The Pastor’s Piece – July 10, 2022

The Pastor’s Piece

FCFI

July 10, 2022

“Preppers”

Top Ten survivalist questions: 1.  Do you know how to survive a dirty bomb?  2.  Do you know how to start a fire with a glass bottle?  3.  Do you know how to preserve food?  4.  Do you have a stockpile of rice and beans and canned goods and meat?  5.  Do you own a solar powered generator or even a solar flashlight?  6.  Do you have a hard copy contact list in case our electronics crash?  7.  Do you have a first aid kit and tool box?  8.  Have you studied wild mushrooms and edible insects?  9.  Do you know how to waterproof your matches?  And # 10.  How many rolls of toilet paper do you have in the garage? 

Should Christians be Doomsday preppers?  God promises to provide for His children but that doesn’t mean that we can just sit back and expect God to just plop everything in our laps.  The Scriptures warn us about being lazy.  2 Thessalonians 3:10:  “If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either.”  Proverbs 6:6-9:  “Go to the ant, O sluggard (and learn).”  The whole point is that it’s wise to plan ahead based on what we know.

I’m a Doomsday prepper in the sense that I’m concerned about being ready to meet my Maker, and being sure my trust is in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins.  My preparation isn’t to hide out in the caves and the rocks like those in Revelation 6, calling out to their mountain bunkers to “hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”  My preparation is to be ready to approach that throne with confidence knowing that I am safe from wrath because I’ve been forgiven.  Matthew 10:28 says:  “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Here are a few Biblical principles in the physical application:  1.  Whatever your preparation looks like, remember it’s not to be selfish.  For the Christian, the point isn’t to boast about being the wise ant and outsmarting all the lazy grasshoppers, but to be the wise ant and then be generous with what you have.  If you’ve prepared for a famine, your mission field during the famine is to share the gospel of Jesus to your neighbors as you’re giving them life sustaining gifts.  2.  Whatever your preparation looks like, remember it’s not all meant to be tangible.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-20:  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”  Our real stockpile isn’t invested in money boxes, gun safes, and food pantries, rather, our investments, our treasure and our real nest-egg exists in our relationship with God, the redemption of our souls, our relationship with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and those we want to see become brothers and sisters in Christ.  3.  Our preparation isn’t about survival.  We were chosen, created, and born for a slightly larger objective.  And therefore, whatever preparations we make in life should ultimately be to enable us to go about what we’re here to do – which ultimately is to bring glory and honor to our Creator God.  

It’s good to be ready for hard times ahead, but it’s even better to be ready to stand face to face with God. 

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin)