November 27, 2024

Posts Comments

Where Should I Start, and What Should I do Next?

January 14, 2014 by

Road Sign

Prepared Christian will be 4 years old in October of this year. In that time, I have written the majority of 400+ articles, covering a wide range of topics related to survivalism/preparedness and Christianity as it relates to the two topics. I have had several people in the last few months say they were new to preparedness and were looking for help on where to start. I have covered a lot of information on this site. I can imagine that going through it and finding the things that apply to someone new could be daunting. I also know there are readers who’ve been prepping for a bit longer but are looking for next steps.

To help these people along, I am going to be posting some new articles and pointing to some previous articles that I think are important. For some of you, this information will obviously be stuff you know. You may have already read the articles I point to. If that is the case, please add your thoughts on the topic. I will eventually be covering topics that are geared more toward the seasoned Prepper.

This is going to be a lot of reading, more than some of you will have time to complete before I make the next post. If you fall a bit behind, or just want to refresh your memory at some point, I will be updating the Get Started page with any new posts.

I never tell people what to do. I simply tell you what I have learned; what worked for me and what didn’t. Take what you like, and discard the rest.

To me the cornerstone of preparedness is knowledge, with that in mind here are some topics that all Prepper’s should have an understanding of.

 
Acronyms, Mottos and Phrases

There are many terms in preparedness that are used on various sites. I explain their meaning in this article.
 

Why I Prepare

Whether it is to have an answer for someone who asks or to remind yourself when you get burned out, I think it is important to define for yourself why you’re preparing. In this article I give you the reasons why I prepare.
 

The Ten Commandments of Preparedness

The Ten Commandments given in the Bible have guided many cultures. I believe that the ten commandments of preparedness can guide us to successful preparedness.
 

NPE Syndrome – Not Prepared Enough

A fairly normal response when someone “wakes up” and realizes how fragile society is and that they are “Not Prepared Enough” is to begin to worry and panic. In this article I try to give some encouragement, and let you know that feeling this way is normal, and that you shouldn’t worry.
 

Being Gray

“Being gray”, in OPSEC (Operational Security) terms, means blending in and not drawing undue attention to the fact that you prepare. I give some reasons why in this article.

 
Ten Common Mistakes Prepper’s Make

Sometimes knowing what not to do is just as important as what you should do. Here are ten common mistakes that Prepper’s sometimes make.

 
What if Nothing Ever Happens?

In this article I make the point that we should not just prepare for specific events, but take a more general approach to preparedness. The people who prepared only because of Y2K might have felt like they wasted time and money. If they had been more generally prepared, they would have seen Y2K as just another potential event.

 
Levels of Hitting the Fan

In this article I make the point that there are varying levels of the stuff hitting the fan. What is a minor event for one could be a total meltdown for others.

 
Disaster Probability

In this article I draw a correlation between the size of events and the area that they occur. For instance, one of the most common events is job loss. When it happens, it really only affects the family of the person that lost their job. On the other hand, the chance of an EMP is very low but if we did see one, it would affect a very large percentage of the country.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Getting Started, Mind Set

The Survival Summit

January 10, 2014 by

Before I get to today’s article I want to let you know about a great sale on Lindon Farms from Ready Made Resources, and a 24 hour free shipping event on everything in stock from Camping Survival, on orders over $150.
 
Ready Made Resources

For the first time Lindon Farm’s is allowing Ready Made Resources to have a 40% off sale. You can save in Entrees, Vegetables, Fruits, Meats, even Beverages. The sale will run from January 12 – 24. If you’re in the market for freeze dried foods, this could be a great opportunity to stock up.
 

Camping Survival

Camping Survival is offering free shipping on orders of $150 and over until 12:01AM Saturday.


 

The Survival Summit

I recently found something pretty cool that I want to bring to your attention! There is a “Survival Summit” being held online! It is absolutely free and will run from January 20th, 2014 – January 25th, 2014. It features 25 preparedness/survival experts, many of whom I have followed for some time.

Many of you will be at work or busy and won’t be able to attend. While I don’t have all of the details yet, they will be offering some or all of the videos of the presenters for purchase. In the interest of full disclosure, while the live presentations are free, if you’ve registered through Prepared Christian and make a purchase, I will receive a commission for the sale. If you plan to attend, I would greatly appreciate it if you sign up through the images below. That way, if you decide to make a purchase, you’ll receive an informative video and be supporting Prepared Christian at the same time!

The following is a list of the presenters for the various days. You can go to the Survival Summit to get more information on what the speakers will be covering. Many of these are interesting to me and I’ll attend as many as I can!
 
Day 1 – January 20th 2014

  • Training Your Mind To Think Clearly In Life Or Death Scenarios – Travis Haley
  • How To Grow All Your Own Food, Without Irrigation… Even If You Live In A Dry Climate – Paul Wheaton
  • Locating The Perfect Survival Retreat or Homestead – Marjory Wildcraft
  • Top 10 Off-The-Grid Cooking Solutions In A World Without Power (Indoors & Outdoors) – Tess Pennington
  • How To Survive A Nuclear Event & The Spreading Fallout – Dr. Hubbard

Day 2 January 21st 2014

  • How To Make Your Own Biodiesel When The Fuel Pumps Stop Working – Graydon Blair
  • Off-The-Grid Food Preservation Techniques For When Your Stove & Freezers Stop Working – Lisa Lynn
  • Urban Foraging: How To Search A City For All The Food & Medicine You’d Ever Need – Nicole Telkes
  • How To Fortify Your Home & Property From Looters – Jim Cobb
  • Top 5 Bug Out Mistakes Everyone Makes And How To Not Fall Victim To Them – Jeff Anderson

