It’s probably the most dreaded phrase any sensible prepper can hear: “If the bleep hits the fan, I’ll just come live with you.” This encapsulates one of the thorniest issues facing preppers: what to do with those who won’t prepare? In this article, I explore the many different opinions as to whether the “sensible prepper” is ultimately responsible for the unprepared.
Socially Selfish or a Sensible Prepper?
A few years ago, a certified emergency manager at FEMA (I’ll call her “Ms. Smith”) inadvertently opened up an enormous can of worms by calling preppers “socially selfish” on an emergency management blog. She based her comments solely on the people portrayed in the National Geographic “Doomsday Preppers” reality television show. After she was universally slammed when her comments went viral, she made numerous blundering attempts to clarify her position.
The gist of her opinion was that because the people featured in the show were spending their own time and their own money to stockpile their own resources in order to prepare their own families for whatever disastrous scenario they foresaw, they were selfish. Specifically, as another emergency manager phrased it, this is “a level of indulgence that is selfish and counter-productive to providing for the common good.”
The Common Good?
The common good. Really. Since when is it any one person’s obligation to provide “for the common good”? In an effort to clarify her position, Ms. Smith wrote a follow-up piece entitled “What we have here is a failure to communicate” in which she labored to distinguish between “doomsday preppers” (whom she still believes are selfish) and “disaster preppers” who are shiningly good with halos over their heads.
Also read: The S**t Just Hit The Fan And The World As We Know It Has Come To An End…Now What?
The distinction between these two types of preppers appears to be based solely on Ms. Smith’s opinion of the preppers’ plans for their own supplies. These are the supplies, I’ll remind everyone, which preppers spent their own money, time, and effort to acquire. Without the slightest bit of evidence or proof, Ms. Smith claimed doomsday preppers will never, ever share their supplies with anyone else; whereas disaster preppers will be the souls of generosity who will unhesitatingly distribute everything they have, without reimbursement or complaint, during an emergency. I, along with many in the prepping community, found this attitude disturbing to the point of creepy. It was exacerbated by the follow-up comments as she replied to reader questions.
Releasing the “Hoarded” Supplies
“It really doesn’t matter how much food you have or what you buy with your money,” she wrote in a comment. “The tipping point is how you use it. … Is it something you are planning to hoard or are you working in your community to make sure everyone else is prepared also. I’m not sure how else to say it.” Oh, you said it just fine. We got the message loud and clear. You want a sensible prepper to release his or her “hoarded” supplies during an emergency to unprepared people who – despite all warnings – preferred to spend their surplus cash on big-screen TVs and iPads instead of beans and rice. Remind me again, who’s selfish?
A Sensible Prepper is Just Preparing for The Unexpected
This woman, let me remind you, works for FEMA. The reason her post caused such a firestorm is because it hit upon a very sensitive sore spot among preppers; namely, is a sensible prepper responsible for the unprepared? In everything I’ve ever written about prepping, I make a huge distinction between those who cannot prepare, and those who will not. I’ve made it abundantly clear the two groups should be treated differently, and that the former should be treated with much more mercy and compassion than the latter.
Cannot Prepare vs Will Not Prepare
Prepping shouldn’t make us lose our humanity. Of all the life forms on earth, only humans routinely give care and service to those in need. To that end, we should all give some thought to those who might have to lean on us in hard times. The most obvious people are the elderly, the disabled, children, those in truly dire financial circumstances, etc.
But what about the other types? What about those who could have prepared, but chose not to? Just because someone pokes fun at your “lunacy” of storing beans and rice and ridicules your efforts to become more self-sufficient doesn’t mean they aren’t also a beloved family member or friend. Many people have adult children or older parents who aren’t “on board” with preparedness, but this doesn’t mean we don’t love them to pieces. And their flippant solution– “Well if things get tough, we’ll just come live with you”–might well become a reality. So what’s a prepper to do?
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If They Came Knocking at Your Door, What Would You Do?
