A Dark Day for America, by HJL

June 26, 2015 will forever be marked as one of the darkest days in its history. On this day, the SCOTUS released a decision on a case that should never have been before the court in the first place. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court violated the Constitution of the United States and created legislation from the bench in declaring that all states must recognize the sexual perversion that they call “gay marriage”. However, this column is not about taking to task the SCOTUS for a decision that will literally tear apart this nation. Nor is this about taking liberal progressives to task for fundamentally changing the fabric of our nation. They have merely done what they told us they were setting out to do.

There are two groups of people who must change their ways in order to stop this insanity.

The Church

The first group, who bears the brunt of the responsibility, is the organized “church”. It’s not the organized religions themselves but the people who makes up the membership of these organizations. These are men who think they are doing the right thing but are not.

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

But who are these people who “work iniquity” (or as some literal translations put it “you who practice lawlessness”)? One needs only read a few verses further in Matthew.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27

Notice that the foolish man didn’t build a bad house; he just didn’t build it upon a solid foundation. That’s exactly what we have done today in our churches. We have built good looking houses, but when the floods have come we have now discovered that those houses are not built upon solid foundations. We have churches that allow open homosexuality as well as other stated sins within not just their congregations but within the leadership of those congregations. Wikipedia: List of Christian denominational positions on homosexuality lists the major denominations and their stance on homosexuality. The list of those denominations that allow this perversion within their ranks should be zero, but it is disturbingly large. The fact that there is any green in the chart at the bottom shows that there are churches that claim to be Christian but that will fall squarely under the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:23. They are workers of iniquity.

The root of this problem is the 1700 years of church doctrine that divorces the New Testament from the Old Testament, falsely claiming that Christ nailed the “law” to the cross. That doctrine is squarely rooted in historical antisemitism. The church’s desire, beginning in the 4th century, has been to be as separate as possible from the Jewish people and led them into the apostasy of declaring separation from the Hebrews and the declaration of replacement theology. This generation will uniquely reap the compounded consequences of that doctrine, and this SCOTUS decision is only the beginning.

“If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.” Dueteronomy 13:1-5

The majority of today’s churches are that false prophet. They preach a gospel different than what Moses taught, even claiming that God’s promises of “everlasting covenant” were not really everlasting. They say God’s “everlasting” covenant only lasted until the New Testament, but that is not what Jesus taught:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19

And again:

“For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” John 5:46-47

So what exactly did Moses teach concerning homosexuality?

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 18:22

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Leviticus 20:13

“There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a Sodomite of the sons of Israel.” Deutoronomy 23:17

Contrary to what many Christians today believe, the New Testament is consistent in the message:

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” Romans 1:26-27

“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, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27

Despite man’s attempt to distance himself from the Law of Moses, the message is clearly transmitted through. Those churches that openly ordain homosexual clergy or leadership will clearly face judgement, but what about those churches who have declared that they will openly allow homosexuals into their congregation just not as leaders and then “love them into submission”? These leaders are clearly deluded and are allowing evil to enter their doors, which results in where we are today.

For the first 30 years of Christianity, after the resurrection of the Messiah, the church was built of Jewish believers. These believers followed Mosaic law and clearly lived by the principles found within. They did not have issues with sexual immorality creeping into their congregation because the very culture deemed it an abomination unto God. However, as the message spread to the Gentile world, believers came from backgrounds other than that of Mosaic law. Most of the Pagan cultures had religions that revolved distinctly around sexually impure practices, and this is what Paul dealt with when he wrote 2/3 of our current New Testament. He did not write about things that people were already doing; he wrote about acute issues that needed to be fixed, and his ministry was to the Gentiles. In Acts 15, the Jerusalem council gives us a clear declaration of what is required of new believers. After repeating the words of Amos– the prophet who affirmed that salvation was for all men, not just Jews– James recognized that no prerequisites were required to be saved. However, then he gave these instructions to the new believers:

“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.” Acts 15:19-21

To the astute reader, it is readily apparent that James is giving the new believer instructions, not on what is required for salvation but on what is required for fellowship. If that same reader has done their homework, they will also readily recognize that these same instructions are what is considered the “core” of Moses teachings: Leviticus 17, 18, and 19. Additionally, the new believer is asked to attend synagogue and learn about Moses.

If a new believer is required to abstain from “fornications”, which includes homosexuality and the so-called gay marriage, for fellowship in the church, then where is our church discipline? New believers cannot continue in their sin and fellowship with the body. If the body does not act with discipline then it does not act with love. Love requires discipline; any good parent that raises children can attest to that.

