concerning future events ??

Greetings

I have been thinking and praying about all the things shared here on SI concerning future events and things that are happening. I had a question that I would really appreciate some advice on. I have been working at becoming debt free, and have been managing my budget pretty tightly but of late I feel a sense or urging that I need to perhaps spend more on food and other necessity items that I might store for possible future events. I am not sure if this is from Father or if it is just a fearful reaction of the flesh because of all the things that I have been reading. I don't want to walk in fear,I know that God is in control and will provide, but I know that there is wisdom in being a prepared as He gives provision also.

Praying to know if I should continue to pay down my debt, to get it paid in full in the fastest time, or if I should work toward paying off my debt while putting some extra aside for times of struggle that may lay ahead??? Does anyone have any thoughts or anything that Father is showing you that you might feel led to share??

Thanks for any thoughts
God Bless
MJ

Dear Sister MaryJane,

What my husband and I feel is to do both. I have been reading that the farmers have not been able to get the loans they normally take out at the beginning of the season and payin gthem off with the harvest. If they do not get the loans, they can not plant. If they do not plant . . . . Pray for those who do not have a pantry full.

We do not have the means to buy bulk, but we have 1 acre to plant a large garden and this is what we are working towards. Already have the seeds, trying to get as many trees down before time to plant. Too many roots in the ground in the back, so we are going to lay out a tire garden. Normal one in the front yard. Do you have any space to plant anything?

I am buying lots of brown rice & dry beans. Cooking oil and matches and all the other things that may vanish off the shelves in the coming months. Preparing to hunker down and do what work the Lord puts in front of us.

Hope this gives you something to think over.

Kindest regards to you and your family,
white stone

My family and I have been stockpiling for a few years now. My husband, son and I all felt impressed upon by the Lord to do so. The last time I was roatating our supply and adding to the shelves, I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me that this food was not only for our family, but to be used as a way to reach people who are suffering in the days ahead. I know when the time comes, it is going to be a real sacrafice to do so, but I'm trusting that the Lord will give me the Grace at the time it is needed most.

We've basically been storing food that last a long time, and that we like. Also, trying to pick foods that are nutrious as possible. Here is an example of some things we have choosen.

baked beans
brown bread
olive oil
dry fruit
canned fruit (without heavy syrup)
canned veggies (mostly canned tomatoes)
pasta
pasta sauce
nuts
condensed milk
tuna fish
beef jerky
granola bars
water
juice

Hope this helps

Tina

Greetings white stone

I live in the desert so farming is not really an option. My backyard is a huge rock sage brush filled mountain and the front is hard rock and clay that we zero scape long time ago when we were in a drought. We have in years passed had a small garden bed to grow tomato's though but that is all. I can buy in bulk though, I have a large freezer and some pace to store canned goods, dry foods, things like that.

Tina- those are really good suggestions. Thank your very much for sharing.

I can if I stop making double and triple payments on some of my debt, I can buy more food and such to have on hand but not sure as I said if this is Fathers heart for us or if I am acting in the flesh. I will be praying about this, it is good to know what Father is showing others about this though. Thank you very much for sharing

God Bless
MJ

/////Old Joe wrote:
Probably best to keep that on the quiet side. There is a site I visit where people are stockpiling guns and ammo to come take your supplies. They are not what you would consider friendly people, but they need to hear the gospel too..../////

MaryJane,

I would listen to Old Joe even though he wasn't talking to you per se. It doesn't matter if we stockpile, even to help others, jealousy will come and take it away and maybe kill you in the process. There will be nothing you can do; if you cook, they will smell it. If your trash piles up, they will see it. If you don't lose weight like everyone else is doing, they will notice. There is nothing to fear. This is what I was talking about in that other thread... it's getting exciting!

Sister, this next phase will be by faith and not by sight or touch but pure faith! Just thihnk, the whole Bible is our example... every single thing that He did for others for the last 6,000 years, He will do for you and me!!