Day 3 January 22nd 2014

  • How To Escape From Unlawful Restraint & Evade Capture – Chance Sanders
  • Two- And Four-Man Tactics for Repelling Armed Gangs – James Yeager
  • Trapping Strategies For Harvesting Creeks, Streams, & Woodlands For All The Wild Game You Can Eat – Bruce “Buckshot” Hemming
  • How To Treat Burns, Breaks, & Traumatic Injuries When The Paramedics Aren’t Coming – David Pruett
  • How To Grow Enough Protein To Feed 22 Adults A Year… In A 20×20 Foot Space – Nick Klein

Day 4 January 23rd 2014

  • 47 Tips, Tricks, & Inventions For Developing An Off-Grid Water & Energy Plan – Scott Hunt
  • When The Medicine Is Gone: How To Use Herbal Medicine As A Replacement For Many Drugs & Prescription Medications – Sam Coffman
  • The Darker Side Of Self Defense: Protecting Your Mind From The Effects Of Traumatic Violence – EJ Ownens
  • The Battle Tested Gear You’ll Want With You In A Post-Collapse Gunfight – Jake O’Dell
  • Grow All Your Family’s Food While Spending Less Than 1 Hour Per Day In The Garden – Marjory Wildcraft

Day 5 January 24rd 2014

  • How To Survive In An Urban Environment After A Societal Collapse – Kevin Reeve
  • Constructing A Bullet-Resistant Safe Room – GM
  • How to Store and Generate Emergency Power for your Home – Steve Harris
  • DIY Methods For Heating Your Home With 1/10 The Wood Or Even NO Wood… Even In Northern Climates – Paul Wheaton
  • Alternative Dentistry: How To Care For & Treat Dental Problems In Regions Without Dentists – Doug Simmons

Day 6 January 25th 2014

  • The 2nd Most Important Item In A Bug-Out Bag And How To Use It To Build 10 Life Saving Items In A Pinch – Joe Nobody
  • How To Find Like-Minded Group Members For Your Retreat – Charley Hogwood
  • Extreme Composting: How To Turn The World’s Most Foul & Nasty Things Into Black Gold – David Goodman
  • How To Legally Make Alcohols For Fuel & Barter – Josh Bayne
  • How To Build and Use a Root Cellar for Crisis-Proof Food Storage – Steve Maxwell

 

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: General Preparedness

Five Must Have Items, Each Under Five Bucks

January 8, 2014 by

Five Must Have Items Each Under Five Bucks

Stocking up on preparedness items can get expensive, so I thought I would give you a list of five items that you should have in your supplies that are less than $5 each. Remember though that “two is one, and one is none.” Even if you have one of these items, for the sake of redundancy, you might consider getting another.

 
Bleach

We only use bleach for the occasional load of laundry and to clean the kennel from time to time. However, bleach can be used as a disinfectant and could be used for cleaning in a survival situation.

It isn’t my first choice as a water purifier, but unscented bleach can be used to do so.

If tap water is clear:
1. Use bleach that does not have an added scent (like lemon).
2. Add 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops or about 0.75 milliliters) of household liquid bleach to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water.
3. Mix well and wait 30 minutes or more before drinking.
If tap water is cloudy:
1. Use bleach that does not have an added scent (like lemon).
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon (16 drops or 1.5 milliliters) of household liquid bleach to 1 gallon (16 cups) of water.
3. Mix well and wait 30 minutes or more before drinking.

Keep in mind that this will only kill bacteria and virus and will not remove any other harmful chemicals.

 
Duct Tape

Duct tape is one of the items I don’t think you can have too much of. It can be used: to close small cuts, to repair a BOB, as impromptu handcuffs, to temporarily patch a broken window, for temporary automotive repairs and on and on.

In short, if it is moving or is leaking and it shouldn’t be, duct tape is often a solution.

 

Pack of Lighters

Obviously an item used for baking. (Chris has a nasty sweet tooth at times. ~Trudee) Ok, for starting a fire. Sure having the knowledge of starting a fire without a lighter is a good idea. However, while a bow drill, flint, and the other multitude of ways for making flame are effective, they are not nearly as efficient as a lighter.

I think there should be a lighter in each vehicle as part of a car kit, in each BOB and a few around the house.

 

Manual Can Opener

If you have commercially canned food in your pantry, you would be wise to have one or two of these around. They are not all made equal. I have used several and only think one or two were worth owning.

As with making flame, there are other means of opening a can. I have seen people use a hammer and screw driver, a concrete median and other ways, but in a grid down situation, a manual can opener is the most efficient way to get the job done.

 

Petroleum Jelly

This is another item that has many uses. It can be applied to very dry skin to moisturize, to keep skin from chaffing and it can be applied to exposed skin in cold or windy areas to protect it against the elements. When applied to a cotton ball it can be used to pack a bloody nose, or to start a fire!

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Preparedness Tips

Living Ready Pocket Manual: First Aid

January 6, 2014 by

Living Ready Pocket Manual First Aid

Today I am going to talk to you about Dr. James Hubbard’s (AKA The Survival Doctor ) new book, Living Ready Pocket Manual: First Aid, which is being released today. I received an advanced copy and am really impressed with it. This isn’t the typical first aid book that just explains how to stop bleeding, how to do CPR or how to address burns. This book is clearly written by a person, in this case a doctor, who is a prepper. Dr. Hubbard covers the usual topics you would expect but he also covers how to disinfect water, bone and joint injuries, how to treat gunshot wounds and bites from a variety of animals and insects.

The main thing I like about this book is how he covers the supplies you should have in your first aid kit. He not only lists the item and quantity he thinks you should have but also gives notes on the item, and also lists alternative items. For instance, he lists cotton balls; in the notes he says that cotton balls are great for packing a nosebleed, and that adding petroleum jelly will make for easier insertion. He adds that cotton balls with petroleum jelly make great fire starters as well! For alternatives he lists tampons or strips of cloth for nasal packing.

He does list some items that are fairly advanced, and I asked him about this. You can read his response in the Q and A section.