Conservative Christian Politics

The second group responsible for our circumstance is the conservative Christian who insists our nation was founded on Christian principles and wants to enact laws to enforce what they believe those principles were. This group bears the responsibility for empowering the Federal government to meddle in areas that it has no business being in.

Our founding fathers did not base our nation on Christian principles; they built it upon the principle of tolerance. This blog has long taken a Libertarian stance that Federal involvement in local affairs causes more problems than it solves. The conservative Christian has not yet learned this lesson. As the tide of civilization turns against conservative moral standards, the Christian has a tendency to get fired up and demand legislation that enforces his moral code. He has not yet learned that the simple act of passing legislation does nothing to stem the moral decay, yet it does give the government a purchase in the issue. When the tide has turned sufficiently, the progressive simply takes the legislative toehold, given to him by the Christian, and uses it to set his own moral (or immoral) legislation.

Had the Federal government never passed DOMA, I seriously doubt that the issue of gay marriage would be before SCOTUS today. Even before that, if the individual states had not tried to regulate marriage how would any government have the ability to legislate against it? If marriage is a Biblically-defined covenant relationship between one man, one woman, and God, then how is it that the state has any say in marriage at all? Sure there is a contractual obligation of property sharing and even one of inheritance, but we also have standard contractual agreements that deal with those issues outside of the marital status. Why do we have to have a marriage license from the state?

I have two documents stating that I am married– one from the state and one from the church. For all intents and purposes, the churches document is meaningless. Why isn’t the marriage document from the church defining my marriage and the document from the state simply defining the status of my property and inheritance?

These problems will continue as long as we empower the government entities to get involved in our private, personal, family business. We really can’t complain when the government is simply using the very door that we opened for them to bludgeon us over the head. We shouldn’t have opened the door in the first place!

How Do We Fix It?

One thing is clear at this point: the problem cannot be fixed by more legislation. I believe that the issue has gone so far that the legislation that has passed will not be undone by the political process alone. I have zero faith in any elected official at this time, but that doesn’t mean the problem can’t be fixed or reversed.

  1. Start with yourself.

    Quit playing games with your faith. You can’t very well complain that our leaders are lying, when you yourself are lying even if it is to yourself. Getting serious about your faith means living by the commandments of God.

    “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15

    “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” 1 John 2:4

  2. Then move to your family.

    The family is the core structure of civilization. Enough with the broken homes and the parentless children. If you don’t have your family, you are living a lie. Yes, we have all made mistakes. We have all made a mess of it. God excels at restoration. When you have your life straight with God, then get your family right with God. Quit fighting the worldly battles of feminism and freedom. Embrace the roles that God ordained for each of us. Men, get up and provide for and protect your family. Lead your family in faith! Women, quit fighting your man for supremacy in the home and be his #1 cheerleader. Children, stop with the disrespect. Honor your father and mother. Each of us must learn what God intended for us in our positions in the family. Each position is equally valuable, but they are not the same. Each must fulfill their role for the machine called a family to function properly and to produce good fruit with harmony, peace, love, and so forth.

    “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” 1 Timothy 5:8

  3. Stand for what is right.

    What does it matter what the SCOTUS ruled? Who are you truly afraid of, God or man? If the SCOTUS gave us an immoral, unjust ruling, then we have an obligation to ignore it. The SCOTUS itself recognizes that an unjust ruling is no ruling at all. Know what is the proper ethical position on anything that affects you or your family, and make sure that your own morals line up that those ethics.

    “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” – Revelation 18:4

  4. Get your finances in order.

    We are living a lie right now. Our entire nation is fueled by unsustainable debt from the top echelon down to the lowliest person. The amount of debt the average person carries is unbelievable. Get out of debt! If that means you have to quit pretending to be middle class, then just do it. When you are in debt, you are another man’s slave, even if it is over your house or car. The American dream is over, and I’m not sure it ever really existed at all. The illusion of home ownership, two cars in the driveway, the 100” flatscreen TV with the latest smartphone is killing us.

    Understand that you may be persecuted for standing up for what is right, and the primary way that persecution will come is by threatening to take away your “stuff” and your money. What you “owe” on will be the easiest to capture. Understand that while the Bible does not forbid debt, it never shows provision through financial debt.

    “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” – Proverbs 22:7

  5. Churches, get your act in order!

    The Gospel that the Messiah taught is the same message that Moses taught and the same message that the apostles and Paul taught. Quit trying to be popular and easy. Teach the commandments of God, including the messages of repentance, redemption, salvation, restoration, obedience, and discipline, not just the message of easy and abundant grace. Teach your members to be strong in the Lord and to stand in their faith! Stick to what the Bible teaches rather than what man thinks.