This is a thorny issue with infinite possibilities. At one end of the spectrum are those who spend all their free time ridiculing your prepping efforts and calling you merry but rude names for your concerns about the future. These are the types who come swaggering up, confident and cocky that you’ll be delighted to share your supplies with them. If the bleep was to hit the fan and they came knocking at your door asking for help, what would you do?
At the other end of the spectrum are those who live a comfortable lifestyle and simply are unaware of any potential problems. They don’t believe the economy could ever collapse or anything could ever happen to the power grid. These people aren’t “bad,” they’re just clueless. If the lights go out for the last time and they came knocking at your door asking for help, what then? There are endless variables among those who will not prepare, and endless variables that will dictate our actions. But a time may come when they will become supplicants for our charity. A lot will depend on the attitude of the supplicant, but the fact remains none of us can operate a never-ending soup kitchen. We should not compromise the safety of our own family to help others. Or should we?
Plan for Charitable Aid?
It would be nice if all preppers could put aside a certain portion of their supplies for charitable aid (one sensible prepper I know says he sets aside approximately 5 percent of his preps for such purposes), but not everyone can. A lot of people are prepping by the skin of their teeth and can barely pull together suitable supplies to meet the needs of their own families. What should we do?
Here’s What the Community Said
So I asked for reader input on my blog; namely, how far should our mercy and charity extend toward those who were unwilling to prepare, even when they could? As expected, responses to this question ranged from “I don’t care – I’ll meet them at the door with a shotgun” to “Jesus died for everyone, including the unprepared – I’ll give them everything I have.” Many readers spoke about the skill levels and willingness to work of those asking for handouts.
Most answers boiled down to a triage system as follows:
- Go away. It’s not that I don’t love you or want to help, but we barely have enough to survive and I can’t let my family starve.
- Come live with us. We know you’re ill/elderly/handicapped/otherwise incapable of fending for yourself, but we love you and want to make sure you’re cared for.
- Come live with us. You are a beloved family member/friend. Since times are tight, we hope you’ll pitch in and help with the work.
- Come live with us, but you’ll work for your food. You will help weed the garden, care for the livestock, dig a new outhouse, guard the perimeter of the property, or otherwise make yourself useful in whatever we ask you to do. If your attitude smacks of ingratitude or slothfulness, we’ll show you the door.
- Go away. Here’s some food for the road. Please don’t come back.
- Go away. Here’s some food for the road. If you come back again, you’ll be greeted with a shotgun.
- Go away. You treated us like dirt for 20 years and now you want to be our best friend? No.
- Go away. See my shotgun? I consider you a threat and a danger to my family.
We Are Not Responsible for the Unprepared, but…
Bottom line: It is my opinion we are not responsible for the unprepared; but it behooves us to help, when and if we can, if it won’t hurt our families. Only you can decide into which of the above categories you put someone. But remember one thing: As much as we would like to take the “moral” high ground and refuse to assist anyone of those selfish people who refused to lift a finger to store beans and rice, the day may come when you are the supplicant. A fire, an earthquake, a hurricane, a job loss, an illness, an accident – any of these can change you in an instant from a sensible prepper to a beggar.
How would you want to be treated?
It’s a question worth asking.
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Selfish? SELFISH?? Really? Is that dumb broad really that stupid or is she just brain dead. Those progressive socialist morons have no idea how our reality is constructed, nor who or what humans are !
If and when the SHTF and someone accuses me of being selfish after I refuse them comfort and food when they come begging for my supplies, they’ll soon find a gun barrel in their face with the directive that if they don’t leave they may end up with a appointment with their God.
Good, then I won’t feel guilty ambushing
I don’t agree with either of you…but I will terminate with extreme prejudice anyone who wants to “ambush” anyone…
I think most of us would feel we can follow the Biblical example shown in Noah and the Ark. Prepare for your family. Give your friends and neighbors warning. When the rain starts the door is locked.
