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“A prepper mindset is decidedly different from a mass market mentality. It recognizes that the now is not all there is. There is a tomorrow waiting, and we have to plan for it.” (Sam Adams – Proverbs for Preparation)
We who prepare are odd. We care about things that most of our neighbors think foolish. But we do what we do (we store food, move our families out of the city, buy various supplies, etc.) because we hold to a value that our neighbors have ignored. That value is the future. We value tomorrow.
The modern consumer mindset, which has gripped almost all Americans, presses its victims into a mold, a mold of only thinking about the immediate, the now, and the present. Such thinking makes planning and preparing for the future well-nigh impossible. Hence, the foundation upon which a wise preparation strategy must be laid will begin with a refusal to embrace this consumer mindset. We must choose a simple life. We must reject the siren cry to have all the newest and latest. In place of this consumer mind we must cultivate a mindset willing to delay gratification, to say no to present pleasure, and to labor and plan for a better tomorrow.
This Day in Church History
April 11, 92 AD – Martyrdom of Antipas of Pergamum. Antipas was a church leader in Pergamum, a city steeped in idolatry. This city was the official cult center of the region of Asia Minor (now Turkey) for the worship of Augustus Caesar. Jesus calls Pergamum the city “where Satan’s throne is” (Rev. 2:13). Antipas was a faithful witness who refused to participate in the city’s idolatrous practices. For this reason he suffered martyrdom. Some say he was roasted to death, suffocating in a bronze bull. Jesus names Antipas as a faithful witness (Rev. 2:13).
Martyrs, like Antipas, are vivid examples of setting value on Tomorrow. They believe “no man is a fool to give up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.” (Rev. Philip Henry – 1631-1696)