    “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” – Matthew 15:9

    “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Mark 7:7

This mess can be turned around, but it will only start from the bottom up. We must fundamentally change ourselves first. We cannot just point the finger and blame someone else. In the end, we are all accountable for our own actions before God. When we stand before the judgment seat of God, we will not be standing as a nation, state, community, church or even as a family. We will be facing judgment for our own actions with no one to take responsibility except ourselves. A friend of mine once told me, “Don’t tell me what god you serve. Show me what commandments you follow, and I’ll know what god you serve!” I will not comply with any SCOTUS ruling that is contrary to God’s word! I serve the one, living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will obey His commands! Who is your god?

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Revelation 22:14-15

Letter Re: SCOTUS on Marriage

Washington Post Sees ‘Sign from the Heavens’ in Double Rainbow Above White House… from Last Week

So, a rainbow over the White House on Marriage Profanation Day.

Here’s the really interesting thing:

The reason we have a connection between rainbows and God is because a rainbow was part of the story of Noah, when the world, awash in degeneracy and evil, was destroyed by God, and his people were preserved. I’ve read that the Jews consider sodomy as the last straw, the final sin among the Antediluvian world that triggered the flood.

So, perhaps, instead of a sign of God’s blessing on sodomite marriage, as the liberals suggest, it is actually a reminder of the days of Noah and how THAT turned out for them, eh? For us who follow Jesus, it is a reminder of the families in the ark, protected by the Providence of God through the most terrible storm in human history.

Trust God. Be Prepared. It’s time. – ShepherdFarmerGeek

Notes for Friday – June 26, 2015

June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what JWR calls the Even Greater Generation.

o o o

It’s the last days… Safe Castle’s Road Warrior Bounty Sale, with up to 41% Mountain House food discounts with lots of extras is coming to a close. You have until June 30th to take advantage of these great deals.

o o o

Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Most Important Preps Of Your Life – Part 2, by J.M.

Motivation

Staying motivated can be tough. What worked for me was finding that thing that can keep me going indefinitely. For me, that’s my wife and kids. Everything I do is for them– my fitness level, my prepping, my everyday activities…..everything! Every time I don’t want to go to the gym, I think about them. Every time I stock some ammo or food away, I think of them. I do it for their safety and health as well. I am not the most fit person in the world, nor am I the most prepared, but I give it my all for them. See where I’m going with this? Find that thing or someone or someones that keeps you going no matter what. Then just keep at it.

Don’t let yourself get complacent. There was a saying that was spray painted on a wall on our base in Iraq; the sign’s message was “Complacency Kills”. It was right. Complacency can and will get you killed, whether it be from letting your body go to just not paying attention to the warning signs, which can come in many forms in our lives. These signs can be everything from high cholesterol to that wire partially buried road side. Ignoring them is dangerous.

Effect On Others

When you’re more physically capable to take care of yourself, there is more of you left over to care for your family or friends. You are able to pick up your kids and run longer. You can hike further with more gear with fewer stops. You can build a camp or shelter quicker. You can fight longer, and you can search longer in the rubble after a tornado. You can also carry an extra bag or two of that sweet and hot jerky that you crave in your bag. If you find it in yourself to improve your health and eating habits, you may find that it can be contagious. Then, family and friends will see you looking and feeling better and will want the same for themselves. Maybe they will then join you in your workout routine or in something as simple as just eating better or smaller portions.

Injury, Health, and Age

I know many people have injuries, health, and age considerations to think about. There are a lot of conditions that can keep us from being physically fit or able. I see a lot of them in my current field. People have to deal with bad knees and problems with their back, feet, and so on. Many have heart issues– CHF, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, and so forth. Others deal with lung issues, like asthma. I could go on all day and not cover all of that many health issues that could keep you from making the hike to your bug out location. However, I am in no way telling you that you should give up hope; there are still some things you can do to increase your time in a TEOTWAWKI situation. Do you take meds? Keep some of those, at least a month’s worth, on hand. Have a network of fellow preppers who know your situation and can help you get out if need be or who can get supplies and meds to you. Do you have a need for certain medical supplies beyond meds? Keep those on hand. Also for those who know people that suffer from a health condition, get with them and see what they need. Maybe keep some of what they need on hand at your place in case their stash becomes stolen, destroyed, lost, or depleted. It could be your loved ones that need you to look after them.

Do you have any ailments that can be taken care of or improved? Got a cavity that you have been putting off? Imagine a time when there is no dentist to take care of it as it worsens. Need glasses or corrective work done? It sure would be hard to shoot well if you can’t see. These are just a couple of examples of things that could make a survival situation tough if not impossible. If you have the means of taking care of them, do so while you can or it is at least easier.

