Christ Unlimited

A Bible Approach to the Y2K Millennium Bug

Y2K Aftermath: What Is God Saying to Us? (January 13, 2000) ----
Facing the New Millennium With Faith (December 28, 1999) ---- Betty Miller
Avoiding Millennium Madness (November 1999) --- Betty Miller
Y2K Update (September 1999) ---- Betty Miller
Y2K Update (July 1999) ---- Betty Miller
Y2K Update (May 1999) ----- Betty Miller
Countdown to the New Millennium (January 1999) ----- Betty Miller
How Will the Y2K Millennium Bug Affect You? (August 1998) ----- Betty Miller
Warnings ----- Donald McAlvany
Y2K and the Church Prophecy ----- Rick Joyner
Other Links Regarding the Y2K Problems

Y2K Aftermath: What Is God Saying to Us?
January 1, 2000

Jesus continually invited His listeners to observe the seasons and discern the times in which they lived, by what was clear and obvious. Out of respect to His wishes, and a true desire to understand, I submit these simple thoughts, in the hope that some of those who read this will be better prepared for their futures and turn their eyes to the One who is Altogether Lovely. I make no claim that this is a "prophetic word," but rather, a call for the response that I believe God is looking for in all of our hearts.

Grace in Y2K

I believe that God is extending to most of the world a "season" of general peace and prosperity. (By this, I mean that it will be a period of time--we don't know how long it will last--which will be relatively peaceful and prosperous compared to what might have happened if the Y2K bug and millennial acts of terrorism had created the chaos they could have). Most of us were not expecting a global meltdown, or massive terrorist attacks, but the possibility still lurked that these may happen. The truth is, they could have very easily. In fact, the last two weeks of 1999 saw the largest U.S. counter-terrorism operation in history.š And as we all know, the Y2K bug could have created a serious domino effect in the global economy; producing untold chaos--and yet, it has made hardly a ripple overall.

Most of us awoke to a suprisingly serene new morning at the dawn of this new century.

Though many voices have been shouting of the coming judgements (and indeed they are coming), I believe that God has responded to the cries of His saints who determined to stand in the gap and repent for an unrepentant world. He has heard our prayers, our tears, and our fasting. It has come before Him as an acceptable sacrifice and He has relented from releasing the catastrophe that should have been ours. Can there be a greater voice of God's mercy than the resounding silence of Y2K? The nations have not reaped what could have so easily befallen us.

Were those who prophesied of Y2K destruction wrong? No! Much of what they have been warning, will still come to pass, even if it doesn't come through Y2K. It was their cries that spurred many to seek the Lord and repent for their nations. And even if they were absolutely wrong on some points or in their timeline, God is still using it for His glory, because what they prophesied was what we deserved, yet did not receive. This only magnifies God's goodness to us.

The mild arrival of this new millennium has favored those who thank God as well as those who curse Him; those who acknowledge Him and those who don't. The rain has fallen on the just and the unjust. Nevertheless, how many of us will think this peace and prosperity came about because of our own great wisdom?

"It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them...(but) Ephraim boasts, "I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin" (Hosea 11: 3-4, 12:8).

We are like the teenager who took their parent's car without asking, crashed it at a wild party, and came home the next morning to face the consequences....And instead of the just punishment we deserve, we are given a tender embrace. Do we deserve it? Not in the least! That is why it is called grace!! The grace that the Lord just showed us at the turn of the century is global in dimension. It is for everyone.

You may ask, is it wise to respond to a rebellious child in such a way? Won't it make them even more rebellious, thinking they can get away with anything? Doesn't God want order in His house? The answer is yes, of course God wants order in his house, and He will have it before this whole thing is done. However, His desire is to have children who obey Him out of love and respect, not merely because circumstances force them to. Undeserved kindness can do one of two things: It can break our hearts with love and cause us to repent, or it can make our hearts harder and more rebellious. This is the test that God is giving to the whole globe right now--"What will you do with the undeserved kindness I've given you?" He is looking at our hearts--every one of us. Will His kindness soften our hearts or will it cause us to increase in arrogance?

There is a spiritual storm raging around the world, and it has been gaining momentum since the dawn of time. Small winds have occasionally erupted from where they were being restrained--and eventually they will manifest fully on the globe--but not until the Lord allows it. They are being held back temporarily by God's sovereignty (Revelation 7:1-3).

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgement will be revealed" (Romans 2: 4-5).

"For the Lord does not delay in and be tardy or slow about what He promises, according to some people's perception of slowness, but He is longsuffering (extraordinarily patient) toward you, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should turn to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

God is roaring out His love for us. He is throwing His patience in our face. He is wearing His mercy on His sleeve. He is drawing to His side, all those who would be broken by His kindness.

Testing and Fire

In this time of relative peace, we must work most diligently on building God's kingdom. Those who squander their time or finances on selfish pursuits or building their own kingdoms will disqualify themselves for the future work. This season of peace and prosperity is not the end to which we have been working all these years. It is not the top rung of the ladder. If we have been financially blessed, this is not the time for us to flaunt our wealth, or indulge in every delicacy our flesh has craved. It is not a time for us to be living in "paneled houses" while the Lord's house lies in ruins (Haggai 1:3-4). Rather, it is a generous allotment of grace to get us ready and positioned for the next season that is coming upon the whole world. We should be working as hard as we can to be spiritually ready for what will soon come; most likely in our very lifetime.

God is continuing to position His people with the right ministries, churches, and unions of all kinds. Because of this, many new relationships will be tested. Let us set our minds beforehand that we will not shrink away from, remove ourselves from, or withdraw from this testing. Some of it will be excruciatingly painful, and seem impossible to endure. Many will want to escape the testing--and some will give up and walk away. Those who do, will in essence, despise their own inheritance, and source of future joy. We must accept that such things will come--and overcome them with patient endurance and the love of God.

