MTM-Biblical Principles for Preparation Part One

The fastest way to lose peace is to pretend tomorrow will always look like today. We talk frankly about why so many people feel overwhelmed by instability, from economic uncertainty and rising grocery costs to fragile supply chains and sudden local disasters, and we anchor it all in a simple biblical idea: preparation is not a lack of faith, it is wisdom in action. 

We borrow a strong Bible study outline from Ty and Charlene Bollinger (The Truth About Cancer) and walk through the first five “principles for preparation” straight from Scripture. You’ll hear why Proverbs praises the person who foresees danger and acts, why Noah kept building when everyone laughed, and why the ant and Joseph both model storing during abundance for times of scarcity. We also unpack Jesus’ warning to count the cost, using Solomon’s temple as a picture of careful planning that lasts. 

Then we get practical with real emergency preparedness steps for everyday people: start a food storage plan, secure water options, learn gardening and food preservation, avoid panic buying, avoid debt, and build skills over time. We end with watchfulness, including a hurricane story that shows how quickly gas, groceries, banks, and the power grid can fail, plus a simple readiness checklist and a recommendation for hands-on training at a prepper camp. 

If this helped you think clearly, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find biblical preparedness that leads to calm instead of fear.

Transcript

Welcome To More Than Medicine

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the hills that plague our culture. Hosted by author and physician Dr. Robert Jackson. And his wife Carlotta and Daughter Annabella. So listen up because the doctor is Annie.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Welcome to More Than Medicine. I'm your host, Dr. Robert Jackson, bringing to you biblical insights and stories from the country doctor's Rusty Dusty Scrapbook. Well,

Why Christians Prepare Without Fear

SPEAKER_00 0:35

today I'm going to do something that I hardly ever do, which is to borrow a Bible study. I recently read a Bible study by Ty and Charlene Bollinger on their website, The Truth About Cancer. And it was ten biblical principles for preparation, wisdom from Scripture for the days ahead. And I was thrilled with the the ten scripture, scripture points that they applied to preparing for the future. Now much of it was preparing for crisis, which is fine because all of us need to be prepared for the eventualities that may come our way. But the principles also apply to you and I being prepared for the things that may happen to us spiritually. Jesus said, Let not your hearts be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you. Even in his final hours, Jesus was preparing his disciples, preparing a way forward, preparing for what was to come. And he expects you and me to do the very same thing. You and I live in times that feel increasingly unstable. There's global conflicts, threatening energy supplies, there is economic uncertainty driving up the cost of everyday items that we buy from the grocery store. Food supply chains are becoming more fragile. If you add to all that government overreach, the loss of freedoms that we once took for granted, increasing pressure on Christians and truth tellers who refuse to bow to the prevailing narratives. It's easy for us to feel overwhelmed or anxious or paralyzed. But here's what the Bible makes clear. Preparation isn't a lack of faith. It's wisdom and obedience. God doesn't call us to be reckless or passive with our arms hanging down by our sides. He calls us to be prudent, diligent, and ready. Throughout Scripture, God's people who were prepared were blessed and preserved. Those who ignored warnings suffered consequences. Ty and Charlene Bollinger provided ten powerful biblical principles for preparation. Principles that are just as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago throughout the scriptures. In today's lesson we'll look at five of these, and in next week's message we'll go through the last five.

Foresee Danger And Take Action

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Number one, foresee danger and take action. In Proverbs twenty two verse three, the Bible says a prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton or the naive goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. How true is that? We see that worked out in everyday life all around us. In fact, that verse appears twice in Proverbs twenty two verse chapter twenty two verse three and chapter twenty seven and verse twelve. It looks like God's wanting to make sure we get the message. Wisdom isn't ignoring threats, it's seeing them coming and preparing accordingly. Just think about Noah and the Ark in Genesis chapter six through nine. I'm teaching that in my devotions with doctor Papa. God warned Noah that a flood was coming. In fact, he warned him a hundred and twenty years in advance. Noah could have ignored the warning. After all, it had never rained before. People mocked Noah, called him a crazy man. But Noah prepared anyway. He built the ark, he gathered animals, he stored food, and when the flood came only those who prepared survived. If you start preparing today, some people will laugh at you. They'll call you a doomsday prepper, a fearmonger, a conspiracy theorist, or even worse. But the same world that mocked Noah is the world that drowned. Preparation often looks foolish until the flood comes. We see warnings all around us, energy crises, food shortages, economic collapse. The question isn't whether these threats are real. The question is are you preparing or are you going blindly on like the simpleton?

