There are a lot of talks these days about prepping, preparedness, homesteading, off-grid living, and being ready for the so-called "Caca hitting the rotating device event." Events such as an EMP strike, nuclear war, pandemics, or whatever Matthew 24 trigger event that starts the downward slide of society into the apocalypse. I think I can see some of the zombies walking toward me already!
I'm all in when it comes to this. Trust me; we must be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared for the days ahead, and I'm not one to sit and hope that the government will feed me in times of peril. I will use the pea-sized brain that God gave me and be that prudent man who sees danger and prepares.
Proverbs 22:3 says, "The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty."
With that said, I am often asked about go-bags, everyday carry bags, and get home bags. This coupled with what we should be prepared for, and what items are essential. So here is a short list of the core items that you need in your various bags.
Of course, it will depend on your bag type and your specific needs. However, some of the most essential items to include in your go bag include:
Water: You should have at least one quart per person daily.
Food: You should have non-perishable food items lasting at least three days.
First aid kit: You should have a basic kit that includes bandages, antiseptic wipes, and pain relievers.
Clothing: You should have appropriate clothing for the weather conditions in your area.
Shelter: You should have a tarp or other shelter to protect you from the elements.
Light source: You should have a flashlight or other light source.
Communication: You should have a way to communicate with others, such as a cell phone or two-way radio.
Prepping is a part of my life, and I have prepared my various bags with the best items money can buy. If I ever need them, I want the best equipment that I can stake my life on. I learned that while serving around in world in the military.
Since were on the topic of bags and risking your life, have you ever thought about what you needed for your spiritual go-bag?
How should we prepare? Are you risking your life and soul by not properly preparing your spiritual go-bag?
How should we prepare for Christ's return?
Jesus is coming back! It's one of the foundations of the Christian faith. Are we preparing for that day? What sorts of things should we pack in our spiritual go-bag? In Luke 12:35-48, Jesus tells us two things he wants us to pack, which will help us prepare us for His return.
First, we should pack "Readiness" (Luke 12:35-38)
Jesus tells us to be "ready" for his return,
35 "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
The text says, "Let your loins be girded." This idiom describes how ancient people would tuck their robes into their belts to travel (Exodus 12:11). Likewise, ancient peoples usually didn't keep their lamps burning all night without a special reason. A good servant is a servant who is ready and waiting for his master's arrival, no matter the time of day or night. The "middle of the night" and "daybreak" were the last watches of the night. So Jesus is saying that even if he comes when we're most tired and least expecting him, He wants us to be ready.
Jesus uses a second illustration to explain it will be a surprise.
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
If you knew when a thief was thinking about breaking into your home, you'd install a security camera and place a sign in your front yard, "Secured by ADT." You could have a big dog or a loaded shotgun by your bed. But just like thieves don't tell us when they'll show up, Jesus doesn't tell us when He's coming back. So, we always need to be prepared, but Jesus doesn't define readiness in this passage, so we have to take a broader look at Luke to get a better picture of it.
Readiness can be defined as…
1. Repent of your sin and believe in Jesus. (Luke 7:1-10)
The story of the Centurion teaches us that none of us is righteous, not even the best of us. The Centurion recognizes he doesn't deserve Jesus to come into his home, no matter how much good he has done. Likewise, being ready involves a daily recognition of sin, repenting of that sin, and turning to Jesus. Even on my best day, the only reason Jesus will have mercy on me when he returns is because he paid the penalty for my sin on the cross. The gospel is the good news that Jesus saved me despite myself. Romig, J.
2. Sit at the feet of Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42)
Do you remember the story of Martha and Mary and how Martha was doing for Jesus, and Mary just wanted to be with Jesus? Before we start to be overcome with anxiety over busyness, Jesus invites us to come and sit at his feet, to sit at the feet of our Rabbi. We do this by spending time in prayer and by studying His Word, the Bible. We want to know Jesus' words so we can know God. Romig, J.
3. Care for the least of these. (Luke 4:18-19)
In Luke 4, at the start of his ministry, Jesus explains he has come to proclaim "good news" to the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, and the oppressed. He did this throughout His ministry, and one of the ways we get ready is by doing the same thing. How are we caring for the least of these? Are we giving to people experiencing poverty? Are we ministering to the oppressed and the sick? Romig, J.