I like that he lists multiple ways that items can be used with alternatives because many of us who don’t have the training might not think of using duct tape or super glue to close small cuts.

Dr. Hubbard does a fantastic job of explaining symptoms, as well as how to treat a wide variety of wounds, bites, burns, illnesses and reactions. Like any book, the information does you little good after or during an emergency. I highly recommend getting some basic training and reading books like this one now. That way you have the information and can use the book as a reference during treatment if needed.
 
I had the chance to ask Dr. Hubbard a few questions, here they are.

Chris: What would you say are the top five medical emergencies the average person should know how to treat?

Dr. Hubbard: Good question. They may vary according to the situation you’re most likely to be in—for instance, a car accident, a flood, a snowstorm, a camping trip, or just hanging around the house. And, of course, there are situations where expert help is a 911 call away and times when it’s not. Here are five pretty common problems no matter the situation.

First, a cut. The immediate lifesaving treatment here is to know how to stop the bleeding. Everything else can wait.

Second, a burn. Know that the first thing to do is cool it. Then what to do afterward.
Then there are sprains and broken bones. Many times it’s impossible to tell the difference, but the initial treatment is the same.

For head trauma, you need to know the danger signs of a really bad trauma and how to properly move someone if they’re not fully conscious and you can’t rule out a concurrent neck injury.
Finally, chest pain. Know the warning signs of a heart attack, and know CPR and how to use an automatic external defibrillator—AED.

I’d like to add that the odds for which type of emergency will happen can depend on what diseases you or the people you’re around might have, such as diabetes, heart disease, seizures, etc.

Chris: I really like how you laid out the first aid supplies; listing the amount and the alternatives. If someone is just starting to build their first aid kit, what are the most important items to purchase?

Dr. Hubbard: Forgo anything fancy and make sure you get items you know how to use. Some of the basics would be gauze, tapes, Band-Aids, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone ointment, scissors, a lighter or matches, and safety pins. There are so many things you can do with a few safety pins. And, of course you know I’d say a good medical manual. Equipment that you don’t know how to use is useless.

Chris: Some of the items you listed are a little more advanced than someone with basic first aid knowledge. Something I have thought about was having more advanced gear on hand, in hopes there might be someone with advanced medical training who just needs more gear. What are your thoughts?

Dr. Hubbard: That’s a great idea. In fact, if you know someone like that around, ask what they’d advise you to have. I’d say, some scalpels, suture and a suture holder. It would be nice to have syringes with needles, IV fluids—with tubing and catheters or butterfly needles to start the IV—injectable antibiotics, and lidocaine, but all of those require prescriptions. And, like in the question about common emergencies, if someone has a specific disease, there might be specific supplies that you’d need.

Chris: Once someone has taken a basic first aid, CPR and AED class, what would you recommend for the next level of training?

Dr. Hubbard: The basic, hands-on courses go a long way. Be sure to take a refresher course every few years. Next, you could check with your local fire department about what training is available if you volunteer. And, early this year, I’m going to have available several multimedia courses I’m really excited about. Just stay tuned to my blog.

Chris: One of the big events that most concerns me is a pandemic. I believe that imposing a self-quarantine is one of the best defenses. How can we know when the time is right to impose a self-quarantine? If we go too early, as many did during H1N1, we risk taking sick days and pulling kids from school. If we do it too late, we run the risk of exposing ourselves while we wait.

Dr. Hubbard: Well, you could check the CDC.gov website which could tell you their statistics on how widespread the disease is and how fast it’s spreading. And just be aware of what’s going on around you. One more thing would be to check any local websites you trust.

Every few years there’s a flu scare, but most don’t become pandemics. However, there have actually been about five flu pandemics over the last 100 years. The last was in 2009 to ’10—H1N1. And, of course, there’s always a chance of other new viruses that are even more dangerous.

If you have the luxury, I’d suggest staying in as much as you can any time a lot of people around you start getting sick or you start hearing reliable news that something bad is going around. Keep your kids home from school a day or two. Either the scare will blow over quickly and they can catch up, or you’ll find enough facts to keep them, and you, in longer.
 
Closing

I have a few first aid books and am glad this one is in the collection. I’ve followed Dr. Hubbard for a while, and am not surprised at all by the high quality of this book. If you are wondering what supplies you should have at home, in your BOB, or are in the marked for a solid book on first aid, I recommend looking into this one for sure!

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Medical and First Aid

Have We Been Warned to Flee America?

January 1, 2014 by

Have We Been Warned to Flee America

We normally prepare for possible future events. For Christians, those possibilities should always include the biblically prophetic. That said, if you knew that a major, nation-changing, prophecy-fulfilling event were to occur in your lifetime, an event that would forever change America and alter the course of the world, would it change how you prepare?

Trudee and I recently read a book called The End of America. It is my opinion that every Christian should read this book and do their own study, pray on it and see if they come to the same conclusion as the author John Price has.

I have received many emails over the years, commenting on how America is not mentioned in the Bible. I usually say something to the effect that many nations are not mentioned, that for America to be unmentioned only means that it’s not a key player in the end times. When I look at the world as it is today, I wonder what would it take for the world’s only superpower to be absent? One thing I have considered is that something would have to be done to remove the USA as a defender of Israel from the armies and allies of Gog and Magog. This book offers a very plausible explanation.

The book covers so much information that there is no way I can touch on everything. I will cover key points and give my take on a few things. I also want to say that while I do read the Bible every day, I did not attend seminary and have an intermediate level of understanding. For this reason, I have a favor to ask; join with me in a study of this subject. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “Trust but verify.” I think it is prudent to study the topic John Price brings to light. While Mr. Price has done most of the legwork, it’s absolutely essential that we all verify through study and prayer how this translates to our lives.

