SurvivalBlog.com

Yesterday, in Part 1, I talked about making choices, being informed, and how to deal with the “best case”. Now, let’s look at the worst case.

Worst Case

So there’s the best case– a wholesale economic collapse, which has, actually, already begun. On the other hand, I think the worst case scenario would be some combination of:

• World economic collapse driven by people who want to cripple the United States so its Constitution and sovereignty can be overthrown, PLUS
• A human-engineered, actually-deadly viral pandemic and mandatory mass vaccination with actually-dangerous ingredients (thimerosol preservative and squalene adjuvant come to mind), resulting in (and even possibly with the malicious intention of) sickening people who will then be more dependent on pharmaceuticals, as well as significantly reducing the population of the U.S. and the world, PLUS
• Global political movements to give greater power to the various family dynasties and conspiratorial groups in preparation for a one-world government ruled by the Antichrist, PLUS
• A worldwide food crisis driven by a combination of droughts, weather changes, new plant and animal diseases, human incompetence, and greed (including the indiscriminate use of dangerous, genetically-modified plants and animals), PLUS
• Natural disasters (i.e., massive earthquakes) and terrorist disasters (nuclear attack on a half-dozen cities) as prophesied by reputable Christian leaders for years, leading to anarchy and further social breakdown, PLUS
• Invasion by foreign troops from China and Russia (possibly including United Nations forces), with other allies, under the guise of “humanitarian disaster support” BUT with the result that large areas of the country are essentially under foreign influence and control; (This is a real possibility, and arguments to the contrary are simply unconvincing), PLUS
• A large backlash (already well underway in liberal circles) against Christians, set up as scapegoats for many of our country’s social and foreign problems, to the point of marginalization and outright persecution, PLUS
• A national push to disarm all private citizens of all but essential work-related firearms (ranchers and farmers), resulting in many acts of civil disobedience and a government unafraid of citizen resistance (a la Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, et cetera), enforced with advanced weapons that most citizens have no idea even exist.

Personally, I believe that every one of these scenarios is possible, and several of them are likely! The good news is that preparing for the best-case scenario (economic collapse) would go a long way toward being prepared for most of these other scenarios, too! In this list, I didn’t even include the massive danger of an EMP attack, Peak Oil (or oil supply shenanigans like we’re seeing now!), Muslim terrorists (overseas and tens of thousands of jihadis already in the U.S. with more to come), or 1,700 years of growing Biblical apostasy, which began around AD 300, coming to a climax in widespread submission to the Antichrist.

Whew! Who knows, really knows, what your future holds? Only God. God knows; He will not be taken by surprise. He has anticipated EVERYTHING. He has a plan. He will not fail.

Sadly, many Christians in the United States have been lied to and taught false doctrine by well-meaning pastors and teachers who would have us believe nothing “truly bad” can happen in our country or to godly Christians. The prosperity doctrine (and Dominion Theology), the pre-Trib Rapture, and the overemphasis on the “power of prayer” have misled many into making zero preparations. The church in the United States is flat-out ignorant of church history and unprepared for the difficult times ahead. It is a tragedy.

Much is at stake. It’s TIME to be serious and focused…now.

What About The Value Of Suffering?

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’. Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’. Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But, Conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’. And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that it is right.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“There is no safety for honest men but by believing all possible evil of evil men.” – Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, 1790

“If God sends us on stony paths, he provides strong shoes.” – Corrie ten Boom

If you’re convinced that God uses suffering and we therefore shouldn’t avoid suffering, then why do you drive with your seatbelt on? Or eat a balanced diet? Or pay for insurance on your home? If suffering is so “useful”, then why don’t we just become monks and nuns and deny our human impulses, flagellate ourselves daily, and sleep in wooden coffins, like some ascetics have? Why not have some good old-fashioned homemade suffering?

Okay, that’s an extreme, but sincere Christians have chosen that very path over the centuries! I prefer to believe that if God brings inescapable suffering, then we should bear it as a follower of Jesus would. However, for all that the Bible has to say about the inevitability of death and persecution for following Jesus (if I give you all the Bible verses regarding this isn’t going to be a letter, it’s going to be a book!), it is also true that:

1. Death is still an enemy to be avoided, if avoiding death can be done without disobeying or dishonoring Jesus. Follow Jesus, and if doing so gets you killed, so be it.
2. Jesus made it clear, and Paul gives an example, however, that persecuted Christians may flee.
3. The Bible requires that God’s people seek, value, and practice wisdom, and wisdom is specifically DEFINED as foreseeing trouble and avoiding it. (Proverbs 22:3)
4. God is not honored by our untimely, avoidable deaths. There is nothing “good” about dying pointlessly.
5. God requires us to defend the innocent and even our innocent selves.

