PTNews
P r o p h e c y T o d a y N e w s
September 2022
Published monthly
All Bible references are from the KJV
(Examining Current Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy)
P.O. Box 13006, Roanoke, VA 24030-3006
The Global Food Crisis
“And there shall be famines, [pandemics], and earthquakes, in [different] places.”
By Mike Wingfield
As we approach the end of summer and the annual growing season, it is very apparent that the fall harvest will be woefully short of the demand to feed the global population. Many CEOs of firms that deal with the flow of food staples are telling us that we are at a very dangerous tipping point that is moving us toward world hunger and even famine. Some are predicting that crop production will be at 50 percent of levels seen in previous years.
In recent months, the United Nations has been warning that a major famine is about to take place. “During a United Nations (UN) food security meeting on June 24, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a ‘global hunger crisis.’ He also mentioned the ‘real risk’ of ‘multiple famines’ being declared in 2022, with even worse famines to be expected in 2023” (EU Times, July 1, 2022). Svein Holsethler of Yara International, an international fertilizer company , commented, “For me, it’s not whether we are moving into a global food crisis — it’s how large the crisis will be” (www.westernjournal.com, August 31, 2022 ).
David Beasley, the former Republican governor of South Carolina, and now the director of the UN World Food Program, states that 323 million people are “marching toward starvation as we speak” (Time, June 27, 2022).
Beasley further comment-ed, “‘Before the [Russian-Ukraine] war, I was al-ready warning the world that 2022 and 2023 could be the worst two years in the humanitarian world since World War II. … I’m trying to tell everybody how bad it is — how bad it’s going to be. And then, the next week, I’m like, you know, wipe that clean — it’s worse than what I was saying’ … Beasley believes that 2023 could take a still darker turn.
‘This year’s price crisis could be succeeded by a genuine supply crisis, in which food is pushed out of reach for many millions not just by price but by ongoing structural conditions (including the failure to plant next year’s harvest in Ukraine and the surge in the price of fertilizer, which can be one-third or more of farmers’ total annual cost), and the world could experience the once-unthinkable: a true shortfall of food’” (Time, June 27, 2022).
The Bible has predicted that when the Tribulation Period begins, the world will be in the middle of a global famine that would be accompanied by rampant global political tyranny, global wars, global pandemics, and global hyperinflation (Revelation 6:2-8). The global famine and economic collapse near the beginning of the Tribulation is symbolically depicted in Revelation 6:5-6 as a rider on a black horse. [See image on this page.] We are about to arrive at this juncture. Our world has uniquely been prepared for the most terrifying period of human suffering since the time of the global flood occurred approximately about 5,000 years ago.
According to Jesus, famine will be one of five sorrows that will produce the birth pangs of the Tribulation Period (Matthew 24:4-8). The four other contractions of this time of sorrow are spiritual deception, wars and rumors of wars, pandemics, and earthquakes. Once again, it would appear we have arrived at that moment when earth and its inhabitants are being launched into this coming time of unprecedented decadence, death, and destruction.
While this is not the first time the world has faced this deadly mixture of trouble, it certainly appears to be the final visitation of God upon the wicked. While speaking of the Tribulation, Jesus said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).
Most Americans scoff at the mere notion of a coming famine. I have personally witnessed this as I have travelled across America to deliver God’s message of warning concerning the last days. Americans have been blessed by God to live in a land of plenty. Most have never experienced real hunger. For most of our lives, grocery store shelves have been filled with a great assortment of food from around the world. Until recent years, this abundance of food has been relatively cheap to acquire. However, things are beginning to change.
First, we need to be reminded that food is a gift from God. In one of his inspired Psalms, King David of Israel wrote, “He [waters] the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. He [causes] the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth” (Psalm 104:13-14). Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).
God expects us to trust Him for everything. All the blessings of life come from Him (James 1:17). When man ceases to glorify Him and give Him thanks, He has many times used famine as a tool of divine judgment to bring people and nations to repentance. The Bible is filled with examples of this. Many godly people have had to endure times of famine while God judged the wicked. Without question, famine always fulfills the will and purposes of God!
From a human perspective, there are at least four major developments that produce famine. Let us examine them.
1. War contributes to famine.
According to the Bible and history, war can cause famine. During war, human efforts are diverted from the production of food and other items necessary for life. Farmers are not able to plant crops and transport them to markets. In some cases, the seeds, fuels, and machinery needed to plant and harvest crops are not available. Very often, more people have died due to the ramifications of war, rather than war itself.
The current food crisis has been worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both of these countries combined to supply the world, especially the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, with about 25 percent of wheat and sunflower seed to make cooking oil. This is further enhanced by the fact that Russia is one of the major suppliers of energy and fertilizer to the agriculture world. The implications of this war and the impact upon the global food chain are still not being realized.
David Beasley, director of the UN’s World Food Program (WFP), remarked that the Russia-Ukraine war caused “devastating” repercussions to the ongoing food shortage worldwide. This, he added, could bring about “hell on Earth” (EU Times, July 1, 2022).
