Friend
to Churches Ministries, 3166 Wildwood Circle Massillon,
OH 44646. Phone: 330-837-2568
Everywhere I turn lately I hear
about the horrors of "Y2K!". What it all boils down to is that on
January 1, 2000 the computers will stop computing and "EVERYTHING'S GONNA
SHUT DOWN!!!!" There will be no electricity, water, food or air,
I imagine. And it seems that everybody is on the bandwagon. There
are scads of books on the subject and everybody and their brother is having
a seminar to help us all "Get ready!" To which I am forced to say, "I
DON'T BUY IT!"
I am tired of every "God-trusting"
Christian that I meet looking like a squirrel who just saw a cat. Everybody
has their freeze-dried food, 1,000 gal. of water and 10,000 rounds of ammunition
stored up in their "Bunker." These people run around like their God is dead
or at least has Alzheimer's and can't help them. Of course they like to
throw a blanket of spirituality over their actions by saying they're being
"Good Stewards" by preparing. Bunk!
Here's why I refuse to buy into
the Y2K hysteria:
1. It is all FEAR
motivated. No one does a Y2K seminar without starting by painting absolute horror
stories of what's coming. Seems like even your fillings will fall out!
This
hysteria flies in the face of 2 Tim. 1:7, "For God hath not given us
the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
Don't excuse yourself! You know you have acted in stark terror of what
you've heard is coming.
This
is the same terror we heard about "Commies taking over by 1976",
"The planets aligning in 1982", "Black helicopters" and every other "The
sky is falling!" scenario. I refuse to be controlled by someone who has
to do no more than scare me to get me to do as they wish.
2. This scare appeals to
the carnal not the spiritual. Christians are acting just like
lost people. They're all busy protecting their hide. It is a movement
that is totally immersed in selfishness.
There's no biblical example for "Heading
for the Hills". When the Jews in Esther knew their death was being planned
they prayed and fasted! (Est. 4:16) They didn't head for the bunkers.
The only example of anyone running
to save their hide is found in Jer. 42 & 43. Read both chapters and see if you
find yourself in there.
I see Christians who have never done
anything for God because "The Rapture's coming next year" suddenly energized
to buy ten year's supply of winter clothing! (The savings you're afraid of losing
in the bank because of Y2K is going to be lost to spending on supplies
because of Y2K!
3. I believe some things
may happen but I don't believe it's going to be as bad as predicted. Why?
A. Americans quit thinking
when they bought TVs. Now they just watch a news special when they need an
opinion rather than think. (ie. The Clinton poll numbers)The "Powers"
are not going to let the electric go off for three or four months and take
a chance that in the absence of TV Americans may start thinking for themselves
again.
B. NASA is planning a Space
Shuttle launch for early January, 2000. You think they'd be doing that if
they feared a computer problem?
C. You give no credit at
all to the resilience of Americans. When Saddam Hussein set those oil wells
on fire in the Gulf back in 1991 the "Great Doomsayers", the News Media, said
it would take seven years to put all those fires out. They were
out in seven months!
So the banks hand-stamp checks for
a while. I believe that Americans will amaze you at how fast they adapt to the
situation.
Admit it. Here's what you
really believe. You are convinced that God has got to judge
America. Therefore everything that appears on the horizon as a threat you see
as , "This is it! This is the big one! God's judgement is coming!"
Are there dangers?
Yes:
1.
The greatest one is you! All you genius's who plan on taking your
money out of the bank in mid-1999 will probably start a run on the banks which
could lead to a serious panic.
2. Then there will be the
effect on the economy when the money spent on "ten years supplies" that the
Y2Kowards bought will not be spent after January 2000 and they all eat freeze
dried wheat germ for ten years.
Think about this! (If you're
capable without a TV.) Great men don't RUN when their country needs them.
Where would we be if Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams & co. had "Headed
for the bunker"? Of course. You feel no loyalty to America. You're
no different that any welfare recipient. You enjoy the freedom, play
with the toys, eat the food...then wipe your mouth with your sleeve, burp and
say, "Let'er die! I never liked 'er anyway!"
If there is a major crisis,
then people are going to need help and leadership. The "the salt of the earth"
is going to be hiding in the woods and will leave a spiritual vacuum. But what
do you care as long as you have your freeze-dried pizza?
Stocking food and emergency supplies
for the unexpected (tornados, floods, earthquakes, etc) is wise. Stocking
up for the expected is fear and panic and not right.
What if you do nothing (You should
already be prepared for natural disasters) and it ends up being as bad as predicted.
Then you will be stuck, trusting God rather than your gun. (10 determined
men with firearms will take your bunker in an afternoon and eat your provisions
"over your dead body"!)
We have no basement, no attic, no
bunker. Only God. I like it that way. If worse-comes to-worse I would rather
be caught trusting God to get me through the "dire" consequences of "Y2K"
than run around stocking up on toilet paper and tube socks. Job said it all
when he said in
Job 13:15:
"Though he slay me, yet will I
trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him."
So head for the bunker or
head for the altar. You can't do both!