I don’t warn anyone, adults are supposed to be resp. for their family and know what to do. We are retirees and have enough for ourselves, been thru many hurricanes over decades. Everyone can access the internet and buy from many companies, incl water flters, supplies. Adults need to act like adults. I never tell anyone what we have or plans. People that go around bragging on their preps or pushing others to do likewise are stupid, and they will be victims when shtf.
Thank you for such a wonderful biblical answer — it’s what i was about to comment with. We’ve all been warned. If you don’t prepare then it is on you and no one else.
some of us cannot prepare for it is stolen by the uncaring as we prepare. and, the ‘police’ always simply say ‘you have no proof it is stolen or who did it.’ That is ok. when the shit hits the fan those liars and thieves will be gone, and you good folks who were able to prepare for your families will have a few less maggots to concern yourselves with.
GOD bless!
This is a tricky conundrum. You’re damned if you do and your damned if you don’t. As a reader of your blog site and a few others- my opinion is in the relm of how can you utilize your neighbors and family members to benefit of your safety without being over run by the needs of all? I have family that unfortunately think I am on the fringe although I am a medical professional with a nurse practioner degree currently working in anesthesia. They are aware of my martial arts background and religious morality, so they rely on me for adice and protection. I have observed that most of my in-laws are good people but are unwilling to prepare even for the simplistic of disasters until the last minute.
I have come to terms with this and realize that this will be something that I will have to coordinate and tale controll of last minute. Then like the “Walking Dead” series I leave it it God’s hands to give me the patients and wisdom again to coordinate the chaos while stlooking trying get to maintain a low profile. I have also made friends with a few neighbors who I would willingly go to bat for without question due to the kindness of their assistance in keeping a watchful eye over the neighborhood. This has not gone unnoticed by myself. I am trying to keep up with multiple facets of training and prepping behind the scenes and have spent a fortune to the sacrifice of vacations, etc… It boils down to safety in numbers and keeping a low profile (which I give priority for the future safety of my family). I wish everybody the best of luck when the SHTF and hope to see you on the other side.
God Bless
Michael
Folks, stay out/ don’t pry in other people’s personal biz. This incl. relatives esp. A friend warned me and others to never get involved with other’s personal lives, ask Q, or push others because it may threaten your family later on, long ago when the prepping craze started in the early ’80’s. People will do crazy things to feed themselves or others. Don’t even tell your close circle friends what you have/plans. If anyone wants to donate items, do it thru a third party (mission, church, community).
“They don’t believe the economy could ever collapse or anything could ever happen to the power grid. These people aren’t “bad,” they’re just clueless. “
Yes they are bad people and they will get you killed.
If the last few months hasn’t registered as a ‘clue’……they are beyond help.
I’m dealing right now with my husband’s friend that is not finding canning supplies…I gave him 4 boxes of wide mouth lids but only because he gave me tomatoes that made 9 quarts canned….we’re even in my book. No more wide mouth for him…I have shoe boxes of regular–he needs to use regular jars or no more lids from me.
Oh, he found lids in his barn—HELLO!!! Yes, I told him not to use them.
I have had exactly that thing happen; my brother said just that when I advised him and his wife to use their wealth to prep. However, I have become somewhat estranged from him in the last several years anyway; but I don’t think that will stop him from trying to leech off us (the same is the case with my two other brothers as well).
What helps is that they live six hours away from us; I am assuming that when the shtf, people will have a great deal of difficulty traveling, especially very far; if there’s an emp, they’re on foot, and that’s a long way to walk!
the other difficulty I have is that my husband doesn’t feel the same way I do as far as my wanting to be obedient to Jesus Christ’s words admonishing us to take care of the poor, and that’s what all these people will become. I like the idea that the same people that hated me will now have great impetus to “reconcile” with me (although one wonders how authentic that will be), but at least we will have a bigger opportunity to deal with the issues between us.
so, I anticipate that I will want to share with my neighbors and he will be standing there with his guns warding them off, and we may have a problem between us. We do try to discuss this, and of course, I am praying about it as well. I know that the best plan is to seek to know God’s will for you in every situation you’re in and never to assume what you’re supposed to do; each person’s life is unique and God is doing something unique in each one’s life; thus no “rule of thumb” should be leaned upon.