4. Eating, drinking, and talking with sinners. (Luke 5:27-32; 10:1-24)
Jesus ate and drank with sinners and tax collectors. These weren't the good religious people but the outcasts and the rejects. Luke 5:31-32 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Luke 9:23-24 Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves
and take up their cross daily and follow me. Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but
whoever loses their life for me will save it.
Being a disciple of Jesus means learning his teachings and seeking to put them into practice each day of our lives. Sometimes, this will mean difficult days where the cross is heavy; other days, it will be easier. But it's trying to go through each day, submitting to whatever Jesus has for us that day. Romig, J.
We all need to be ready.
In our passage, Jesus isn't just saying "you" (singular) be ready, but "you" (plural) be ready (you all). Yes, we need to take individual responsibility, but this is a call for us as a people, the church, to get ready for Christ's return.
Jesus will reward our readiness. (v37)
Verse 37 tells us that when the master returns if he finds his servants ready, he will dress himself to serve them. The text uses that same word for "gird" again. We gird ourselves for service because Jesus will gird himself to serve us one day. That idea was radical in their culture. Masters didn't serve servants. Can you imagine it? Either Christ has returned, or you die and go to heaven; you're finally meeting your King face to face for the first time, and you want to fall on your knees and worship him, and he says, "Thank you for your service. Take a seat and let me serve you." Jesus will reward readiness.
So first, we pack "Readiness" in our eternal go bags. But second, we should pack "Faithfulness" (Luke 12:41-48)
41 Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?" 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
Peter needs clarification, so he asks Jesus if he is talking to the disciples or the crowds, and of course, Jesus doesn't give a straight answer because both can apply what he is teaching. He says in v42 that the second way we get ready is for a "faithful and wise steward" to give His servants "their food allowance at the proper time."
God expects faithfulness from you. He expects you to feed those under your charge. Well, what does that mean? The Bible calls the word of God food (Matt 4:4; Hebrews 5:12; 1 Cor 3:2).
Being a faithful steward means teaching God's Word to those with whom he has entrusted us.
• Parents, are you teaching your children about God? Are you teaching them the stories in the Bible? Are you modeling the truth of God's Word in your own life? Are you confessing your sin to them when you wrong them? Are you sharing how God is speaking to you and changing you?
• Spouses, do you love your husband or your wife? Are you praying for and encouraging each other with God's word? Ephesians 5:26 has a special call to husbands to wash their wives with the word. Husbands, are you sharing the Scriptures with your spouse and praying with her? Wives, are you sharing what you're learning with your husband and praying for him?
45 But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Let's don't take the gift of knowing God and use it to Lord over others, or don't pass it along to those under our care. There will be a stiff penalty (1 Peter 5:3). In fact, if you are someone who uses God's word to control and manipulate others, you might not be a Christian, and when Christ returns, he will assign you a place with unbelievers in hell.
47 And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
In closing, the consequences of unfaithfulness will be perfectly fair and just. God will judge those who don't know or understand less strictly, but those who should know better must answer for it.
Although our passage appears to end on a more negative note, it's important to point out that Jesus is saying in v48, "Much has been given to you" and "You've been entrusted with a lot." Jesus doesn't give us this responsibility so we can fail but so that we can rise to the challenge. You are safe in Christ, so don't be afraid. Every day is an opportunity to pack our eternal go bags with readiness and faithfulness so that when Jesus returns or calls us home, we will hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matt 25:23)
Get your spiritual Go-Bag ready.
Michael
Bibliography
Elkins, G. (2012, August 7). garriselkins.com. Retrieved from "Preparing a Spiritual Go-Bag":
https://garriselkins.com/preparing-spiritual-go-bag-by-garris/
Gateway, B. (2023, November 29). Biblegateway.com. Retrieved from Bible Gateway: biblegateway.com. New King James version.
Romig, J. M. (2018, March 18). Retrieved from "Get your Go Bag". trieved from www.cornerstonewestford.com: www.cornerstonewestford.com
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