Mind

The mind is a powerful thing. If you do not keep yourself calm in hairy situations you can find yourself dead quick. However, the mind can be trained and filled with knowledge to keep you going in a WROL situation. Knowledge and training weighs nothing and goes everywhere with you. Fill your head with a wide array of knowledge. Get training or read up on first aid and trauma care. Learn foraging skills by taking a class or reading. Learn tracking and trapping skills. If you have the means to do so, take classes from experts of the various subject matters that interest you. YouTube is great, but there are a lot of people that pass on bad advice or outdated information. Regardless of your subject of interest, keep learning and progressing your knowledge base.

With that being said, keep up on your reading and training. There is a saying that I learned in the Marines: “If you don’t use it, you lose it”. It means that you will find things hard or impossible to recall later on especially under stress. It applies if you, for example, only trained with a tourniquet once years ago. It also applies if you practiced doing tactical and speed reloads with your rifle only a couple of times. Your fine motor skills go out the window when you are in the fight for your life. You will be relying on muscle memory. You need to practice any life-saving skills until you have that muscle memory. If at all possible, practice them in stress-induced situations. Those that have gone through the military can back that up. There is a reason your drill instructor was in your face screaming at the top of his lungs while you did a variety of tasks and drills. He was building that stress up to get you used to it. I’m not saying grab your wife and have her scream and throw socks at you while you fold the laundry, but maybe before you do a mag change drill you do some pushups and pull ups to simulate the increased heart rate and exhaustion. Or when you are practicing doing some medical skills, have your buddy dump your med kit out in your work space while he times you and your patient is flailing acting up their injury. If you have a good friend or group that you prepare with, you could always go the boot camp way of doing things at home. There are many ways to induce physical and mental stress upon the human body. How ever you do it, do it in a safe way.

Not only will you have more tools in your mental toolbox, but your confidence in high stress situations will improve. You have to have confidence in what you are doing. Otherwise, you will freeze or second guess your decisions, which could possibly get you or your loved ones hurt. Should someone take a round to their leg, you need to know how to take care of it immediately without hesitation. Or if your weapon has a stove pipe, you need to know how to remedy it. Like I stated earlier, learn it and keep remediating that skill.

Scenario

Imagine that your wife, your two kids, and you are going through your morning routine. You’re eating breakfast while the kids are watching their morning cartoons. You say to tell them, “Turn the TV off so we can go outside and play in the yard.” They put their dishes in the sink and get their shoes on. You head outside as your wife gives you a kiss and goes to finish up her nursing homework. As you reach the trampoline in the backyard, you think to yourself “I forgot to weed eat around this dang thing.” Your kids are laughing and wrestling. You then feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The neighbor’s plug-in electric lawn mower stops. The cars on the busy street a block away all stall. The traffic lights stop working. Your wife comes out and says the power went out and her phone isn’t working. You soon realize that the world as you knew it has changed.

Let’s fast forward two weeks. Things have been okay since you had prepared food and water over the last several years. Unfortunately, not everyone has done the same. Stores are empty and people are getting desperate. They are hungry and don’t know that they could be having a nice meal on the dandelions in the backyard. So, they go looking; they’re looking for people who have food. You have food, and they want it. You hear someone yell from outside, “I heard you were a prepared person.” Soon a crowd of armed, angry, hungry, and desperate people amass on your front lawn.

Do you have the confidence in yourself and your training to combat the threats should they not leave? If you have to fight someone hand to hand do you have the strength? If you take a round to the arm can you keep your calm and bandage it with proper technique? Do you have the stamina left to run with your kids out the back door with a pack on? Could you take it upon yourself to answer “yes” to all of these questions, truthfully? Your family depends on you!

Final Thoughts

The fear of death can do some amazing things for you and to you. It can make you fight harder than you ever have, but it can also cripple you and leave you weak and defenseless, scared, and crippled. Prepare yourself for the benefit of you and your family.

We all check our BOBs as the seasons change. We rotate our food stores to keep it fresh, and we clean and maintain our firearms. Yet, we do not all improve our health and knowledge base. It’s not easy, I know. It takes time, but we all know the benefits of doing so. I have three pistols that I can replace totally or parts as needed. However, I only have one body and one life. For my family, I am going to give it the best shot I can.

Two Letters Re: Ham Radio Conspiracy?