I would spend like there was no tomorrow; spend time on my knees, spend time in the Word, send time laying up my treasure where moth doesn't corrupt!! Spend time learning the voice of the Holy Spirit a LOT better than I know it now because one day they may come and take away our Bibles too!

That shouldn't scare us either, we've only had the printed word for 600 years while they walked with the Holy Spirit for 1400 years before that!! And I can tell you that they did a whole lot more without the printed word than we've done with it. All we've done is get theologically proud and fought over individual verses and what they mean and created individual camps of disbelief. God have mercy.

That's what I'm talking about... it's getting exciting! I don't know how excited I will be in a couple of years :-P but I think it is so now!!

God bless you MaryJane!! Let's look up, our redemption draweth nigh!!

5When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

12When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

13Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

Note Jesus says;
"10And Jesus said, Make the men sit down."

Remember God aint broke

Dear Lysa,

We DO live in interesting times. Your post was very enlightening about the printed word. Thank you for pointing that out. I feel you are right. For all the benefits we have been given, we have been unprofitable servants compared to the early Christians.

Trying to do as you suggested and immerse myself in His word. Grateful for the opportunity to do so.

Kindest regards,
white stone

Jesus did say not to worry about what we will eat and what we will wear?
So definitely whether we pile or not, we need to be free from the worry, knowing that God is our Father and He will provide. Yes we need to be wise, we should not be like the rich farmer who built up barns and had his assurance on that.

Jesus did say, to owe no man anything but love. So it definitely make sense to priortize on clearing ones debt. But at the same time have suffucinet "working capital" funds for day to day needs and the possible contigencies. And yet we trust only in HIM and not our bank balance.

I will tell you this, that there is nothing like being free from debt. God will have complete freedom to use you and what He has given you without any hinderance.

Think about this, what if hard times fall and the money is drained and we still have debt? What use of the stored cans if they will take it all from us. But what if we run out of money but we owe no man anything. This is just a practical thought, but cant we still find even the meanest of labour to feed ourselves.
But let us not forget that Our Father fed the multidude in the desert, He send a raven to feed His prophet, He multiplied the loaves and fish. He feeds the birds and clothes the lillies, but it is for us that He gave His only Son.

In a time where there is "social secutrity" benefits, inusrance policy, piled up reserves, bank balances,etc we need God's grace and His intervention so that we will truly be able to depend only on HIM, despite the fact that God might have given us some of the above mentioned
'reserves'.
Let us admit our lack and ask God for wisdom so that we will priortize the way He wants to priortize and not by human reason but on the strong fact the God who created the heavens and the earth, He who loves us so as to die for us, The almighty is the one whom we call our Father and The one who is our Saviour. He will provide and we shall not want.

Greetings

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who shared what Father had for them here with me. It has given me much to think and pray about. The most important thing for me is to walk out what Fathers heart in all of this is. I know that He will always be there and care for me. I also know that even if I loose everything in this life and find myself with nothing left but Jesus then I will still have everything that I could possibly need, He truly is my all and all!

God Bless you brothers and sisters
MJ

Found this in SI archives;

TOMMY HICKS' END-TIMES VISION.
exerpt;

...And this is the miracle of it - this is the glorious miracle of
it - those people would stretch forth their hands exactly as the
Lord did, and it seemed as if there was this same liquid fire in
their hands. As they stretched forth their hands they said, "Ac-
cording to my word, be thou made whole."

As these people continued in this mighty end-time ministry, I
did not fully realize what it was, and I looked to the Lord and
said, "What is the meaning of this?" And he said, "This is that
which I will do in the last days. I will restore all that the
cankerworm, the palmerworm, the caterpiller - I will restore all
that they have destroyed. This, my people, in the end times will
go forth. As a mighty army shall they sweep over the face of the
earth."

