760. Are You Ready?

America faces many threats. Are you ready should one materialize?
IT’S WORTH CONSIDERING

America is being threatened in more diverse ways today than at any time in her history. Here are some very real possibilities (including some current realities):
1.    Food shortages and martial law
2.    Electric grid sabotaged
3.    City attacked by Isis etc.
4.    People are disappearing – never heard from again
5.  Terrorist training camps carry out missions
6.   Sleeper cells awaken
7.   Economic collapse – dollar plummets – bubble bursts – great depression
8.  China suddenly demands payment on its debt – takes land as payment
9.   Government turns on its own people. (more)
10.  Water shortages – controlled by government
11.  Internet controlled by government
12.  All phones monitored
13.  Lawlessness breaks out
14. Caliphate is declared & accepted by both Sunnis and Shiites
15.   EMP attack – all electronics shut down
16. Enemy attack from without
17.Enemy attack from within (more) (Socialists, Communists, Islamists) Remember Obama’s proclamation- “The future does not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

These are all very real possibilities that have been discussed, documented, and supported by current events. This is a partial list representing those that immediately came to mind. If even one of these things came to pass, our lives would drastically change. I’m not trying to be an alarmist, but this is the world we live in. This is the real state of our nation. Our problem is that we don’t want to think about these things. They’re too depressing. We’d rather pretend that things are fine, holding onto the belief that because the things we fear haven’t happened yet, they never will.

It’s time for a reality check. Here are my thoughts on just four of the threats we face:

Terrorist Training Camps

1.    The Islamic terrorists in the dozens of training camps around the nation aren’t at summer camp. They’re training for something.
2.    Our economy cannot possibly sustain the amount of debt we’ve accumulated. The “Quantitative Easing” by the Feds may have temporarily propped up the stock market, but we can’t keep printing more money to solve our spending problems. Several economic “experts” say that something major will likely happen this month (September), highlighting the 13th, 15th, 23rd, and 28th as likely dates for whatever might happen.
3.    Our president isn’t going to leave office without accomplishing his mission: the fundamental transformation of America. We can expect the gloves to come off during his final months in office.
4.     Then there’s God’s judgment against a nation that has mocked Him and spit in His face time and time again with our “official policies” and “legal decisions.” We are living on borrowed time.

AS I SEE IT

So what are we supposed do about this, assuming there is anything we can actually do? Do we embrace business as usual while we declare, “What will be, will be?” Since we don’t know exactly what might happen, it’s hard to know how to prepare, but one thing is certain. We’re going to need one another more than ever. The purpose of real Christian fellowship will, by necessity, become known. The “safety in numbers” axiom will become reality. The last thing we need during a crisis is solitude.

I suggest that you first decide if you are going to do anything or just wait and see if anything happens. If you decide to take some measures, then you need to find others in your church, home group, or circle of friends who are concerned and willing to discuss these issues. Once you assemble a group of like-minded friends, you need to formulate a plan including a meeting place. Agree where you will congregate if things turn really bad. If your phones are still working, you can, of course, use them. If, for some reason, phone service is not available or you are concerned about big brother monitoring your calls, a pre-formulated plan could be a life-saver.

At this point I’m probably losing some of you as you conclude that I’ve bought into too many conspiracy theories and have gone off the deep end. Well, here are my arguments:
*    There are too many dangers and very real threats to logically assume that none of them will ever materialize.
*    The Bible warns of difficult times ahead.
*    For Christ to build His Church in America, a time of persecution is necessary.
*    I would rather look foolish to some rather than to have understood the times and done nothing to prepare.

My hope in writing this is to prod you to take seriously the threats we are facing. Yes, we have God’s promise that He will never leave or forsake us, but we are also promised difficult times in which our faith will be tested. We’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain by gathering together to plan for the future. I think it would be a great exercise in understanding what it was like for the early church as they met secretly under threat of persecution. Who knows, we just might find the beginnings of a real church by Christ’s standards.

Perhaps I’m premature in posting this article right now. I hope that’s the case, but sometime in our near future we’re going to need one another as never before. Why wait until then to take action?

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY
Man’s way leads to a hopeless end — God’s way leads to an endless hope.