Tag: planning

Emergency Preparedness Kit

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Emergency Preparedness Kit

 I enjoy hiking and camping. I love going out into the woods and seeing what nature has to offer. To be surrounded by all of Gods glory what does it mean to you? Some people hate the idea of being in the woods. The bugs, the heat, the humidity, some people just hate it. Me, I thrive on walking in the woods, going on hikes, long and short. It’s not the hike itself we’re going to talk about today; it’s being prepared for it.

When I was in Iraq I was known for one thing and that was being prepared for as many contingencies as possible. I would consider as many outcomes of a mission as possible and I would pack my bag with as many things I could carry that I thought would be needed. When I go hiking I do the same. My boots, my belt, my emergency kit in my bag, my hand held GPS, my binoculars, fire starters, mirrors, even as much as my Phoenix strobes (night vision strobes). I try to plan for as much as possible. What happens if I fall and break or sprain something? What happens if I get turned around and lost in the woods? What happens if something bites me? What do I do if the worst-case scenario happens? Will I be prepared for it? How do you go about preparing yourself for the worst-case scenario?

When I am getting ready for my hike I think about where I’m going. I think about the weather for the next 24 hours. I think about the amount of water I would need, how long could I go without food? I consider what kind of terrain I’m walking and what I can do for shelter or long term water. I have everything in a pack I can carry. I always have a little extra water, I always have a few extra protein bars, and I always tell someone where I’m going. Not everyone plans ahead as I do.

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead because Private Murphy is always lurking around the corner. What can go wrong, will go wrong. And sadly it usually does. As many times as I’ve gone hiking, or out playing around in the wilderness so far I’ve never needed the emergency kit, but for the same reason I take it day in and day out on my travels, why do we keep insurance on homes or cars? It’s not a matter of if it’ll happen, but what if it does and you aren’t prepared for it. I would rather have it and never use it, then need it and not have it. I have insurance on my home, but pray to God I never have to use it.

What does all this have to do with God? Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Will you be ready when the wolf growls at your door? Will you be ready when Satin decides it’s your time? The Devil will find you when you least expect it, and that’s when the enemy will attack you. 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” The day may come when the fight comes to you, are you faithful in the Lord to withstand the attacks? The power of the Word Of God, is how we prepare. God is my Emergency preparedness Kit. Through God I can withstand the attacks by the wicked one. It’s not about wishing the fight will never come it’s about being able to fireproof, to guard and withstand the flaming arrows. The fight will come one day, the battles will happen whether you like it or not. Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Police officers wear body armor knowing that have it but pray they never need it. As such we have the tools to do so also. Ephesians 6:11 “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

When the day comes I hope your emergency kit is solid and ready to go. As for mine, I have my kit for hiking, and for life, I have my God. God is my emergency preparedness kit.

Turn Around

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Gods not dead, praise Gods in my heart, God is with me and my family, God is blessing and caring for my loved ones. Thank you God for opportunities, grace, mercy, and love. You’re never too far gone to turn around and walk back to God, one step away, faith and Gods love can wipe away all your mistakes, your not alone, Gods love and grace can turn you around, can put you back in the light. God is always there with us. Be a new bloom, be a blossom for Christ.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be Strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Be the Butterfly

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Be the Butterfly

Before Christ we were destined to die once and only live once. A promise made by God to life, the curtain of eternal death, and restore the gates of Heaven and allow all the possibility to enter was bestowed. Eating of the fruit from the tree of knowledge was the turning point for humanity. Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” We fell from grace that day, to live a life as a worthless doomed worm upon the ground. A promise however in a prophecy stated that one day the savior would come, and would save us from our sins. Isaiah 53:5-12 But he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” While there were foretelling of the details, the importance is all were fulfilled.