Listen, please wake up ! Have any of you ever been to a third world nation ?? I have, and people will resort to savage principals when faced with hunger & homelessness ! I remember reading a lengthy report 2 years ago about a sociologist who was paid by the world government to gauge exactly how long it would take for it to all go to hell in a handbasket. The general consensus was it would take several months, then when his report came to their attention they discovered a hard fact. It would take less than 7 days !!!! That’s right, your good family that you have loved and your friends & neighbors will kill you in less than 4 days for your supplies ! Even he & his team were in shock at the cold hard facts. We are savage under this highly refined skin that we think we have. You think your never going to do anything that would result in bodily harm to another individual. YOU ARE WRONG !
You will kill for food if it comes down to it, prepping helps you retain your composure & your thought process. Knowing that you have 90% of the angles covered gives you a lead in the game. Because that is what it all is – A GAME ! Will I share?? Even that question behooves me. I do not think any of us truly has the answer to this. When faced with “moral” dilemma our thought process changes. I know that those that have scoffed at my preparedness will get nothing ! I have several people that I would save, the others are questionable. There is always a underlying power structure that we should be aware of. Some people want to take control no matter what. Most of todays society is this way. I look at it like this, I bought it all I decide how it is distributed. I am the power structure, end of argument. Hard core is my personality, I am a giving loving individual. Faced with violence I am your worst nightmare ! People will deceive you lie to you and backstab you. I have been self employed and the owner of my business for several decades I know from experience and fact. Remember being “WISE” comes from experience and from handling a vast amount of different personalities. Look out for those you love and the rest be dammed !Thank you !
ah yes. the “thin veneer of civilization.” a story from many years ago of a lady who would not let her son play with a neighbor boy because his dad kept guns in his house. enter the L.A. riots. guess who showed up on his doorstep, crying and begging for protection with her little boy in tow?
Failure to prepare today will increase the magnitude of your suffering tomorrow.
Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
Most everyone in America knows we are do for a catastrophic event.
There have been many events take place around the country already to prove that people should be better prepared.
There are those of us who are preparing and are prepared, there are those that will not prepare even though they have the financial means to do so, and they are also those that are so down and out and mentally Disturbed that they cannot prepare.
Preparation of supplies and training is a Monumental task.
We cannot be responsible for anyone else’s survival other than ourselves and our immediate family.
Rule of thumb, you have one person with one year supply of food, you bringing in another person and your supply is cut to 6 months for the two of you. You bring in two more people that cuts your food down to only 3 months for the four of you, etc.
Water, it takes one gallon of water per day per person for drinking, cooking, and bathing. See the progression?
You never can tell how long a particular disaster will last, and how long your supplies will last.
This is an actual situation that happened given to me by a group of Green Berets.
I’m pulling Door Guard Duty at a house or cabin, you see a 80 year old lady walking down the driveway to the cabin holding a 15 month old baby. She gets to the door and knocks you open the door and she’s begging for food for her and the baby.
if you give her food for her and the baby she will thank you turn and leave.
When she gets out of sight she meets up with a raiding party of which she is a member. The fact that you gave her food means you have enough food to be able to afford to give some away and a indication of a good Target to be raided.
They will start asking her questions such as did she smell food cooking, how many people did she see, how many men, how many women, and if there were any children, and if it were any dogs. What kind of weapons did they have, did she see electric lights inside the house did she hear a generator running etc.
The American people have not been trained to think this way and we must become more situational aware.
You my friend are very right !!! These people that write in are neophytes ! They have never been in any adverse situation so they do not have any knowledge as to how an enemy attack can happen.
A situation like you have described is the death kneel to the unknowledgeable. War is just what it says -WAR ! You keep your mouth shut about what you have and you take care of those that you love. KISS – keep it super simple ! Don’t talk don’t tell, secrecy is best when it comes to supplies !
