Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7, ESV

 

If you were to take a poll asking what people most wanted out of life, things involving peace and joy would be near or at the top of most people's list. The reason for that is obvious since we all want to be happy and we all would like to avoid the things that cause anxiety and turmoil. The question is, how do we get there? How do we get to this state of rejoicing always and having the peace that guards our hearts that are described in the Scripture above?

 

The answer is contained in that same passage!

 

The inspired author of the letter to the Philippians is the Apostle Paul. He was in jail at the time he wrote this letter, yet he continually expresses the joy and peace that he possesses. He points out that these blessings do not come from within himself, but from the Lord. He reminds the Christians at Philippi that the Lord is near, so they are not to be anxious. I think I am at my most heightened state of anxiety when I am trying to figure out how I can solve the world's problems, and the reason I get this way is that I forget that God is still in charge. We are not on our own, unless we choose to be!

 

By remembering that one important fact, we can rid ourselves of the anxiety that plagues our society. Just think how many doctors and psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies would be put out of business if people didn't think they had to have a pill to handle their anxiety or to make them happy. Think about the liquor industry that exists in large part to help people forget their problems for a while by "drowning" them away. We have attempted to replace God with drugs and alcohol or some other remedy, and we have found that these cheap (and often sinful) substitutes) have only increased our worries.

 

God is near - so pray to Him! Do so with a thankful heart, because it is almost impossible to doubt God's ability to direct you through your current difficulties when you are being thankful for the many times he has steered you through crisis in the past. By turning over the parts of the problems we cannot handle to God, we will then find that our task is simplified and far less stressful, because now we only have to do our part.

 

Think about this: You want peace and joy, and God wants you to have peace and joy. Further, God is able to give you both of these magnificent gifts, if only you will live for him. But, remember this: Like any other gift you receive, it is only useful if you unwrap the package, take it out, and then use it! This is what Jesus offers:

 

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30, ESV

 

My problem is I want to take Jesus up on His wonderful offer of exchanging my heavy problems for His light burden, but then I snatch back my problems and try to handle them along with the added load of service to Him. Then, when I fall under the burden because it was too heavy for me to carry alone, I often become discouraged... and anxious... and unhappy!

 

Does that sound familiar to you? If so, why not try God's remedy for a change? Why not remember that He is near, that He is capable, and that He wants to remove our crushing load in exchange for the pleasant a manageable work that Jesus has in place of our impossible burdens! God wants us to rejoice and He wants us to be free from anxiety. Why not give up our worries and enjoy the life that is meant for us? You can start today, if you want, or you can continue to handle your own problems in your own anxious and unhappy way. 

 

As one who has tried both, may I recommend that you at least give God's way a try? You can always go back to your unhappy life you used to live if you want, but I don't thing you will. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! He is the path to joy and peace that you have been looking for all of your life.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Philippians 4:4, NASU

 

One of the things I try to remember as I teach and preach and interact with people, is that we are commissioned by God to help others. That means we are to be doing our best to make things better. Yet, I continually struggle with this fact, especially when I see the troubles in this world around us. We all have the duty to warn people of the dangers we face, but by doing so we often have to point out the things that are wrong so that we will know what to address. The tricky part, as always, is the question of balance: How can we point out the problems that we must honestly address without getting dragged down by doing so, or without turning others away by the very nature of the negativity of the warning? Whats more, how can we "rejoice always" when there are so many problems to deal with?

 

Our first instinct is often to have a "Don't worry, be happy" attitude wherein we refuse to even acknowledge the problems. This works for a while, but eventually the consequences of ignoring the world's difficulties will catch up to us. It's like being at a party on the top of a sky scraper that has a fire smoldering in its basement. We can eat, drink and be merry for only so long before the flames make their way up and put an unpleasant end to the festivities.

 

On the other hand, we cannot be among the "Chicken Little's" of the world who are always shouting that the sky is falling. It is true that these heralds of doom are occasionally right, but they are so negative in their worldview that no one wants to be around to listen to their message of warning, even when they are right. So, what is the solution?

 

Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

Matthew 25:34-36, NIV(1978)

 

Reading on in this text we see that the righteous will wonder when they did these wonderful things for Jesus, only to find out that whatever they did for the least of mankind, they did for Jesus. And this is the point! There are bad things in this world that we cannot ignore, but the solution is not merely to warn others, but to assist others who are going through the bad times. In other words, we are to make things better!