The impact upon the serious food shortages this winter will trigger a massive immigration of starving people to flood Europe with illegal refuges. Israel 365 News comments, “If you think we’ve got hell on earth now, you just get ready … If we neglect northern Africa, northern Africa [will come] to Europe. If we neglect the Middle East, [the] the Middle East is coming to Europe” (Israel 365 News, March 23, 2022). Here in America, our open border policies with Mexico will bring a massive invasion of starving people from nations around the world. America is about to be flooded with illegal immigrants that are starving. People like this are desperate. Desperate people do desperate things!
The greatest impact of war on global food production will occur during the Tribulation Period. This period will begin with the war machine of the Antichrist that will de-liver a severe economic blow to every nation on earth. Obviously, this will have a major impact upon the agricultural industry. Shortly after the Tribulation begins, one-fourth of the global population will perish because of war, famine, and diseases (Revelation 6:8).
2. Erratic weather conditions cause famine.
In addition to the war between Russia and Ukraine, we are seeing a mixture of climatic catastrophes that are putting an even greater strain on our ability to produce food.
In America, the past spring brought unseasonably cold weather to the Midwest, causing a delay in the planting season. The summer brought extremely high temperatures to much of the country, producing serious drought conditions. Furthermore, the high temperatures caused millions of cattle to die. Many parts of the planet have experienced historic drought and flooding. This has occurred in the Mid-western states of America, Brazil, Argentina, North Africa, the Middle East, and India. Earlier this year, China’s agricultural areas were flooded with the heaviest rains in more than 60 years.
British news agencies are reporting widespread crop failures across England. Britain has not been able to produce enough food to feed themselves, forcing them to rely upon food imports. Conditions in Italy are even worse. It is re-ported that the farmers in Italy have lost up to 80 percent of their harvest due to severe weather conditions.
The situation here in the U.S. is similar. Great drought continues to plague California and seven states in the Mid-west that depend upon water from the Colorado River. The river is rapidly drying up and farmers are being told they will not be able to use this source of water for their crops.
The Bible tells us that conditions during the Tribulation Period will be far more harsh. There will be a global drought, with no rain, for the first three and one-half years of the Tribulation (Revelation 11:6). There will be a global freshwater crisis due to the judgments of God (Revelation 8:10-11; 16:4). The water will be so contaminated that it will appear to be blood-red. When the end of the Tribulation comes, the Euphrates River, one of the largest in the Middle East, will dry up (Revelation 16:12).
3. Poor or limited farming practices can cause famine.
The world population is exploding, and it is now estimated to be 8 billion. As the population has grown, we have be-come dependent upon modern commercial farming practices that have evolved over the past 100 years. At present, farming cannot keep pace with the growing demand for food. Since 1930, world population has grown from 2 billion to currently 8 billion! [Review my comments in the May 2022 newsletter.]
The current developments with war and erratic weather are demonstrating that commercial farmers are totally de-pendent upon resources over which they have no control. It is apparent that the delicate balance of commercial farming abilities and practices, and the impact of war, greed, power, and radical weather patterns are demonstrating that the ability to feed billions of people is a very risky proposition.
4. Evil governments and policies can cause famine.
Evil governments and men are exerting their wicked power and influence to manufacture the global crisis we are experiencing. Their ultimate objective is for people around the world to submit to their evil plans and pow-er. They want to force us into a Marxist form of government that will give them complete power and authority over people, properties, resources, and wealth. They are so determined to accomplish their atheistic agenda that they are willing to cooperate with radical Islamic nations, like Iran, to achieve their agenda.
At this current moment they are promoting several crises, both real and imagined, to fill us with fear that our world is falling apart. They want us to believe that if we do not totally submit to them and their global agenda that our planet is doomed to extinction. They are distorting the facts concerning a climate crisis. They are manipulating the facts about COVID-19 and forcing us into their global health care demands – while at the same time planning to reduce world population by 90 percent in the next few decades. They are lying to us about the impact of fossil fuels upon the environment, attempting to force us to adopt a mode of transportation that will push us into their mold of control and power. They are allowing a real food crisis to develop, while they limit or oppose any real action to help avert a humanitarian crisis that will claim the lives of hundreds of millions of people.
Evil governments and men know that one of the greatest ways to control and manipulate people is to control their food supplies. Henry Kissinger, a huge proponent of a one-world government, and a U.S. secretary of state under presidents Nixon and Ford in the 1970s, once said, “Who controls the food supply controls the people; who controls the energy can control whole continents; who controls money can control the world.” This has been one of the reasons for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. He wants to use his influence and power to create a real global food crisis so that he can exert his power and influence upon the world. China, his partner in this evil agenda, has the same goal.