This time of relative ease in the world is so the church can be "fired from within." God is looking for those who will submit to His inward fire before it hits the earth outwardly. While ease and prosperity abounds for much of the world, many of God's people will choose to deny themselves, submit to God's inner burning, and live lives of voluntary sacrifice for the love of God and the purposes of His kingdom. God is looking for those who will willingly reject outward pleasures to be closer to Him, through a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. Soon, the world's circumstances will force many to seek God, but God is looking for those who will seek Him now! Those who do so (with humility and not an elitist attitude), will shine like beacons of light. They will lead many to salvation.

Now Is The Time To Be Willing

To sum up, I feel that it is very important to humbly give the glory to God for the ease of Y2K, and to take advantage of this season of peace as much as possible. Let us not foolishly squander the valuable blessings of God. We don't know how long this season will last--and if we fail to discern the times and "fall asleep," we will be in for a very rude awakening, as were the masses in Noah's day. It took Noah over one hundred years to build the ark, but instead of using that time to repent and call on God, the masses only became more arrogant and began to mock Noah--the very one who could have helped to save their lives. Many ministers have been warning of judgements to come for many years now. Y2K was only a very small part of that. Instead of mocking these ministers, we should thank God for them.

God is sealing many hearts this year and in the years ahead. Our response to God (or lack of it) will determine our future. We cannot keep putting Him off, and expect to somehow magically get "on-fire" for Him at a later date of our own choosing. It may be too late then. Remember in the parable of Matthew 25, five of the virgins let their oil run out, and were unable to get more in the hour they most needed it (Matthew 25: 1-13). The call of God is clear--now is the time to be filled with oil. Now is the time to trim our lamps. Now is the time to do whatever it takes to be ready to meet Him. Especially now, when His grace has abounded to us in a global dimension.

None of us are perfect, but God is assessing our hearts to see our potential. His eyes are moving to and fro over the earth, evaluating your heart and mine. He is looking for those who will rule and reign with Him. And what are His requirements? They can be boiled down to something very simple; all He requires is a willing vessel. God has built His kingdom with a far greater ratio of those who were simply willing, rather than those who were gifted with extraordinary talent. God can do unfathomable things with even the worst of sinners who is willing to repent, willing to listen, willing to obey and willing to worship. All we can offer Him is our willingness. Are we willing to believe Him? Are we willing to suffer loss for His Name's sake? Are we willing to persevere through trial? Are we willing to love Him with all our hearts? We may stumble and fall, but are we willing to get up and run back to His arms, dirty as we are? Are we willing to be made spotless, through whatever methods the Lord may use to clean us?

He is willing to woo us with love and mercy. Are we willing to respond?

The greatest indictment the Lord will have against many who stand before His throne will be simply that they were unwilling to receive His mercy! This was the cry on Jesus' heart just a few days before He was crucified in Jerusalem. As He looked over the city, He wept and said,

"Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you were not willing" (Matthew 23: 37, NIV emphasis mine).

Is there a phrase in the Bible more tragic than the one above? Is Jesus still weeping and saying this about many of us? Oh, let it never be said of us! Let us not be numbered among the unwilling of our generation!

However, there is good news! Even if we know we are unwilling now, we can cry out to Him from our hearts to make us willing. The question is: Are we willing to be made willing? Willingness to lay down our lives for the kingdom of God does not come naturally to any human. It is a gift that can only be granted by the Spirit of God, and He will give it to anyone who sincerely wants it. And He will also give us the strength and grace to put actions to our willingness--fragrant and eternal works of beauty that are made to withstand the fire.

"Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time" (Daniel 11:35).

End Notes:

šIntercessors For America E-Newsletter: 01/12/00 Issue: ADMINISTRATION SAYS TERRORISM THWARTED IN EIGHT COUNTRIES - National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said that the last weeks of 1999 saw the largest U.S. counter-terrorism operation in history, and that the United States had disrupted extremist groups in eight countries. The FBI reported that it had moved to thwart 20 or so possible threats.

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FACING THE NEW MILLENNIUM WITH FAITH

By Betty Miller

I am writing this article just a few days away from the crossover into the new millennium. There is still much concern and talk about what might happen because of computers that might still have the Y2K "bug." Noncompliant computers could cause disruptions, failures and/or total shut downs. These problems could affect any number of things we have all become used to relying upon: electricity, utilities, communications, transportation, imports and all other computer dependant entities.

I have printed a couple of announcements from the government agencies below assuring us that all is well, but also advising people to make some emergency plans "just in case." Since we live in such uncertain times, we need to all be connected to the one who is like a rock in the storm---that one is Jesus.

Matthew 7:24: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

Notice in these verses that the storms came upon the house that was built upon the rock, as well as the one that was built upon sand. We, as Christians, are not exempt from the "storms of life." However, the difference between the two, is that only the one that was upon the rock was still standing after the storm. I feel we are facing some storms in our nation in the coming year, and the first one is the fallout from Y2K. Although Y2K may not cause some problems for certain people right away, the fallout eventually could.

By "fallout," I am referring to the confusion and disruptions that can break down the lines of communications or the supply lines in our nation and the world. Even if we are 90 to 95% Y2K compliant as a nation, if you happen to be in the area where the 5 or 10% failures occur, you will suffer the consequences, until it is fixed. We also are now a worldwide community and are dependent on the rest of the world for many of our supplies all the way from food, clothing and shoes to oil. Coffee and tea are foreign imports. Much of our oil for producing our gasoline is an import. If you have purchased any new clothes lately you have probably noticed the tags state they are made in some foreign land. Most of the nations supplying the Western world these commodities are not Y2K compliant. Therefore, until they get their systems fixed we could suffer shortages, which in turn, can cause us many problems, in time.

We need to humble ourselves before the Lord and pray and ask God to send revival to the nations. We must repent and commit our total lives to God if we want to avert the judgement that is set to fall on all of our homelands. By the time you read this, it will be in the New Year and we will know by the severity of the Y2K problems that arise, as to how severe this judgement will be. If the prayers of the saints have caused this to be a mild judgement we should all rejoice. If on the other hand, we begin suffering under more severe problems, we must diligently seek the Lord and ask Him what we are to do personally to overcome and help others in this time.