 

It's not always easy to do, and is rarely convenient, but we know from experience how it makes us feel when someone goes out of their way to help us. Just pause for a moment and think about how you view those who have helped you out of a difficult situation in the past. Don't you have a love and affection for them? Aren't you overwhelmed with wonder and appreciation at the very thought of how someone helped you when you needed it most? Aren't you much more likely to listen to such a person who has "walked the walk" when they have something to say from their heart to yours?

 

The fact is that this old world we live in is very, very wicked! What will you do about it? Will you just point out the problems, or will you help people with their struggles caused by these problems. What do we think are we here for? If it's just to point out the bad, I'm afraid we are some day going to find that our time here on earth was wasted. But, if we are here as clear-eyed servants of the Lord who do indeed see the problems, but who then take compassion and help those who are suffering because of them, then we will likely find on that Great Day that our life counted for something.

 

By all means, do not bury your head in the sand and fail to see the problems that you can help with. But then, having seen the needs that lie clearly at hand, do something to help others and make things better. Then you will be able to talk to them about the more important things, such as their eternal soul and how they might now help to make things better for others. And, one last thing: Don't forget to rejoice in the Lord. By doing so, life will become better for you and for everyone you come in contact with.

 

By the way, if you found this article worthwhile, would you consider tapping that "like" button and sharing it with others. It really helps get the message out to others who might be needing it today.

 

 

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God

Ephesians 2:2, NASU

 

What is true grace? The passage above tells us it is a gift of God, but what else? Maybe this will help:

 

Suppose a boss finds that one of his employees has been stealing from him. Instead of firing him, he gives him a second chance. Or suppose a cop pulls over a person for drunk driving, but instead of arresting him, gives him a ride home and lets him off with a warning. Or suppose that a wife finds that her husband has been cheating on her, but instead of divorcing him, decides to give him a chance to change.

 

In each instance the offended party has given the offender a second chance, even though they are clearly guilty and without excuse. In each instance the offended party has extended undeserved mercy. While this falls short of describing the fullness of the grace that God has for us, perhaps it gives us a start. 

 

Now think about this: Does the second chance give the thief permission to keep stealing, or the man to continue to drive while under the influence, or the husband to continue his infidelity? The answer is clearly and emphatically, no! Contained within these examples is an understanding that the offending party will prove faithful, and will offend no more. God's grace is no less stringent, for as the passage above shows it is grace through faith. And, in order to have a faith that will meet God's requirements, we are going to have to prove faithful. Consider the following passage:

 

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Romans 6:1-2, ESV

 

This Scripture contains an important lesson. There are many people who live in sin as if grace gave them a license to do so, but nothing could be further from the truth. When the Apostle Paul raised the question of grace being a license to sin, he clearly indicated that by no means should we think that to be true. Why? Because we had died to sin when we became Christians! Look at the following observation in Jude:

 

For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Jude 4, NIV(1978)

 

Here Jude, the brother of Christ, is warning us that there will be men - godless men - who will secretly slip in among us and try to change the grace of God into a permit for continuing sin. This is one of the most popular (and stupid) teachings of modern men! It infers that God's grace is permission to sin, rather than what it truly is, an opportunity to repent and live faithfully before Him. 

 

If you have been buying into the lie that grace has no strings attached, then welcome to the club, Men have been secretly slipping into the body of Christ since the time the New Testament was written 2,000 years ago bringing that very false teaching. So, how are we to view grace? Simply as what the Bible says it is: A gift from God that permits us to be forgiven and saved and to then become faithful. Look at the rest of the passage we began with today:

 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV

 

Grace is a wonderful gift! While we are never told that grace alone saves us, it is clear from the Scripture that we cannot be saved without it. We know that we don't deserve the many second chances that God has given us - that's why grace is so beautiful! But we have indeed been given grace, and for that we are eternally grateful. Grace is our second chance that was given for the simple reason that God loves us and wants to be merciful to those who will accept His terms. Grace has never been intended as a license for sin, nor has it ever been a substitute for the work that God clearly states we were created in Christ to do. But grace gives us the right to be faithful to God and Christ, and we are so very thankful for that second chance.

 

The question now is what will we do with this beautiful gift? The unfaithful employee will continue to steal, the unfaithful driver will continue to drive under the influence, and the unfaithful husband will continue to cheat. But the faithful will use their second chance, with love and appreciation, to do everything within their power to prove themselves worthy of that second chance. This is what true grace allows us to do!

