When the subject of Prepping comes up there are many facets which can be equated with the reason for Prepping. Many people in regions where severe weather is a perpetual problem are preparing to deal with the effects of a weather related emergency situation. It was actually the ice storm of 2009 which devastated almost the entire state of Kentucky that opened my eyes to the potential danger of being unprepared. We were without power for 3 weeks while others went longer. The first week two of the grocery stores actually opened for a few hours a day on generator power accepting cash only until their supplies ran out. My supply of cash didn’t last as long as the groceries did. The grocery supplies only lasted for about 4 days. There were stores open within driving distance but many residents had no access to their funds since the small town local banks were without power and there was no guarantee that your ATM card would work at banks in non-affected areas.
About midway through the second week things got somewhat better for us. I worked at a Briggs and Stratton plant about an hour South into Tennessee at the time and the company brought in a truck load of generators and allowed affected employees to use them at no charge. I was able to connect the generator to the lines going from the electrical meter to the main panel. This allowed us to operate our heating furnace, well pump, and most small appliances. Note: when attempting this be sure and disconnect the incoming lines feeding into the meter or you will send electricity back upstream and possibly injure workers trying to restore power to those direct lines. The generator made our life much more manageable since we had no alternative heating source. (Take this as a hint, get multiple ways to heat your home, shelter, compound, etc…) Getting gas for our new lifeline was a bit of a challenge, but since I drove an hour one way to work in an area not affected by the storm I had access to the gasoline. My only set back was the funds to procure the gasoline. Without that generator we would not have been able to remain in our house. By the way, I purchased the generator after using it and still have it today.
Then there were the incidents of people stealing generators that were in use. The most perpetrated tactic was done in the middle of the night. The thieves would start a push mower and leave it behind so the homeowner heard a gas engine running but before they figured out why they no longer had power it was too late. The longer into the outage the more brandish the thieves became. Taking generators in broad day light was also happening all around us. I have always had multiple firearms and a reasonable amount of ammunition on hand, but between me and my wife we could not guard the generator 24 hours a day. My only deterrent was to chain and lock the generator to the light pole where the meter was mounted and build a wooden box around it to shield its noise and visibility. Not running it at night and locking it up in the house would have been best, but with temps still hovering in single digits… not a chance. Keep in mind that this was in rural Western Kentucky at least an hour from a city with more than 50,000 people. Yet even in “Mayberry” crime was rampant. Those who abandoned their houses to go stay elsewhere returned to find ransacked homes and missing possessions. There was generally no police presence in our part of the county anyway, but many areas experienced lawlessness that they were woefully unprepared for.
Many churches in our region were able to help out tremendously with food, water, batteries, etc… Our church received some of these donations at the beginning of the third week. It was an overwhelming challenge to have to distribute everything that was donated. Obviously our church members were addressed first, but we had to be hesitant in just advertising that we had supplies. We were more than willing to give them away to those in need, but we did not want the word to spread to those who would take it all. It wasn’t until the 4th week that the National Guard came by our house offering bottled water. Not to discredit the men and women serving in the National Guard, but it seems they are always sent in after the fact. This just adds comedy to the old saying, “We’re from the government and we’re here to help!!”
This lengthy section is an attempt to warn those that are driven to Prep because of weather. Please understand that you have much more to consider than just the supplies needed. Food and water are no brainers. Don’t forget a power source, fuel, heating, security, etc…
We have become acronym crazy in today’s over educated society. I find myself using them also and try my best to refrain from it. The military has an acronym for everything, the government is constantly creating them to spend more of our tax dollars, and every other part of society is following suit. SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, WROL, and many others are used to abbreviate the foreseen result of an event that leads people to initiate Prepping into their lives. Time and Space will not allow me to indulge into each of these outcomes and their differences. The fact that an event can bring about one or all of them is a thought for another day. Something that is SHTF for me may be total TEOTWAWKI for someone else. I suppose the most basic differences would be the duration and scale of the event in question. With this rudimentary thought, the kind of and amount of preparation would be different. There would not be a significant difference in the “What” of Prepping. Survival consists of the same elements in almost all situations. The same preparations would be used for one of these acronyms as is used for the weather related events. The substantial changes would be made in the “How much” and the “Where” of your Prepping.