We must be careful not to attack either side of those who have debated as to whether this would be a "bump in the road" or a serious breakdown. If God gives us a reprieve, let us be thankful, as He did when Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed and the people repented and the Lord spared them. We must not be critical of the Christians who were sounding the warning to prepare, because the time of judgement is not over and may only be delayed. On the other hand, should serious repercussions begin with Y2K, let us not be critical of those who thought it would be insignificant, but stand ready to help them and others who did not prepare.

We should all seek God with our whole heart at this hour. Amid the chaos and confusion that is going on in the world, the opportunity will present itself for the church to supply the answers to the world's problems. However, if we do not have our lives in the proper relationship with God, how will we be able to help anyone else? We may even be one of those who needs help. It is never too late, even if you have made no preparations spiritually or physically. We serve a mighty God who has demonstrated all through the Bible His powerful deeds and miracles for those who come to Him in faith. Anyone who commits their whole heart to Him will be provided for, no matter what is going on in the world.

This is the hour for the church to demonstrate the mighty power of God. We can face this millennium with faith and see the miracles of God in our midst. We can do all we can in the natural and if that isn't enough, God will come through with His supernatural acts to provide for His own. He will never fail us as He is faithful if we diligently seek Him as Noah did. Noah knew judgement was coming on the world and he warned others by preaching to them. He also was busy at the direction of God, preparing an ark that would save he and his family. The Bible says he was moved with fear. This means He believed God about the coming judgement and did something about it. Today, our spiritual ark is Jesus and as we listen to Him, we, and our families will also be safe in Him, while we warn others that they need to be ready to meet Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6-7: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

U.S.A. Y2K Council Announcement

In a December 14 speech at the National Press Club, the head of President Clinton’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion called Y2K "the greatest management challenge the world has faced in 50 years." Although offering an upbeat assessment on national Y2K readiness, John Koskinen warned against complacency. "It’s obviously too early to declare victory and go home," Mr. Koskinen said. "The transition to [2000] will not be perfect. Not every system will be fixed, and even some of those that have been fixed and tested may experience glitches." Asked by a reporter to offer a prediction regarding specific problems on January 1, Mr. Koskinen pointed out that any such prediction is only guesswork. "Anybody who tells you with precision anything about what is going to happen on January 1 is just guessing." Moreover, the head of the Y2K Council warned against thinking of Y2K only in terms of a "January 1" problem. "[W]e will not be able to close the books on Y2K by the end of New Year’s Day. Y2K challenges can happen any time a computer that is not Y2K-compliant comes into contact with a year 2000 date, before or after January 1," he said.

Electric Industry Announcement

At the headquarters of the Potomac Electric Power Co. in Montgomery County, Maryland, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson and several utility executives announced the electric industry in the U.S. "100 percent Y2K ready." "It took years of hard work, literally millions of hours, and billions of dollars to get ready for the Y2K transition," Mr. Richardson said. Still, the energy secretary warned that some power disruptions might occur. "For all the good work that has been done, we simply cannot guarantee against any outages," he said. "The public should take the advice of the American Red Cross, which suggests that families prepare like they would for the possibility of a storm. Have a flashlight on hand with fresh batteries, a battery-powered radio, adequate clothing, and a first-aid kit."

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If you would like more information on Y2K and the problems it could potentially cause, we have archived our previous commentaries below:

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AVOIDING MILLENNIUM MADNESS
November 1999

By Betty Miller

Everyone by this time has heard about the Y2K problem that can potentially be a threat to all of the world's current way of life. I am not going to get into how this came about in this article, as I have addressed it in previous articles. However, if you would like a greater understanding of the problems that are facing the computer world and that will, in turn, cause problems for the rest of the world, I have listed a link at the end of this article that will help you comprehend the magnitude of this issue

Many of God's prophets and ministers have been warning Christians to prepare for this time, as we have. We believe the most important thing is to be spiritually prepared by repenting of all sin and making a total commitment to God and to do His will. there is only one safe place for any of us and that is being in the will of God. The Lord has been speaking to me that Y2K problems are only the beginning of days of trouble that are soon going to intensify in this nation. I feel the last minute panic and the fallout from Y2K will be worse than the actual New Year's day for most people. Although in many areas people will wake up with immediate problems that will be facing them.

These problems will range from minor glitches that will simply be annoying, to other computer related problems that could be life threatening if not dealt with right away. (Loss of utilities for example). Just this month I have began seeing signs of these glitches surfacing. I purchased a box of cereal the other day with this imprinted on the flap: "Best If Used By June, 1900" Of course, I knew they meant the year 2,000 but the fact that the factory shipped these to stores with the wrong date on it showed me they didn't have time to get it fixed before offering their product to the public.

The next glitch occurred when we received a credit card bill with the balance owed as "$.00" although we had made some purchases on that card. A week later we received a corrected bill stating that their problem was due to a programming error. Now in both these cases nothing happened that was life threatening, however, think of the computers that are still not fixed and tested that could cause serious problems.

Y2K is only one of the things that will cause millenium madness to run rampant. We get hundreds of e-mails with some crazy predictions and fearful warnings about what they think will happen at the turn of the century. How should we as Christians approach the new millennium? The Lord spoke a few words to me about this and I am going to share them here. For the most part the Lord has remained silent on some issues that I truly sought Him about in regard to Y2K. Bud and I feel we have been given stewardship over this Internet site and because the things we share can and does influence millions of people, we do not want to be guilty before God of sharing things that are just our opinion. We sincerely try to share what the Holy Spirit reveals to us and the Bible's viewpoint on all issues. We believe the Lord spoke these words to us in regard to the time ahead:

(1.) "It will be a time of the trying of men's souls."

Luke 21:10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

(2.) "Do not look to the world for your answers, look to God. Many worldly institutions are going to fail, but God and God's Word will never fail. By the Spring of next year our nation will experience many changes."

