Need to Survive June 3, 2024

Are you a survivalist?

If you were in a foreign land where you knew no one, had nowhere to live, no food, no car, bicycle , no donkey,  and you had with you a backpack , what would you want in that backpack that could help you survive? Everyone on the planet has within them the basic instinct to survive physically.  This means to most a place to have shelter, warmth, clothes, food, water, transportation, light, communication, ability to work, money, and be able to replace the food and water.

When I was young I would for recreation, take trips to the mountains of California for purpose of backpacking along with friends for up to a week or more. I loved the scenery, the time with friends, the freedom to go wherever I wanted without restrictions. Some places are very remote and very few people visit these areas. I somehow craved to be with a small group where all we had to do was survive and enjoy God's creation. To accomplish this I had to learn what was necessary to survive in these environments for the planned amount of time. Most people would rather stay in a comfortable house with heat and air conditioning running water, a bed, storehouse of food, refrigerator, and 20 million people all around! Not me, I had to trek 8 miles from a parking lot in the middle of the mountains and just enjoy and survive. Ahh to be 18 again!

So to survive I found I needed to downsize my house and amenities to the size of a backpack of 50 to 70 pounds weight. The food was dehydrated and came in small packets to be rehydrated once we found a suitable stream or lake. Water was needed for the journey, so we took a canteen and  various snacks that would last 2 days hiking, there and back. A tent became the house I lived in, the bed was a thin piece of foam rolled up for the trip along with a sleeping bag, a one burner camp stove heated the food, and boiled the water. I brought boy scout supplies, matches, Sierra cup, rope knife, hatchet, band-aids, some clothes and a steak dinner for the first night in the wilderness. Actually you couldn't imagine how much stuff got crammed into that backpack! But it worked! I relied on nature to supply the water, wood for a campfire, trees for a toilet, and good weather. Mother nature also supplied bears, snakes, rangers with donkeys, occasional rain storms, etc. Did I mention the trip into the mountains was mostly uphill!

I thought it was great! Not for everyone. There were some complainers every now and then. I didn't mind too much except when I had to carry their backpack and my own!

My point is survival can be good!

Back to the big city. This is where we all live most of the time. Cars, trucks, millions of people, fast food, TVs, sirens,  Amazon deliveries, cell phones, politicians, how did I get myself into this mess? Complicated.  Dog eat dog.

Back to the 1st Question, "What is in your backpack?" If your answer is, " as much as I can possibly fit, carry and strap on." then congratulations you are a modern day "survivalist". The mountains are the job, (climbing the corporate ladder) or the business you run and spend all your time on.

Check it out, when the Israelites left Egypt they came out with silver and gold, my guess is they were tired after the first mile! It made it difficult to run from the Egyptian army! But I can't leave any behind or I might starve to death! This is the quest of modern man, to get all you can, can all you got and then sit on your can! People everywhere try and do this. The question I have for modern people is, "what is the price you are willing to pay for the wealth you desire but have not yet attained?" Will you work 60 hours a week? Are you willing to step on others to get to where you are going? Could the price turn out to cost you your health? What about those who lose their family because all they do is work. If there is no work then where does the money come from? Welfare that keeps you poor by limiting your income to levels not even sufficient for one person? I wonder how this applies to the Christians of this world? Truth is we are the same world, even though we are not recognized as a part. How many live as the pagan world does expecting a different result?

Where is your Balance?

Strive is a word I do not like. Websters says this," To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard; applicable to exertions of body or mind To contend; to contest; to struggle in opposition to another; to be in contention or dispute;

People learn and do this when it comes to money. People become different when they attain money. Poor folks strive to get just a little more, middle class strives to get wealth and might do anything to get it, the rich are gripped with fear of losing what they have. People sometimes change their friends to people of their own status when they come into money.

Money can be a disease maker or a medium to bless people. Do you as a Christian have a correct view of money, riches, or wealth? Let us see…

Money questionnaire:

1. Is money good or evil?

 Ans. It is neither. But can be used for either purpose.

2. Can excessive money in your possession  lead you to hell?

 Ans. No but the love of money could.

3. If someone gave you $1,000,000 would you give 10% to God and help       others with some of it?

Ans. Maybe.  Money before God or God first in your heart?

4. If you only had $100 left in your bank account what would you do with it?  Ans. you could engage in sowing and reaping. Ask the Lord what to do?

5. Let's say you have $10,000,000. When you die, who will you leave it to?

6. What is God's will concerning money, wealth or riches?

7. If you aligned your thinking with God's thoughts on money, wealth or riches could your income, amount of money, or things increase?

 8. Does all this questioning about money give you stress?

Ans.  Of course it could.

Stress about money is the imbalance so where is the balance ?

The Gospel is the balance of life. Money equals your life. (You spent time from your life earning it.)

When you are able to not stress about money and provision but look positively at it through God's Word, then is peace going to come. Read the Words of the Gospel and speak them to yourselves. We need to enter into the Good News Zone with this issue.

Confessions of financial faith

Are you ready? Say this after me and believe what you are saying.

Jehovah Jireh is my provider, I shall not go without anything.

I refuse to fear the lack of provision.

My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in Glory.

The Word says, "Wealth and riches shall be in my house, and my righteousness will endure forever.

I will not trust in money or provision but in my Father my provider.

I shall remember the Lord my God: for it is he that gives me power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant with me

I will serve the Lord my God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things;

I am blessed in the city, blessed in the country, blessed coming in, blessed going out, I am blessed in the basket and in the store, My bank accounts, investments, health and relationships flourish. The blessing of the Lord overtake me in all areas of my life

The blessing of the Lord makes rich and He adds no sorrow with it. God, Your Word says that whatever I bind on earth is bound in Heaven and whatever I loose on earth is loosed in Heaven. Therefore on the authority of your Word I bind every force that has set itself against my financial prosperity. I hereby declare all curses against me null and void and harmless. I am redeemed from the curse of poverty! I am free from oppression. I now loose the abundance of God and all that rightfully belongs to me now comes to me under grace in a perfect way.

You know, being a survivalist is not God's best. The struggle involves changing your mindset from what you know to what God knows. Changing Kingdoms in your mind is essential to seeing the manifestation of the blessing in your life. This is not a religious do or don't. We are here discussing the reality of the Kingdom of God and what is possible to them that believe.

There is a thing called the kingdom of self which must be replaced by the rule of God and His Word. You can do it, time to move forward!