Hugh,

Your post was a very good assessment of amateur radio (AR) as it is today. I am 60 years old and have wanted to get my Amateur radio license since I was 10 years old. However, with what I now know was an Attention Deficit Disorder mind, I didn’t have the patience to learn the code. My grandfather (a Radio Operator on a “Tramp Steamer” in 1921) encouraged me to get my ticket, but…. (fast forward to 2002) I was a big CB op back in the middle to late 70’s and gave it up when the airways became what the Internet is now. In 2002 I was traveling a lot and wanted to get my old CB gear back out and installed. I found that the airwaves were even worse. I got interested in AR again and went to a local “Hamfest”. Within a couple of months, I had my Tech license, and within three more I was an Extra. I have enjoyed it since.

The “magic” of Ham radio is not there for most people. The idea of making contact with someone halfway around the world without wires does not hold the fascination it once did. Now kids say, “I have a cell phone, email, skype, etc. I don’t need all that gear to communicate.” No, you don’t, but you don’t realize how much “gear” that you don’t see or have to maintain for you to be able to do that. I am self contained, and I can communicate most anywhere if I need to. I’m not reliant on cell towers, land lines, servers, and other things to get my voice/text/email through, but they won’t know that until it goes down.

I will say something about “EMCOMS”, our little county in Texas was the beneficiary of DHS grants, and I built an EOC radio room with some really nice equipment. We even got three of everything. However, it is not what it was just ten years ago. If you want to be involved with an EOC for a governmental organization, you have to take HOURS and HOURS of training now. They won’t even talk to you if you don’t have all the ICS courses. Then there is the radio work itself; it’s all gone digital, so if you don’t have the latest gizmos (including a $1000 modem), you won’t even be able to communicate. It’s all done by “Airmail” now.

I gave up and walked away. I will communicate with whoever I can hear when the time comes.

As for the Amateur Radio Operators “Policing our own”, yeah, that’s true, however without the authority of the FCC to prosecute offenders, it’s worthless. Also the FCC is getting worse at persecuting the worst of them. You would be VERY lucky to have them issue a “Notice of Apparent Liability” within 4 to 6 years of the complaint being filed. This is the same FCC that wanted to close 26 field offices, leaving only FOUR for the entire U.S.

I look on AR as a communication tool and a hobby, I think it has lost it’s “service” aspect. – W.A.

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Hugh,

Someone told me that any Ham, who joins the MARS program, can be “called up” by the branch of service he/she is associated with through MARS. This was described to me as similar to being in the ready reserves.

Comments? – RDG

HJL Responds: I have no direct experience with MARS, but looking at their websites it is apparent that it is very similar to ARES/RACES with the exception that rather than FEMA/DHS, you are working directly with the military. I noted that there are separate programs for the Army, Air Force and Navy and that there seems to be very little cross-over between them. Wikipedia notes that the Navy MARS service will be terminated September 30, 2015 though. Unlike ARES/RACES, the MARS programs utilize their own set of frequencies that are outside of the Amateur Radio bands. There is considerable archived discussion on the Internet about using modified radio equipment that is not type accepted by the FCC (meaning it hasn’t been officially approved for this specific use) in these frequencies. One of the concerns raised was that if Hams were not allowed to modify their own radios to participate and instead had to purchase type accepted commercial equipment, many would just quit, reducing the ranks of the volunteers.

This leads me to believe that like any volunteer organization, retention of membership can be a problem. I assume, in an emergency, the military reserves the right to call the members up for active duty as radio operators, but in an all volunteer force, it isn’t a likely situation. Unfortunately, I do not have any contacts who are part of the MARS program so we’ll hope that there are some SurvivalBlog Readers that can answer that.

Economics and Investing:

The Mystery Of The “Missing” Inflation Solved: Record Number Of US Renters Can’t Afford Housing. – H.L.

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When Will US Debt Hit the Wall?

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Items from Mr. Econocobas:

Forget Grexit, “Madame Frexit” Says France Is Next: French Presidential Frontrunner Wants Out Of “Failed” Euro

The Economy’s All Fixed—–Only 70 Million Adults Teetering On The Edge Of Ruin

Chart Of The Day: Greece’s Money Goes Under The Mattress

Credit Market Warning- Chris Martenson

Odds ‘n Sods:

U.S. Power Grid Being Hit With ‘Increasing’ Hacking Attacks, Government Warns . – G.G.

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Uber’s Anti-Gun Policy Is Working Out Really Well For Armed Robbers. – D.S.

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SurvivalBlog reader B.L. suggests that this might be a good time to set up an Australian redoubt: Australia is selling a ranch the size of New Jersey

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Cliven Bundy will be held accountable, Interior secretary says. – B.B.

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The OPM Infobomb Explodes. – JFJ

Hugh’s Quote of the Day:

“The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.” – John F. Kennedy

Notes for Thursday – June 25, 2015

On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand–marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer and his men outraged many white Americans and confirmed their image of the Indians as wild and bloodthirsty. Meanwhile, the U.S. government increased its efforts to subdue the tribes. Within five years, almost all of the Sioux and Cheyenne would be confined to reservations.