Hebrews 13:5-6, "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. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

(3.) "You must enter into God's rest and live by faith to overcome in the days ahead."

Hebrews 4:10-11, "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

(4.) "Lastly, you should make some physical preparations as the Lord leads you."

We should all seek God as to what each of us needs to do. Y2K should not be ruling our lives as to what we do, no matter where we live---the Lord should be directing us. We need to seek God and His kingdom first, and then the Lord will instruct us as what we are to do regarding Y2K. We have a commission to accomplish. We must get the gospel out and share the good news that Jesus saves. Some Christians are just ignoring Y2K preparation and just concentrating on ministry; while others are concentrating on Y2K preparation, at the expense of ministry. I believe we can do both, if we are led and strengthened by the Lord, as the Lord addresses both of these in His Word.

Matthew 6:33: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"
Proverbs 22:3: "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."

Prayer and repentance can avert many of the problems this event can cause. If you are not familiar with the problems that Y2K or the "Millennium Bug" can potentially cause, we did a very complete coverage of it in another article. It also has a complete list of preparations you should consider making plus current quotes and observations regarding Y2K from different sources that might interest you. You may go to:

COUNTDOWN TO THE NEW MILLENNIUM (http://christunlimited.com/answers/ay2k.html) (This article is an in-depth research and Biblical commentary along with practical advice in regard to the Y2K problem facing the world. In addition, we have compiled a list of some of the most informative and helpful Y2K links on the Web.)

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Y2K September Update 1999
By Betty Miller

The Y2K issue seems to have waned some at the present, as far as the media is concerned. However, it is not a dead issue on the Internet. There is much debate and dialog going on, all the way from doomsday predictions to those who think January 1, 2000 will be a non-event. We get a lot of mail on the subject ourselves, many seeking sincere advice, while others seem to just want to argue over any different view point, other than their own. Although it is impossible to answer every letter we get we do want to keep those who are sincere seekers informed through this site as to what we are perceiving about this event.

Because this is a world wide event and the effects of Y2K will vary from country to country, area to area and city to city there is no pat advice for everyone. Many developing nations have only just begun to address this problem. Cities could be affected in certain areas more than rural locales; however, rural areas, if affected, could take longer to get fixed as governments would exert their efforts to the dense population of the cities first. I feel this is one reason the Lord is not giving the same detailed instructions to His people in every area. We all must hear the Lord for our areas and for our individual families.

Some have written and are concerned, as they say they are praying, but the Lord has not spoken to them what to do. If this is the case, we would advise that you follow logic and reason. Since this is a very real threat, everyone should have some sort of contingency plans that would include a source of water, food, light, heat and other daily needs.

You should consider having a supply of food and water for you and your family on hand. In northern climates, you should think about an alternate heat source if you are dependent on public utilities. Even if you should not need these things for Y2K, it is wisdom to have some sort of emergency supplies because we are living in an hour that the Bible talks about as being perilous, and a time of trouble, and great tribulation. Prayer and repentance can avert many of the problems this event can cause. If you are not familiar with the problems that Y2K or the "Millennium Bug" can potentially cause, we did a very complete coverage of it in another article. It also has a complete list of preparations you should consider making plus current quotes and observations regarding Y2K from different sources that might interest you. You may go to:

Here is a summary of the latest report from the government in regard to Y2K progress in the U.S.A.:

President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion
Third Summary of Assessment Information

CHAIRMAN'S SUMMARY:

The President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion is pleased to present its third quarterly report on the status of efforts to address the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer problem. With less than five months until the new millennium, businesses and governments in the United States and around the world continue their work on one of the most extraordinary management challenges of our time: preparing computer systems for the Year 2000 date change. Agencies now estimate they will spend over $8 billion (fiscal year 1996-2000) on their Y2K efforts

The influence of computers in our daily lives cannot be understated. Computer systems help to do everything from running electric power plants to routing telephone calls to directing air traffic. The sheer pervasiveness of computers in our society has only made more difficult the task of finding, and then fixing or replacing, those systems that will not be able to accurately process dates representing the Year 2000 and thereby risk malfunction or shut down. More and more organizations are reporting that they have met the Y2K challenge. They've spent years and a significant amount of money to assess and remediate or replace systems that were not Year 2000 compliant. They've done internal testing and have tested system operations with their business partners. They've developed business continuity and contingency plans to ensure that operations continue in the event of Y2K failures. And they've instituted change management programs to ensure that alterations to hardware and software do not undo Y2K fixes.

As a result of the significant progress that has been made, the United States is in a much better position to make the transition into the Year 2000 than was the case just a few short months ago. However, in spite of the best efforts of many in government and industry, there are no guarantees with the Year 2000 problem. It is likely that not every computer will be fixed and some of those that have been remediated and tested could still experience problems. Our primary challenge in the less than 150 days that remain is to focus on those areas where the highest probability for failures exists and to ensure that all organizations have contingency or back-up plans to handle any difficulties.

The full report contains detailed information from the various sectors of government as follows:

*Federal Government*State, Local, and Tribal Government* *Building Operations*Chemicals*Communications*Consumer Affairs*
*Education*Electric Power*Financial Services*Food Supply*
*Health Care*Housing*Oil and Gas*Pharmaceuticals*
*Transportation**Water

Editor's Comments: With reports as these still out we should all seek God as to what each of us needs to do. Y2K should not be ruling our lives as to what we do, no matter where we live---the Lord should be directing us. We need to seek God and His kingdom first, and then the Lord will instruct us as what we are to do regarding Y2K. We have a commission to accomplish. We must get the gospel out and share the good news that Jesus saves. Some Christians are just ignoring Y2K preparation and just concentrating on ministry; while others are concentrating on Y2K preparation, at the expense of ministry. I believe we can do both, if we are led and strengthened by the Lord, as the Lord addresses both of these in His Word.