This is not a new strategy. In the past, the Communist regimes have created evil policies to gain control over their own people and ultimately brought about great famine in their own country. Due to the political unrest during the Communist revolution in 1921, 5 million people died due to famine. In the former Soviet Union, 7 million people died due to famine in 1932 because of the poor political policies of Joseph Stalin. The great Chinese famine of 1959-1961 caused 50 million people in China to die. This famine came about because of the failure of Communist political policies. In North Korea, 3 million people died (1994-1998) due to starvation because their government forced them to move into cities due to political policies shifting to a military emphasis. [For a greater examination of these facts go to www.mypatriotsupply.com/blogs/scout/control-the-food-control-the-people].
In the past few weeks, I have been reading some of the promotional UN materials that outline what is being asked of politicians to force all nations into an evil one-world government. In this government, they want to take away all our freedoms and possessions. Part of their plan is to take control of the global food production. They want to make it impossible for commercial farmers to feed the world. Through impossible regulations, they want to force these farmers out of business. They plan to take over their farms and control the food production to feed the world. This is the exact plan that the Communists have attempted in the last century and failed miserably.
This is what they are attempting to do in America. They plan to control the water resources that commercial farmers need to irrigate their crops. They want to control the cost and availability of the seeds, fertilizers, fuels, pesticides, and machinery used by commercial farmers.
They are planning on changing our diet. They are attempting to sell the idea that the manure and burping of livestock is a major contributor to the global climate crisis. Therefore, they plan to move us away from meat and to demand that we learn to consume insects. They claim that eating insects is a safer form of protein.
Bill Gates is one of the largest owners of farmland in the U.S. China also owns a great number of U.S. farms. In the last year alone, China spent $6.1 billion on property purchases in the U.S. Recent data indicates that foreign nations own more than 35.2 million acres! It is shocking to read these reports when one realizes that these people do not have our best interests in mind.
Since President Joe Biden was elected, there have been 98 food storage, manufacturing, or processing plants that have mysteriously been destroyed or damaged by accidental fires or evidence that remains “inconclusive.” One does not know what to make of all of this. But the overall context of our times would seem to indicate that some sabotage is likely involved.
Friends, we live at a very evil hour. The evil powers of our nation and world are acting with greed, deception, and malicious intent. We must not panic. We need to prepare for what lies ahead.
Elizabeth Anderson of Patriot Food Supply gives the following recommendations:
Buy long-term emergency food supplies.
Invest in land you can use to grow food.
Grow your own food. Even if you live in an urban area, there are numerous plants you can grow indoors and out.
Start a hobby farm.
Go to farmers’ markets and get to know your local farmers.
Stay aware and remain vigilant.
We must remember that our trust is not in our government. Our trust is in the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Our lives are in His hands. We must not be fearful. We must be faithful to our Lord and be strong in the face of evil. Many of our brothers and sisters in the faith are already suffering and are hungry at this hour. Contact a Christian agency that is sending relief to the suffering church. Send a generous gift to help our suffering brothers and sisters in Christ. Do it now. Many in the Middle East and parts of Africa are already at the point of starvation. The inflation of what food is available is already out of reach for those living in poverty.
Do not be guilty of just storing food. Feed your soul and strengthen your faith. Study what the Bible has to say about suffering. Immerse yourself in the Psalms and Proverbs. Focus on the very nature of the mercy and grace of our Lord. The other morning, I was reading in Psalms, and Psalm 97:10 blessed my soul, “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he [preserves] the souls of his saints; he [delivers] them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Read the book of Job. In his severe test, Job lost everything he had, including his children. Yet he said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD [has] taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). Later he testified, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him…” (Job 13:15).
The greatest threat of the coming suffering that lies ahead for the world is not an empty stomach, but a barren soul. To face the trials ahead, we must possess the power, presence, and promises of God! “Be strong in the LORD, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10).
Be faithful to the body of Christ. Be deeply involved in a local church that proclaims the Word of God. Soon, this family of God will be all that we really have in this world! We are commanded to “not [forsake] the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as [you] see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
Be ready for the shout that will take us out!
The Madness in America
Anyone who is really paying attention to the daily news events over the past few years will recognize that Ameri-cans seem to be entering a period of recklessness, while disregarding any threat to their own personal life or injury. It is as if we are living in a world that has become insane.
In recent years, some states are threatening to break away from the union. Some rich Americans are leaving the country. More people seem to be driving recklessly, exhibiting a dangerous spirit of lawlessness. The abuse of alcohol and drugs is noticeably escalating. Altercations at public places and on airplanes are increasing. Violent crime murders are at an all-time high.
All these observations are evidence that the spirit of law-lessness is escalating at an enormous rate. It is apparent that God’s restraining influence by His Spirit through the church is waning, just like the Bible said it would (2 Thessalonians 2:7). As the church becomes more like the world, it is losing its ability to be salt and light in our world (Matthew 5:13-16). As this restraining influence dissipates, sinners are becoming more militant, bold, and shameless. When the church [a godly remnant] is raptured, then the lawless one, the Antichrist, will step onto the stage of history (2 Thessalonians 2:8). As testified in the prophetic Scriptures, all this current madness will dramatically escalate, making this planet a very dangerous place to live. Praise God we are going home soon!