Urgency Or Fearfulness?

Please don’t judge another’s preparations; the perception of risk varies from person to person based on upbringing, education, experience, personal maturity, family situation, and Christian maturity. They may know something you don’t. They may have had a terrible experience in the past with something and that experience is coloring their perceptions and motivations. The fact is that we’re ALL broken, ignorant, needy, wounded, vulnerable, and fallen to one degree or another. Your preparations aren’t perfect either.

“To disobey what I think God is telling me is to disobey God. There is nothing more a man can do at any given moment than say yes to God as he hears Him. It is God Himself who gently steers our boats, and corrects their course, but only as we’re moving toward Him. … The question is this: when push comes to shove, do I go with Christian peer pressure or with God’s Word as I see it?” – Andrée Seu

We must cut other Christians some slack! They aren’t responsible to us but to God. What’s appropriate? What’s not? All we can do is love them, share with them, pray for them, encourage them, and trust them to God. Some will make modest preparations; others may go whole-hog. Who are you to say God hasn’t told them what to do or can’t use their “extra” preparedness to help those too foolish to make any?

But, how do we know if a Christian is being consumed by fear while making preparations for this crisis? What are some indicators?

• Neglecting basic preparations (food, water, shelter, medicines) while overemphasizing others,
• Evidence of worry and obsession, lack of balance, anger, and agitation,
• Unable to clearly and calmly document or explain their concerns,
• Freezing up and doing nothing or little, paralyzed with indecision,
• Unable to worship or rest, drifting from God, or
• Unable to carry on and enjoy at least some of the basic activities of life.

For example, if we were living in pre-World War II Poland and German troops were massing on the border just 50 miles from our town, we would be working hard to be prepared for defense or escape! It would be urgent, and it would pretty much be the focus of our day, even as we went about doing the essential things of family and job. I believe we are at that point in the U.S. now.

Does that mean we’re “fearful”? No, of course not!

We might be fearful, but we might just be focused on a pressing problem that must be addressed immediately. There’s nothing wrong with working quickly! Watch a paramedic at the next traffic accident you drive by and you’ll appreciate that.

There is a problem if we’re worrying, fearing, and failing to trust God with the whole situation and to guide us. Stop occasionally and reflect about how you’re going about your preparations. Is it urgency or is it fearfulness that motivates you?

Where Do We Start?

Fortunately, the book of Proverbs clearly spells out what we should do:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Prov. 3:5-6

“A prudent person (“wise person”) foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton (“fool”) goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” – Proverbs 22:3

Wisdom is DEFINED as foreseeing trouble and avoiding it. That is wisdom! Even if God does use suffering and persecution to refine and teach his children, we still should avoid it when we can!

However, if you see trouble on the horizon and you don’t do anything appropriate to avoid it, then according to the Bible you’re a fool. (I didn’t say that! God did!)

By very definition, the “fool” does nothing or only makes some feeble response doomed to inadequacy. The foolish person is “blind”: self-deceived, uninformed, willfully ignorant of the critical issues of the day, too lazy to study, too arrogant to think anything bad could happen to them, Biblically ignorant, and so forth.

On the other hand, the wise person “foresees the danger…” How do they do that? By understanding human nature, by staying informed of national and local news, by researching and investigating when more information is needed, by seeking the counsel of wiser and more mature Christians, and certainly by asking God in prayer for more wisdom and insight.

The Bible also makes it clear that failing to provide for our families (food, water, shelter, security, spiritual leadership, emotional health, physical health, and so on) is morally wrong:

“Now if anyone is not providing for his own, and especially his family, he has disowned the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.” – I Timothy 5:8

Working on getting prepared is wise, and it is good. It minimizes fear, focuses your mind, and gives you a sense of satisfaction, even joy in doing what needs to be done and moving forward to meet the future. Your preparations, by themselves, will not guarantee your protection, but your wise preparations, with the presence and guidance of God, will be enough.

You are in His hands. You do your part; He will do his.