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Y2K UPDATE
JULY 1999

By Betty Miller

The Y2K issue seems to have waned some at the present, as far as the media is concerned. However, it is not a dead issue on the Internet. There is much debate and dialog going on; from doomsday predictions, to those who think January 1, 2000 will be a non-event. We get a lot of mail on the subject ourselves from many seeking sincere advice, while others seem to just want to argue over every different view point, other than their own. Although it is impossible to answer every letter we get, we do want to keep those who are sincere seekers informed through this site as to what we are perceiving about this event.

Because this is a world-wide event and the effects of Y2K will vary from country to country, area to area and city to city, there is no "pat" advice for everyone. Many developing nations have only just begun to address this problem. Cities could be affected in certain areas more than rural locale. However, rural areas, if affected, could take longer to get fixed as governments would exert their efforts to the dense population of the cities first. I feel this is one reason the Lord is not giving the same detailed instructions to His people in every area. We all must hear the Lord for our areas and for our individual families.

Some are concerned, because though they have sought the Lord, they have not yet had a clear word from Him as what they are to do. If this is the case, we would advise that you follow logic and reason. Since this is a very real threat, everyone should have some sort of contingency plans that would include a source of water, food, light, heat and other daily needs.

The average person in the United States lives 1,100 miles from his food supply.š Food must be trucked daily to the local grocery markets. The average supermarket only has four to five days supply of food on it shelves. This being the case, you should consider having a supply of food and water for you and your family. In northern climates, you should think about an alternate heat source if you are dependent on public utilities. Even if you should not need these things for Y2K, it is wisdom to have some sort of emergency supplies because we are living in an hour that the Bible talks about as being perilous, and a time of trouble, and great tribulation. Prayer and repentance can avert many of the problems this event can cause. If you are not familiar with the problems that Y2K or the "Millennium Bug" can potentially cause, we did a very complete coverage of it in another article. It also has a complete list of preparations you should consider making plus current quotes and observations regarding Y2K from different sources that might interest you. You may go to:

Here are some current quotes and observations regarding Y2K from different sources that might interest you:

U.S.A. Emergency Systems Y2K Compliant?
From Ed Yourdon, Computer Expert and Author of the book, Time Bomb 2000:

"One area that particularly concerns me is Y2K contingency planning. It's common to hear government officials -- particularly at the local and state level -- confidently proclaim that they already have well-established plans and procedures for riots, floods, and various forms of natural disasters. Y2K, they explain to their constituents in town meetings, is just another form of disaster; consequently, they're already prepared for it. Well, yes, to a certain degree -- if Y2K takes the form of a "traditional" emergency. But most emergencies are short-term and localized; Y2K may not be. With most emergencies, assistance is available from other parts of the country that have not been affected; that may not be the case with Y2K. And with most "normal" emergencies, the emergency "systems " (911 emergency communications, fire trucks, police cars, etc.) are functioning throughout the crisis; but with Y2K, the emergency systems themselves may be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution. Can I prove that any of these worst-case Y2K scenarios will happen? No, of course not. But it seems to me that a certain amount of caution and humility would be appropriate when dealing with a complex phenomenon like Y2K; and that's not what I hear from our government leaders. Don't worry, they tell us in a condescending manner, we've got it all figured out. We're in control. We know what to expect. We know what to do."

Washington D.C. Y2K Compliant?
Condensed from the Monday, June 28, 1999, Washington Post: a major (and lengthy) front-page story on the District's Y2K problem, and efforts:

"The District government, recognizing that its year 2000 repair program likely will not be completed on time, is planning a massive New Year's Eve mobilization of emergency personnel and other staff to ensure that critical city services are not interrupted if computer systems fail. Police will be stationed at more than 120 locations across the city, working 12-hour shifts, to take walk-in requests for emergency services. Twenty-one "warming centers," each supplied with food, water and cots, will open. School crossing guards will be on call, ready to replace traffic lights at major intersections. And D.C. General Hospital will have extra staff members - as many as 175 - on site. These are just a few of the 88 contingency and emergency plans the District is feverishly working to put in place by the end of the year. Similar efforts are underway across the United States among governments and private companies, but in the District, officials have acknowledged the city is so far behind on its Y2K fix that it may have to rely on some of these "work-around" techniques."

Nuclear Power Industry Y2K Compliant?
Report From Reuters-Yahoo:

"The nuclear power industry, aiming to allay public fears of power outages and radiation leaks, has stepped up efforts to make sure plants are not vulnerable to the year 2000 computer bug. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will release next week a report on exactly how ready each of the nation's 103 nuclear power reactors are for the millennium date change. Nuclear reactors account for about 20 percent of all U.S. power generation... Most U.S. nuclear plants were built in the 1960s and 70s -- before the onset of the present digitized age, noted Ralph Beedle, chief nuclear officer at the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry trade group... But operations-related systems at about 10 of the 103 reactors are not expected to get a clean bill of health until later this year, Beedle said. The trade group did not identify which plants are not yet up to snuff, but emphasized that all are set to undergo maintenance work after power demand has peaked for the summer."

Britain's Businesses Y2K Compliant?
From Reuters-Infoseek/Reuters-Yahoo!/ITN:

Almost one third of Britain's top 1,000 companies are failing to fight the millennium computer bug and some risk the ultimate punishment - bankruptcy, an expert said on Sunday. [Robin Guenier, executive director of Taskforce 2000] was commenting on a survey by Taskforce 2000 and leading law firm Dibb, Lupton, Alsop. Taskforce 2000 was set up with private and government funding to raise awareness of the millennium bug computer problem... "A great deal of work has been done. The question is, have they (the top 1,000 companies measured by sales) done enough. My conclusion, sadly, is no," Guenier told Reuters in an interview. "Fifty percent are on track, 20 percent will make it with corner cutting and radical planning. But that leaves 30 percent. They are in grave danger of not making it," Guenier said. He said Y2K failures might include processing systems, cash flow systems, or factory assembly lines controlled by computers with embedded chips. "There's a whole range of things which could be extremely damaging to the point of the business failing altogether. I'm not talking about 30 percent failing, but there's the distinct possibility of some failing. About 300 companies appear to be playing Russian roulette with the millennium bug," Guenier said....24 percent of companies did not start work until 1998, and only 35 percent have spent more than 80 percent of their budgets. Only 43 percent of companies have completed or nearly completed their internal compliance programs across all systems and 19 percent have not even completed or nearly completed the initial inventory stage" Some of the biggest companies in the UK only began their Y2K programs in 1998, and this is a three-year job. "We have found that there are some companies who began in 1996 and have still not finished checking their systems."