Young males will be used as working Slaves & the females of age will become sex slaves & prostitutes if they expect to eat. All old people & males of any threatening age will be killed. That’s the real world of Survival. Survival is a Bitch! All complainers will be Killed!
If an old woman with a baby can knock on your door then your probably to close to the hoard of gimme me and then I will take everything you have locusts in the first place. If they can find you so can the military that invaded your country. Nice road leading to your subsistence farm? Nice of you to set up so others can take it. I got plenty of ammo and friends to protect it? Really against 100s, 1000s of people looking to survive and believe that they are entitled to everything?
Sounds like what you are saying is that if it’s not a disease that wipes out most of the population quickly, your trigger finger is going to get a real workout just to keep eating your own food. That would be a really steep learning curve. But hunger pangs have been known to make people charge head long into enemy fire before in history during time of war. In Biblical times Israel even resorted to cannibalism of their own children. Either way, with that many bodies laying around disease is going to set in fast.
When someone says they’ll come over when it hits the fan, my reply is, let me share the secret password to get in: I brought my own food. It is said like it was from a distance. That seems to get the message across.
You have a picture of a destitute looking family at the beginning of your article. The woman looks very haggard and maybe almost dead. The children are obviously hungry. The Dad desperate. If this family should show up at my door what would I do? Good question to think about now before we’re in a SHTF situation. Christian charity says share. Our survival says send them away. As much as I think it would break my heart to do so, I think I would have to send them packing. Why? Because if I give them a “care package”, and they go and blab to others where they got their minor provisions, every hurting person (some good and some bent on doing harm) in the whole area will be showing up at my door for a handout, or just to kill us. In a SHTF scenario, we can’t take the chance of word getting out we have provisions. It’s a tough call, but one that calls for us to do what doesn’t come natural, and that’s turning people in need away and making sure they get the message not to come back. God help us if it ever comes to this. The people in the car will be us if we give everything away, or we’ll be dead if our supplies are taken by force.
If you believe in God you better share- otherwise you are no better than the satanic bastards that are causing this nation to implode. Any preppers survival will depend on planning, luck, and Divine protection!! You share what you can without endangering your own .
I believe in God, and I can tell you that the supplies we have are for OUR family, not yours. We all had ample opportunity to prepare, failure to prepare on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part.
People who are prepared are going to have to flee to the mountains and share their resources with other prepared people. As to when it is time to go, I would be in a relationship with Jesus about that.
Noah was one Biblical example. However, we also have Joseph who stored grain in the years of plenty and saved his family who did not “prepare” in the days of famine.
The lamp oil is what the Bible says about this.
The people who haven’t prepared aren’t worried about it because someone always bails them out. Enables them. If the people who show up at your door are friends and relatives, remember this: they didn’t believe you or all the evidence in the past, they won’t follow your leadership now. They’ve also been laughing at you behind your back to their friends and neighbors and co-workers wherever they lived before, so how do you know they didn’t bring a raiding party with them, however inadvertently? They’ve ruined your opsec in their own circle, when they get to your place, why shouldn’t they do it to you? And to think that, after a lifetime of never having to grow a garden or tend to anything but themselves, don’t let them in your garden or your livestock. How will you replace the vegetables they ruin because they don’t know a dandelion from an oak tree, and don’t see what a big deal it is that they just killed a year’s worth of food. You can always get more, right?
Just “support your local food bank”, because it’s far better for any potentially new member of your household to go there first. Let the food bank verify their story, check things out.
And at Pat Riot – I notice that you say “you better share – otherwise you are no better…” but I don’t see you saying that YOU are going to share your stuff with ANYONE whatsoever. I also don’t hear you talking about how you volunteer at your food bank, or teach people any skills with money or canning or gardening. Sounds like you aren’t a real prepper, you just want to guilt other people into giving to you and taking care of you. Tell us how you can share without endangering your own. Teach us. Show us by your example.
