Disciple-maker, Not Spiritual Prepper

      My first book, Spiritual Prepper, is officially out of print. You can find used copies or remaining inventory, but it is out of print from the publisher. That’s awesome! With that being the case, as we are coming up on the 10^th anniversary of my finishing the first official draft, I have been considering revising the book — a 10^th Anniversary Edition. Are you interested? I cringe to think of the work ahead, but it needs to be revised. That book started a journey of looking at what it means to remain faithful. It was also the start of sharing that concept with others. I’ve learned a lot in the process, so much so that the rewrite plan proposes a new title and subtitle.

      The original title with the subtitle was Spiritual Prepper: Tapping into Overlooked Prophecies to Prepare You for Doomsday. Yes, that subtitle was a bit strong, which was the publisher’s idea. The new working title is much different: Spiritual Prepper Disciple-Maker: Tapping into Overlooked Prophecies to Prepare Help You for Doomsday Hear, “Well Done.” I know it needs some work, but you get the idea. The reason for the change comes from the conviction the Lord gave me involving one of the key passages in the book and my Stand Firm messages.

      In Luke 19:11-27, we find the Parable of the Ten Minas. This passage is nearly identical to the more familiar Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. I prefer to preach on the Ten Minas because the phrase “talents” often trips us up. The parable in Luke is also closer to the actual story because it tells of this prince who comes to the place where he will one day rule. He gathers servants and gives them a sum of money (mina), then leaves because they don’t want him to be king. He then returns to be king and calls his servants to give an account. Do you see how this is close to the actual story? Jesus is the prince who came, went away and will come back to rule. The servants represent us, and one day, we will give an account to Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

      As I have focused on teaching and encouraging believers to stand firm, the idea of a “rubric” at the Judgment Seat of Christ has been important to me. What must we do to hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant?” That is important to know.

      When I first released Spiritual Prepper and began Stand Firm Ministries, I traveled to share at many churches. The main message was a call to stand firm so we would hear, “Well done.” The message was and still is important. I wish more people had listened to me before COVID-19 because that’s when the church and the world changed as we knew it, and many turned away.

      In 2015, Barna Research showed that over 42 million people who once professed to be believers had left the church and, often, the faith. We need to stand firm. In my preaching, I would call on congregations to prepare spiritually. When I did, I often preached from Luke 19. But a couple of years into doing that, I was driving through Oklahoma to preach, and I became convicted. Stand firm was not a correct conclusion from the Parable of the Ten Minas. In that parable, only 2 of the 10 servants were told, “Well done.” Seven were sentenced to Hell, and the other one, at the least angered the king if he was not sentenced to Hell, too.

      The third servant took that mina and hid it away in a cloth. He didn’t squander it like the seven “lost” servants did. In terms of living for Christ, he stood firm. He didn’t lose what he had been given. He didn’t shrink back. He stood firm, but just standing firm didn’t impress the king — it angered Him. The king asked the servant why he didn’t at least try to gain interest on the sum of money.

      The master in the Parable of the Talents responded the same way when the third servant went out and buried the sum of money. Again, that servant stood firm.

      In both cases, the king and master of the two parables weren’t impressed with just standing firm.

      Remember, Jesus told those parables and revealed what He was looking for when we give an account to Him. I believe these parables reveal that it’s not enough to stand firm. It’s not enough to just spiritually prepare so you won’t turn away. We also need to be on the offense, making disciples — growing the kingdom.

         — Jake is a state missionary and would love to share about the work in Northwest Arkansas and encourage your church to stand firm. (standfirmministries.com)