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Should Christians be .....

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by ktn4eg, Dec 5, 2013.

  1. ktn4eg

    ktn4eg New Member

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    ....."survivalists"?
     
  2. thisnumbersdisconnected

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    Survivalists are not just "dooms-dayers" who believe they have to survive the end of the world as we know it. Survivalists are also known in some quarters as "preppers," referring to their preparation for any level of natural or man-made emergency, from local to international, from tornado or hurricane to nuclear war. From that aspect, everyone should be a survivalist in that they are ready to not only survive such an event but offer a helping hand to their neighbors.

    Does Christ not urge us to be survivors by our faith in Him? Let me illustrate that. In the books of Acts, Stephen preached the history of Israel to the Sanhedrin in order to prove the law and the prophets had pointed directly to Christ. He speaks of how Joseph was used by God to make provision for his father Jacob and his other offspring in Egypt, how the nation took refuge there during the time of famine, but then recounts how another king arose who did not know Joseph.

    Acts 7, NASB
    19 "It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive. ​

    The word translated "survive" is the Greek zoogoneo, literally meaning "to bring forth alive; to preserve alive." The same word is used in the gospel of Luke, but Christ Himself.

    Luke 17
    33 "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." ​

    The word "preserve" is translated from zoogoneo. It is also used in 1 Timothy 6:13, to say that God "gives life" to all things. Yes, Christians can be and should be survivalists -- not in the sense of Randy Weaver or other apocalyptic hermits, but in the sense of living for Christ throughout all the life God will give us.
     
  3. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I don't think crazy survivalists as in having a bunker built in the house but let me tell you - after Sandy, we were in great shape and were able to bless many other families because of our well planned preparation. So I think it's important to plan prudently for the likely needs of your area, plan for some social breakdown and from there, decide what you want to do. In a really bad "*HTF" Armegaddon situation, yes, we would die. Not much I can do about that! :)
     
  4. Luke2427

    Luke2427 Active Member

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    There is no reason one who wanted to be a survivalist should feel his Christianity opposes it.

    Preparedness is certainly a godly thing.

    One of my favorite shows is Doomsday Preppers.

    I'm kind of a prepper myself.
     
    #4 Luke2427, Dec 5, 2013
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  5. JohnDeereFan

    JohnDeereFan Well-Known Member
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    Depends how you define "survivalist".

    On our farm, we do a lot of things that were common sense in our parents and grandparents' generations. Turns out, somebody came up with a name for it: preppers.

    Where I come from, tornados are common. In fact, you can go on Youtube and type in "Pleasant Grove tornados 2011" and you'll see videos of a good chunk of my hometown destroyed by a tornado.

    You were considered foolish if you didn't have a "tornado kit" tucked in your basement. Water, a little food, some blankets, flashlights, a radio, a first aid kit, etc.

    They tell people the same thing up North: to keep an emergency kit in their cars in case they get stuck in a blizzard.

    Isn't that all we're doing now, just on a larger scale?
     
    #5 JohnDeereFan, Dec 5, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 5, 2013
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