Not to sound bold or over-confident, but while I am fearful of having to endure, live through, or adapt to any of the aforementioned events. When you make preparations and try to approach them from various angles then you should have some confidence in facing these events. I am far from being even remotely well prepared for anything, but the two things that drive me to continue to Prep is that the inevitability of something happening that completely alters, changes, or collapses our way of life and the belief that I can make it through it.
The one event that does worry me is a military action. Whether it is our own military enforcing martial law ordered on a section of the country by a tyrant in leadership trying to fundamentally change this country (pun intended), an attack by a foreign army, or quite possibly a foreign army here on invitation. These events can be veiled as a way to help control, respond to, or counteract a nationwide movement or event such as a natural disaster, a failure of any part of our infrastructure, or a revolution (just a suggestion). This type of event changes everything. The preparations made to protect and defend for the most part focus on looters, gangs, thieves, politicians, etc… But no one will be able to defeat a professional military force. Regardless how big or well-trained your group is, you will be no match for a full blown military attack. The firepower available will be unmatched. Sure you might be able to fend off a small scout team, but they will then know your location and then it is time to cue the fat lady.
One event that no seems to discuss is the one event that I see as inevitable. That event is the persecution of God’s people. Too many Christians in America have been blinded by the idea of American Exceptionalism. The belief that we will be exempt from the attacks that are happening all over the world has shown the lack of spiritual discernment in today’s churches. Let me state that I believe in the Pretribulational Rapture Position and the Premillennial Return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first term means that the Lord will remove the redeemed from the earth before the start of the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation is the term given to the events described in Revelation chapters 6-19. This is a time of Jacob’s trouble meaning that God will deal with the Nation of Israel during this time. The second term simply means that Jesus Christ will bodily return to this earth and set up his earthly kingdom as described in Revelation Chapter 20. I will admit that many who hold to these eschatological positions are the same people that have the idea of American Exceptionalism. While I do not believe those saved by the grace of God will endure the Great Tribulation or the time of Jacob’s trouble; nothing in the word of God assures us a life of ease and prosperity. Much to the contrary of what many television preachers promote, the bible promises us persecution.
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
v11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
v12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
I Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
II Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
When you read an unbiased and untainted view of Church History you will find that those who hold true to the Doctrines that Jesus taught have greatly suffered throughout the church’s existence in every corner of the world. This will not be found in the modern day history books used in government educational institutions. Christians are continually being attacked, persecuted, isolated, and even murdered in many countries today. These things will not be seen on the popular morning shows or the nightly news. The truth must be sought out in our world today because it is being oppressed at every opportunity. We as Americans are not immune from what the Bible promises. We have enjoyed a great deal of freedom and prosperity in the past few decades, but never forget that what we have today is because some godly men and women decided to stand up for the word of God and fight against the evil, wickedness, and idolatry of their day.
The government, the mainstream media, and the charlatan preachers of our day downplay and ignore the battles that we face as God’s people. The enemy is satan, but he attacks from various fronts with a multitude of methods. The armor of God mentioned in Ephesians is quite extraordinary in the fact that it has no protection for the backside. That is because we are to face and confront the evil of our day, which is part of the commission that Christ has given his church. It is overwhelming when you consider that we have to deal with Political Correctness, Islam, Communistic Government Ideology, Compromise, and our own flesh. I certainly do not know when we will face real persecution here in America, but I do know that it must come. Just as the Constitution must be removed, replaced, or just plain ignored for the One World Government to form and usher in the antichrist, just as a major earthquake on the New Madrid fault will change the way of life for the entire Southeast region, just as Islam is determined to conquer the West and bring in Sharia Law, God’s people will suffer at the hands of the God haters. I take comfort in knowing that it is part of God’s Sovereign will and that I can be an overcomer through the blood of the Lamb. At the same time I must take steps to protect my family and be in a position to be used of God for His Glory. I do not by any means invite this persecution into my life or even desire it to come about, but I must prepare for it physically and spiritually. And so should every child of God.
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