Do you wish to remain a lowly caterpillar or do you wish to ascend to be a beautiful butterfly? 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When you follow Christ you undergo a fundamental change. You can never be the same again. The light inside snuffs out the darkness and forever will you know you cannot in good faith or good conscious remain a habitual sinner. Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

 That coming to Christ moment in your life is like being awakened from a long cocoon. When you emerge you will be forever changed. The truth is we undergo two changes. The first is our heart. Second is upon our death. John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When you arrive to heaven the body will be remade into perfection. Ephesians 2:5-6 “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We are destined to have a room in heaven. John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Revelations 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” When the day comes we will be transformed like the butterfly. Follow Christ and allow Gods light to transform you. The realm of Heaven is perfect, and so shall we. The only one to stop our transformation is you and me. Allow yourself to undergo the revolution and be one with the Heavenly Father.

 

 

Akula, kotorya Ne plavayet, Ne tonet. “The shark that does not swim, drowns.”

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Akula, kotorya Ne plavayet, Ne tonet. “The shark that does not swim, drowns.”

In our walk with Christ it’s important that we never stop moving. The call of the Great Commission was one that would continue till the day we are called home. Philippians 3:12-14“12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing [I do], forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” In life it’s hard to not live in the past. It’s hard to have faith and live in the present. We must always continue to move forward but remember to do so in accordance with God’s plan for you. If your plans are just and faithful then perhaps God will allow for your plans to come to pass.

Joshua 1:7“7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success[a] wherever you go.” Some kinds of sharks will drown if they do not continue to move. As such we too must continue moving. Isaiah 43:18-19“18 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” We must learn from the past, but do not stay in the past. We must not allow ourselves to be consumed by grief, by despair, by fear, or by hatred. We must not allow ourselves to relive our past over and over again.

Galatians 2:20-21 “20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Our savior died for us, to wipe away the sins of old to free us to move forward in the new light.

As we move forward to Easter Sunday remember what the past is. The past was sin and death. Christ took that from us, he set our new path. Don’t loose sight of the meaning behind Easter. Don’t loose sight of our journey forward. Follow Christ and never turn around.

To All: I want to thank each and every one of you who read my posts. For those of you who are regulars my heart goes out to you in deep gratitude. For those who are new, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read my work. As a token of my appreciation, I’d like to share a free 30 day trial to a travel shopping website. Use the promo code, and take a look. This business has tax incentives, and as partners you get $100 shopping dollars every month.

For Part Two

https://thearrowpreacher.com/2025/02/13/akula-kotorya-ne-plavayet-ne-tonet-the-shark-that-does-not-swim-drowns-part-2/

When you can’t see the Forest through the Trees

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When you can’t see the Forest through the Trees

What does it mean ‘can’t see the forest through the trees?’ It means that sometimes you’re so caught up, so close to a situation you are incapable of seeing the big picture. When we are in the middle of our own life’s situations, when we are in the battles deep in the trenches, often times all we can see is the step right in front of us. So if that’s the case, how do we learn to take a step back and see the big picture? How do we wrestle with our own desire to remain in control? What are the simple rules of survival when lost in the woods? Today we’ll explore that together.

1 Corinthians 13:12 “12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” We grow and as we grow we change. The forest grows with no help from us. It doesn’t worry about the trees next to it or the birds that use it to perch their nests, no it simply exists. When we look at our lives as a whole we often are consumed with the ‘Fog of War’, unable to see the big picture due to the biased nature of our lives. We must learn to take a step back, climb the tree to see over the tree tops, find anyway we can to understand that in order to make a Godly decision we must first look at any situation that we may face, and try to look objectively, look reasonably, and try to understand the path God wants for us. Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” When we listen to Gods will our path will be a blessed one. It won’t be without hardships, but we need to be tested, our faith must be made strong. Ecclesiastes 3:6 “A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;” No matter what season we find ourselves we must understand that worrying about what we don’t have control over will never help us figure out our path.

When lost in the woods the first thing most people do is panic. When we panic we expel more energy then if we remain calm and work it out rationally. When lost you must find shelter, find water, and find food. It’s never easy to accept we may be lost. When that moment hits you and you can’t breath, you can’t think straight, you can’t see your own thoughts clearly, that’s when we know we are in the middle of the woods. We can’t panic when the forest gets thick. We must learn to have faith in God. Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” We have to keep the faith. When we are lost, God will show us the way. Psalm 25:16-17 “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.” Have faith in the Lord to guide you. When lost in the woods and you cannot see your way out, and allow God to help you see your path. Keep the faith and keep your compass.

