WISDOM PREPARES
The sky is falling, the sky is falling, I’m really not joking, the sky is falling!
I am being deadly serious with you my readers today. Everywhere you look, by every measure, we are a nation, indeed a world, in total decline. We are morally, spiritually, and economically bankrupt, corrupt, and rotten to the core with sin and open rebellion to God, to His commands, and to His wise principles for living. The vast majority of our institutions are run by fools, primarily staffed by fools, and people who hate God, and despise Biblical morality. They will not give up their power, or their wicked, corrupt ways.
I am writing all of this today because I care, genuinely, deeply care about every one of you, my readers. Your lives and your families matter a great, great deal to me. I desire above all else to help you avoid as much as possible the collective catastrophe that is unfolding in our nation right before our eyes. I urge you, please listen, please make preparations, as there is no time to waste, to dither, to simply stick our heads in the sand, and pretend everything is going to be okay. We are headed for even tougher economic days ahead, greater suffering, and persecution of our faith.
Re-orientate your entire financial perspective and lifestyle habits, in every way you possibly can towards austerity, frugality, thrift, and wisdom. Get out of debt. If possible, pay down your mortgage a little extra every month. Inflation is not going away. Things are going to get even more expensive. Grocery shop wiser than you ever have, cut back on non-essentials, and save every way you can. Change your eating habits. Meats are very, very expensive and there are many healthy substitutes. For example, homemade crockpot soups are a wonderful, healthy, and inexpensive way to eat. Box cereals are very expensive, try oatmeal instead. Turn your heat way down at night, and sleep with extra blankets. Sell things you don’t need and build your cash reserves. I can tell you from experience, I have not paid over $6000 for a car in the last 25 years, nor do I intend to. Find every possible way to cut expenses, then save every dollar you can in a savings account, with the exception of your generosity to God’s work. He promises to bless you for that eternal investment, in the here and now as well as your eternal future. God has blessed me over and over again for sharing with others and investing in God’s kingdom work. I tell you that over a lifetime of real lived experience.
Build your savings even if it means taking on an extra part-time job. Many part-time jobs are paying $17-20 an hour. Work an extra 8 hours a week at $17 an hour, and that is $136 extra a week, or $544 a month. Save it!
Go deeper into God and your faith than you ever have before. You need more of God, you need more time in prayer, and you need to strengthen your faith, your fortitude, and your belief for the extremely difficult times we are in and the worse ones coming. You also need to get a lot wiser and grow in spiritual discernment and good judgment. Get your mind and heart into the Word of God. It will greatly encourage your soul.
Redouble your efforts in teaching, training, and investing in your children’s lives, faith and education. The government, the school system, the university system, the culture, big tech, and the media are deliberately targeting them in an all-out effort to manipulate them, destroy them, corrupt them, rob their faith in God, and pervert their soul and their morality. These forces are as wicked and nefarious as Stalin and communism was intent on destroying the people who stood in their way. Until you see it this way you will never bring the necessary zeal, tenacity, and determination to your parenting that is required.
This is the year to finally start taking care of your personal health. I promise you this, each day you delay, your health is declining, and as you age, it declines more and more. Unless you do something to improve and maintain it, to keep yourself strong, you will grow weaker and weaker with each passing year. For some it will cost you your life, for others it will cost you tens of thousands of dollars you’ll never get back.
Husbands, this is especially for you. None of us knows how long our time here on earth will be. I recently had two friends pass away suddenly, without warning, and they were not prepared. I sat down recently and wrote out 4 pages of vital information for my wife to know if the Lord should call me home. There are so many things I take care of that she knows nothing about. So I sat at my computer, and did my best to number them in an organized fashion, printed them out, and put them in a folder in her top dresser drawer. Things like the funeral home/cremation place to call with the phone number. What kind of simple funeral service to have, and who to even invite and who not to invite. My life insurance policy number, how much money she would have from it, and how to get access to it. How to pay bills in the future without me. I even went as far as to make a mock-up monthly budget for her ahead of time so she could see how she could live on a set amount of money each month, and where that money would be coming from. I included the name and number of our financial advisor. Who to contact for tax preparations, and their number. How to get rid of my stuff. What to do and keep in my office that’s important, and what to throw away. Where to find certain things. You see, I want things to be as easy as possible for her to navigate, as I know she will be dealing with my loss greatly. Who to call for plumbing, who to call for car repair. How to pay her medicare bill. What to do with my Corolla. How to get license tabs. Our banking passwords, and answers to security questions that she does not know, those I did not save on my computer by the way. Only printed it on paper. I tried to literally think of everything. This took me a couple of hours. I know many of you are thinking, well this is good for Pastor Mark he’s an old man, but I’m young. Ahh but that is the point, isn’t it? None of us knows our time, so get it done very soon for her sake and your children’s.
In closing let me say this. None of us can possibly prepare for every single contingency that life throws our way. God is our ultimate source of life, provision, and help. We can never, ever get away from our desperate need to trust God, that He makes a way where there seems to be no way. God is our refuge and help, in desperate, difficult times. I would not be writing today had he not literally rescued me miraculously from a calamity I could have never prepared for. With that truth always in mind, remember, it is God himself who commands us above all else, to get wisdom, though it costs you everything!
These passages of Scripture I keep ever present in my mind.
Psalm 46:1-3 NLT
God is our refuge and strength always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge.
Proverbs 27:12 LB
A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks and suffers the consequences.
Galatians 6:7 NLT
Remember you can’t ignore God and get away with it!!!
For those of you who would like facts and figures on just how bad the economy really is, read this article. Get informed.
https://thefederalist.com/
*On a personal note. I have had a severe cough since Thanksgiving. It is quite severe and very painful to my ribs. I have at times had shortness of breath also. No fever, no congestion, no chills, no nausea. I am doing what I can to treat it medically speaking. I would really appreciate your prayers for this. Thank you very much.
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