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 22:3, NIV(1978)

 

Divide your portions to seven and even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Ecclesiastes 11:2, NASU

 

David said, "My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the LORD shall be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all the lands. Therefore, now I will make preparations for it." So David made preparations before his death.

I Chronicles 22:5, NASU

 

When you hear the word, "prepper" what do you think of? For some the word is a derogatory reference to a person who is something of a "kook", for others it has a connotation of someone who has a clear vision of reality so for them it has a complimentary tone. What's more, depending on how one approaches preparations for the future, either the kook or the responsible descriptions can be quite accurate.

 

First, let's look at preparations from the physical perspective. In the Bible we see it commanded during Joseph's time. But it should be understood that Joseph had miraculous information concerning the future given to him directly from God. So, when he advised Pharaoh to spend the seven years of abundance in storing up for the subsequent seven lean years, he did so because he was given that information directly from God. Today if you have someone claiming to get their direction from God through visions or dreams, you should look at their message with extreme suspicion, for the Bible clearly states that the whole will of God had been given during the time the New Testament was written, so modern day prophesies do not appear to be likely.

 

On the other hand, if someone is making physical preparations because of principles contained within Scripture (such as the passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes that is quoted above) then there is nothing wrong with that. In fact anytime proper application can be made from the Word of God, it is to our benefit, not our detriment. Obviously we need to look at the Bible as a whole for a correct overview and context of any subject we are looking at, but having done that, we will find that the Bible has many references to the way we should prudently live in relation to our physical lives,

 

This is the long way around the barn of stating this: We live in a physical world that has physical challenges. Among the physical challenges of our present times are global warfare, local droughts and famines, and a rate of inflation that has skyrocketed prices for everything from fuel and utilities to food and housing. It would therefore seem prudent to recognize these dangers and do something about them. But, what can we do?

 

For one thing, it might be wise to stock up. I have a background that some would consider a bit inconsistent, having preached for over a quarter of a century, but also having a masters degree in finance and economics. I have learned from both professions that preparing for the future is prudent, while failing to prepare may not be the noble sign of faith that some might suppose. Instead, failing to properly prepare in physical matters might actually fall into the category of the simple man described in Proverbs who just keeps on going without being aware of the dangers he should have seen coming.

 

One major caution should be made, however, to those who see the need for physical preparations: If you start to make these preparations for the express purpose of maintaining a life of comfort and ease, you become like the rich man Jesus described who tore down his barns to build bigger ones to store up for himself, and you are missing the point of preparedness. The primary purpose of physical preparations for the servant of God is to ensure that we can continue to serve God to our highest and best purpose.

 

So, from a physical perspective, be prudent. By all means store up goods if you are doing so to be a better servant. Don't buy things you cannot afford if you do not absolutely need them. Get out of debt as soon as you can. Set aside some cash for a rainy day. All of these things (and anything else that could reasonably be considered giving your portions to seven or even eight) are things that the prudent servant of can reasonably be expected to do.

 

But, the most important type of preparation is to make sure that your spiritual house is in order. Are you saved? Are you sure? One of the things that has concerned me the most about the "prepping" community is how often they focus on the physical preparations, but give all things spiritual a back seat. This type of mindset is backwards, as was so beautifully pointed out by Jesus when He asked, "what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or, what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" It seems that many people who have prudence in physical matters are nothing short of foolish when it comes to the most important area of preparation.

 

Take a moment and consider how many of Jesus' sermons and parables were about our being prepared for the kingdom of God, with each reference to the kingdom pointing out that the wise would be prepared spiritually, while the fool would not - often because they were too focused on their physical lives. I love the passage above concerning King David's preparations for the future generations. When he looked forward to the temple that his son Solomon would be constructing for God, David helped with those preparations. He did so because he knew that his son was still young and inexperienced. Are we doing the same for our children? It's a fair question to ask because, in the end, it is the condition of a person's spiritual house, not physical, that will determine whether or not we are saved. It will still be by the grace of God, we know that, but we also know from the Holy Scriptures that we have our part to do.

 

So, prep away for the physical, you would be imprudent indeed if you did not. But make sure you are seeking first the Kingdom of God by preparing your immortal soul for the eternal service that God has planned for you, or you will find that your physical preparations were for naught. We are here to serve God! Part of that service will require a wise handling of our physical goods, but the main focus must be that we are taking thought to the physical aspects of life in order that we might better serve God for all eternity.

 

Are you a prepper?