Food Water Skills To Start

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Now here's some practical steps. Number one, build a food storage supply. Start with a two week supply and then build up to three months. Secure alternative water sources because the first thing to fall apart in a crisis is the water supply. Learn essential skills such as gardening or food preservation or first aid. Make yourself valuable to your family and neighbors by the essential skills that you know, and reduce dependence on fragile supply chains.

Store In Abundance Like Joseph

SPEAKER_00 6:08

two. Store during abundance for times of scarcity. The Bible tells us go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways, and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer, and gathers its food at harvest. That's Proverbs chapter six verses six through eight. The ant doesn't wait for a boss to tell it what to do. It works diligently during the season of harvest, storing up for the season of scarcity. In the same way we are called to be self motivated, a self starter. Don't wait for the government to save you. Don't wait for permission. Start now. God has given you the same wisdom he gave the ant, and he promises to bless the work of your hands. Do you remember the story of Joseph in Egypt in Genesis forty one? He interpreted Pharaoh's dream, which predicted seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Joseph didn't just warn Pharaoh, he showed Pharaoh how to prepare. During the seven good years he stored grain, massive amounts, so much that they stopped counting, and when the famine came, Egypt had food, not just for itself, but for the surrounding nations. Joseph's preparation saved millions of lives, including his own family. We are living in a season of relative abundance, but the signs of scarcity are already gathering on the horizon. Energy shortages, supply chain disruptions, and food prices spiking are not distant threats. They are unfolding now. Joseph didn't wait until the first year of famine to act. He used the years of plenty to store up. Neither should we. The time to prepare is now, while you still can, not when the shelves are empty, and not when the grid goes down, and not when it's too late. So what are some practical steps? Buy extra non perishable food items every time you shop. Invest in some long term food storage, like canned goods, like rice and beans. Plant a garden, even a small one, and learn to preserve food. Learn canning or fermenting or dehydrating. Those are simple things to learn how

Count The Cost And Plan

SPEAKER_00 8:49

to do. Number three, count the cost before you build. In Luke fourteen, Jesus spoke a parable and he said, Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you. Jesus taught that planning and preparation are essential to success. You wouldn't start a construction project without counting the cost. So why would you face the coming storms of life without taking stock of your resources, your skills and your plan? The world may tell you that preparation is fear or a lack of trust, but Jesus Himself taught that planning is prudence. Let me say that again. Planning is prudence. You remember when Solomon built the temple? In first Kings chapter five and six, it describes the prudent planning that Solomon applied to building the temple. He didn't just start building the temple one day and hope for the best. He spent years preparing, gathering materials, he got cedar from Lebanon, gold, bronze, precious stones. He even organized seventy thousand laborers and eighty thousand stone cutters. He negotiated trade agreements, planning every detail of the construction, and what was the result? One of the most magnificent structures in history, Solomon's Temple. Major undertakings require thorough preparation. Vision without planning is just a wish. Whether you're building a garden, a community, or a family plan for hard times, take the time to think it through. Write it down. Count the cost. God honors careful planning. When you prepare diligently, you build something that lasts, even in a crisis. So what are some practical steps? Create a household preparedness plan for food, water, energy, security. Set a budget for preparedness supplies. Break large goals into manageable short term steps. Then review and adjust your plans regularly.

Diligence Beats Haste And Debt

SPEAKER_00 11:19

Number four, work diligently, not hastily. Proverbs twenty one verse five says the plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty. Preparation requires consistent diligent effort, not panic buying or last minute scrambling. The hare may be faster, but the tortoise wins the race because it never stops moving forward. In the same way, you don't need to empty your bank account in a single shopping trip or build a fortified bunker overnight. What you need is faithfulness over time. You remember the story in the Bible of the Proverbs thirty one woman in chapter thirty one in the book of Proverbs? The Bible says that she sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. She's not afraid of the snow, for her household, for her household is clothed in scarlet. That woman didn't wait until winter to prepare for winter. She worked steadily, diligently throughout the year. And when the snow finally came her household was ready. She wasn't anxious about the storm because she had already prepared. She had planned in advance. She had stored, she had worked. So for you and me, start small, start now. Build your prepared preparations one step at a time. You don't need to buy a year's worth of food tomorrow, but you can start buying extra this week. Small, consistent acts of preparation add up to real security. Set aside a small amount each month for preparation. Focus on one category at a time like water and then food and then energy. Avoid debt. Pay cash for preparedness supplies. My financial advisor tells me and all of his clients to focus on grub, gold, and guns. By that he means food and silver or gold for bartering, and then guns and ammo for protection. He says these will provide protection and the opportunity for bartering with them, because you can always barter with grub, gold and guns. And then build skills gradually. Learn one new skill every month. You should be a lifelong learner, learning new skills, always learning new skills.

