Imminent Catastrophe? |
by Diane Singer |
David Wilkerson of World Challenge has predicted a major "earth-shattering calamity" centered in New York and spreading around the world. He's urging people to stockpile at least a month's worth of food and supplies. Now, I happen to think that having a month's worth of food on the shelf is smart for a lot of reasons, but I find it unlikely that even that would be sufficient if the catastrophe is as dire as he envisions.
What -- if anything -- are we to make of Wilkerson's warning? What responsibility, if any, do you feel about "being like Joseph" and preparing for calamity so you are able to help others, not merely save your own family? Should Christians be thinking along these lines? Why or why not?
I live in a majority LDS area, and they are encouraged by their prophet to have 1 year of supplies for a coming calamity. They have elaborate ways to build a year's worth of storage, including canning factories and specialty stores for it.
I applaud their industry, even if I question the value, as it seems that a lot of goods are wasted (although some that are very organized rotate and donate items that are getting close to the end of their shelf life, and replace it with new items). I also believe it takes away from God as our Provider. Now, we can't stick our head in the sand, but I think it comes from a works-based mentality.
I've always thought that with all the canned goods pushed to the back of our cupboards that we could survive a good while!
"Kids, stale marshmellows and tuna fish for dinner."
"Aw, not again!"
Posted by: Jason | March 10, 2009 at 10:42 AM
I'll believe it when I see it. Many have made such predictions and they have failed to pan out.
Isn't that the Biblical test of a prophet? If what he prophesies comes to pass?
Posted by: Dan Gill | March 10, 2009 at 10:49 AM
What is Wilkerson's track record as a prophet?
Not speaking forth words given supernaturally to me from God (prophecy), I'd say that we may well be facing significant persecution in the coming months and years, and we are NOT prepared for it. Stockpiling food won't keep you in your job, especially if you are in the ministry, or education, or medicine, and facing imminent job loss due to ideological conformity requirements from the current Democrat junta in power.
It won't keep Child Protective Services from taking your children because you believe that abortion is murder, that homosexuality is sin, that the Bible is true in all it touches upon.
It won't keep Christian TV and radio on the air when they are seized by the FCC for 'not being in the public interest' or not having "diverse" (code word for homosexual offenders) or multicultural (code word for anything but European-American) in ownership.
It won't keep your pastors from prison when FOCA and ENDA are passed.
Our concern should be for ourselves and our fellow parishioners, especially the youth, that they truly understand and believe, that they will follow Christ even when it means the loss of everything. THAT, not stockpiling food, should be our chief consideration.
That isn't prophecy, those are conclusions from a knowledge of history.
Posted by: labrialumn | March 10, 2009 at 01:48 PM
The bible talks about the prudent having plenty of goods in the house. To be sure, Our Lord decides how much we can have and if we can keep it, but it is only in recent history that humans have been so dependent upon a never-ending supply of ready bought goods. The majority have lost the ability to work with the seasons in growing, harvesting and storing of God's bounty, preparing against the days of winter. Because the Lord has allowed, my family recently moved to a rural area where we will do what we can to grow and harvest our own food. Should there be some sort of calamity, as there have been disasters throughout history, we will share and work with our neigbhors and hopefully see some come to Christ. In the meantime, our surplus will go to our church's food pantry. We are not farmers, but this lifestyle will provide a nice contrast with the computer-bound business the Lord provided. I also agree with labrialumn, we must keep our focus on Christ, as all things are ultimately in His hands. His people will undoubtedly lose the the temporal things they enjoy today, encluding little farmettes, as persecution increases. May our losses and testimony see others saved.
Posted by: Preparing | March 10, 2009 at 04:37 PM
labrialumn,
Well said. Today's Breakpoint deals with environmental hysteria. This seems to be the "Christian" version. What better stockpile can we have than people who know The Word, who live by it and proclaim it.
Posted by: becky | March 10, 2009 at 04:40 PM
I agree that are focus should be on Christ. I also agree that we need to be good stewards and do the needed preparation in our own homes for any type of natural or man-made disaster. To be equipped to provide for our families and others if God provides. I think that when economic uncertainties arise there is a danger for people to get carried away with the events rather than worrying about the times that are not lean and people are less willing to rely on God. I think the comments about the current administration and persecution are right-on. You can see it coming.
Posted by: Nathan | March 10, 2009 at 07:51 PM
I agree: well said, labrialumn!
Coincidentally, I've just finished showing Schindler's List in one of my literature classes this week. I was standing in my kitchen the other day thinking that it is entirely possible that we could wake up tomorrow and have nothing -- just like the Jews in Krakow in the film. And just like many of the Jews in pre-war Europe who thought "it could never happen here," it seems entirely possible that we are indeed headed for such times again. Certainly, we should not be foolish enough to think that we are somehow immune from the kinds of national catastrophes that have struck other nations throughout history. Yet, as several of you have noted, this is not a time to fear: it's a time for trusting God, and allowing the Spirit to show us how to wisely prepare for what may be coming.
Posted by: Diane Singer | March 10, 2009 at 07:52 PM
Can't improve on labrialumn's words.
But even if we did know something big was coming and we'd need food, would we be wisest to stockpile it individually, or communally? Seems to me Wilkerson's advice makes paranoid individualists of us, rather than potential servants to the needy. If I remember correctly, it was the Christians who risked their lives to stay in Alexandria in the middle of the Third Century to tend to victims and bury the dead when plague swept through Rome, rather than bolting out of town with everyone else. With a stockpile of food in my house and hungry people outside, I'd be tempted to bolt the door instead. But a stockpile at my church would seem to be a good idea - even if I needed to rely on it for my own family. And even if Wilkerson got it wrong, there are still needy people around.
Posted by: LeeQuod | March 11, 2009 at 12:11 AM
I would be surprised to see hordes of people seeking food, short of an all-out atomic war.
But if that hypothetical family came to your door, and you had extra food, you'd have no choice Biblically but to feed them, it seems to me.
The Bible seems to give two pieces of advice on hording - to store up like the pika - and not to store up like the rich man, but rather, give to the poor. To not worry, and let tomorrow take care of itself.
As to hobby-farming, I'm all for it. I prefer the farming life I grew up with, myself, and I think that other people would, too, and I hate to see a few farmers get larger and larger, and more and more farmsteads get plowed under. I'd rather have neighbors who worked over the internet, and had a big garden, orchard and pasture. But that is because of my personal experiences, and because of Wendell Berry, not because of a prophecy.
(grin) I'm sure that as long as you can work hard in the camps, you'll get your MREs. You won't have to worry about food until you get sick. (/grin)
To clarify something I wrote: we also should indeed be concerned for the lost, and for our families. When I wrote that our concern should be for our congregations and families faith and understanding, I was thinking in contrast to stockpiling food (apart from a really great deal ;-)
Posted by: labrialumn | March 12, 2009 at 12:46 PM