As I was at this great height, I could behold the whole world. I
watched these people as they were going to and fro over the face
of the earth. Suddenly there was a man in Africa and in a moment
he was transported by the Spirit of God, and perhaps he was in
Russia, or China or America or some other place, and vice versa.
All over the world these people went, and they came through fire,
and through pestilence, and through famine. Neither fire nor per-
secution, nothing seemed to stop them.

Greetings krispy
Thanks for posting these very good reminders. I don't want to react in fear but rather walk in Him and what He may have me. I have been praying about this with my husband and for now he feels we should continue to walk out what Father has shown us about getting out of debt. we are planning also to buy a few extria canned goods and keep the freezer full as we have but we are not going to go overboard.
our faith is in Him and no matter what comes I need to stand firm on the rock of Christ Jesus! I want to walk out daily in Him and what He has for me. Jesus is everything and I never want loose sight of that!

God bless
Mj

God bless
Mj

MJ, the Lord's never told me anything to tell anyone else, but it was always to straighten me out. So my comments are for me and me alone.

If I stockpile food and supplies, and place my faith in those goods, I am lost. If I buy gold and silver to protect me against hyperinflation and place my faith in those things, again, I'm lost. Any god or idol I put faith in will fail. My faith must first be in my Lord. But, IMO, that doesn't mean I can't prepare for bad times.

Reducing debt is always a good move. And having food stored is also a good thing to do. My folks grew up during the depression, and from their experiences, we always had a garden, canned our food, raised our own chickens, beef and pork, all on 1-1/2 acres in Houston. It wasn't disbelief in God to do so, it was considered common sense.

I believe we're going to experience hard times like we've never seen before. My wife and I are stocking up. We're reducing our debt. Rather than put all of our savings in a bank account, which could be ravaged by a devalued dollar, we buy items we feel might be needed in the future, including a small amount of precious metals.

Our small church has several elderly couples and widows that would be the hardest hit. I felt led to start stockpiling for them as well. I started to mention it to the pastor, but the Lord didn't tell me to, so I didn't. No need to have my pastor think I'm a nut!

My God created in me a strong desire to provide for and protect my family. I thank Him for it. And I thank Him for giving me time to build my ark for when the storm comes. I don't dishonor Him by preparing, because I first believe in Him and His tender mercies.

Just my thoughts, not the Lord's. God's blessings to you both.

Greetings brothers and sisters

I wanted to tell everyone that I am thankful for your willingness to share with me about this. Its good to hear what Father has shown everyone and how each of you is walking it out daily. This I will admit has been very difficult time for me. To be completely truthful I really struggle with the sin of worry, and fear. I read the news, and the things that are being shared about future end times and I have to really be in prayer and seeking Him, because in my flesh I want to give into the fear and go out and charge up my credit cards to buy as much food and necessities as possible. This fear and worry is something that I have struggled with for most of my life. When I was a child, my dad didn't work. There were seven children in my family and for the most part we lived on welfare. It was difficult because there were actually times when there was no food in the house. I can remember spending the time waiting for the sisters(nuns) to stop by and bring us boxes of food from the food banks. As a small child it was frightening there was no sense of security at all. Even after I was saved I really struggled for a long time with not trusting in the Lord to provide. I use to go to the store several times a week just to make sure I had enough and sometimes even more then enough of everything on hand just in case. My cupboards would be so filled with food that I actually would run out of places to put it. My husband counted and at one time I actually had over a hundred cans of soup in the house. I was actually terrified of the thought of an empty cupboard, I couldn't bare it. I know that sounds crazy to some and yet the fear about not having enough for my family and those around me at times has been so strong that it actually consumed all my thoughts. A little over a year ago, through much prayer Jesus really helped me to see that this area of my life was sin and that by doubting Him I was really saying "Jesus your just not big enough to care for me so I have to do it myself." I had to repent of my heart and attitude of doubting, and lack of faith that Jesus would care for me just as He said He would. Father opened my eyes to see and understand that I really needed to change the way I saw things. I needed to understand that even if I lost everything in this life, even my physical life that it did not matter because I would still be His child. He was and is faithful to see me safely home with Him. I have spent many hours in prayer before Him, crying out, repenting, and seeking His heart in all of this. As I look to the rapidly changing times around me, I want to use His wisdom in the choices that I make and not fall back into old sinful self attitudes and heart of walking in fear and doubt. I realize that Father gives us understanding of the times and prepares us according to His good purpose to be about His kingdom business. I pray that each of us hears His voice and is faithful to walk out what He has for us in these times.