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Today, we present another entry for Round 59 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The $12,000+ worth of prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,195 value),
  2. A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795,
  3. DRD Tactical is providing a 5.56 NATO QD Billet upper with a hammer forged, chromlined barrel and a hard case to go with your own AR lower. It will allow any standard AR type rifle to have quick change barrel, which can be assembled in less than one minute without the use of any tools, and a compact carry capability in a hard case or 3-day pack (an $1,100 value),
  4. Gun Mag Warehouse is providing 20 Magpul pmags 30rd Magazines (a value of $300) and a Gun Mag Warehouse T-Shirt. (An equivalent prize will be awarded for residents in states with magazine restrictions.),
  5. Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  6. A pre-selected assortment of military surplus gear from CJL Enterprize (a $300 value),
  7. A Model 120 Series Solar Generator provided by Quantum Harvest LLC (a $340 value),
  8. A $300 gift certificate from Freeze Dry Guy,
  9. A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo,
  10. KellyKettleUSA.com is donating both an AquaBrick water filtration kit and a Stainless Medium Scout Kelly Kettle Complete Kit with a combined retail value of $304,
  11. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $300 gift certificate, and
  12. Two cases of meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Second Prize:

  1. A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training, which have a combined retail value of $589,
  2. A FloJak EarthStraw “Code Red” 100-foot well pump system (a $500 value), courtesy of FloJak.com,
  3. The Ark Institute is donating a non-GMO, non-hybrid vegetable seed package–enough for two families of four, seed storage materials, a CD-ROM of Geri Guidetti’s book “Build Your Ark! How to Prepare for Self Reliance in Uncertain Times”, and two bottles of Potassium Iodate– a $325 retail value,
  4. A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials,
  5. Twenty Five books, of the winners choice, of any books published by PrepperPress.com (a $270 value),
  6. TexasgiBrass.com is providing a $150 gift certificate, and
  7. RepackBox is providing a $300 gift certificate to their site.

Third Prize:

  1. A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21 (a $275 value),
  2. A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard, and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206,
  3. Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy (a $185 retail value),
  4. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC,
  5. Mayflower Trading is donating a $200 gift certificate for homesteading appliances,
  6. APEX Gun Parts is donating a $250 purchase credit,
  7. Montie Gear is donating a Precision Rest (a $249 value), and
  8. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).

Round 59 ends on July 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Most Important Preps Of Your Life – Part 1, by J.M.

Many have threads, blogs, magazines and even books on the single most important prep that people have to stockpile. Some of the common phrases you may hear include “you need three of this” and “make sure this is in your bag”. Whether it be weapons, tactical gear, water filters, can openers, or any number of other items, all of these things are nice to have in multiples of each. Like the old saying goes “one is none and two is one”, but there is something that most people forget when it comes to their preps. It’s something that a lot of us have the ability to control and improve, and it can give you and your family a fighting chance in TEOTWAWKI or a SHTF situation. I’m referring to your body, your health, and your mind!

How Do I Know This?

First, let me share a little about me with some quick highlights. I am a Marine Corps combat veteran Infantry Sgt., trained in tracking and personal security, and I am a combat lifesaver with three tours under my belt in a PSD (Personal Security Detail). I have been to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. We were tasked with the security of the Battalion Commander and Battalion Sgt Major as well as other big wigs, like former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and numerous generals as we traveled our battlespace doing large scale operations, training the locals, and doing meetings with local leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan. I left the Marines and did personal security for a former CEO of a major cellular company. I now am an EMT firefighter in a major city in the Midwest. So why does all of this matter? How does it make me knowledgeable enough to speak on the body and mind in SHTF? I have seen what happens when “it” hits the fan. I have seen what happens to people when an IED goes off and then the gunfire starts and the RPGs fly. I have seen the importance of being in the best shape you can be to carry that tactical gear everyone has. I know the importance of training your mind as well. I have trained Marines and security personnel in areas to help them live longer by fighting harder. My hope is to maybe inspire people to prep their body and mind. The following is not for everyone and should be used on a case by case basis, depending on each individual’s ability, health, and fitness levels. Always talk with your doctor before starting any fitness training.

