SHOULD WE PREPARE FOR A FAMINE?
   
All right, take Matthew chapter 6 in one hand and then get 
2Corinthians chapter 12.
   
Look at Matthew 6:31.  Now, there are two things in this.  The first 
one is, "the just shall live by faith." And, in line with living by 
faith from day to day, these words are spoken:  "Therefore, take no 
thought, saying, What shall we eat?  or, What shall we drink?  or, 
Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the 
Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of 
all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his 
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take 
therefore no thought for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take 
thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil 
thereof."
   
Now, that's a general principle.  And that general principle is, 
"Don't worry about tomorrow.  You've got enough to handle right now, 
without worrying about tomorrow." But, by the same token, notice verse 
32:  "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek." Well, these 
words in Matthew 6 are spoken to Jews who haven't found the kingdom of 
God.  You people are saved people; you're neither Jew nor Gentile.  
You have the kingdom of God, and you have Christ's righteousness.
   
So, when you start taking stuff out of Matthew 5,6, and 7, and slap it 
down on the Christian doctrinally, you have to be careful.  Now, the 
principle's all right, but then look at this in the Pauline epistles.
   
Come to 2Corinthians 12.  In 2Corinthians chapter 12, you're dealing 
with a Pauline epistle.  Here you have a church epistle written to 
saved people under grace.  Look at the difference, verse 14:  "Behold, 
the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome 
to you:  for I seek not you'rs, but you:  for the children ought not 
to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children."
   
Now, there's a statement about parents laying up stuff for the 
children, so the children have something when the parents die.  Now, 
let me show you another one in the Pauline epistles.  Come across here 
to 1Timothy, and get 1Timothy chapter 5.  This is talking about the 
care of widows.  First Timothy 5:5:  "Now she that is a widow indeed, 
and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and 
prayers night and day." Verse 8:  "But if any provide not for his own, 
and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, 
and is worse than an infidel." Now, of course, that's talking about a 
man taking care of widows in his own home.  But, it does speak about a 
man providing for those in his own house.  So, you have to take a 
moderate view of that thing.  I mean, trust God but keep your powder 
dry--faith and works.
   
I'd say this:  I'd say, don't get so worried about it you get panicky 
about it.  Some of these anti-communists and right-wingers get so 
panicky about it, all they talk about is communism all day.  That's 
all they talk about.  I appreciate Billy James Hargis' ministry, and I 
appreciate Carl McIntyre's ministry, and the John Birch Society, and 
American Opinion, and all that bit.  I appreciate what those guys are 
doing; they're putting out a lot of good information.  But you can get 
hung up on that!
   
If Billy James Hargis ever led anybody to Christ, I don't know who it 
was.  If Carl McIntyre has ever led anybody to Christ personally, I 
don't know who that was.
   
The Bible says, "Fear not them that are able to destroy the body, but 
fear him that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell; yea, I 
said, you fear him." Communism is a threat; so is Catholicism, which 
you don't hear much about.  All you hear is, "Communism, Communism, 
Communism."
   
I don't know; I think I'd just as soon live in Russia as in Spain, if 
I had to.  And so, when you get into those things, it's good to 
prepare for them.  But don't get panicky about them.
   
My advice to people is, if you can buy some dehydrated food, get 
some--if you've got enough money left to buy it.  I'd get some.  I 
wouldn't get a trunk full of it, though.  I'd get enough for a couple 
of days or a couple of weeks for the family, and I'd get some guns and 
ammunition, and it wouldn't hurt for some of you to carry water, if 
you had to carry it.  And then, when the time comes, pray like mad, 
and run like mad, and fight like mad, and hope for the best.
   
The rule for the Christian is, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do 
all to the glory of God, giving thanks to God the Father in the name 
of the Lord Jesus Christ." If the thing broke out, I'd ask the Lord 
for help all the time, and lean on Him and trust Him all the time.  
But I'd also stock up and load up.  You can't be too careful.
   