God Bless
Maryjane

For your attention please read David Wilkersons urgent message issued today the 7th of March 2009.

[url=http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/]davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com[/url]

A piece from Compton in [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic_id=27637&forum=35&start=20&viewmode=flat&order=0]Gut Feelings[/url];

[i]I am just old enough myself to have seen dates and predictions come and go. The thing we worry about rarely happens. It's usually the thing we didn't see coming that gets us. I suppose the unpredictable convulsions and potentially transformative winds blowing through the entire world is in a good reason to give way to feelings in our guts and make pronouncements about the different images in our minds that disturb us, but this scripture comes to mind:

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."Some translations render "sound mind" into "discipline".

Let me share an observation that I think we should be mindful of and apply discipline to. We are too sophisticated. By that I mean that more people today have access to information, analysis, technology and material resources then ever before in the history of civilization. Quite simply, this advantage makes us spiritually weaker then our ancestors who had more room in their primitive heads for the Word of God.

Perhaps some here know of the phenomena where a person who has lost one of their senses, such as sight or hearing, experiences an increase in sensitivity from their other senses to compensate.

Well I believe our over-abundance of so called analysis, the veritable fire hose of expert opinion we can swallow every day, weakens our ability to hear the full counsel and comfort of God for these times. I have been observing a correlation between prophetic unctions and the news trends. It may very well be that sincere but undisciplined Christians are unable to tell the difference between God and the news.

If we think God is speaking to us through a 24 hours news channel, we can offer little leadership to the church, because each trial only causes our undisciplined minds to worry about the next trial. It becomes very hard to "not worry about tomorrow" when that's the main thesis of the media...and the human heart.

I'm not trying to sound "unafraid" of the events of our days, or to discourage one another from sharing our fears and burdens. I'm simply saying that we must protect ourselves from our own sophisticated answers to these burdens. If we tell the rich man that he cannot trust in his riches, then how can we rightfully tell the poor man to trust in his vegetable gardens and caves?

We who are in Christ need to shelter one another in Christ, and in that context we may get out of debt or plant our gardens. Yet those who are strong in Christ, should be careful of unwittingly boasting in their plans or resources, which only weakens those who are already weak in Christ. Save money and plant gardens, but we do a better service towards those who are weak in Christ to only hope in Christ and not confuse the issue with our own resources. This is for everyones sake because the poor man's vegetables can rot just as fast the rich man's money.

Blessings brethren,

Mike[/i]

For anyone to pin this on President Obama is just wrong, and betrays their political leanings. Forget pinning this mess on one political party, or one man, the seeds of this impending fiscal disaster lay at all of our doorsteps.

You all want to be "one nation"?

Then we should all 'own' this, it's us

Brother, agreed ... to an extent. All this turmoil has been building and been exacerbated for some time - Congress - Sub-prime -Banks- Lenders and buyers - The overextending like a carrot and the taking of it without thought or ... responsibility. Key word there.

One giant aspect of all that is upon 'us'. The mention of these things above and the general fallout and repercussions, the tentacles of it all.

Just some observations - I do take exception to the idea and pronouncement that "we are all to blame" for this current mess. How so? Though they remain largely silent, there are still many hardworking, [i]responsible[/i], moral and courageous souls that buck the trend and quietly go about their work and their lives without greed and without part or parcel in those activities taken advantage of, driven by greed and\\or ignorance - over extended and now "under water". To lay this at the feet [i]also[/i] of the responsible ... is this not somewhat of that very ideal that so many fear, I.E. [i]socialism[/i]?

