connect with other preppers who understand you, it is important to connect with Christians who you can rely on when times are good, or if they get rough.

5. Reach out to non-believers who are hurting and need encouragement.

As the world gets crazier, non-believers will find themselves in situations where they are hurting: mentally, physically, socially and in need of encouragement. Christian Preppers, more than any others, know the trials and potential for chaos in the days we live in.

As we manage the craziness for our own families, we should always be aware of those around us who need help. You never know how a helping hand, an encouraging word, or giving a spare bag of rice could move someone closer to accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

As believers, we should always be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and how we are led to minister and reach out to others, even in crazy times.

Help me get more eyes on this article. Vote for me at Top Prepper Websites. Click the link below.

6. Reach out to your pastor and church leaders

Many believe that because pastors are on “the stage” every Sunday morning that they are popular or have some sort of notoriety. The truth is that being a pastor can be a very lonely position. People love you until you say something from the pulpit they don’t like. Then they leave the church and you don’t even know why.

Pastors always have to be “on”, encouraging others, even while they go through their own struggles. In an SHTF situation, that could mean that they are ministering to others, while their families are going through the same SHTF situation.

As a result, don’t assume that your pastor doesn’t need encouragement from time to time. Send them an email or a nice note. Unless they are preaching heresy, give them the benefit of the doubt when you hear something you don’t agree with. Actually, you should be looking in the Scripture yourself and making sure things are Biblical vs just your opinion, especially if you are planning on leaving the church. Spiritual preparedness is important for your pastor too!

7. Share the Gospel online

I have a love-hate relationship with social media. In, Preppers and Social Media – Maybe It’s Time to Get Anti-Social, I shared how I was concerned with the amount of data they gather from users. But even with the warnings out there, many still continue to use the big social media platforms. As a result, it is a place where many people congregate.

I have chosen to use my Facebook account to share a daily devotional that I write from my own personal devotions. I also use Facebook to do a LIVE Thursday Devotional for the church, as well as broadcast LIVE on Sunday mornings during the Coronavirus situation.

I have heard from many people how devotionals touch them and help them focus on the Lord. And that is the important piece. I believe that Christian Preppers should use social media to plant seeds out there as much as possible. With all the junk out there, we can be a light, shining in the darkness. Matthew 5:16 NASB says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

8. Support your Church – If you can

As our world continues to get crazier, especially in the economic and financial sense, church members will give less and less to their local church. This is understandable as church members deal with the challenges of a weak economy. But it is also important to remember that this is also devastating to pastor’s and church staff salaries. And, please note, that many in ministry don’t make a lot as it is. Yes, there are those on TV who bring in the millions, but that isn’t your local pastor.

If you can, please continue to support your local church. Churches will cut back their staff, salaries and many will go without or lose their jobs. But in a time where the economy isn’t doing well, it will be hard for ministers to find other jobs and provide for their families.

If you can’t support your pastor financially, there might be other ways you could support them. For example, could you provide a meal, share some groceries or offer to do some chores that might help them? If you can’t do anything like this or something similar, please pray for them. They always need prayer!

9. Refocus at night with something God focused

I like the idea of starting my morning with the Bible and prayer and ending with something spiritual that helps to refocus my thoughts, even as I go to sleep, on the Lord. With today’s technology, we have a plethora of ways to refocus our evenings on the Lord and stay spiritually prepared.

YouTube has sermons from some of the greats. Consider a sermon by A.W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill or Corrie Ten Boom. Every church puts their sermons online now. You used to have to pay for the “tape ministry,” but now you get it all for free! And there are a ton of devotionals online that you can get right in your email and read it right on your phone before you shut your eyes. Consider Oswald Chamber’s, My Utmost for His Highest.

Conclusion – Add Spiritual Preparedness

Christian Preppers are not only preparing for the next big emergency, we are also preparing for eternity. It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of this world, but we need to remember where our true home is and what ultimately matters. It doesn’t matter how much you prep, this life is still temporary. And preparing for the next life is something we should be doing even more as the day approaches. To your preparedness, make sure you also increase your spiritual preparedness.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NASB

Peace,
Todd