Hurricane Co-vid19

There are principles of preparation that cross the type and scope of most all disasters. When a hurricane appears in the Atlantic, those of us who have gone through home reconstructions and renovation take note. Those who have not been affected in the same way may not even notice until the storm enters the Gulf of Mexico and there is a cone of expectancy pointed our way. Some people would accuse those with past experience of living in fear. Those with past experience examine their response as being wiser about what too do. It really doesn't matter for some, they think, because the chance of that storm coming right here is maybe 1%.. So what is the point? It is important to be prepared all of the time from wisdom and not fear. Those who come to our area from other parts of the country usually ask people who have been through the storms what they should do. Should they distance themselves from the threat? Should they shelter in place? Do they have the supplies to shelter in place and provide for all of their needs? Do they have special medical concerns that should affect their decision? If you are a person who has breathing issues, are prone to pneumonia, COPD, etc. the Co-vid19 virus should cause you to examine your situation carefully. It seems that the youngest in this situation are not the most vulnerable this time. I had the flu when I was in the 8th grade and was at home in bed with a 104 temperature. Believe it or not a doctor came to our house to treat me, which included a float trip in my bath tub with several trays of ice. After that week was over I went back to school for 3 days and then relapsed for another week. The additional consequences included being behind in school which required doubling up on school work though not really feeling that great. That experience is a part of my own evaluation of what an appropriate response would be for current circumstances. Don't over react, don't be complacent, don't worry about people's response to your choices. Make certain that you pray and listen to the wisdom of God in keeping with His Word. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." 

A Paper Towel and Sunglasses!

We are all hearing so much about one specific virus right now. It's interesting that we hear about the flu and colds and stomach bugs all of the time, but every once and awhile a new bug comes along and we are awaiting the potential of a devastating pandemic. The reason that these expectations are alive and well is because millions of lives have been lost in the past from pandemic situations. But are the answers to dealing with these situations really so different?

Right now we may spend some of our day looking for N95 masks to protect ourselves from the virus. By now you have noticed that the virus will remain unnamed for my purposes. With the bug everywhere, why would a mask make any difference? The instructions have always been to wash your hands and when you are finished, go wash your hands. There is great wisdom in this! But let's look at masks for just a moment. Isn't it true that I would not have to wash my hands all of the time if I would keep them out of my mouth and eyes? I know some of you are habitual finger lickers, as you turn almost every page with a lick of the fingers. Some of you are table wipers. You take the napkin and wipe of a spot on your table in the restaurant and then use the same napkin (on the same side) to wipe your mouth. I hope you are laughing by now.

The fact is, you could tape a paper towel over your face and nose and put on sunglasses and you would protect yourself from the worst source of germs- your self! No fingers scratching in your eyes. No subtle nose picking. No finger licking. Sure, you would still need to wash those hands before you handled food or fed the kids, but that is much less often. How many people touched that gas pump handle that you just grabbed? How many people just used the tongs at the buffet restaurant? Yuck! yet none of that would be in your system if you did not put it there?

The spiritual application might be that the world is going to be filled with all kinds of things that are sins against God. The personal question I must answer is how much of that am I choosing to pick up and put into my own spiritual system without even thinking? Being a student of the Word of God can prepare me to protect myself and my family from things that are going to create spiritual sickness and trauma. I thank Jesus that He is in His disciples and that His Spirit is actively teaching me what the Word of God means and how to apply it in my current circumstances and culture. 

So, buy a mask to block those unchecked sneezes and coughs, and wash those hands. Keep your fingers out of your eyes, nose and mouth. Clean those surfaces with appropriate solutions of chlorine bleach and water (google it). But remember to be washed by the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26) See you Sunday!

This Is Just A Test...

Everyone wants to know if the latest pandemic or military threat is real or contrived by political goals. Did China release a pandemic on their own people accidentally? Did they do this intentionally so that the protests for a more Democratic form of government would disappear from the news and go away? Only God knows. The novel corona virus 19 is real, but is it the next killer of millions like the Spanish flu of 1918? We don't know. We see China say that the number of new cases is in decline, but can they be trusted on that? Can I help you swing your focus to something more productive?

Do you remember hearing that tone on your TV or radio and a scratchy audio message coming on to tell you that what you are seeing and hearing is just a test of the emergency broadcast system? That mass communication was created during the cold war to give the citizens of the US of A a chance to respond to a potential nuclear attack. The more productive message for us today is why don't we go ahead and get a few things together now instead of fighting for the resources later? Today, batteries, flashlights, bottled water, plywood, hurricane clips, generators, and gasoline are available everywhere. But the first tropical storm that develops in the Gulf of Mexico and heads our way will set off a feeding frenzy for supplies. We will be battling for tarps and something to nail them into place after a storm.