I don’t want this study to go on in the comments of this blog post. It would get too cluttered and hard to follow. I have created a new section on the Prepared Christian forum, called “Have We Been Warned to Flee America?”. It requires people to sign up and I have to manually approve each membership. This makes things a little slower to get rolling, but it is the only way I can keep the spammers and hackers from posting their filth. Your membership will not be approved immediately, but I will be keeping a close eye on the forum this week to approve memberships. If I reject your membership, please send me an email to let me know. I have roughly 50 spammers creating accounts every day and sometimes I reject a legitimate membership by accident. You will need to log into the forum to be able to see the “Have We Been Warned to Flee America?” forum, once logged in you will find it under the Preparedness forum. You can get to the forum by clicking on the link above.

Mr. Price offers a lot of material on his site, the EndofAmericaBook.com. One item he offers is called PROPHECY 101: A Brief History of Prophetic Interpretation and another is Hebrew and Greek Annotation about the Daughter of Babylon verses.. He also offers a study guide, which I didn’t know about until we were almost finished with the book, that he gives away. He has given me permission to host a copy, which you can download by clicking here. If you need the study guide as another file type, please email me at Chris (at) preparedchristian (dot) net, and I will take care of it.

I have asked John Price if he would be willing to answer questions on the blog post and on the forum. He has agreed to do so. If you have a question for him, please ask and he may answer.

The Kindle version of The End of America is available for $.99 and should be affordable for most of us. You don’t need a Kindle to read kindle books, Amazon offers free Kindle software that allows you to read it on your PC. Click this link to download a free copy of the kindle software.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you read this article: I am a skeptical by nature. I like to have things proven to me. I like to see how people come to their decisions. When people make claims about the Bible or prophesy I scrutinize them even more. There are just too many false teachers who want to tickle ears to take anything on face value without scripture to support it. Mr. Price gives scripture to back up his findings. It is up to us to verify and see if we come to the same conclusion. He also gives several verses from the Koran when he explains the “religion of peace”.

 
The End of America

The book starts off looking at prophesy, specifically those dealing with the end times. It touches on Israel, and the timing of the Jews again entering the Holy Land in the form of their own nation, Israel.

Mr. Price explains that Israel getting its homeland back as well as the revived Roman Empire (the European Union) are two key prophesy events pointing to us being in the end times.
 

The Religion of Peace

In chapter two, entitled “The Religion of Peace”, Mr. Price gives a brief history of Islam. He follows the history of Muhammad and the creation of Islam, following the roots of Jihad through Wahabism, which is the dominant form of Islam in Saudi Arabia. What the Wahabists believe is explained and many examples of worldwide terrorism are given.

Muslim End times prophesies are given. I have studied these a bit from other sources as well. When you consider them along with the Christian End times prophesies, it is as if you’re looking at two sides of the same coin. The Twelfth Imam or the Mahdi is their Messiah, and is a great political and military leader. Mr. Price makes the connection, calling the Twelfth Imam the Antichrist.

The Caliphate is also spoken of. The Caliph is the united religious leader of all of Islam. It was abolished in 1924 by Turkey. However, there have been calls from some countries to have it restored. This would greatly help in establishing a one world religion.

 
The Mystery and Identity of the Daughter of Babylon

I have received emails about the possibility of the United States being the Daughter of Babylon. It is a topic that has interested me but is something I haven’t had time to research. There are several prophesies from both the Old and New Testaments listed, giving the Greek definition of some words to better understand the verse. In fact, here are (–LINK Hebrew and Greek Annotation about the Daughter of Babylon verses.–) (Warning: There are 223 verses on 69 pages).

There have been many claims as to what the Daughter of Babylon is. I have heard claims of the ancient city of Babylon, Rome and even the Catholic Church or New York City. Mr. Price gives 23 clues and the scriptures for each as to what the Daughter of Babylon is. Here are just a few:

• Is the Daughter of Babylon the same as the Mother of Babylon?
• The Hammer of the Whole Earth
• A Latter Day Nation
• A Nation of Wealth and Luxury
• You who live on many waters
• Center of World Commerce
• The Great Voice
• They are Mad Upon Your Idols
• Where other Nations Gather
• She Has Been Proud Against the Lord

The above list is only 10 of the 23 clues. Mr. Price goes into these clues in detail, explaining why he believes America fits the description as the Daughter of Babylon, and why these verses rule out other countries and entities. These clues are very helpful, as is his explanation of how various scriptures just can’t be applied to certain places like ancient Babylon or Rome. If you believe that the Daughter of Babylon is in fact ancient Babylon, Rome or some other place or entity, please read his book and see how his arguments stack up.

 
How Does God View The Daughter of Babylon?

In this chapter the immorality of the Daughter of Babylon is mentioned, they are:

• Abortion
• Pornography
• Adultery/Divorce
• Same Sex Marriage
• Violence
• Drug Culture
• Witchcraft
• Sumptuous, Self-Indulgent Lifestyles
• Other Abomination

 
Summarization of the Future of America

This article is getting a little long, so I am going to summarize a few key points that need to be made. Mr. Price mentions a book called Eye to Eye, Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel. This book lists several times over the last twenty years where America has tried to force Israel to give up land and explains how God has judged us each and every time, usually within a single day. These are natural disasters, from Katrina to the economic crash in 2008. I’ve heard these claims before and was skeptical, but when we ask Israel to give up land twenty times and each of those twenty times, we face historic weather events and economic ruin, well, let’s just say I’m more of a believer now.

There is prophesy starting in Ezekiel 38, where Gog and Magog along with a host of other nations attack Israel. I’m not going to go into great detail, but Mr. Price describes how Russia, Iran and many other nations may attack Israel, and how America will turns its back on her, ignoring the treaty we’ve had for many years.

Because of this, God curses America, lifting the protection He has provided for so many years. Mr. Price goes on to explain that the Jihadists have asked for and have been granted permission from their clerics to use nuclear weapons on Americans. They have also attained a nuclear Fatwa, which is added as attachment A to The End of America. He also explains that Jihadists could seek nuclear weapons from Pakistan, Iran, North Korea, Libya and Russia.