End Notes

š The Coming Food Crisis, Frank Ford, 1982, Chosen Books, Lincoln, Virginia 22078

.Return to Table of Contents

Y2K MAY, 1999 UPDATE

By Betty Miller

Social Security Report

There are some good reports in regard to Y2K. The government announced the first of the year that the U.S.A. Social Security Administration (SSA) is now Y2K compliant. They have been working on this project since 1989. However, since other departments of the government are linked with the SSA, they too must be compliant so that the checks can be issued. We need to continue to pray for our government leaders as they continue to tackle this mammoth project with time running out.

"As far as our systems are concerned, our agency is at the lead of both private industries and government agencies," said Shawn Fordham, public affairs specialist at SSA headquarters in Baltimore. "Our systems are prepared to issue benefits and payments [through the mail and through electronic transfers] timely in the year 2000. We depend a great deal on other government agencies." Almost a decade ago, the agency assigned 2,800 employees, including 700 computer programmers, to work on making the agency's computers Y2K compliant. It is estimated SSA will pay $42 million for the Y2K project.

SSA's partners include the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Postal Service and financial institutions. After the Treasury prepares an SSA payment, either in the form of a direct deposit transaction or a check, the Fed must deliver the Social Security direct deposit transaction to the beneficiary's bank through the national automated clearinghouse system. Then, a bank must credit the deposit to the customer's account. A beneficiary who receives a check in the mail depends on the Postal Service to deliver it. SSA also depends on telecommunications and software providers, and like all businesses, the agency must rely on services such as power, water and transportation. If one of the links is faulty, the entire system is in jeopardy. "We're helping everyone get up to speed," Fordham said about SSA's partners, "because [Y2K compliance] is not like a race where you want to finish first. You want to finish together and have everything run smoothly."

Electric Utilities Report

Another area of concern, according to the report, is the Y2K readiness of the telecommunications sector. Electric systems depend heavily on uninterrupted voice and data communications. "Although the electric industry is confident there will not be widespread interruptions of data communications, the industry is preparing for this possibility as a very unlikely, but critical, contingency," the report said.

NERC, a nonprofit group that sets reliability standards for the power industry, is urging member companies to prepare for both "probable and worst-case scenarios." The group's report warns that "although one has taken all reasonable and necessary preventive steps, there can never be 100 percent assurance that major system failures cannot cause a catastrophic outcome."

Water Utilities Report

Information on Y2K compliance efforts by the nation's 70,000 water utilities continues to be scanty, according to report released April 27 by the U.S. Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem. The report, prepared by the government's General Accounting Office, found many state regulators are not aggressively seeking information about the Y2K status of water utilities. As a result, the report concludes, "there is insufficient information to assess and manage Year 2000 efforts in the water sector." Sen. Robert Bennett, chairman of the Senate Y2K committee, said the report shows the need for "states, cities, and towns [to] double their efforts to ensure that vital services. . . continue to function on January 1, 2000."

Note: The above information is based on the U.S. Department of Energy's Year 2000 Report.

Spiritual Report

We should pray for the best, while preparing for the worst. The Lord is warning His people to begin to make preparations not only forY2K, but also for the days following the year 2000. It is important to begin your preparations now -- spiritually as well as physically. One of the words that the Lord spoke me about Y2K and the days ahead was this: "It is going to be a time of the trying of men's souls." This is not an hour to "play" church. Rather we must have a strong relationship with the Lord to carry us through. We all need to be in a place spiritually that we can hear the voice of God and remain under the "shadow of the Almighty." We claim the entire chapter of Psalm 91 daily over us and our family and friends.

Psalm 91:1-2, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

Prayer and repentance can avert many of the problems this event can cause. If you are not familiar with the problems that Y2K or the "Millennium Bug" can potentially cause, we did a very complete coverage of it in the article below. (This article is an in-depth research and Biblical commentary along with practical advice in regard to the Y2K problem facing the world. In addition, we have compiled a list of some of the most informative and helpful Y2K links on the Web.)

Return to Table of Contents

COUNTDOWN TO THE NEW MILLENNIUM

Special Y2K Alert
January 1999
By Betty Miller

This article is an in-depth research and Biblical commentary along with practical advice in regard to the Y2K problem facing the world.

As news of the Y2K Millennium Bug is increasingly circulated, there are also many different opinions and changing statistics being spread to the public. The sources of information are varied and from many different sectors such as government, business, technological circles, the church and others. Some of the information is designed to spread fear and panic while other information downplays the threat of any problem. Some businesses are even capitalizing on the fear element to sell their products.What should the Bible approach be to this looming event? We are being asked many questions by Christians, such as: Is this a real threat to our way of life? Should we prepare for this crisis? If so, what specifically do we need to do? How should we pray? How should we, as Christians, respond to this potential crisis?

After diligently seeking the Lord about the Y2K problem over the past two years, He has impressed me with several things. I have included these insights along with other Christian and secular reports about the problem. I have condensed and added the data that we have compiled about Y2K to help those who haven't the time to do it personally. I have researched this subject and to the best of my knowledge have gleaned from the most reliable sources (prominent leaders, knowledgeable computer authorities, government agencies, leading news sources, etc.) and will present this information to you in a question and answer format to help you find the answers you are seeking more quickly. First, I will present the physical problems and then will share the spiritual solutions.

What is the Y2K Millennium Bug?

