I met a man a few years ago who was spending all of his money and time preparing to “run to the hills,” literally! He was convinced that something evil was about to happen in our government which would cause all Christians to be persecuted and many to be killed! He was busy about the work of gathering guns, ammunition, and food to place on his mountain “hide-a-way!”

I asked him how long he thought he would be able to keep his food if it were found out that he was the only one who had some. He didn’t have an answer for that but it didn’t matter what I said because he was convinced.

The Word tells us to “abide” until Jesus comes. That means we trust him to take care of life while we are faithful to take care of his flock!

This same scenario took place among many Christians during the “Y-2K” fiasco! Remember that? I was accused of not being very spiritual because I was telling people they probably wouldn’t even know anything happened when they woke up January 1, 2000. Some said I couldn’t hear from the Lord because I refused to hoard food in the attic, dig a foxhole in the back yard and gather all the guns and ammo I could find.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying there would never be a time when God would instruct you to do these things but, over the years, I’ve watched as panic has wormed its way into the Body of Christ through these types of incidents. Once it was the “Illuminati” that was going to use this group to take over the world! The fact that the Bible doesn’t teach a scenario like that didn’t dissuade people from running around in stark terror! This drama was propagated by a man named Johnny Todd who later proved to be an absolute fraud who had made up the whole thing to create a ministry and a money-base for himself! He even set up shop for a short time in Carlsbad before Christians here caught on at which time, he quietly moved on! He was exposed later!

Another panic happened in 1988 when a man wrote a book entitled, “88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Come In 1988!” This small book literally took over the minds of millions of Christians around the world! The American Bible society took up the cause and printed millions of copies which were sent to every country on the globe! Some people had their pets put to sleep because they didn’t want them wandering the streets after the Rapture! They also turned over all their property to their unsaved loved ones. Anyone who questioned the book (like me) was looked upon with suspicion!

I wonder what story will come up next? When will you and I ever learn that many of the people who spread these kinds of panics are in it for the money? How many of these authors, for example, did you see apologize to the Body of Christ after “Y-2K” came and went without so much as a ripple in the world? Did you see any of them recant their claims? Sadly, no!

The truth is, GOD IS IN CONTROL! He will always be in control and yes, there are some bad times coming but always remember one thing: you are God’s son or daughter! Do you think He won’t supernaturally care for you and your kids?

Disclaimer: Many of the articles on the site were written many years ago. While the lessons and teachings are certainly applicable to issues of today, please note that some of the references mentioned in the article may be dated or otherwise proved inaccurate due to the passage of time. We bring you these articles in their original format. Thank you.