PORTERVILLE POST | The Right News at the Right Time

| Scared or Prepared?
The Right Word^© - Apr 06, 2025
with Brother Scott : scott@portervillepost.com

We each have unconscious default positions that just happen when we are faced with some unexpected issue in life.
A default position is what you do automatically, usually without any thought or even a few microseconds of consideration about what else can or should be done.
Such automatic reactions are not necessarily bad but some can be if it is the wrong thing to do in a specific or unique situation.
Things happen and what we often do is immediately panic and react in ways that might just be totally wrong for our well-being or our survival.

• A person somehow is on fire and begins to run around wildly in terror and pain rather than dropping to the ground and rolling around to snuff it out
• A man finds himself in the path of an oncoming and out-of-control vehicle, crashing aircraft, or collapsing building and runs as fast as he can straight ahead of it rather than running in a direction that is perpendicular to its path
• When in a Christian meeting suddenly a person explodes in guttural screams and vulgarities against God, the apparent manifestation of demons, today’s believers back way up frightened and intimidated by the outburst rather than gathering around and by the authority of Jesus’ name someone casting out those evil spirits from this man or woman that God loves

These and countless other threatening situations we can face often result in automatic and instantaneous reactions that are because of our not knowing what to do or not having been prepared to do what is right or best but instead doing what an unprepared mind does in a panic.
As independent thinking and free-will acting human beings, the large majority of negative circumstances we face and will face are in our physical realm having to do with staying alive or financial issues or a health crisis for ourselves or ones that we love.
And as such, left to our own selves we take the best action that we can sometimes with just a moment’s notice. But as a true follower of Jesus Christ, we are no longer completely on our own; we belong to Another Who is always present, all-knowing, and all-powerful.
Nothing catches God off-guard and if we will develop a close relationship with Him, He will be there with us and for us when things happen that we need serious help with.

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† 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify (honor) God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

† Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

† 1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation (adversity, experience of evil) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tested) above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape (walk it out / through it), that ye may be able to bear (from endure+under; undergo, endure) it.

Now even though nearly all the threatening things we face are in some way physical in nature, as genuine children of God by the new birth we have help from the spiritual domain that we will both either seek and follow or we will not.
The issue I am speaking to today is about being spiritually prepared for our tomorrows; what we all will face in our soon futures as Christians where we will either default to fear and many to cowardice or we will be ready to trust God no matter the threat to one’s life or family.
In unexpected and serious conditions that arise, the outcome can boil down to one of being scared and doing this (thing on the left) that is not of faith or being prepared and doing that (thing on the right which is wise) by our faith in God.
I hope to impress upon you that our perfect-fallback-position (perfect default position) in every case is to already be ready to trust God for wisdom, deliverance, or the provisions we need depending on what we face. The Bible repeatedly tells us as a people of God to not live or react in fear.

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† Deuteronomy 31:6 [To the nation and to Joshua:] Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

† Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

† 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

† Revelation 2:10 [To Smyrna:] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

It is natural for fear to immediately set in during the first seconds of realizing a very serious issue has suddenly arisen (at least for me). But if the Christian is spiritually trained, within one to three minutes we are reminded that God is on-hand to help us and we back away from fear, begin to harness any worry, and put down the intimidating imaginations of our mind.

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† 2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. . .

† Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Based on the weekly pre-meeting world events rundown I share with you, you are not unaware of the several real threats facing us that are about to boil over are affect you and me. These are situations on our planet that will without a doubt significantly change the way we are used to living our lives.
Most Americans are completely ignorant of many of these things except for how the main stream media reports them in very soft terms. Yes, I know, many things have been going on for some time now and life seems to just continue on. However, one-by-one the things that can change how we live here on the north American continent will without much more than a few hours notice (if that much) blow up and each cause their own big trouble for us. What things? The big 6:

What things? ~ The big 6:
• The U.S. dollar system fails worldwide; there are compelling warnings from currency insiders that are saying we will see a massive repudiation of the US$’s use (suggested to happen by the first week of July [no imports, legal meds and illegal drugs, etc.])
• Noticeable to serious food shortages on the shelves of American grocery stores
• Disease sweeps the country and begins killing many (measles, bird flu, other)
• Violence between our left and right political factions, immigration enforcers and those they are now hunting, and deadly conflicts among the various groups affected by the cutbacks of government payments here at home.
• War and destruction in our land—it is both prophesied and promised by those abroad if we do not stop certain actions abroad.
• And eventually persecution of those others want to blame—Christians and Jews.

Now when even one of these things happen, are you ready to not freak-out but you are ready to rely on our God for guidance and for what you truly need?
Are you mentally and physically prepared right now to do with a lot less—less freedom, less spendable money, less food availability, less medical care and medications, and little or no emergency services? And by “prepared” I mean are you ready to live more and more by your faith in God to provide the things you need?
When these things happen, even some events at the same time, those of the church in this last age will either be scared by them or prepared to cope with them by the power of their faith in God.

When these things happen in America
When these things happen here in America, there will be three outcomes in the lives of those believing themselves to be followers of Jesus:
-1- Those that are totally unprepared physically and spiritually will fall away and nurse on the breast of the beast system and be lost, or
-2- those that somehow maintain their faith to be saved but have not the faith to trust God without other’s to hour-by-hour inspire them to “hold on”; these will cower behind Christians that are strong in faith, like young children hiding behind their father in a violent and loud lightning storm, and
-3- those that are what the revelation of the end times calls “overcomers”; those that are the spiritually strong and are practiced at looking to God for all that they need, even hour-by-hour in the face of some very-serious-stuff.

Sadly enough, I would bet a box of donuts that perhaps as many as three quarters of U.S. Christian claimants (75%) will look for the government to provide, no matter the strings that are attached, and that another 20% maybe will look for the help they need to endure without compromising their faith in God.
This disjointed and scattered group of believers will seek out the last days’ remnant of the small but strong-in-faith Christian groups by which they can find courage and hope in God. That is a number of only about 5% of all that said they trusted God but who actually do and have found by their knowledge of the Word know what God can do, have already tested His faithfulness many times, and are living day-by-day in tribulation because of this Divine fact: God is faithful to show His power to provide, to protect and defend, and to heal and save all that come to Him.
The which one of these 3 groups that you will be found in is entirely up to you and how you are practicing your followership of Jesus Christ right now!

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† 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men [literally: be a man], be strong. 14 Let all your things be done with charity.

† Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

† 2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Of the seven churches addressed in Revelation 2 and 3, by them and especially the last two which are present during the last days, Jesus gave us examples by them of the members that are at opposite ends of needed faith and practice—one is like magnetic positive and the other negative; those two polar-opposite segments of the church operating today are Philadelphia and Laodicea.

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† Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue (from to come together for entertainment) of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. . .

† Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. . . 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

† Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

I recently quoted this saying to someone young in spiritual matters: “Either you are green and growing in the knowledge and grace of God—or you are ripe in the ways of the world and on your way to rotting.”
To be daily growing as a genuine follower of Jesus Christ is to be preparing—but to be lazy in your faith toward God and the power of His written Word is to default to fear and spiritual failure in our tomorrows. I choose to not be scared but to be prepared to not only trust Him to live through such hard times but to actively serve Him in spite of them.
There is no more time to be wishy-washy in one’s faith in God. A believer cannot be double-minded and wavering or he or she will be scared as the trouble ahead of us arises.

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† James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. . .

† James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.