In Revelation 18:8 we’re told:

“Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Mr. Price explains how from scripture he believes that multiple nuclear detonations on key American cities including:

• America’s national capitol – Washington DC
• America’s financial capital – New York
• America’s major oil refineries
• America’s cultural pollution capitol – Hollywood, Las Vegas, Los Angeles
• For good measure the major centers of commerce, Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Boston and so on.

As he points out it, it would take more than just a few nukes to bring down America, so he believes there will be an EMP as well. While true terrorist groups don’t have the missile capabilities to put a nuclear tipped missile into the American ionosphere, they could purchase missiles easier than they could the nuclear bomb to arm it. Both could be purchased from countries that are not friendly to America and, as I have covered in other articles, the nuke doesn’t need to be launched from a country thousands of miles away. They could load the nuke on a specially fitted cargo ship and launch it a hundred miles off of the coast of the USA. He says that this could result in millions of deaths during and immediately following the attack. Those not killed will face radiation sickness and a lack of food.

Mr. Price spends a chapter explaining that God demands an accounting for innocent blood. He notes that in the 38 years since abortion was legalized, there have been roughly 700,000 homicidal deaths, and in that same timespan there have been roughly 53,000,000 (or 75 babies for every person) murdered.

He makes note that God says in Numbers 25:33:

“Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.”

He makes the point that because of the innocent blood of millions of babies, God demands an accounting and we could lose just as many American lives.
 

Warning to Leave the Daughter of Babylon

Mr. Price says there are nine separate warnings to flee and lists the verses for them. Seven of them to Christians and nine to Jews, commanding His people to flee the Daughter of Babylon.

He also explains that the “religion of peace” will give the rest of the world a warning to accept Islam or suffer the same fate as America. Mr. Price explains how Christians will be executed in the last days and asks who beheads people in the modern day? That’s correct, the “religion of peace”. Mr. Price then gives a brief history explaining why Muslims behead people.

We are given a history of Christians and Jews immigrating to other countries to flee religious persecution. Mr. Price spends a chapter covering what a Christian might look for in a new homeland.

John Price is not a prepper. In emailing, he said he sees it as something contrary to following Gods command to flee. I happen to disagree with John. I believe that God has called many of us to prepare. Even if I come to same conclusion Mr. Price has, deciding to leave America, I will still prep where ever I live. I’m not preparing just for the downfall of America, I prepare for the myriad of things that can and do happen every day, up to and including unemployment, floods and wildfires.

 
My Take:

Trudee and I spent a lot of time talking about the possibility of America being the Daughter of Babylon, and the implications from it. I knew early on that this was something I wanted to talk to all of you about. To be honest, while I think my Biblical knowledge is above average, it isn’t deep enough to answer the important questions I have. I know I need to study this material and I am hoping some of you will be willing to read the book and study it along with me.

If we come to a different conclusion than Mr. Price did, we’ve only wasted a small bit of time and will gain Biblical knowledge. If, however, we come to the same conclusions, there are some very, very big implications we must face.

I love America. I thank God frequently for the privilege of being born here. The thought of moving to another country saddens and overwhelms me. I honestly have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. However, while I have a very hard time hearing God’s voice in the moment, there have been two times where I have clearly known He was telling me this: “Do not put your love of country before me!” The first time was a few years ago, the second was while reading this book.

Are we considering moving? We want to be obedient. If further prayer and study tells us that the USA is in fact the daughter Babylon, yes, we’ll consider it or more.

Trudee and I were talking about the implications of this book and decided that we first needed to make sure we came to the same conclusions after study and prayer. We decided if we came to the same conclusion, we had to make the choice to leave or face the coming destruction. I felt convicted. When the God of the Universe tells you to do something, there isn’t an “if you want to” attached to it. It is a command!

If the scriptures on the Daughter of Babylon and the commands to leave are, in fact, aimed at America, the commands are no different than the commands God gave the Jews when taking them to the Promised Land. Remember what happened when they disobeyed?

I have studied prophecy and I have spent considerable time researching, thinking about and writing on what effect various threats may impact America. I have seen quotes by numerous American leaders, some in very high positions saying that it is not “if”, but “when” America is attacked with nuclear weapons (conventional or dirty bombs).

I believe it is very possible, if not probable that nuclear weapons could be smuggled in via ship, as only 3% of cargo is inspected. They could also be brought in through our ridiculously porous borders. I also know that EMP is a very real concern and is something our government is worried about.

There are some consequences to a nuclear attack that were not mentioned. The main one is the damage to nuclear power plants. They have generators that will run the cooling systems, with enough diesel to run for two weeks. If, after those two weeks, the power is not restored or more diesel brought in, we will see multiple Fukushima’s all over the country.
 

Closing

I hope you’ll get a copy of this book and join me in the forum to study and pray over these issues. If you join in reading this book and the study of the related scripture, please continually be asking for the Fathers guidance and wisdom for us as a group.

 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Christian World View, General Preparedness, Signs of the Times

Two Points of Interest, a Personal Update and Requests

December 30, 2013 by

Today I want to fill you in on a couple things you might find interesting and I have a couple personal requests.

Free online Permaculture Design Course

I found this on facebook and thought some of you would really enjoy it. It is an online, self-paced 72+ hour program. If you have any interest in permaculture this could be well worth taking. I hope it’s available when I have more free time.

Here are some of the items covered.

• Natural building construction
• Pattern observation and site analysis
• Renewable energy and appropriate technology
• Reading the land and natural cycles
• Rainwater harvesting and conservation
• Soil regeneration and land restoration
• Passive and active solar design
• Food forests, trees, and garden design
• Greywater considerations and system design
• Business and financial permaculture
• Waste recycling and treatment
• Urban permaculture for sustainable cities

If you take the course I would love some feedback!

