As men, we are charged with being the head of the household like Christ is the head of the Church. We are instructed that it is our responsibility to feed and clothe our families. Paul even writes to Timothy “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Tim 5:8 KJV) Remember, both Peter and the writer of Hebrews tell us that if one denies the faith it is impossible “to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” (Heb 6:6 ESV) That seems to mean that if one CAN provide for his family and yet chooses not to that he is in real danger of going to hell. Paul takes this as a VERY serious matter.
What happens to your family if you lose your job? Do you simply go on unemployment until you can find another job? What if this recession we have blossoms into a full blown depression? You can't create $2 TRILLION out of thin air and not have some watering down of the value of a dollar. We call that inflation. Two trillion dollars worth could send us into hyperinflation. Ever wonder what it would be like to have to use a wheel barrel to carry the cash needed to buy one loaf of bread? Or what it would be like to be a trillionaire with only one bill in you wallet? What happens to your family if you can not get another job because everybody is out of work? Will you hit the soup lines and beg?
How about using a little of that back yard to try your hand at gardening? Get some corn, some tomatoes, some lettuce, some green beans and plant a few rows right there. Learn what it takes to grow your own food while actually growing your own food. You will almost certainly encounter some problems. You may even loose entire parts of your garden. If you do, go to the grocery and buy more; you can still do that. It's better to learn now when there's no real downside then to wait and have to feed you children with what you grow. Most people in the 1930's lived on family farms and were able to grow their own food through out the Great Depression.
How important is this? Our Congress is considering a bill that will allow the Federal Government to regulate all places that produce is grown or processed. This includes a backyard farm!! Why would Washington ever want such power? That brings us to the next point for Christians to consider. What if the government turns on us?
Let's be honest, we're not all that popular right now; and not without cause. That is for a different article however. The sense of anger or at least ambivalence towards Christians in this country is rising. We have been raised to believe that persecution only happens in OTHER countries. Many of us have been taught that before things get bad we will be Raptures away, spared from any unpleasantness. The unspoken implication of that teaching is that God doesn't really care about the Christians being tortured or martyred in China, North Korea, choose an Islamic country but as soon as things are about to get uncomfortable here in the US the eastern sky will split open and Jesus will come rescue his favorites. Arrogance doesn't even come close to describing that theology.
Revelation talks about the Beast being “given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:7-8 KJV) So, the Beast, part of the unholy trinity is given the ability to make war with the body of Christ and to WIN. That's not all. He also controls the ability to even buy the food or other things you need. “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”
Rev 13:16-17 (ESV)
It doesn't have to be the Anti Christ but just some anti-christian government. What happens if a government comes to power here in the US that controls who gets food and when, just like the USSR did? What if there are food lines and you have to swear an oath, either directly or indirectly deny Jesus to receive the handout? You can get food if you stop going to a non state approved church or if you quit talking about Jesus. If it comes down to denying Jesus or watching your kids STARVE TO DEATH what will you choose?
Jews in Germany were banned from shopping at regular stores. They were put into walled in “neighborhoods” called ghettos and isolated from the rest of society. They were banned from all government service and certainly from being in the military (mostly). From the time they entered the ghettos until the Endoslung was stopped by Allied troops, they were completely dependant on the Nazi government for everything, even simply not being attacked. With this brutal leverage the Nazi's caused Jews to sell out other Jews for food, for safety, for a little human decency, for the promise to kill their families last.
What if you have food stored away? And toilet tissue. What if you know how to make or repair your clothes? What if you don't have any need for the “gifts” of the government? How free are you really if you have to rely on someone else, even a grocery store, to provide food for your kids? How free are you to serve God if you have to obey the government's rules to keep your family alive?
As our government here takes control of more and more things, intrudes into areas no one ever believed they would get involved in, isn't it time to start considering what to do? Certainly, Jesus said not to worry about what to eat etc. God also told Pharaoh to store up food during the good years for the bad years. He also felt in necessary to tell His people that feeding their family was important. Do we really think that it could never happen here, even though the Bible is pretty clear it will happen EVERYWHERE at some point? Do we believe that God likes American Christians better than our brothers and sisters around the world? Do we really want to explain why we said “I'm not a Christian.” in order to be given food or safety for our children?
Just something to think about.