It’s not for our own understanding as to why our suffering occurs but when it does don’t loose yourself to the anguish. You are not in control and that’s an important fact to realize. We are in control of our own actions and how we handle our choices. Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God will, will be done. One way or another, we will deal with our situations. Stop and pray that God will help get out of the wilderness. Isaiah 40:3-5 “A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Survival is about preparing; it’s about planning for the worst and knowing how to do that. God has given us the compass to see our way out of the woods and back to open prairies. Don’t let yourself get caught in the forest without the map. Shoot your azimuth and follow your direction north.

Death The Final Frontier

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Death The Final Frontier

It will come for us all. The race will end and then the beginning is new. Death comes for everyone, man, women, child, but through the multitudes only a few will enter the gates of heaven. Several verses particularly talk about heaven.

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Let the waters of Christ wash away your sins. Be reborn in the waters and give your struggles to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” We all will make mistakes, but in our mistakes, in our sins, we can find forgiveness. We can trust in the Lord if we can give ourselves to the lord and leave the lusts of the world behind.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

1 Corinthians 15:50-52 “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Daniel 12:2-3 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Psalm 23:4 “4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

 We don’t know what our future holds. We don’t know when the living life as we know it will pass into the past. The life we live has a finite amount of days to it. We love people, we loose them, and sadly there isn’t anything we can do to change that. Recently I lost a family member that was very dear to my heart. His passing was a bit of a surprise albeit he had some health issues. The pain doesn’t go away or diminish just because they were sick. What we have done, we’ve done, the time will come when we have to answer for our actions. God never asks anything in return except our hearts. God wants us to turn away from the world and focus on Him. The Valley of Death is a scary place. As I have seen death, seen it so up close, of watching my friends die in front of me, watching family wither away and die, and myself nearly dying on more then one occasion. What I have found is death isn’t something to fear. We may never know our time or our importance on this little floating ball in this big ol’ universe, but what we do know is if we have what it takes to make it through that narrow gate, then we too will know peace. If death comes for us know that it’s your divine time to go home. As my uncle’s body returns to the ash from whence it came, peace comes knowing beyond a doubt he made it home. True peace knows that it’s not the depths of the oceans, the expanses of space that are the Final Frontier; it’s the Kingdom of heaven. Do not suffer in loss but rejoice in it. Have faith in the word, and when your time comes, you too will welcome death as an old friend.

It’s a Wonderful Life, or flashpoint?

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It’s a Wonderful Life, or flashpoint?

Do we ever truly know the difference we make in our lives? To be honest I myself have questioned my place in this world. In the last 6 months I have had the hardest time of my life fighting my own personal doubt and have suffered a major defeat of my self-esteem. As I am very familiar with the authors of the Bible many of them suffered with depression, doubts, and questioned what God saw in them. Luke 12:7 “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” As we struggle knowing if we are valued, know that Christ values us.

As we walk our path we meet people, we encounter numbers beyond our realizations. We don’t ever know how our presence can affect someone else’s life. Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” If we are to understand Matthew we should see how we cannot hide ourselves from the world. WE must realize that if we are a positive influence just because we don’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Don’t just be a light for others, be the iron that sharpens others. Help strengthen others.

If we were to remove ourselves from time, we cannot fathom how important we are. We cannot believe our presence wouldn’t be missed from time. Our actions affect countless lives. Use your life to make a difference and never stop making a difference. When life gets hard, when it looks like hope is lost, find faith in God. Believe in yourself, and even when things are at their worst show the world that you can keep your head held high with dignity. As it’s always easier said then done, always try to do your best to keep your honor. Consider this, consider the comic Flashpoint, were one change affected the course of history. Consider the Butterfly Effect, were no matter how much we try to change the past things get worse. The movie It’s a Wonderful Life, is a man who wishes he were never born. An Angel shows him the world as if he were never in it. People’s lives weren’t better without him. His importance in the world seemed so insignificant to himself, but in reality God used him for good. Let God use you to make a difference. Be positive, raise them up, and walk with God to know your path is true.