by Steve McCranie | Jun 24, 2019
Now, even FOX News is covering the inevitable. The following is from Doug MacKinnon and was posted on the FOX website on Sunday, June 23, 2019.
We will speak much more about this on our website beginning in mid-July. But for now, read this and consider what Doug says.
Will You Survive the Coming Blackout?
There are many never-ending debates between Republicans and Democrats. Impeach vs. don’t impeach; capital punishment vs. life in prison; wall vs. no wall; legalizing marijuana vs. not; self-driving cars vs. human drivers; Red Sox vs. Yankees; takeout vs. home-cooked; or Gone With the Wind vs. any other movie.
All of these issues are stunningly important, right up to the second where cataclysm falls and creates a nightmare scenario that so many fear.
That cataclysm is a complete loss of electricity and every mode of convenience and survival we take for granted.
The largest red flag on this issue in years just waved in South America. Last weekend, tens of millions of people in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay found themselves in a complete blackout. In one moment, they had electricity. The next moment, they had none, and they were catapulted back to the 1800s.
Only much worse.
People in the 1800s were not dependent upon electricity for their jobs, money, communication, Internet, transportation, education, security, medical services, prescriptions, water, and very lives.
The national power grid of the United States is truly a mess held together with, as the joke goes, by not much more than “baling wire and chewing gum.”
The average age of large power transformers in the United States is 40 years. Seventy percent of all large power transformers are at least 25 years old. It’s little wonder that, according to data from the Department of Energy, the United States suffers more blackouts than any other nation in the developed world.
The overall system is so weak, so taxed, and so vulnerable that in 2003, over 50 million people in the United States and Canada were hit with cascading blackouts simply because a tree branch fell on a power line in Ohio.
Because the infrastructure is so antiquated, weather triggers multiple blackouts per year in the U.S. Blackouts which collectively cost the nation upwards of $30 billion in spoiled inventory, lost wages, and repair of the grid.
Unfortunately, weather is becoming the least feared trigger of a blackout. In the age of terrorism and increasing cyber-threats, our power-grid getting taken down by a hack is no longer seen as a question of “If it will happen,” but rather, “When it will happen?”
The U.S. government is so rightfully fearful of this, that last November, it ordered DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to war-game a complete cyber take-down of the U.S. power grid.
An exercise they are now wisely running on a regular basis.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, just last year, hackers – strongly suspected to be Russian – gained access to a number of utility control rooms in the United States and got to the point where “they could have thrown switches.”
The DHS report further stressed: “Russian government cyber actors targeted government entities and multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including the energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation, and critical manufacturing sectors.”
Aside from the Russians, the Chinese, North Koreans, other terrorist states, and even cyber-extortionists, are targeting our power grid on a daily basis.
That clock is ticking.
Unfortunately, much like any large terrorist attack, when an extended regional or national blackout hits, you and your family will be on your own. No one is going to ride to the rescue.
How will you survive?
In the blink of an eye, you will lose access to money, food, gasoline, communication, medicine, medical attention, heat, air conditioning, and security.
Gone.
Even though most don’t do it, residents of California and Florida are reminded every year to assemble their “two-week” survival kit. In California, it’s because of earthquakes. In Florida, it’s because of hurricanes.
Survival kits which include water, non-perishable food, medicine, first-aid kits, batteries, a radio, flashlights, candles, cash, a hand-crank charger, with smaller versions of all for your vehicle and office.
The federal and state governments should be issuing that same reminder to every citizen in the nation about the coming blackout. It truly is not a question of “if,” but of “when.”
A night on the town for a movie, dinner, a sporting event or a political debate is great fun until none of it matters and your survival is literally at stake.
Make a plan, because you will be on your own.
by Steve McCranie | Oct 24, 2016
This has been one of the most contentious election seasons I can remember. Good people have been dragged into the mud with lies and character slander for the sole purpose of trying to win an election. Which raises a few questions for the Christian.
How does a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, who is also a citizen of the United States of America, reconcile their responsibility as citizens to both? Especially in this election.
What is the purpose of human government? And what is our duty towards that government? But what if that government is oppressive? Are we to obey a government that commands us to sin? Then what are we to do as Christians when we are appalled by the corruption in our own government?
Have you ever asked yourself these questions? I have. To find the answers from Scripture, keep listening
The following is a study on the Kingdom of God and human government.
