In my last article of 2018 “Planning for the future” I laid out reasons why I believe it is prudent to prepare for the coming times. I have been led this way personally by the Lord and have seen many dreams of chaos, disaster and difficult times to come. I have also been warned of coming economic crisis, famine and wars. Difficult times can take many forms including unemployment, bushfires, earthquakes, floods, storms and what the Bible prophesies will come to pass before the return of Jesus Christ. These things are spoken of by Jesus to occur before His coming:
Matthew chapter 24 verses 4 to 9: ‘And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”’
Christian wilderness refuges
I have also written about the biblical warning of the coming mark of the beast which is put in the right hand or forehead, where those who refuse it will be unable to buy or sell, and will be ordered to be killed, unable to participate in society (Revelation chapter 13 verses 15 to 17).
I also shared a dream I had of leaving the suburbs with Christian youth to a Christian wilderness refuge, a 100 acre ecovillage a female Christian leader had established, and we left as war was occurring to await the return of Jesus Christ. I believe that this dream was a physical representation of the Scripture in Revelation chapter 12 when it speaks of the woman being protected from Satan and given wings of an eagle and nourished in safety in the wilderness for 3.5 years.
We know that the faithful church who have kept the Lord Jesus’ word, have not denied His name and have kept His command to persevere will be kept from the hour of trial that comes upon the whole world (Revelation chapter 3 verses 8 to 10). I believe that part of God’s plan for His people is for them to come out from the world into wilderness refuges as a protection from the things to come including war, famine and persecution.
For those who are led by the Lord in this regard there are practical steps that can be taken to create Christian refuges. Important is the sourcing of private and remote land in a rural area, preferably with good water storage including dams and water tanks, access to firewood and hunting, with area for crops and gardening. Also important are buildings for secure all-weather living and shelter, wood stoves for heating, a shed or sheds for storage, off-grid solar systems, setting up gardens and fruit trees (food forests), obtaining useful tools and equipment including any helpful machinery, livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats and chickens. These preparations with the right know-how can lead to a strong self-sufficient community of Christians living together in communion with God and each other, and provide an important protection and refuge in the coming times.
Emergency preparations
There are general supplies that can be useful in many types of disaster scenarios and these can be kept in our homes improving our preparedness.
These include: long life food stored securely away from rodents and insects, this can be canned foods, grains, beans, or oats which have the advantage of being edible after soaking without cooking, water stored in bottles or containers or water tanks, torches with batteries and candles, a radio, a water filter, medical equipment to deal with injuries and medical emergencies, blankets and sleeping bags for warmth as the electricity or heating may not be working, fuel, extra toiletries including toilet paper, backpacks with camping and survival equipment, good durable outdoor clothing for all seasons including waterproof gear, good boots or shoes, extra Bibles, a good survival book with helpful information, extra cash stored safely, some gold or silver which can keep value in a deteriorating economic situation (see Venezuela), and preparing your family to be ready to leave in an emergency with essentials organised and ready to go, such as in a trailer or prepared in bags.
Having a pre-designated emergency meet up location for your family is a good idea if communication is difficult. These are some good preparations that can be made to improve readiness and response to emergencies.
Mental and spiritual preparation
Aside from physical preparation is the mental preparation of a strong mind grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding in Him and trusting in Him, but not being ignorant of prophecy and of what the Lord says will occur prior to His return. We can see the many signs in the world of the times we are living in, but comprehending the Scripture of what God says will come is an important aspect of mental preparation as you know that, despite these things, your hope and faith and trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether it be war, persecution, famine, economic collapse or tribulation, know that nothing can separate us from the love of God: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans chapter 8 verses 38 to 39)
Finally, and most importantly is the spiritual preparation of being a child of God by coming to faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. By believing in Jesus Christ the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day and repenting of our sins, we are saved and receive the Holy Spirit of God to live within us.
We know that Jesus told us those accounted worthy would escape the things coming to pass: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke chapter 21 verse 36)
After coming to faith is the important journey of walking in faith and abiding in Jesus, doing the will of God in your life. Repentance is important to clean up your spiritual house and to keep it clean, helping you to be ready for what is coming. Part of this is remaining separate from the evil in the world: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James chapter 1 verse 27)
These are some of the methods of preparation the Lord has shown me personally and has led me to speak about, and I share these with you for your consideration.
Christopher Harris is 28 years old and confessed his faith in Jesus Christ in 2016 and has sought to set his focus on the Lord. He makes videos on his youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/JESUSisLORD and believes the world is living in those times prophesied by the Holy Bible as the last days.
A link to Christopher’s other articles: https://www.pressserviceinternational.org/christopher-harris.html