Preparation: Not All That It’s Cut Out To Be

by Joseph | May 21, 2026 | Preparation, Sharing

It happens all the time – especially now that there are obvious difficulties taking place.

Almost daily I receive a call from people who want to talk with me about preparation.  They know that I’ve been talking (for 20+ years) about the need to prepare, so I guess it’s natural that they call me.  Problem is, I have a much different view of what Preparation really is, and most of the time my view is NOT the way others view it.

You see, during a time of crisis people come out of the woodwork talking about the need for preparation.  Because of our recent economical problems in the US, preparation discussion is now a mainstream conversation.  It’s almost comical to hear of people emerging every day who claim that they “knew a difficult day was coming” and knew that we were all supposed to be preparing.  They read all the gloom articles and conspiracy theories they can, and then spread their fear language to anyone who will join in their fear.

If you were around during the Y2K crisis, the same people were “preparing” then.  After the crisis, well, they went back to operating as if nothing was wrong.

I’m of the opinion, that many people who claim they have known we are supposed to be preparing for “something” – are in fact, nothing more than news readers and fear mongers.   They read new releases on world events, and suddenly they spring into action getting ready.  If you have ever lived through a hurricane in Florida – that’s what I picture with the people who are now “self-professed preparation experts”. (more…)

Thomas Jefferson weighs in on our Crisis

by Joseph | May 21, 2026 | Preparation, Sharing

Very Interesting Quote in light of the present financial crisis…

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”

Faith beyond the boat

by Joseph | May 21, 2026 | Preparation, Sharing

In the news today, there are mounting numbers of people who are beginning to prepare. Some people do not even know what they are preparing for, but they are following the actions of others and are moving forward with their own preparations. It seems obvious that increasing numbers of people believe there is a coming “event” that impresses upon them the need to prepare.

The media is obviously picking up on the trend and are beginning to feature news and shows to highlight this growing phenomenon. Preparation centers and storage facilities are beginning to form in local communities, doomsday shelters are being sold in record numbers, and survivalist events are being held all over the Country. It is now moving into the mainstream.

That concerns me a bit. I feel impressed that we really must be very diligent in our preparations, but as we take action it is vital that we remain very prayerful and discerning.

Recently, I have heard the Father calling to prepare – but especially prepare by seeking a closer Faith in Him. He has reminded me that many people are preparing by building a boat – by storing provisions, growing a garden, or learning how to can corn.

Certainly, those are important tasks and will be helpful accomplishments during a tough period. But… having a boat is not enough to properly prepare for a storm. We must have Faith beyond the Boat. Consider this…

37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:37-40

The disciples were very experienced on the water, and very likely knew how to maneuver through rough seas. I feel pretty certain they had prepared for the journey and had the proper equipment and provisions on board. But… with all their task actions completed, they were still afraid with the storm hit.

Prepare for the journey, but build a Faith beyond the boat. Strengthen your relationship in He who is able to calm the storm.

A Time of Increasing Intensity

by Joseph | May 21, 2026 | Preparation, Sharing

In my lifetime, I have never seen such despair and ambivalence. People are afraid and many are losing hope. The times have impressed people to begin living more simple lives, and to prepare.

In fact, many people have felt a call to prepare and to be ready for the difficulties that are approaching. Those difficulties could be in the form of political or economic crisis, or they could be a catastrophic natural event like an earthquake or drought. Whatever the difficulty, countless families are now seeing the importance of preparing.

My family has been in active preparation for years now, although I’ve shared often that it is not what I assumed it to be. When I originally started on the journey of preparation, I assumed it was all about storing provisions and learning how to plant a garden. Certainly, those were/are important in the process of preparedness, but the real need of preparation is much greater.

God is calling us to a deeper Faith in Him. We can, and should, be better prepared for events that will impact us in a major way – but more than that, we need to be steadfast in our Faith. We need to be prepared to meet our God.

As we simplify our lives and look for ways to sustain our families in emergencies, we should also be preparing and softening our hearts to hear from God. Store the Word of God in our hearts, so when the times of troubled waters come – we are prepared.

“Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.” Psalms 69:1-3

When our Past is Past

by Joseph | May 21, 2026 | Preparation, Sharing

Shared by Jeff Rowland.

Regardless of where we are in our lives everyone has something in their past that they often struggle with.  The past always rears its head when we are pressing toward a consistent walk in the Spirit of God.  Most are robbed of their present because they are still living under the bondage of their past.  As well we cannot look with hope toward our future if we are constantly going back to factor in our past to make decisions.  The past seems to affect every aspect of our life.  The sequence with which we look at things seems to be through the eyes of our past, then the present, then the future.  Somehow we need to be able to look at our future as a Child of God and factor our future into our present and this will release us of our past.

There is a problem as to why we cannot let go of our past.  The hurt our past has caused us and others should be enough of a motivator to let it go, but we seem to hold on to our past with a passion.  This perplexing problem has caused many in the body to lose control of their lives.  Paul teaches us in Phil 3:13 “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”  By these words we understand the things before can play a significant role in forgetting the things behind.

We live in a society that is constantly asking the question why we do the things we do.  Often instead of dealing with what we do we just want to find out why we do them.  Now we have a place to put our past.  I have learned through the years of pastoring and dealing with people that the past seems to take the blame for just about all of our present.  While there may be some truth from a psychological standpoint concerning our past dictating action in our present we must learn to get past our past.

One of the reasons that we cannot let go of our past is that it becomes an excuse for our behavior in our present. 

If the hurts of our past are gone then we are left without excuse to act the way we do or to hold on to an attitude that we are afraid we cannot break.  What would we do if we have nothing to blame for our behavior.  Then we are left to face the reality of our own selfish motives and sinful imperfections.  This would mean we would have to change our lives in order to live with ourselves and let go of the pain and hurt that brings about other behavior that is not consistent with our belief structure.

Another reason we cannot let go of our past is it often is the only victory we can remember in our lives. 

How many are still trapped living in the past victories we have experienced.  We should always remember the victories of our past but never let them to cause us to stop pursuing more.  Again Paul reminds us that we are more than conquerors.  A conqueror is one who doesn’t stop at one victory but presses on to new battles and new victories.  Some are looking for what God done in the past because they are hung on past victories and not living as a conqueror.

May God give us the strength to appropriate our future into our present thus destroying our past and go on to new battles and new victories fulfilling the soldier calling of being more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rev. Jeff Rowland offers more insights on Last Days Preparation on his website at:  www.jeffrowlandministry.com