So, I Believe People Ought To:

“Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil.” – Doug Patton

“I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

• Store food; what we may disagree about is how much,
• Learn to grow your own food in a garden. You can’t store “enough” food; it’s as simple as that,
• Store drinking water (enough for at least a month is my recommendation, if you have to stay in your home during a pandemic flu quarantine), and probably some emergency water for gardens and trees; also know how to purify water you find in lakes and rivers,
• Collect a supply of over-the-counter and prescription medications. Could you self-quarantine at home for a month without going to the store?
• Have a plan to flee (and find or make your own shelter) if there is danger in your neighborhood or community,
• Be able to heat and cook without electricity,
• Be sure you have adequate clothing and equipment for a hard winter (unless, I suppose, you live in Tahiti),
• Own a firearm and ammunition. I’m not saying you need multiple military-grade firearms and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition! You might need to hunt, shoot varmints, or defend yourself. The Biblical case for self-defense is VERY strong. Things could get hairy,
• You should also study about what the Bible says on “civil disobedience” and our relationship to the government. I am pro-government, but a rogue government is a danger to all. The quote attributed to Mark Twain says it well: “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”

Get started today to seek God earnestly, to provide for your family wisely, and to have compassion on your neighbors who only know what the (lying) evening news and the newspaper tells them to believe. They’re going to need your help. (https://survivalblog.com/save-them-by-shepherdfarmergee/ )

Read the Bible with “fresh eyes” and learn how to meet as a church like the FIRST churches did. The way most churches are “doing church” is about to change, radically.

Don’t resort to hate. Don’t give in to fear. Put God first. Be a light in the darkness; you may be the only one where you are. Don’t lose hope. Never stop trusting God. We’re going to get through this WITH Him. You are in His hands.

The history of our fallen and rebellious planet must now play itself out. Regardless of all our technology, civilization, and advancements, we’re still humans deeply in need of a Savior, and that has never been clearer than right now. No matter how dark the day, however, never forget that God’s love has already won. It’s already a done deal.

The truth is, what God accomplished in Jesus at the cross has implications far beyond what we know or can even imagine. It was a stupendous accomplishment, a savvy and incredible move, an unbelievably good and wonderful thing, and a stunning universe-shaking victory!

We only get hints of the scope of it all in the Bible, but there is much more going on than meets the eye. One day (you’ll be there to see it with your own eyes), He will make everything well that is not well, and we shall all marvel and rejoice in Him forever. Every knee shall bow in joyful submission to Him, according to Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, and Philippians 2:10.

Perspective is everything…

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”
1 Cor. 2:9 (NLT)

Be Prepared. Trust God. We can do both!

“A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” – Proverbs 22:3

Some credible, Christian people who are highly educated and very well informed, experienced and mature, savvy and responsible, and very knowledgeable about the Bible are saying there is a catastrophe coming very soon to the United States. Many other equally authentic followers of Jesus reach different conclusions, and still more find the very idea too disturbing to even consider, so they refuse to mention it to other Christians. They choose to believe that the idea of a national disaster affecting Christians is contrary to how God acts.

There are a few credible Christians who claim to have a warning message from God, and there are those Christians over the past many years who, apparently, have been having similar warning dreams at night. Really, any Christian who is alert to what has been happening in the Obama administration would have to admit that these are disturbing, alarming, and even bizarre times.

Financial “experts” (those who are not mouthpieces of government economic propaganda) accurately predicted the current economic crisis several years ago, and those same people are now saying this will get a lot worse before it gets better. They are calling it the Greater or Second Depression. Alternatively, there are other persons who disagree. So how do we decide?

I am not an “expert”. In fact, I don’t think there are any “experts”, when it comes to something as unprecedented as what we may be facing. Can we know for certain what’s going to happen? No. In fact, it would be a pretty safe bet (were I a betting man) that what will happen will not be exactly like what anyone expects.

Short of an authenticated prophet of God or a clear prophecy of scripture, we cannot know what’s next; only God knows the future. Because there have been so many false prophets and so many scriptural misinterpretations in our time, everyone is reluctant to believe anything anyone says. Even prophetic scriptures don’t specifically address many of our questions, though there are tantalizing hints. There are cause-and-effect verses, though, that tell in general what happens when a nation does certain things, and there are passages which tell us to be wise and describe wisdom in general.

So do we give up on hearing from God? Do we only listen to the secular “experts”? No!

Making Choices

Every day, all day, we make a continuous stream of choices about two general things: how best to deal with our circumstances in the present time, and how to avoid future suffering.

As Christians, the presence, love, power, and goodness of God are an essential factor in all of our calculations, or at least they should be. Depending on how well we know His character and how well we’ve researched the Bible and know our times, we include Him in our day and in our plans in appropriate ways.