So what if this serious pandemic fizzles out, and the next potential category 5 hurricane goes somewhere else? If we want to avoid the negative experience of struggling through the next crisis why won't we do some simple things right now? A friend of mine was discussing his failures with the stock market recently in a humorous way. He said, "I am really good at buying when the price is high and selling when the price is low".  This seems to be one of our grave weaknesses as the human race. I can put off doing anything about the next crisis until one shows up. I can get around to things like God and the eternal destiny of my soul until it looks like I don't have any other choice. Little Cypress Baptist Church has been helping people prepare for these two events and everything in between for a long time. Of first importance is to make peace with God through His Son, Jesus. You cannot do this successfully on your own terms. You must come to God on His terms having acknowledged that you are a sinner like the rest of us, and that you believe Jesus is God's plan to save sinners.

You would understand that speaking to Him (what people call prayer) and telling Him that you want to surrender your life Him and to receive Jesus as your Savior and Master of your life means that your life will change if you are sincere. You will want to see Him bring His plans and His ways into your life even though you will still experience temptations. But as a new disciple of Jesus you will have every resource you need if you are praying, applying biblical truth, and involving yourself in a church that really believes and lives out the Gospel. If a church is unwilling to preach, teach, and live what Jesus has given to His church in the Bible, steer clear of such fake news churches. The most positive message is the one with all of the truth even if some of that truth is demanding.

Crisis Preparation Saves Money And Can Be Fun

If you have not read the post before this one, it would be good to read it first. But if you don't have time for that, we will say that there are a number of biblical reasons for making preparations for a longer period than just this week for food and water at your home. FEMA also has noted reasons that the government says you will not be able to count on them for a undetermined period of time based on the level of crisis one might face. All of that said, let's look at motivation for Crisis Preparation.

One problem that we face on this subject is that there is a drive for normalcy that tells us that we won't have problems like others face. Families all over the world today are being faced with displacement from their homes by Islamic radicals, unexpected snow storms, and floods. This is the time of year that we begin to anticipate weather transitions that bring severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Hurricane season starts in four months. And yet knowing all of this we assume that everything will be just the same for us because we are 'US'.

If people in crisis were asked what they wish they had done before the crisis, most of us could guess what they would say. "I wish I had something to feed my family and something to quench their thirst that is safe to drink. I wish I had shelter for my family and something to keep them warm in this winter cold. I wish I had a source of light, of water to wash with, and protection for security. I wish I had something to keep these mosquitos off and some sunscreen to deal with this sun as I work in recovery." These examples could go on for a long time if you put yourself in the shoes of others.

Isn't it 'tempting fate' or 'jinxing ourselves' or 'just being negative' to think about these things? No, for two reasons. First, as Christians we should not base our life on superstitions like fate and jinxes. That is for baseball players and such. God has already told us to make provision for our families. We are not supposed to worry about what we will eat or drink. Jesus told us that Himself. I doubt, however, that He told any farmers to stop farming because that was a lack of faith. I doubt that He told any women to stop stockpiling the food from the harvest to use through the winter and spring while the new crops came up. Worrying is a sin; working is not.

Second, Crisis Preparation done properly saves money. If you buy foods you will normally eat, then you will only be getting ahead on your purchases. You do not have to buy MRE's and such to be preparing for a crisis. So, if your family eats meat, then buy meat when it is on sale. Put part of the meat away in your freezer, or even better, in mason jars that do not require refrigeration. The Crisis Expo will show you how to do that if you sign up for that class in advance (883-8905). You can also learn about saving water in the Basic Preparation class at the Expo. If you are going to eat a lot of green beans through a year, then when they are on sale, buy more than you need that week or month. You can do this with all kinds of foods other than fresh vegetables and fruit.

Purchasing food in bulk or for storage requires watching the dates of food to keep the oldest cans up front to be used next. However, this method saves money because families are less likely to go out to eat if they know they have food at home. In fact, always having food on hand means that families that plan ahead can put something in the crock pot that will be ready to eat when they get home. That takes the pressure off of parents to get food ready when they are already tired.

Eating out is the most expensive way to feed your family. If you hate to do dishes, then use paper or plastic plates and bowls. Using throw away dishes is still significantly cheaper than eating out or doing fast food at home. Don't expect children or youth to agree. Sometimes we have to be the responsible adult and save the budget. I wish I had done this better when my own children were at home.

Needless to say, if we knew how to grow our own food and canned it, there would a sense of accomplishment along with having some of the freshest food in town. If we can the food in mason jars, we can enjoy it until the harvest time next year. Everyone seems to understand energy independence when we talk about oil and gas from other countries. Some how we need to grasp that food energy independence is viable for most families.

Gardening can be a family activity that results in sustainable living. If you do not know how to garden, find a friend that does. Join in on their garden one year and help them while you learn. Be with them for the whole process from plot planning to dirt preparation to seed selection, planting seedlings, weeding, mulching, bug issues, plant blights, fertilizing, watering, and harvesting. Don't buy a book and spend hundreds of dollars if someone you know can help you put your garden together for much less. The last thing I usually hear is that 'We are too busy already'.

How many of your activities are optional? Learning life long self sustaining practices may just be more important in the long run. I know that children may not be interested at first. My own grandchildren have changed their tune on this. Though they cannot be around all of the time, when they are hear they want to know what is in the garden. This year they helped me dig my sweet potatoes. We had a great time! Some children are better at focusing on a task than others. One of my grandson's did a great job of helping me pull weeds. The other was not so interested, but when I told him that we might find worms, he got more involved!