Your Body

Your body and the condition it’s in, physically and mentally, is going to determine how long you can make it in a TEOTWAWKI scenario……….period! Your body IS the most important prep, not sweet n hot beef jerky, although that is mighty tasty stuff. If we have a hard time walking to the corner store without being short of breath, how are we going to run, maneuver, or just hike with your plate carrier, chest rig, battle belt, weapon systems, pack, ammo, and other gear? Most of us have this gear. Have you tried walking in it in your house or yard? Have for you walked in this gear for a mile, three miles, et cetera? It is nice to have, but if you can’t move in it what’s the use in having it. Should something large scale, especially a nationwide situation, happen, the supply chain could very well be shut down. There would be no more super markets open or stocked where you could go to get your groceries. You could find yourself going on long expeditions to find food and foraging. So how do we improve our ability to move in all that gear, let alone just our bug out bag?

You start slowly, especially if you have not been doing much physical activity as of late. Start off with walking your neighborhood or on a treadmill. Then start throwing in some full body weight training. The key again is slowly getting into it to lessen the chance of injury and setting you back further. Once you have been doing the both of them for some time and your body is getting used to it. Move up to walking with your full combat load out, if you have an area that you can do so without drawing too much attention. The next step is to start getting formal training through places like Gunsite Academy, Tactical Response, or onPoint Tactical. As with any skill, seek to improve it. Continue to improve your fitness level at your body’s pace. Even if you just plan on wearing a pack and rifle or just the clothes on your back, increase your body’s cardio ability and strength output regardless. It will make it that much easier when that threat presents itself.

Food and Drink

I love the sweets and sodas as much as the next person, but I’m sure we all heard the saying “stockpile what you eat, and eat what you stockpile.” The main purpose behind that is so that during stressful times there is not a shock to your system. You don’t want your body left wondering where the six Dr. Pepper a day habit you had went. I cut out pop a long time ago to increase my overall health from the amount of sugar and of course to curb the habit. I almost always drink just water. We all can stand to improve the quality of food intake. So, should there be TEOTWAWKI, we can all probably agree that we will go through our entire food stores, right? At some point we are going to run out or lose it one way or another, whether that be from using it, damage, spoilage, theft, et cetera. I know I personally do not have a lifetime supply of supplies. So what does that mean? Well, it means that we will have to resort back to eating single ingredient foods– foods that we get from our environment and our surroundings. These include leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, animal protein, and so on. So the closer to that we can be to that today with our diets and our storage, the better off we will be should that time come.

Something that can also fit into the food and drink category is alcohol, tobacco, or any other bad habits. I know everyone knows the downside of alcohol and tobacco, so I am not going to beat this dead horse too much. However, have you thought about how tough it would be if your supply ran out and you were thrusted into a SHTF situation? We all know how tough it can be to break these habits because of the addiction and the effects on the body. It is not something I would want to go through in a world with limited resources. Another given is the amount of money that can be saved that could, in turn, be used on other critical preps.

Gear Considerations For a Healthy Body

  • Weight is first among other things to think about when it comes to your bug out gear or tactical gear. Remember when you are packing your bug out bag or loading up your tactical gear “ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain.” When you are packing, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” Remember that a bug out bag is to get you from point A to point B. It’s not to sustain you indefinitely. Also, think about when wondering if for your main battle rifle you should go .223 or .308, part of the reason the 5.56/.223 was adopted was that you could carry more rounds with less weight. With that being said, you can increase your weight-carrying capacity by increasing your physical fitness.
  • Balance is another gear consideration. For example, if you do plan on having a full on tactical load out, why have every mag you own on your chest? Spread it out to a pack on your back and to a battle belt. Why kill your back being forced forward from the ten or twelve full 30’s in your rig? Lower the center of gravity of your setup with a battle belt. Or even if you plan on just having a bug out pack, use the cummerbund, if it has one. It is there to place some of the weight on your hips and make the hike more comfortable. Maybe consider upgrading to a pack that has one, if yours currently does not, especially if you find yourself being a pack rat.
  • Footwear is a BIG one to think about. You have to take care of your feet or you will get nowhere. If you plan on having a set of footwear that is only in case of a bug out situation, break them in. There is nothing worse than major blisters on your feet from shoes that are not broken in or don’t fit properly. For the ladies out there that wear heels to work, be sure you have that back up pair of footwear in your pack. Also when choosing your shoes or boots, choose them based on your environment and time of year. Running shoes may not be the best form of footwear during a Midwest winter, for example.

Letter: Ham Radio conspiracy?