To be clear I am not taking [i]you[/i] to task brother, only utilizing your comments and generalizing them along with so much talk that says 'We are [i]all[/i] to blame." Or are complicit. At the same time, pointing fingers and the 'blame game' itself is just cowardly and by extension so is so much of this 'fear mongering', it's everywhere and I am observing it as so much of a self fulfilling prophecy.

As Compton put it so succinctly and if I might add ... Just about everyone either is or wants to be a prophet these days. Speculators are not just for Wall Street but Main Street, the 'Man on the Street' and now with the advance of these vast means of communications such as the Internet ... Everyone is also now a pundit and a journalist taking a shot, a guess, a hypothesis ... an opinion. We are full of experts and analysis's and here I am just adding to the mix with conjecture but I hope I can stop and stay at the point of observation.

Responsibility.
Honesty.
Straight speaking.
Morals.
Virtue.
Candor.
Backbone.
Courage.
Character.
Righteousness.

Fundamentals. Hard work and honest wages for honest labor. There ought to be [i]justice[/i] and accountability. Doing the right thing is righteousness. Not flowery speech but actions that define and deliver, give impudence and meaning to words - These things it appears 'we' sorely lack. Certainly far too many in our government - It's overt and obvious. Blame? Or is it just plainly evident?

Sometimes stating the obvious seems practically absurd. "You are right!" But that is not the motive, how to ... [i]change[/i] the mindset, to turn back to the simplest of matters, to foundational aspects, principles ...

[i]We[/i], as those carrying the lofty title and burden bearers of ultimate truth - [i]Christan[/i]- should be, by nature, (new nature) embodiments and example of these traits as a matter of course, without a word spoken - Not adding, guessing or 'prophesying' about things that we have not the faintest idea about. Whatever is on the horizon we can not just deduce from current events and worse from speculating the speculators - It's a world of confusion. Nobody, [i]nobody[/i] knows what tomorrow will bring, God alone and Him only.

Of all people - Will we be the ones that have our heads on straight [i]if[/i] and [i]when[/i] things go to pieces? Is this where our minds and attitudes and actions will prove themselves stalwart, as ones to confide in - unshaken and steadfast, calm and contented - not without a right kind of [i]fear[/i] that warns and prepares but stops short of that which the world, the media especially fuels and self propels into actuality - "Speculators".

I am eminently indebted and grateful for simple, basic, 'caught rather than taught' aspects of my, dare I say it - "Catholic upbringing" - I have nothing to boast about but learned that true aspect of taking responsibilities for my actions. If I screwed up, it was [i]my[/i] fault. Period. You do that which is right, all the time, whether your being watched or not and if you have the faintest resemblance of a God given conscience you recognize that this 'watching' goes on without end.

Recognize that doing right will at some point put oneself at a disadvantage, but you do it anyway. It's not in a sense of self justification or to further a sense of self importance - "Will not the judge of all the earth not do right?"

I have been observing a great deal - Lingered about some other financial sites - Forums - Taking it all in without comment largely. It's interesting how you can get a feel for discerning truth from error - fact from fiction -speculation from ... well it is full of this, grasping at the straws of tomorrow -

'Perhaps' is a good word. Even the most astute and studious, factual and diligent can't predict with any real good track record. As MC put it and I could not agree more forcefully, we are in the age of information overload and a great deal of it is faulty - mere guess work. We buy it up into our thought trains and start expecting if not actually putting things into play by [i]fear[/i]. Wilkerson [i]may[/i] be right - Perhaps - But he also stated that he has '[i]been saying this for ten years[/i]' [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=27763&forum=34]David Wilkerson just sent this letter out to the world!!![/url] - I truly love him but I cannot take this into my head any more than the latest round of guess work that we are either at a bottom in the market or just on the cusp of the worst depression ever.

I cannot get away from the Lords own bottom line:

[i]Watch[/i] - Watch and [i]pray[/i].