2015 Crisis Preparation Expo

Hello Church Family and Friends,

It is time for our 5th Annual Crisis Preparation Expo for Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. This event is on the third Saturday of February each year. I know that it is a surprise for some of us that many in church family are still unaware of the Expo after all this time. One dear church member who had not been involved with the event in the past noted this past Sunday that this year was the first time they had paid any attention to it. So, for those who are just becoming aware, let me catch you up on this event. The group that puts this together is all volunteer who work with me on planning. The volunteers are Christians from our area that believe in living a wise lifestyle in caring for their families. These people are not all members of our church. Some of them have professional experience in crisis preparation, but most are just grassroots practitioners.

The goal of the event is to help people know how to make common sense every day kinds of choices that would help them do well during unexpected problems. Some of this is like hurricane preparations. In other cases, it is preparedness that would serve one well if they lost their job. Some of the training is about sustainable living like gardening and animal husbandry. So, you will hear everything from FEMA recommendations on basic preparedness, to how to use solar power, or how to have your own hive of honey bees. Some of the vendors in the Expo hall will have things to help with all of these projects including things like essential oils to help with health and well being. Others will show you how to find edible plants in the woods, or teach hunting and fishing for those who like to learn survival skills.

So how much does it cost? There is no charge for the event. That's right, the classes and the Expo hall viewing is free. We really want people to come so that we can give them information about being prepared not only for life but for eternity, too! Many of our vendors will be sharing the Gospel and the class teachers will also. If you have lost friends, bring them along. One question that we get asked from time to time is whether there will be a gun show. The answer is 'No'. We will not risk the church family or our guests with the possible issues that could come from this addition. We do believe in protecting the families that God has given us, but there are other gun shows and stores in the community. We will have people on site that are concealed handgun class instructors that will be telling people what they might want to know to get started in the security area.

But one might ask, "Isn't all of this a lack of faith?" I usually find out upon asking that these people have life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance, flood insurance, fire insurance, dental insurance, cell phone insurance, etc. I suppose all of that insurance is a lack of faith too, if food insurance, water insurance, heat insurance and light insurance are a lack of faith. No, the scripture calls us to take care of our families. In fact, to not take care of our families needs makes us worse that an unbeliever in the eyes of God. (1Timothy 5:8) The book of Proverbs is full of verses calling us to work hard and store up for needs as an agricultural community would. We do not have the guarantee that the grocery stores will always be full or that we will always have a job. Proverbs 27 12 says "A prudent person foresees the danger ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

I hope that you visit this blog again later this week as I present some of the reasons we encourage people to prepare and the common sense thinking behind it all.

David

A Good Secular Media Editorial on ISIS

You may want to go to a news item that expressed the frustration of many people who watch these barbaric behaviors of persecution. Though the editorial is not Christian per se, it reveals much of the lack of media attention to these issues today. At the Fox News website there is an item called Daftari: World silent on Genocide, rape, in Syria and Iraq. She places all things 'humanist' in opposition to all things 'terrorist'. Humanism as the world understands it is not a philosophically acceptable description of biblical faith, but you will get the point anyway.

God Bless,
David Turner

Who Is ISIS and what do we do about the Christian persecution?

             For those of us who have basically good health and circumstances there is a sense that life is as it should be. Our problems are not so big in light of the people around us that are dealing with cancer, grief, a job loss, etc. But today in our world, at what is supposed to be the most advanced technological and enlightened period of human history, children's heads are being cut off because they are identified as Christians. A city of 50,000 people were all forced to leave their city and flee to the mountains of Kurdish neighbors in northern Iraq. Why? Because they claim to be Christians. You and I know that all of them are not Christians, but they are identified as Christians by the ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. These radical Sunni Muslims are not only killing Christians, they are killing Shiite Muslims and other non-Sunni or non-Muslim groups.
             We know from Matthew 24 that persecution of Christians is a hallmark of Christian eschatology. The passage is not fulfilled because there has always been Christian persecution. It is fulfilled by the fact that the persecution will grow like birth pangs until the Lord returns. Matthew 24 was spoken to the disciples of Jesus and recorded as a revelation of God for today, as well. So, as usual, the Word of God will be fulfilled as it is now. What can we do about it? The first thing is that we pray for these people. We ask God's will to be done in the lives of these people and that God will intervene on their behalf. Those who are truly born again believers can count on the promise of Romans 8:28, as long as you understand that verse in light of all eternity and not just our short lives in this world. We cannot be called to suffer with Christ and not have suffering. That is one reason we are called to witness no matter how it makes us feel. If nothing else we can suffer through the discomfort of confronting someone with the love of God in the gospel. The next things we can do are not as powerful, but also needed. You can give to the humanitarian efforts through that Baptist Disaster Relief or Samaritan's Purse. The Voice of the Martyrs' often gives people the opportunity to directly encourage those facing persecution. If the Lord tarries, Christians in the USA will move from being politically incorrect and opposed to persecuted, as well. Let us make the most of our opportunities to meet needs while we can. Here are some sites: www.baptistrelief.org www.samaritanspurse.org www.persecution.com which is the Voice of the Martyrs site.