I taught survival classes for years at a college. No one cared until 2008 when the markets crashed. then I had over 40 people in my class asking how do we prepare ??? It was not to late at that time…. but now is different !! There is very little food long term storage available. Then it could be 2 months before shipping !
The hour has been upon us for several months now, it is hard to acquire the basic needs to feed a family. I am sorry most were a sleep, but you have to turn off the toys and be diligent when your talking about surviving with a family.
The two safest ways to help are, One to give through a third party if possible to reserve your anonymity. Second do not out right give ,but barter for something of value even if it is chores to be done, this preserves the fact that what you give has value and not to be expected.
Good idea, Mickey. I like the idea of bartering for chores; if people are not only hungry but homeless, I like the idea of letting them camp at my place but making them work for the food. Make them build an outhouse for themselves and other “outbuildings” to better accomodate themselves, and then do the chores I normally have to do. Then they hopefully also become my little “army” to keep others out, so I don’t have to; they would naturally want to protect what they have acquired thru me.
what would mainly drive me to do this is that I believe that, if I truly believe in Jesus, and that I need to obey His commandments (love one another), I also need to trust Him in the sense that even if I give everything away to all that need, He will continue to faithfully take care of me. I think there’s more hope for survival in trusting God than in killing others to keep your stash. Everyone’s “crisis of faith” comes to them at one time or another……
I’m 70 tomorrow, stored food, etc, since 2008, have no habits that cost me money.
The first thing I thought when reading the first paragraph was …yes, I’ll help the unfortunate…then, wait, what if they do drugs, spend foolishly on junk, drink, or smoke, eat out constantly, party??
I have a scripture on my wall coming in from the garage…
Anyone who does not provide for his family has denied the faith and is worse than a non-believer. I Timothy 5:8
‘Nuff said. Now, I’ll read the article and comments.
Again, we never know……BUT, the food you have will not last long. The ones you choose to feed will tell others and it will be gone even sooner.
I have (15)5 gallon buckets of rice…water anyone?? I have (10) 30 gallon buckets of water.
This topic/quarry can not be answered…I can feed a lot of people with this but even this is not gonna last long when word gets out. I even have sugar in buckets and canned butter for this rice.
Some people will turn this down; great. More for others that actually know how to eat rice when they are hungry.
I think most Christians can be comfortable with the lesson of Noah in the Bible. God warned Noah. Noah prepared for his family and warned his neighbors. When the rain started, the doors were locked. DocFont
Don’t forget the marriage supper of the Lamb. No Oil….. It’s an even better example than Noah directed toward now and eternity. Jesus specifically speaks to the consequences of not being prepared.
We prepped with our OWN money, on our OWN time, and sacrificed so that we can take care of our OWN. Using the liberal logic, this amounts to going to the grocery store, spending your own money and then just hand it over to some slug that won’t work. We have some family members that we have invited in a SHTF scenario, but as for the rest, too bad, they will meet extreme denial.
We are at the end of the Biblical 6,000 years; and with this scamdemic we are witnessing the beginning of the devil’s final push. God’s people will prepare accordingly and trust in Him; there is no more need to enable “woke” panicked foolish people who won’t do anything to help themselves & their families beyond masks & social-distancing. God Himself will reach the point where He says “Let him that is holy be holy still and let him that is filthy be filthy still.” God will reach the end of His merciful patience with humanity and “bring it on”; but He has promised to protect His people who have prepared spiritually & physically. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because He knew its fate; the Christians in it believed His warning and escaped unscathed. God help us.
If YOU are an Adult Male & YOU did NOT Prepare for YOU & YOUR FAMILY then YOU & YOUR FAMILY WILL DIE unless YOU SELL YOUR WIFE & DAUGHTERS FOR SEX & YOUR SONS for SLAVE LABOR to Acquire FOOD & YOU can MAYBE LIVE WITH THAT because YOU LET YOUR FAMILY DOWN SELFISH PRICK!