I believe that we are facing a real and serious threat to the modern, industrial way of life. As the 1900s change over to the 2000s at midnight on December 31, 1999, our country and the world could face the biggest technological malfunction in history. What could cause this to happen? A seemingly insignificant detail: the way computers read dates. Computer programmers of the past failed to use four digits to write out the number of the year and instead used only two digits.

Publications are calling this computer problem the "Y2K" Computer Crisis (Y=Year and 2=Two and K= The shorthand symbol for a thousand) or also known as "The Millennium Bug." What is the Y2K Bug? It originally started with the poor judgement of a tiny group of highly skilled technicians. These programmers, in order to maximize use of memory space and save money, shortened the year dates to two characters instead of four. This will lead to the computers incorrectly reading dates in the year 2000. Back in the 1960's when everything was being computerized, computer hard drive space was very costly. They were simply thinking of being frugal, not imagining that their fateful decision would create this future crisis. No one imagined the programs they were developing would still be in use today. Therefore we can't place total blame on the original computer programmers, as at the time it seemed wise to use this shortcut.

Here is the Y2K definition from the General Accounting Office's "Year 2000 Computing Crisis" report, which was published in April of 1998:

"Over the past two years, the term 'Year 2000 Problem' has become increasingly familiar. This problem is rooted in the way in which automated information systems have, for the past several decades, typically represented the year -- using two digits rather than four -- in order to conserve electronic data storage space and reduce operating costs. Thus 1998 would be represented as simply 98. In this format, however, 2000 is indistinguishable from 1900 because both are represented only as 00. As a result, if not modified, computer systems or applications that use dates or perform date or time-sensitive calculations may generate incorrect results beyond 1999, reading 00 as 1900 rather than 2000."

The looming "year 2000" software conversion issue brings a chill to those who realize its seriousness and its complications. Computer crashes related to the date changeover could create communications disruptions, record keeping chaos, bank closings, a major disabling of the IRS and Social Security Services and even power failures. These computers may assume that "00" means 1900 and start generating spurious data. Some computers may reject any new data, believing it to be old. Others may simply shut down. Some systems will even begin failing in the year 1999 and will continue to fail even into 2001 (due to this faulty programming). There is a three year period of anticipated failures spread out over this time which means we will be dealing with these problems for an extended period.

What Problems Will "Y2K" Create in the Nation and the World?

Computer crashes related to the date changeover could create communications disruptions, record keeping chaos, bank closings, a major disabling of the IRS and other government services and even power failures. Just think of the many areas of life that our computers touch: jobs, transportation, food distribution, banking and finance, utilities, home computers, health care, government, telephone and communications. On a smaller scale, yet in practical use are elevators, traffic lights, security systems and many home appliances. All of these areas can be affected if the computers and the programs are not Y2K compliant before the deadline.

This problem has been referred to as a time bomb that is ticking and will blow up on December 31, 1999 at midnight. (As I mentioned previously, some of the problems may begin to surface earlier in 1999 with certain computer software programs that are date related). Anywhere a computer is used to control operations there exists the possibility of a failure. These "crashes" could take extended periods of time to locate and fix. Although some of the greatest problems exist in the main frame computers, small business and personal computers can have the problem because of embedded BIOS (basic input output system) chips that contain the wrong dates. Also, computerized control systems that operate in airplanes, ships, oil rigs, missiles and various other systems have embedded BIOS chips. Since the world at large and the U.S.A. are very computer dependant, we are facing a possible crisis of enormous proportions for the entire globe. Actually the size of the problem is the problem.

Anyone who has ever worked with computers knows that it takes only one small programming error to shut down the whole operation of a computer. It can takes hours or even days to fix. When we think about the literally billions of lines of code that have been programmed wrong plus the millions of faulty BIOS chips that now exist, perhaps we can realize the enormity of the emergency that faces us. There are around 30 billion embedded systems in the world. Many of these are in process controllers used by manufacturers, refineries and factories. Unless these are tested and corrected or replaced they will fail. Furthermore, because we are so interdependent on each other's systems they must all be corrected if we are to continue to function in the manner that we currently are doing. A failure in one sector can and will cause problems for others sectors of our society. Compliant computers could be re-infected by non-compliant computer data. All technical work must be done with others in mind as it will take all of us working together to correct this problem. The estimated cost of fixing this problem is between $300 billion and $600 billion. To put this in perspective the total cost of the Vietnam war was $500 billion.

Can the Problem Be Fixed?

When most people hear this the first time, they usually ask the question, "Surely they can fix it?" The answer is yes and no. It can be fixed, but not all of it will be done before the new millennium begins. At least, that is the consensus of the leading computer programmers. Why is this so? Most of the world's business is run by large mainframe computers. These older computers have extremely complex programs, highly specialized to particular industries. They cannot be replaced with new programs in the brief time remaining. Existing programs sometimes have 10 to 20 million lines of code, or in the case of the U.S. Defense Department, 358 million! These lines of code must be corrected line by line and then tested. There is currently no other existing way that these errors can be corrected. (Some software has been developed to expedite corrections in certain computer models; however there is no solution that will take care of all the main frame computer repairs across the board).

Quoting from the Merrill Lynch Forum in June of 1998:

"....Much work remains to be completed by January 1, 2000, and the scarcity of skilled technicians long ago reached the critical stage. Further, a number of new trends have surfaced over the past year which, while not directly linked to the primary work of systems renovation, further complicate the environment in which this work is being done.

(1) The escalating legal and regulatory issues surrounding the Year 2000 problem has introduced stringent regulatory reporting requirements for many industries as well as the need to prepare financially for potential Y2K litigation.
(2) The simultaneous transition in Europe to the Euro currency and Japan's 'Big Bang' have created conflicts in deadlines for testing and implementation of renovated systems.
(3) Corporate mergers and acquisitions have introduced deeper levels of complexity to the existing Year 2000 issues.

Call it what you will: a bug, a quirk, a challenge or a crisis. But don't call it trivial. The Year 2000 computer problem is now one of the most important issues facing businesses, governments and other institutions worldwide."