Why? And for what is it we are to be 'watching' for? Too speculate and guess - To pronounce, to be emotionally swayed by ... the overload of pundits and opionators of our own frame or those of our 'old frame'?

And what is it we are to be praying for?

I will leave those to your own thoughts and meditations. I do not say it with anything frankly in mind nor for further guess work. We must figure it out for ourselves.

Entirely too simple. And maybe that is my only attempt, to launch forth from Compton's words;

[i]Let me share an observation that I think we should be mindful of and apply discipline to. We are too sophisticated. By that I mean that more people today have access to information, analysis, technology and material resources then ever before in the history of civilization. Quite simply, this advantage makes us spiritually weaker then our ancestors who had more room in their primitive heads for the Word of God.[/i]

Just that simple and just that difficult to peel ourselves away from it all.

[i]Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.[/i] Jas 4:14-17

... ye know not what shall be on the morrow.
... what is your life?
... him that knoweth to do good

[i]... ye ought to say ...[/i]

Greetings Mike

Let me begin by saying I went to bed last night feeling a bit discouraged and confused. Just after I posted my last post to this thread, someone posted the thread from David Wilkerson(I don't have a problem with that thread just with my heart). I took in a deep breath read through it then decided to just leave it in the hands of the Father. I was still feeling a bit confused when I woke up but then this morning when I got up and was having my morning coco, I sat down and read what you shared Mike. I just wanted to say thank you for posting.
________________
This part especially that you wrote I think in some ways applies to me: "It may very well be that sincere but undisciplined Christians are unable to tell the difference between God and the news."
_________
The above statement is why I am so thankful for other brothers and sisters in Jesus to help remind me not to give in to old man, sinful self patterns of behavior. I have in the past blurred the lines between what the news has to say and what is truly from Father. My dear husband is so patient, and does lovingly remind me that we walk by faith in Jesus daily not by fear. He encourages me daily to repent of those fears and worries that are most defiantly not of Him.
____________________________

This that you wrote also touched a cord within my heart: "If we tell the rich man that he cannot trust in his riches, then how can we rightfully tell the poor man to trust in his vegetable gardens and caves?"
______________

Again this really spoke to me and reminds me so clearly that my hope is in Jesus and not in anything that I can do.

For now, my husband has suggested and I believe he is right, I am going to read less news and spend my time in the Word and in some of the wonderful teachings here in SI. The best way to be ready for any future events that may be difficult is to be strong in Jesus, to know Him and walk with Him daily.

Any way I just wanted to say thank you for sharing Mike and everyone else too.

God Bless you all and have a wonderful weekend
MJ

edit: The quotes I use were from the post that mike shared of what mike(Compton) posted on the other thread Gut Feelings. Just so as not to be to confusing I wanted to thank you both for writing and for sharing it here with me as well. SO thank you both Mike and Mike(Compton)

Jesus lived in a country where the unfortunate were not left to starve, and where hospitality was one of the dearest customs of the land.

Also, in an agricultural society, one of necessity had to have barns full...to hold the yearly harvest for the year. It was extra barns that we are warned against.

As for not fretting over our lack, Jesus was advocating trust in the Lord to be able to not WORRY!

Wisdom in the form of the Holy Spirit pressed upon me to get in six weeks minimum supplies to get through times of unrest and lack of supply...and when the preparations had been made for many besides my family, it is little enough to prepare. Buy Beans, Salt, Oil, Flour, Sugar, Jam, Canned everything...just add to your weekly store list as God gives you the ability, and then stop worrying about it.

Whatever you have will be less than needed, but valuable to have, because it always is.

But please, be careful not to preach about God providing for us when we [i][b]refuse[/i][/b] to provide for ourselves...wisdom and prudence are gifts of God also.

Greetings Questor

You wrote: But please, be careful not to preach about God providing for us when we refuse to provide for ourselves...wisdom and prudence are gifts of God also.
____________________

I am not sure I understand what you wrote or if it was even directed at me or someone else??

God Bless
MJ