 

Gainsville Coins Info Graphic

I was contacted by the folks at Gainsville coins. They let me know about an info graphic they’ve created about junk silver. Junk silver is change that is usually pre-1965. They give lots of tips on how to spot it, how much it’s worth and so on.

 

Personal Update and Requests

I want to thank you for your prayers! The surgery went well and I am on the mend. I’ll be on crutches for another week or two but things seem to be healing nicely. While Trudee has been a huge blessing, I think we’re both ready for me to be done with the crutches.

 
New Website To Watch

Todd from The Prepper Website has started a new site called Top Prepper Sites. Unlike some of the other ranking sites that use Google and other analytics to measure traffic, this site’s rankings are purely visitor driven. If you think Prepared Christian is one of the best prepper sites, please take the time to vote for me whenever you read an article (you can vote more than once and the numbers reset each week). There will be a link at the bottom with the following request “Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!”

 
Donations

My last topic isn’t something that is comfortable for me to bring up. I have been unemployed for some time now and unemployment insurance has run out. I’m having no luck getting back into my field.

The costs for maintaining this site used to be no problem. With finances getting even tighter I have a request; please prayerfully consider giving a portion of your tithe as a donation to Prepared Christian. There are two ways to give; by clicking on the donate button on the top left, or, if you would like to get something back for your money, you can join the Preparedness Club. The Preparedness Club offers discounts for nearly 20 preparedness business and each membership enters you in a drawing for a monthly prize! A 1 year membership is $40 and a monthly membership is $4.
Anything you give will be humbly appreciated.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and have a safe and Happy New Year!

Chris

 

Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as a top Prepper site!
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Tidbits

Christmas Spirit

December 24, 2013 by

Spirit of Christmas

This is the time of year that was chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus. As the song goes, “born is the king of Israel.” God chose to send us His only son, giving us the gift of eternal life. I think that satan uses everything in his power to cloud that, and to take the focus away from it.

We cling to traditions, both secular and religious. We get hung up on what presents we’re going to give and receive. For some, Christmas might have just lost its luster. Maybe that’s because we hear the same songs and we see the same shows on TV year after year.

Others might say that Christmas has been commercialized or that the time of year that we celebrate the birth of our savior isn’t when He was actually born. Both of these are valid claims, but if we’re not careful we can unintentionally take away from the awe of this gift.

Please don’t misunderstand, traditions are important, the receiving of and giving gifts is not a bad thing. But they can and do take over as the reason for the celebrating. I was guilty of this for many years. Then I went to the other extreme, being frustrated that people refused to say “Merry Christmas” and said “Happy Holidays” instead. I wasn’t a total bahumbugger, but gave scrooge a run for his money.

Now I try not to take on how others deal with Christmas. It is between them and God. If they say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”, that’s ok. But I’m also not going to worry if they’re offended by my wishing them a “Merry Christmas”.

There were some traditions over the years that caused stress, so I stopped doing them. I realize that some traditions are incredibly important to some people but Christmas is supposed to be joyful! If there are some traditions that cause stress and ruin the spirit of the celebration, pray about and consider stopping them.

I treat Christmas like I do Veterans Day. I am thankful for the men and women who have served our country every day. I often thank vets for their service throughout the year, but on Veterans Day I make it a point to tell vets “Thank you!” Likewise, I am grateful for the gift of Christ every day. I praise Him throughout the year, giving thanks for all of my blessings every day. On Christmas, I make a point to thank God for Immanuel, God with us!

Merry Christmas everyone!
 
Please click here to vote for Prepared Christian as one of the top prepper sites. Thank you!
If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Christian World View

Ham Radio | How to Get Your License

December 19, 2013 by

This article was written by my friend Pj and posted on her blog Survival For Blondes, and you can find the original article here, and is being posted with her permission.  I don’t have  my HAM but want to eventually use this info to get it.  This is the one medium of communication that can’t be completely controlled.

 

Ham Radio | How to Get Your License
 
Ham radio is trending … and Preppers know why. During a disaster, normal communications can fail and cellphone towers may get jammed. Your ham radio will keep you in contact with ham operators all over the world, even with astronauts in space.

But before you delve into the world of handhelds, transceivers, amplifiers, and antennas … you need a license. Technically, you don’t need one to listen, and in an emergency who’s gonna check your license, but you might as well do it right.

The FCC license is free, with about a $15 fee to take the exam. Your own budget will determine how much you spend on online courses, books & study aids.

 

Here’s how to get ready for the exam:

1) Get a book from the library | We love Technician Class by Gordon West. The ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay League) recommends The Ham Radio License Manual. Both are available on Amazon if you want your own.

2) Pick a study method (included in each of the above books) | There are only 35 questions on the exam; you must get 26 of them right. But there’s a pool of 394 questions, so plan on doing some studying.

3) Find An Exam Session on the ARRL website

4) Take the exam | Worst case is you don’t pass and you have to take it again.

5) Join a Local Radio Club | Once you have your license, you’ll have lots of questions. This is the place to start asking them.

 

For more information:

The Survival Mom on Getting Licensed

Ham Test Online

Free Ham Study Tools

One of things that helped us alot was a free iPhone/iPad app called Ham Radio Exam – Tech. It works like interactive flashcards. This one was of several ham radio study apps, so see if there’s one you ilke better.

We also lucked out and found a great online course taught by Mitch Stern – HamClass.net – and followed it up with Mitch’s all-day study session and exam in New Hampshire. Check online to see if there’s anything like this in your area. You might start with your local ham radio club.

Amateur radio operators are some of the friendliest, and most helpful, folks you’ll ever meet. If you still have questions, ask if you can attend one of their meetings.

We can’t even begin to describe the sense of accomplishment we felt upon seeing our call sign in the FCC database. And in the Prepper World … it’s good to have skills!!

