As internal divisions and violence grows in our country, there are important things that we must do in the natural to prepare for the times. From the little I saw in my dream of the actual conflict, I felt that the experience would be different in different parts of the country. The fighting that I saw was mostly in cities. Even so, what happens in cities can be disruptive to things like food supply, power generation, and transportation, which can affect large parts of the regions around them.

         For this reason, we should consider now how we will provide those in our care with such things as food, water, medicine (if required), backup power, and security. If we are in a strong church body, we should look for ways to help each other in this, letting those with skills and knowledge in specific areas lead in our preparation.

         In some places, law enforcement and emergency services may be stretched beyond their ability to respond to all the need, or may even become non-existent. Community watches will likely expand into some degree of community defense and emergency services. A source for leadership and staffing for these will be veterans and those retired from law enforcement and emergency services.

         There will be a time when the inevitability of this revolutionary/civil war will become clear to just about everyone. At that time, fear will control many, so the degree to which we have action plans in place for these basics can give a degree of peace and confidence to our neighbors. Fear can be an enemy that keeps us from preparing as we should. We must not prepare in fear, but rather in faith.

         This will be a time when churches really do become sanctuaries, and ministry opportunities will be continuous. If there are power outages and we have portable power that can run video projectors, we should be prepared with great, edifying teaching videos or movies with a message. With TV unavailable, people will watch almost any video, and their hearts will be open. Regardless of what unfolds, we must keep a major part of our focus on the harvest. Those who come to The Lord will need to be taken care of spiritually and with protection.

         If we are in the right place, we will find much of the preparation already done for us in areas where we do not have knowledge or skill. We must keep in mind that we serve the One who upholds the universe with His power, and He has promised to save all who call on His name. We’ve often relegated this to the salvation of our soul, but it means much more than that. We must call on the name of The Lord for any saving that we need.

         Everything that we need to be ready for this revolutionary/civil war in the natural are things that we should have ready anyway for potential natural disasters that have become so prevalent. I have long advocated that anyone in church leadership should go through Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. A good certified Chaplain’s training usually includes these and can be invaluable in saving many in any type of crisis.

         One of the best things about Chaplains, CISM, and CERT training is that it will help you to be proactive in any crisis. Confusion leading to panic is often the most deadly factor in a disaster or crisis. We have many testimonies of how those who went through this training who were able to intervene in situations and save lives. Before the training, they had no idea what to do.

         Training in such things as the above is not boring, but rather very interesting. You will likely meet some fascinating people. This training can also impact areas of your life that have nothing to do with an emergency, such as helping you to be a more confident manager or leader. I don’t know anyone who has gone through this training that was not impacted in a positive way, and these trainings often lead to important relationships with others in the community that we need to know.

         Now is the time to get engaged in our communities to be the salt and light we are called to be. Even if our community is spared needing what we have prepared for, the benefits of having gotten engaged and proactive will bear much fruit for which we will be thankful.

         Next week we will cover an area of preparation that is a little more challenging for many Christians to accept, but is necessary for what is unfolding.