18 things you need to start thinking about

Over the years I've been asked many times; "Are you preparing for the kinds of emergency situations you refer to in your books Trumpet Blast Warning and Beyond Earthly Realms?"

For example in Trumpet Blast Warning I write:

The West is about to be shaken as never before...The current financial crisis is only the beginning. Out of the ashes of the economic ruins a new global financial system will rise...Cash will be consigned to history and the only means to buy and sell will be through a digitised system... Martial law - the imposition of military rule to maintain order - will be instituted. The burgeoning surveillance grid will facilitate the military takeover... The people, desperate for food, will do anything in order to survive.  Read more >

In Beyond Earthly Realms I write: 

A societal collapse is coming; the warning signs are all around us. This will be triggered by a combination of key factors, such as

• the continued abandonment of godly morals and values 
• an ongoing failure of moral political leadership
• economic meltdown
• staged crisis events
• street riots
• and civil and global wars

For example; Read more >

So am I preparing? The simple answer is yes, I am certainly preparing. In the event of a near future crisis I want to be prepared. Importantly, I am NOT preparing out of fear. I am preparing because the bible tells me to. I am preparing because I believe God wants His children to be equipped so they can continue the work of the Lord and see the evangelisation of the world. 

In Acts 11:27-29 we read how a prophet named Agabus predicted a severe famine was about to come over the entire inhabited world. In response to this prophetic warning the disciples each in accordance with their financial ability decided to send relief to the believers living in Judea. God warned the believers so they could prepare.

If I am unprepared I will be preoccupied with my own survival, or worse I'll be dead, and therefore be ineffectual in God's end time plan.

The Bible Tells Us To Get Prepared

In the Word of God we are expressly told to prepare for the end of the world, and while more often we are exhorted to prepare for it spiritually, it is also clear from the bible that a requirement is put upon us to prepare practically too.

The most obvious example can be found in the account of Noah in Genesis 6-9. Actually you could say Noah was the first ever prepper! 

Jesus said of Noah's day; "Just as it was in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." In the days of Noah a total breakdown of morality and a hostility toward God had occurred – the exact spiritual climate we find ourselves in today. And let us not forget that it is the moral decay and rejection of God that has brought about the kinds of doomsday scenarios we are now facing in our world.  

This very real threat is the direct result of a system turned against God rather than toward Him. In other words an Antichrist system (Antikhristos, from anti 'against' + Khristos).

But just like in the days of Noah, God is looking for those who desire to live not according to the ravages of their own evil hearts but according to His righteous constitution.

So then, just as God asked Noah to get ready, God asks those who have attuned their hearts toward heaven to get ready too.

In the account of Noah we can learn the two basic principles of survival;

1. Prepare a storm proof home for you and your family (Genesis 6:14-16)
2. Stockpile all the food you need (Genesis 6:21)

Other examples I would like to draw your attention to can be found in Proverbs 31 and Mark 13.

If we follow the plan laid out in Proverbs 31 we are told we will actually laugh at the future knowing we are fully prepared for what is to come. (v25, AMP, NLT)

Here's five key points on preparedness from Proverbs 31;

1. Buy a field and with your wages plant produce
2. Be energetic, strong and a hard worker
3. Have enough fuel to light your house late into the night (compare also with the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25)
4. Prepare warm clothes and blankets
5. Have enough to extend help to those less prepared

And finally Jesus own words of warning found in Mark 13 concerning the end times tell us to leave the cities and towns and make our escape to the hill country where it will be safer. I know of people who have done this, and even a pastor who relocated his entire church away from the city and into a rural area.

So friends, in light of the bibles exhortations and warnings to be prepared, it is certainly high time we start planning during these uncertain times now before it gets harder to make those changes later on. 

Below is a must do list to get you started on the road to survival. It is in no way exhaustive, just some pointers I've gleaned while researching for my books. It's not a 'how to' list, but if you want to learn more there's some excellent prepper books available and loads of helpful websites and YouTube videos too. I'm sure you can add some other things to the list too! Why not add your ideas to the comments section below and we can learn from each other.

18 things everyone needs to start thinking about

1. Store Water: Store water. Bottled most practical. Store in glass bottles only. Plastic is poisonous. Shelf life is usually 1 year provided the water is stored correctly. ie cold temperature and in a darkened room or in light proof containers.
2. Collect rain water
3. Get a Water Purifier: With the right water purifier you can drink rain, river, pond and even water from a puddle!
4. Store food: Store freeze dried food. It can last up to 25 years if stored correctly. Also store canned food, like fruit, vegetables, meats and soups
5. Health: Eat healthy and get fit now. If you are out of shape you will be more prone to sickness, if you are overweight you will have less energy to walk any great distance should you need to. Take supplements.
6. Toiletries: Stock up on toilet paper, toothpaste, sanitary towels etc...etc...
7. Get finances in order: Back in 2009 the Lord spoke clearly to me about getting out of debt. Start clearing your mortgage now. Even if it means selling up and downsizing. Not only will downsizing help to reduce or even clear your mortgage, your smaller home will consume less energy. In the event of a total currency collapse you could end up losing your home depending on your type of mortgage. Think about other ways to start clearing any other debt you might have. Stop using the credit cards and start paying them off – then get rid of them. Think about nonessential things you have become accustomed to. For example Sky TV, or expensive mobile contract. Do you have two cars, can you reduce to one? How about going for a smaller vehicle that uses less fuel? Eat out less.
8. Consider stashing some cash away in your home.
9. Grow your own fruit and vegetables: You don’t need a large garden to grow your own veg.
10. Keep an animal or two: A goat will give you fresh milk, yoghurt and cheese. Keep chickens for a regular supply of eggs.
11. Consider moving into a smaller dwelling with larger land: Moving into a more rural area and into a smaller dwelling, will use less energy. More land will give you ample space to grow your own and keep chickens etc.
12. Looking for food (Foraging): Consider shooting (Not as easy for us brits as it might be for our American friends, but when push comes to shove, and its a matter of survival, we might be forced to adopt a different stance) In the UK there’s a lot of animals and birds to be found in the wild, rabbits, guinea fowl, pheasant, deer etc. Take up fishing. There are many different kinds of fish to catch in ponds, streams and on our coastlines. Foraging for plants: There are many edible plants in the wild: berries, mushrooms, stinging nettles, primrose, dandelion, Sea kale etc.
13. Start relying less on electrical appliances: For example do you really need the dishwasher? It is even possible to get rid of the fridge too. Sounds drastic! But before electricity people used cellars or larders to keep their food cool, and of course if you’re growing your own, only harvest what you need. In fact my parents have a larder and it’s always cool, even in the summer time.
14. Energy: Use solar power, wind power, or if you happen to have a stream or river running through your land think about getting a water wheel. Use a wood burning stove to cook and heat the home.
15. Light: Stock up on lighters, matches, candles and batteries. Make sure you have a few good torches (flashlights)
16. Survival gear: Stock up on clothing, first aid kits, medication, bug out bag, dynamo radio, water purification tablets, swiss army knife, long range two-way radio, sleeping bag
17. Communication: In a scenario where communication is completely knocked out i.e., your mobile phone, internet and landline, a good old fashioned CB radio will become a necessity. 
18. Secure and protect your home.

If you have any other pointers comment below. 

In the meantime friends, take heart from the words of Jesus: "So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!" Luke 21:28

Jason Carter is author of Trumpet Blast Warning and Beyond Earthly Realms. 

Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.