Hugh,

I am not sure if this guys tinfoil hat is on tight enough. I have been a Ham operator and ARES member for five years and never knew I was taken over by DHS or worked for them. – Mike

HJL Responds: This is a subject that has been circulating on the Internet for several months now, and it’s probably time to address it. The problem stems mostly from the DHS and FEMA surrounding the circumstances on 9/11. In the 1970’s, Amateur Radio had reached its peak and had begun the long slow slide to oblivion. While the service provided wonderful opportunities for learning about radio propagation and experimentation with technology, the world itself was starting to become more accepting of this same technology. By the 1990s the personal computer, cell phones, person digital assistants, and gaming platforms were finding acceptance in the average homes. By the 2000s, all of the platforms had merged into the ubiquitous smartphone and the cellular networks had been built out sufficiently that you pretty much had communication capabilities anywhere you wanted within the civilized world.

While the ranks of Ham radio operators began to shrink, organizations like the ARRL began to lobby the FCC for changes to the licensing structure that would make it easier to attain a license. For the FCC, it’s really a numbers game. As its overall numbers shrank, the usage of the frequencies allotted to the Hams lessened, and they were in danger of losing their frequencies to the ever more bandwidth hungry commercial concerns. It doesn’t help that the FCC figured out how to sell the bandwidth at auction, generating revenue in the process. As the licensing restrictions were lessened, the ranks again began to grow, but the unfortunate side affect is that the overall technical knowledge of the ranks of Ham radio operators has been decreasing. It used to be common and desirable to build your own equipment. Indeed, it was often a point of pride that you operated with home-built equipment, no matter how crude or primitive it was. Now, most operators purchase their equipment from established manufacturers.

Where Amateur Radio really shines is during emergencies. As well as the established communications infrastructure works, its one drawback is that it “trunks” the communications in an effort to save resources. This simply means that the paths of communication between locations, like cities, will be fewer than the number of end points in either city. It is unlikely that everyone will pick up their telephone all at once to make a call, so the system works most of the time. Unfortunately, when a crises strikes, that is exactly what happens. All public communications systems are easily overwhelmed at even minor crises. Ham radio, on the other hand, tends to shine at these times. All traffic has to flow through a licensed operator and each operator is capable of making on-the-fly decisions on message priority, connection, and destination. It’s not normally efficient because it’s heavy on the man-power, but in a crises, it performs far better than any trunked and computerized system. The ARRL has always understood this and has pushed this capability as one of the recruiting ideas and as reasons to not loose spectrum to the FCC.

Prior to 9/11, each Ham or club had to come up with their own equipment to participate in this system, and it was mostly haphazard. Post 9/11, FEMA, and later, DHS turned on the money faucet through grants and allowed clubs to obtain funding for major equipment purchases as long as the purpose was for emergency communications (usually connected with ARES or RACES or perhaps just a club that had MOUs with the local government). This has generally benefited all of the parties involved.

  1. The government is going to spend the money anyway, and the local population can direct it far better than the Federal level.
  2. The local government gets a qualified, experienced, backup communications capability for very little expenditure on their part.
  3. The local club gets recognition as a public service and a boost to their membership recruitment as well as good equipment.
  4. The individual Hams get guidance and training in critical communications skills (which also often includes access to the equipment).
  5. Amateur Radio keeps its membership up and retains its frequency allotment.
  6. The FCC sees Hams as relevant rather than a bunch of has-beens.
  7. The ARRL gets to keep its “800lb Gorilla-on-the-block” status as they act as the intermediary between all the parties, thus keeping their membership up as well.

There are some draw backs to how the system works, but it may just be the way the world is going. Rather than developers of technology, Hams are now becoming more users of technology. The majority of Hams will never use more than the walkie-talkie they use for their local club and the simulated disaster communications. There are other issues as well. Both government and commercial entities have been caught trying to use the Ham bands by getting their employees to obtain licenses. On the flip side, the number of licensees are at an all time high now, and the sheer numbers of people seem to have an effect all its own. The last numbers I heard were that there were more Hams using Morse code now than ever before, even though there is no code requirement.

But what about this claim of FEMA/DHS taking over of Amateur Radio? I don’t think that is very likely. Hams have always been very good at policing their own ranks for inappropriate behavior. Unlike the CB bands, which became unusable in the early 80s, Amateur Radio has been more of a gentleman’s service. That’s not to say you don’t deal with egos or rude people, but there are far fewer of them, and the members tend to work with the FCC to root out the bad apples. Does that mean they are in DHS’ pocket? I seriously doubt that. While most may not ever use the traditional HF bands like Hams of bygone ages, they are still pretty savvy and independent. They have a desire to help their community, and if they can use their hobby and interest to do so, why not. Besides, while the money flows freely from FEMA/DHS, the decisions are still firmly made between the local club and the local government. Would you say that all volunteer firemen or EMTs are in the pocket of FEMA/DHS? The last few years have really just seen the interests of FEMA/DHS and Amateur Radio line up rather nicely, but when their interest diverge, the relationship will as well.