To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
Download this episode (right click and save)
by Steve McCranie | May 3, 2015
With our society and culture crumbling all around us it behooves the church to assess its commitment to Christ. Are you hot or cold or lukewarm? Is Christ on the outside of the church knocking, waiting, for us to open the door and allow Him into His church? (Rev. 3:20).
These are scary times. But not unprecedented times.
In fact, it’s these very times that bring out the best in the church. It’s times like these where true men and women of God step forward to take their stand for truth.
It’s the time of Daniel, Elijah, John the Baptist and Gideon.
The following is a study on the call of Gideon.
Download this episode (right click and save)
by Steve McCranie | May 5, 2014
When dealing with Babylon in the Scriptures we find ourselves concerned with the Fall of Babylon, the final Destruction of Babylon and, of course, Mystery Babylon as described in Revelation 17 and 18. Or, the FDM of Babylon.
But wait, there is also the city of Babylon built on the plain of Shinar, the nation of Babylon that was conquered by the Persians and the evil system of Babylon that is cursed and condemned by God in the Scriptures.
So which one is it? Which one is Zechariah talking about in the visions he was given by the Lord? Listen and find out.
The following is a study on Zechariah 5:5-6:8.
Download this episode (right click and save)
by Steve McCranie | Apr 27, 2014
The AFA recently sent out an email detailing 7 common careers that Christians may no longer hold in America. I am afraid they may be right. Let me list them for you.
Photography – A Christian photographer in New Mexico was fined $6700 for politely declining to photograph a lesbian commitment ceremony. The Supreme Court allowed this fine to stand.
Baker – A Christian baker in Oregon is facing both civil and criminal penalties, including jail time, for politely declining to bake a cake for a gay wedding ceremony. Her business has closed.
Florist – Baronelle Stutzman, a Christian florist in Washington, is being sued by the state attorney general for politely declining to prepare an arrangement for a gay wedding ceremony.
Broadcasting – Craig James was fired by Fox Sports Southwest after only one day on the job for expressing his support for natural marriage while he was a candidate for the United States Senate.
Counseling – Jennifer Keeton was dismissed from the counseling program at Augusta State University for her religious reservations about the homosexual lifestyle.
Innkeeping – The Wildflower Inn in Vermont was fined $30,000 and forced to shut down its wedding reception business after politely declining to host a lesbian ceremony.
Teaching – Ms. Gillian John-Charles was kicked out of a doctoral program in education at Roosevelt University for expressing in class her belief that homosexuals aren’t born gay.
Reminds me of the chilling words of German Pastor Martin Niemoller who was sent to a concentration camp in 1937 for his faith. He said:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak for me.
Time to Prepare
So what are we to do today? In a word, prepare. The church today, and you and I, need to prepare for God’s judgment to fall on our nation and persecution to break out against true Believers. How do I know this persecution will take place? Because it is promised in Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:12 states: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” You see, it’s in the cards, it’s a promise, a fact. If you desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, expect the agents of darkness to wage war against you and your family. According to Scripture, it’s a given.
With this understanding, we need to prepare:
1. Prepare Spiritually – We are to mature as Believers and take nothing for granted. Our lives are to be about Christ and His Kingdom and not about us and our small, puny, temporal earthly kingdom we are trying to create. We are to love, forgive, minister to and pray for those God has placed around us. We must separate from the world and live like the God we claim to serve. We must put selfish and childish things aside and live like children of God. And me must do this now!
2. Prepare Physically – We must get in shape, get out of debt, and store food and supplies for our family and neighbors who may not be able to do the same. In other words, we are to view our life like Noah did during the 120 years it took for him to build the ark. Build, prepare and preach. Build, prepare and preach. Build, prepare and preach. Get the point?
3. Prepare Vocationally – We must prepare and train ourselves and our children to learn some practical skills, to produce a product, to work for themselves, to be their own boss. Why? Because just like the Jews in Nazi Germany, the day may come that we will not be allowed to work where we do now and still hold on to our Christian views. Seem implausible? Just watch.
4. Prepare Socially – We must move beyond our comfort zones and open up our homes to others, to get to know our neighbors and our fellow Believers more than once a week on Sunday. We must learn to take vacations together and to prepare to live like most of the Christian world lives today— in community, in families, together as one.
And we must start doing this now. Remember the words of Jesus:
He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:2-3).
The following is a study of Zechariah 4:1 – 5:4 that addresses these issues.
Download this episode (right click and save)