Ready At All Times Hurricane Lessons

SPEAKER_00 13:57

And then lastly for the day's lesson is be ready at all times. In Matthew twenty five, Jesus told his disciples, therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. And of course he's talking about the time when he will return. But by the same principle, you and I don't know when a crisis may occur, sometimes a small crisis like Hurricane Helene that hit the upstate of South Carolina where I live just a couple of years ago. And boy was that a surprise and was it a disaster? Keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour when a local crisis may occur. Jesus didn't say this to make us paranoid. He said it to prepare us. You don't know when the crisis will hit, but when it does, there won't be time to scramble. So keep watch not out of fear, but so you can rest in the peace of knowing you're already ready. You remember the story of the wise and the foolish virgins in Matthew chapter twenty five. There were ten of them, and the ten virgins waited for the bridegroom. Five brought extra oil for their lamps, and five did not. And when the bridegroom was delayed, the foolish virgins' lamps went out. Then they started to scramble to find oil, but it was too late for them. Only the prepared virgins entered the wedding feast. The wise virgins didn't know the hour, but they had prepared for a delay. When the crisis hits, there won't be time to prepare. When Hurricane Helene hit, there were so many of my neighbors who had no gas. They had generators, but they had no fuel for their generators. There were so many people here who were totally unprepared. There was no warning at all that Hurricane Helene was going to leave the Gulf Coast and come all the way up through Alabama and Georgia into South Carolina. Whoever heard of such a thing? But yet it devastated the Appalachian part of South Carolina and North Carolina, a hurricane? In the mountainous part of South Carolina and North Carolina, even into Tennessee? Whoever hech a thing? But it happened, and there was no time to prepare. If you were not prepared in advance, that hurricane left you without electricity, without gas, without extra food, without batteries. Oh my. The grocery stores will be emptied in hours, and that happened. Gas stations ran dry, that happened. The banks were closed. The grid went down. If you're not ready now, you won't be ready then. Preparation gives you the freedom to wait without panic. You can be at peace knowing you've already done what wisdom requires.

A Practical Readiness Checklist

SPEAKER_00 17:09

What are the practical steps? Keep your vehicle gas tank above half at all times. Maintain a thirty day supply of essential medications. Keep fresh gas in your lawnmower, in your generators. Keep a couple of five gallon cans of gas in your garage at all times. And keep your batteries charged. And if you have a battery bank, make sure it stays charged. Keep cash on hand in small bills. And I'd recommend keeping silver coins for bartering because sometimes there is no opportunity to even obtain small cash, small bills in cash. And have a go bag ready in case you need to evacuate your house quickly. And there are times when there are floods. You see on the on the news that certain parts of our country are are susceptible to floods, and people have to evacuate their homes quickly in case of a flood or a wildfire or a hurricane, and you may need to have a go bag for yourself and your family members, and you get in your vehicle and flee. Well, that's enough for one day. That's five practical pointers for being prepared.

Prepper Camp Invitation And Closing

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Now before I leave, I want to promote a prepper camp. I attended a prepper camp up in North Carolina two years ago, and I want you to know it was amazing and eye-opening, and it's just something that I recommend for all of my listeners. It'll be August the 14th through the 16th this year, 2026. It'll be held at the Tryon International Resort. It's a self-reliance, homesteading, off-grid living and preparedness living camp. There'll be 64 classes, 50 world-class instructors that'll help you prepare for anything. And you can go to the Rick Austin Prepper Camp website and find out all about it. But I highly recommend it. I I think your mind will be blown by all the uh exhibits, by all the classes, by all the things that you will learn. And I remind you that prepping is not a lack of faith. Prepping is wisdom in action. And I would encourage you to go. You'll probably see me there part of the time, if not all the time. And I take my sons and my son-in-laws, and we go there to learn and to learn how to be prepared. So I would encourage you to attend, and I'll be back again next week, and we'll go through the next five uh points of being prepared. And until then, I pray that the Lord will bless you real good.

SPEAKER_02 20:06

Thank you for listening to this edition of Northern Medicine. For more information about the Jacksonville Medicine, Jack Family Medicine.