Filed Under: General Preparedness Tagged With:

Become More Proficient With Your Gun Without Firing a Shot

December 16, 2013 by

Before I get to today’s article I have a quick personal update. I am having arthroscopic surgery to correct an impingement on my left hip early tomorrow. I have no idea how I’m going to feel the rest of the week. If there isn’t another article this week or an email response or if I am slow to respond to a comment or email, now you know why.
 

Become More Proficient With Your Gun Without Firing a Shot

Even though ammo prices have come down some, shooting can be a very expensive hobby. Being proficient with your gun involves more than just shooting. Today I am going to give you some exercises you can do for free or with minimal investment in the safety of your home, without firing a single shot.

For the sake of safety, I recommend you practice these things with an unloaded firearm. Be sure to double check.
 
Dry Firing

Dry firing simply means that you practice all of the mechanics of firing a firearm with either an empty chamber or some type of snap cap, which is a plastic dummy round. Dry firing is fine with most firearms. Check your manufacturer to be sure. I know you should not do so with a .22, as it can damage the firing pin.

The benefit of dry fire practice is that it can help correct bad habits, such as anticipating recoil. If you anticipate the loud bang and the gun bucking in your hand, you can pull down and left (for right handers). If there is no loud bang, you can practice steady hand control, and do it enough times that when you do go to the range you are in the habit of not pulling down and left.

Another way to find and correct bad habits is to stack a few pennies or dimes on top of the slide. If they fall when you squeeze the trigger, you can tell if you’re pulling one way or the other by the direction and timing of when the stack fell.

Yet another way, this time with a cost, is to buy a laser. Nebu Preotec lasers are fairly inexpensive, at around $50. The one I have now is accurate enough to use for aiming at something I actually wanted to hit. It is very easy to tell if you are pulling one way or another.
 

Drawing From the Holster

It’s a fact, many ranges will not let you draw from the holster. The problem with this is that if you’re ever out and have to draw from the holster, you’re going to be much clumsier under stress than if you had practiced.

If you combine this with dry firing, you can practice an entire self-defense cycle. I know some people love the buzz timers for practicing and I think that is great if you’re practicing for IDPA or another competition. I don’t like the idea for self-defense training though. If you’re out on the town and you hear a loud noise, you’re not going to pull your gun and start shooting. No, if you hear a loud noise, you’ll orient yourself to the direction of the threat, look to see what is going on and then you’ll determine if you need to draw or not.

Instead of a buzzer, use a TV show or a movie. Since no one in the show is actually going to be a threat to you, pick a character, and every time they come on the scene draw and fire. Or pick one color shirt, say red, and every time someone comes on the screen wearing a red shirt, you draw and fire. If two people are wearing red shirts, scan and dry fire at them.

If you get a new holster this is something you should do. For instance, my gun sits very differently than I was used to in the Crossbreed holster I got last summer. Also practice re-holstering without looking. If you are ever forced to shoot, you’ll want to keep your eyes on the attacker and the ongoing scene without looking for your holster.
 
Drawing From a Concealment Garment

Drawing from the holster is great, but make sure you add in doing so with the clothes you wear when you are carrying it. If you use a CCW purse, practice with it.

Adding in the one extra movement, that of clearing your garment before you can draw, can really foul things up and slow you down.
 

Practice Without Looking

As I explained in Changes in the Body During a Critical Incident, many people experience time distortions during a critical incident. For this reason, I recommend you learn to reload without looking. The reason for this is that if you look at your hands, you may perceive that you’re reloading much to slow, and then speed up when you were going at normal speed. The problem is that if you speed up, you might make a mistake.

Do you have any tips you can give that can help us be more proficient without firing a shot?

 

If you would like to repost this article, feel free to do so. Please mention that it was written by Chris Ray and provide a link back to this page.

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Preparedness Tips, Security Tagged With: ,

The Pressure Cooker That is America

December 13, 2013 by

The Pressure Cooker That is America

I started my morning as I always do, pouring over emails, comments and looking at various news outlets. A few headlines caught my eye and I was soon shaking my head. You see, I got this mental picture of a pressure cooker on high heat but the steam vent was plugged. From my understanding, if the steam doesn’t vent, the pressure will continue to build until the cooker explodes. Whether or not that is true is beside the point. You get the idea of my mental image…something has to give and release all the built up pressure.

Before I go on, let me first say that I do not blame only this administration for the pressure. The Bush administration as well as administrations before it has a fair amount of blame to own. I have said before that the Bush administration used a hammer and nails to seal America’s fate. President Obama is using a nail gun and just doing the job faster.

Let me explain what I mean by “something has to give”. Going back to my defective pressure canner reference, if the steam vent is plugged and the only ways to release pressure were to either: a.) notice it was plugged and try to safely remove the debris that clogged it or, b.) turn the heat down, if neither were done, the pressure cooker would either break or explode. In my mental picture, the item being cooked is American society. The heat source is made up of all of the things that are “wrong” with society these days. The more there is wrong, the hotter the flame and the higher the pressure goes.

Here are some of the news items I have covered just this year. I don’t write about most of the items that catch my attention. I do mention them on facebook and in the forum more often.

The War on Guns; Part One and Part Two which I wrote about in answer to this administration’s actions and statements after the Sandy Hook shooting.

Government; the Good the Bad and the…What are They Planning

Trading Liberty for Safety

There is no Such Thing as Privacy and yes Big Brother is Watching

Military Power Grab

Nine Meals from Anarchy; a Food Stamp Melt Down

Food Stamp Cuts Starting November 1st

Police Over Reaching on Gun Rights

Increasing Random Acts of Violence

In just the last week or two, we have seen, as the FOX News article calls it “A conspiracy so vast — it’s not just the NSA, now the FBI, your local police are also spying on US citizens”. A quick summary of that story from Judge Napolitano is that not only is the NSA still doing whatever it wants with ALL of your electronic data, but the only person who they’ve fired is Snowden, the man who brought their treachery to light.