• We responsibly go to work, instead of staying in bed where it’s comfy and just pray for God to send money.
• We choose to eat certain things while avoiding others, because we’d like to fit into our clothes again tomorrow.
• We write our homeowner’s insurance check because we know it is a financially wise thing to do, even though we trust in God’s protection overall.
• We lock the door at night because we value the lives of the loved ones in our home and we know the Bible warns us that there are bad people loose out there who are capable of deep evil, and we know God uses us at times to protect others.

All of these choices, and thousands more, are based on a continuous mental risk assessment. Some things we have control over, like what we put in our mouths. Other things we don’t control, like the weather outside for example. Some future events are reasonably foreseeable, while others blindside us and become our own personal “black swan” events.

In all of this, God has a part, and we have a part. God expects us to be wise and offers us His wisdom, but we also have a responsibility to study the Word and to understand our times as well as to seek His guidance and then to make the best choices we can. (Proverbs 2:11)

The basic principles upon which my own preparation philosophy (if you will) is based, boil down to these truths:

1. God is in control,
2. When I ask for wisdom, He will give it as he promised. I humbly ask, and he gives. (James 1:5)
3. If I need additional information over and above wisdom and the guiding moral principles of the Bible, God is quite capable of breaking into my world supernaturally, bringing a particular Biblical passage to my attention, dreams, visions, prophecies, timely counsel, an angel with a flaming sword at the foot of my bed (I wish!), the usual. (Isaiah 30:21, Acts 2:17)
4. I must do what I know to do. I must proceed to respond to the unfolding situation by making wise, loving, bold choices to the best of my ability. Not acting is faithlessness.

BEING INFORMED

“What we wish, that we readily believe.” – Demosthenes

“Opinion is queen of the world.” – Pascal

“Most people would rather die than think. In fact, they do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason so few engage in it.” – Henry Ford

After the last election it should be plenty clear that the people who run the newspapers, popular magazines, TV news, and documentary shows are cogs in an actual larger conspiracy to overthrow the essence of historical America and to marginalize Christians and Christian influence in every area of national life. The mainstream media spins or omits information that people need to have to make educated choices about themselves and our country. The media are not impartial investigative journalists; they are part of the problem. Many “news” outlets have become simply thinly-veiled propaganda organs of the government. Remember that.

Unfortunately, one of our best alternatives for information– the Internet– is awash in misinformation, propaganda, lies, and wild speculation, even on supposedly “Christian” sites. Additionally, it seems to me that many adults between the ages of 18 and 35, having been educated in a deliberately corrupted, hijacked, dumbed-down, and utterly liberal government school system over the years, simply don’t have the mental tools to sift truth from error. People, even some Christians I know, fall for nutty stuff all the time.

Adults are responsible to make their own mind up about God, about interpreting the Bible, about current events, and more. The information is out there; people are individually responsible to sort through it. It takes work. It takes time, and it takes prayer. There’s just no getting out of it. Some of the information is downright scary, and some of it is troubling. If you can’t handle it, maybe your spouse can. However, don’t just believe everything you see on TV, read on the Internet, or hear from your friends! If it makes you freak out, if it’s crazy or unbelievable, if there’s no proof or documentation included with the claims (especially), it’s probably NOT true!

I think having someone, or several someones, with whom you can discuss the news or preparation ideas is a safeguard. I can’t count how many times I’ve thought I had a topic all figured out when I found someone else has a valuable perspective on it that I never even considered. Find a couple or a group that you can discuss all this with, and pray with them about it together!

I have followed key trends for nearly fifteen years and have come to rely on a half-dozen websites for my news. These are written or compiled by Christians (or conservatives) who, in my opinion, have an excellent eye for picking the important stories ignored by the mainstream media Obama cheerleaders and who have done a fairly decent job omitting fluff or speculative pieces. Having said that, they still do occasionally have articles that I would avoid or at least have no interest in, or they include an article for the purpose of informing their readers what “the opposition” is thinking or promoting, but they don’t mean to endorse them.

Caveat emptor– “buyer beware.” I recently removed two well-known Christian news sites from my personal daily reading list because they’ve begun featuring articles that are needlessly fearmongering, exaggerated, and groundless. So, use a little “holy discernment” when reading ANY news from ANY source. Always ask God for insight and wisdom!