The way I see it. If your a Christian, you would be wise to give food and water and essentials to anyone who asks of you. Its call being obedient and storing up treasures in heaven. If your afraid of dying , then you really aren’t living. This world is passing away and Jesus Christs 1000 year reign is approaching followed by eternity in glorious heaven. The Bible was written not just for reading BUT DOING. When that happens I believe you’ll have OIL in your Lamps. Your only one breath away from having to answer to the KING of KINGS on HOW you lived your short life on earth. Go out with glory , not a wimper.
yes, Ed, I agree; this will be a test for true believers, and will separate the sheep from the goats. But, if you trust the Lord, you would not expect to starve to death.
That would be fine & dandy but ……. not every one is a student of god ! You are to trusting in your approach!
You are the type of person that would do that and have the other person kill you ! Wake up and smell the coffee ! The world is a cesspool of human kind, not every one will enter heaven. If god is directing you to store up food & water for you & your loved ones, then that is a good thing. Being kind can get you killed! I have been in third world countries and if you are approached by the wrong type of person they truly will kill you for what you have !! I listen and obey god. Being kind is fantastic but I feel you have never been out in the real world !! I have been to 23 different countries, people are much ,much different in the REAL WORLD !
thank you for your common sense words, red coats. They are true for all nonbelievers. I must follow up on your statement: “If God is directing you…..”–that is the key concept for me. I will always be wanting to do what He directs me to do, whether it is to be the source of sustenance for others or to be totally dependent on Him thru others.
I have been “out in the world”; I lived abroad for a year and traveled by myself, as a single young girl. Also lived in “the big city” and ran around the city by myself. I always found Jesus intervening when there was potential trouble for me (which there often was), including life-threatening situations.
There is great reward in the peace and security of trusting God for your life and needs, as He has no limits and wins every battle!
Thank you for your comment ! Being A WOMAN HAS IT’S OWN DANGER IN THIS HELL BENT WORLD! Yes when you get out of Disneyland (the US) you find a stark representation of how cruel the real world is. I wish every citizen would do this, they would understand how precious freedom is ! The time is very late in as far as preparedness go’s. All hell is about to break loose, and those not prepared are going to suffer greatly. You just can not get it through there head that this is going to happen. Trusting in gods word is the first step toward your survival. Having skills is your next lesson, if this is all you have you are one step above others. You need to buy food right now !! Read history, they will starve people out to get you to submit to their draconian ways.
Anyone can prepare with just 20 dollars a week. Look up an article from a couple of years back, these people only spent $15 a week for extra food and in one year had acquired over 500 cans of food. Yes it does not taste as great as fresh but you can make it happen with spices and some know how! Quit spending money on frivolous things and buy FOOD !!! You will be thankful when this comes to fruition !
Christian or not, nobody knows how they’ll react until a crisis happens. Jesus said to hold fast to what we have, because we can slip and fall away for good. Hungry people won’t politely “ask”, like the average beggar outside a mall. Just imagine desperate strangers (or relatives) kicking your door down or breaking your windows to get at your food – they’ll fight and kill you before they walk away empty-handed. They won’t take just one meal’s worth, they’ll grab all they can… and return later with others. There’ll be no stopping them. Comes the time we will have to leave the unprepared to their own devices. This “time of trouble” will be a situation none of us have ever been in. We need the protection of angels.
your final comment said it all: “we need the protection of angels”. That is what I will count on.
I must differ with how you interpret Jesus’ words, in rev. 3:11 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”. He meant to hold fast to your level of faith and trust in Him–your salvation, in effect, and the spiritual growth to which you’ve attained, such that you won’t lose your reward, which is given to those that persevere in the faith.
I also agree with you that we really don’t know how we will act at the time; it all depends on how much faith we really have, which is probably much less than we’d like to think we have…..
But, to allow for the discussion on practicality, I should add that I have considered a “proactive” approach, which would be to lay a certain amount of food out beyond our gates every day, such that someone can expect to find food every day, and I imagine they won’t tell anyone about their small resource. I also know that it isn’t wrong to kill someone in order to defend your life, so if it came down to that……