The Judge goes on to inform us that the FBI:

“has acquired software that permits it to utilize the tiny cameras in many home computers to observe whoever or whatever may be in front of the computer screen.

The FBI doesn’t only look at whoever is using the computer screen; it also captures the words and images on the screen. It seems to have an affinity for monitoring online gaming, even the lawful variety.”

He also goes on to tell us that several local police departments have asked cell phone companies for tower dumps; a tower dump copy of all digitally recorded calls that went through the cell tower. Some companies said “no”, so the police went to court, and some courts said “no”. Some police departments have purchased a $400,000 piece of equipment that spoofs a cell tower and will record the cell conversations, bypassing the need to ask the phone company to honor our Fourth Amendment rights.

In the last weeks, we’ve also seen more pressure build from the mess that is obummercare. Hundreds of thousands of people have received letters telling them they are being dropped from their current healthcare and must find new plans; Trudee and I each got a letter. I am unemployed, was unemployed when we got approved for the plan through our county and we were paying $160 a month for the two of us. When obummercare went into effect, we got a letter stating that I make too much money to qualify for the current plan. In searching for a new plan, it will cost us from $140-$220 for ONE OF US! Yeah, I’m angry, more than angry actually, but done venting. Sorry.

I have read several reports that hackers have broken into the federal website and that security experts have said no one should enter their personal data on it. I have also read reports stating that, due to faulty code, some people could receive a penalty for not having insurance, even though they have purchased a plan and are currently enrolled in it. I’m sure we can all list a number of stories we’ve heard, but here is a story I think is very important that you be made aware of.

Michael Cannon, the Director of Health Policy Studies for the Cato Institute, testified before a congressional committee about Presidential powers and the Constitution, as well as the possible consequences of the implementation of the affordable care act. Here is a recording of the portion I think is important. It is only one minute long. Please watch and listen.
 

 

“There is one last thing to which the people can resort if the government does not respect the restrains that the constitution places on the government, Abraham Lincoln talked about our right to alter our government or our revolutionary right to overthrow it. That is certainly something that no one wants to contemplate, but as I mentioned in my written delivered testimony

If the people come to believe that the government is no longer constrained by the laws then they will conclude neither are they. That is why this is a very dangerous thing for the President to do, to wantonly ignore the laws, to try to impose obligations on people that the legislature did not approve.”

A director of one of America’s biggest think tanks told a congressional panel that if the President continues to ignore the law, the American people might revolt and ignore it as well. A small kicker is that an unnamed congressmen said that it “was an excellent conclusion”.

Please, no one respond with how we need a violent revolution. Neither you nor I need any attention from Big Brother. That being said, I have read one commentary on this story that basically said that even though Mr. Cannon used the word revolution, he didn’t really mean it. I disagree. I think he did mean it, and the fact that someone is in front of congress, warning them that the President’s actions may lead to this is a very scary thing.

This leads me back to my description of the broken pressure cooker; sure there are things that can temporarily reduce the heat, releasing some of the pressure. These things can be news stories that draw national attention for a time, such as the new Pope being selected or Nelson Mandela’s death, or even a story from inside the nation like the Oscar’s, or the Black Friday incidents. The problem is, as I mentioned, these are temporary fixes that temporarily remove the heat source, allowing the pressure to calm, if even a little.

If individual people and groups of people would stop throwing another log on the fire, maybe enough time could go by for the pressure to get down to safe levels. The problem is that they (politicians, alphabet agencies) keep looking for bigger logs and are more than happy to throw them on the fire. The people we have elected to lead us do not have our best interests in mind. The agencies and technologies that are supposed to keep us safe from foreign harm are being used against us.

As I mentioned, there are only two other ways to remove the pressure. A violent revolution would be the equivalent to the pressure cooker exploding.

I have read stories over the last two years that say we’re inching closer to another American revolution. I simply can’t wrap my mind around what a violent revolution might look like. There were fairly clear dividing lines between the north and south. The opposing sides in the conflicts now have more to do with way of life; morals and ideals. The battle lines could literally end up being neighbor against neighbor.

This leaves one other option; people realizing the pressure is at dangerous levels and taking steps to correct the situation. This is much harder than it might sound. You see, we evidently don’t trust each other, according to this article from the Associated Press. As one person in their article commented:

“It’s like the rules of the game,” Clark said. “When trust is low, the way we react and behave with each other becomes less civil.”

I have some theories on why people don’t trust each other and treat each other poorly. One problem I think comes as a byproduct from the Internet. When I was a kid, if I wanted to talk to someone, I had to either see them in person or talk to them on the phone. We exercised our people skills frequently throughout our day. [Side note: It’s funny to me that I am writing about a lack people skills in society. I have Asperger Syndrome and mine are far from perfect.] I digress. I think the amount of time we deal with each other face-to-face is a fraction of the time it used to be. I think there are consequences for that.

I also think this is part of what Jesus meant about the “Love of many waxing cold”.

[On another side note, since this article mentions the word “revolution” and the words “pressure” and “cooker,” if you never hear from me again, just know that the NSA grabbed me and I say “hello” from Gitmo.]
 
Final Thoughts

I have some ideas about what will happen when the pressure gets too high. I don’t think it will be an all-out civil war. Many of the countries involved in the Arab Spring had civil unrest that led to revolution and civil war and saw multiple governments topple. This will not be allowed to happen by the federal Government. However, if tensions continue to build, I do expect to see riots bigger than any in our history. Many would say this is the response our Government is expecting and is part of why they have spent so much money beefing up Homeland Security.

Maybe things will calm down enough to let this current level of pressure lower. Ideally we would see revival and many come to know the Lord.

2 Chronicles 7:14

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

 

If you would like to repost this article, feel free to do so. Please mention that it was written by Chris Ray and provide a link back to this page.

If you liked this article please think about sharing it on the social media listed below, thanks!

PreparednessClubOne

Filed Under: Mind Set Tagged With:
«Previous Page
Next Page»