• http://drudgereport.com/ (conservative top and breaking news blog, better by far than MSN, CNN, or BBC, though not specifically a Christian perspective)
• http://www.wnd.com/ (WorldNetDaily, Christian top news, supported by advertisers, has links to important news as well as their own stable of reporters and analysts from very reputable and influential in Christian circles)
• https://survivalblog.com/ (of course!)
• http://www.theblaze.com/ (a decent, conservative, Christian-friendly news accumulator website by popular Mormon commentator, Glen Beck)
• http://www.breitbart.com/ (another conservative news accumulator)
• http://therealrevo.com/blog/ (news and commentary from a wide variety of sources from a conservative perspective)
• http://www.freerepublic.com/ (This is a conservative blog with many different contributors with sometimes insightful and sometimes not helpful follow-up comments– some Christian, some Mormon, and some Catholic– often picks up on breaking news around the world; a good news source but the people who chime in their two cents occasionally exceed the bounds of good taste and a Christian perspective; be forewarned!)

People need to know what’s happening in their world. Actually, I’d go farther than that: People are responsible to understand the times they live in. These websites and others can help.

Whole books have been written about preparedness, food storage, water purification, prophecy, persecution, how to know the will of God, the nature of God, and what God’s plan is for history (and us!). I couldn’t possibly cover all those issues, and yet each of these is essential to a right response to our times. Christians who want to know are going to have to do some studying! (Thinking is work, remember.) Here are four general preparedness books (among literally dozens and dozens of titles) that I often recommend:

• How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times by James Wesley Rawles (available from Amazon.com for about $12).
• Making the Best of Basics family preparedness handbook. http://www.makingthebestofbasics.com/
• The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emory, (about $23 from Amazon.com, save a few bucks and buy a used copy).
• Surviving the Economic Collapse, by Fernando “FerFAL” Aquirre, ($27 from Amazon.com, based on his personal experiences with the economic collapse in Argentina.)

What’s Shaping Up

“You ought to consider the ‘ifs’ now and then. Thinking about ‘if’ sometimes prepares you for ‘when’.” – Laura Kalpakian

“The will to win is not as important as the will to prepare to win.”

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It’s that simple.

“Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.” – Dennis Wholey

Anyone with a computer could take an hour and come up with a list of at least two dozen reasons why America faces an unprecedented crisis– a “Perfect Storm” of trouble– in the weeks and months ahead. These might include:

• Federal borrowing that is two orders of magnitude larger than any borrowing in American history.
• Unpayable federal and world total debts in the tens of trillions of dollars that doom world finances to some type of collapse and re-formation.
• A closet Marxist/Muslim-preferring President brought to power by extremely wealthy and powerful groups that have long planned the end of the Constitution and our national sovereignty for a one world “New World Order” government, with an added agenda of drastic population reduction in the order of billions of people by a wide variety of means.
• And so on, as there is quite a long list.

Those are facts that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. On top of the facts are speculations about where all this is headed. Some possibilities include: imposition of martial law, gun confiscation, demonic guidance of high-level leadership, arrest of Christians and resisters, and, more. The speculations can get pretty scary!

There’s nothing wrong with speculating per se; we occasionally even speculate about God. Sometimes speculating and brainstorming help clarify our understanding of the situation, but sometimes people resort to wild speculations that have little connection to facts and let their imaginations run wild in fear. Stick to the facts.

Based on the information available to me, in my opinion, the best-case scenario is Uri Orloff’s, James Kunstler, and James Rawles’ simple, drastic economic collapse that is much worse than the Great Depression. If anyone wanted a place to start to prepare, this would be it. I personally only know of four people who have sat down and deliberately thought through all the implications of this “best-case” scenario and have made reasonable preparations to weather it. My neighbors believe Obama will fix everything, and they have mentioned to me that they’d expect to get some of my chickens if the economy does collapse! That’s some plan.

Many useful articles are available online. A good place to start is the “List of Lists” from SurvivalBlog.com. If you haven’t already begun to make significant preparations by this late date, then you must have the guidance of someone who’s already mostly prepared. Otherwise, the task will be overwhelming, and you’ll be likely to make mistakes that wiser (and less rushed) persons have already avoided or worked through.

Many persons who are convinced there will only be an economic collapse are also prepared to relocate their basic supplies and equipment on short notice (the prepper term is “bug out”) in the event of an ice storm, fire storm (we’ve had BOTH of those hit in Washington), chemical accident on a nearby road or railroad, terrorist attack upwind, or civil disturbance (riots, looters, et ceters).

In my opinion, for what that’s worth, everyone should have a written plan for what to do and what to take if they need to flee their home. Don’t build all your plans around that possibility, but at least give it some thought! How many times have we seen people on TV who have been forced out of their homes with only a few picture frames or a pillowcase of keepsakes? That’s terrible planning! The term “rude awakening” comes to mind.