The bottom line is that this is a crisis. Although it can be fixed, all of it will not be fixed in time and not without affecting the world adversely.

What Is Being Done to Avert the Y2K Problems?

Many solutions to fixing the Y2K problems have entered the workplace. Some companies have even reached the Y2K compliant stage. Others claim to be 80 to 90% complete with their projects. However, there are many companies that have not even begun. Companies must first analyze the problems, then begin repairs and then test those repairs. This testing process takes more time than the initial repairs in most cases. Most of the corporate business world is diligently working to become compliant. Lagging behind are the U.S. government agencies. So far, only one has been able to accomplish compliance.

At the writing of this article, the government has just announced that the Social Security Administration is now compliant. Many are breathing a sigh of relief about this. How did Social Security accomplish this? They discovered and began working on the problem in 1989. They had over 30 million lines of code that were date sensitive. In addition many forms were printed with dates.š It took them almost ten years to correct their problems. This is an example of the magnitude of the problem.

Although much will be done to correct the problems and many companies and institutions will become Y2K compliant, the percentage who do not comply will still be enough to cause potentially enormous problems. The reason for this is that many computer systems are linked together and therefore those that don't make it will affect those that do.

For instance, even if all the power companies were compliant, they cannot run without coal. The coal must be shipped to the companies by trains. If the trains are not compliant they won't be able to get the coal to the power plants. If the trains were compliant, yet the switching station's computers are not, the trains could not get through. If the stations were compliant yet the plants that produce the coal were shut down because of non-compliance it would be of no help. If the workers who run the plants could not get to their jobs because of transportation shut downs, we would still have the problem. (All of these things may function and this may not even be a problem. I am only using this as an example so you can understand the complexity of the computer problems).

Many companies realize they will not have the time to do all their repairs so they are putting in place contingency plans. Some are devising back up plans by reverting back to manual operations. Others, who are compliant themselves, yet are dependent on suppliers for parts and supplies, are planning to stockpile supplies and parts so they can remain in operation.

One of the concerns surrounding Y2K is the current practice of what is known as "just in time" inventory. Many companies are able to save enormous amounts of money by limiting their inventories to just enough on hand to keep from investing in huge stockpiles of inventories. They do this by keeping track of the demand (orders) and supply (inventory) on a short term basis so they can ship or use the parts "just in time." Without computers functioning properly this could severely cripple many companies. Not only by the shipping delays that could arise because of transportation disruptions, but also because of being forced to carry increased inventories. Some companies are now including in their contingency plans a stockpiling of their needed supplies. This is a costly decision but many feel that they have no choice.

Most of the business sector of our society is currently working diligently so they will be able to stay in business. The concern for many is that the government sector is not engaged as earnestly as they should be. We should focus our prayers for our government leaders to wake up and do the things necessary to eliminate the "bug" from the government agencies. Some systems could malfunction in the U.S. Defense Department in regard to the weapons systems, ships, airplanes, etc. The good news is that the Pentagon has now stated that they have now undertaken the testing and Y2K prevention with a warlike fervor. The Federal Aviation Administration will be at risk too. They are planning to fall back on a manual contingency plan if needed. The Internal Revenue Service could be the biggest challenge for the government. Many government agencies at the national and local levels will be in jeopardy.

No ones knows what the effect of all this will be on the stock market, the banks and the Federal Reserve. Some are concerned that their money will not be safe in the banks, although the large banks are now assuring people that they will be compliant. The federal government may spend as much as $50 billion on Year 2000 fixes. Citibank, the nation's second-largest bank is expecting to spend $600 million.

However, no matter how much we would like to avert this storm it cannot be stopped (short of a special miracle from God which can only come if our nation corporately repents and seeks God). It is like having a hurricane warning out to an area. The weather bureau has been tracking the storm and knows where it will make landfall. They just don't know what level of storm it will be. Some think only the "tropical storm variety;" others believe it will be a "category 5." No one will really know for sure until it hits - but then it will be too late to prepare. Those who mockingly have hurricane parties are in danger of being swept away. Others are evacuating as they think it will be serious, while others are laying in the supplies to ride out the storm. As Christians, we must remember who is able to protect and keep or deliver us from this storm. He is faithful!

Isaiah 25:4: "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall"

End Notes

š Social Security Administration Internal Revenue Service Reporter (Spring 1997)

What Are Leaders Saying About Y2K?

Quotes From Government Leaders:

President Bill Clinton, United States President ---- "We will launch a comprehensive plan to detect, deter and defend against attacks on our critical infrastructures. Just 15 years ago, these infrastructures -- some within government, some in the private sector -- were separate and distinct. Now they are linked together over vast computer electronic networks, greatly increasing our productivity but also making us much more vulnerable to disruption."

Senator Bill Bennett, U.S. Senator ---- "The Two Thousand problem lies at the heart of our economy. Today our economy runs on the energy of information. To cripple the technological flow throughout the world is to bring it to a virtual standstill......I had anticipated that I would be able to provide a positive report on the Year 2000 status of these public utilities, instead, ... I am genuinely concerned about the very real prospects of power shortages as a consequence of the millennial date change."

Senator Christopher Dodd, U.S. Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 ---- "We are no longer at the point of asking whether or not there will be any power disruptions, but we are now forced to ask how severe the disruptions are going to be."

Charles Rossotti, IRS Commissioner ---- "There's no point in sugar-coating the problem. If we don't fix the problem, we will have a situation scarier than the average disaster movie you see on a Sunday night....95% of the revenue stream of the United States could be jeopardized."

Arthur Gross, Chief Information Officer, IRS ---- "Failure to achieve compliance with the year 2000 will jeopardize our way of life on this planet for some time to come."

Alan Greenspan, Chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve ---- "We...cannot realistically make an evaluation of what the economic impact is as a consequence of the (computer) breakdowns that may occur.....And we do not know how rapidly we can resolve the problem....We do not know what the impact will be...even if the vast majority of problems are eliminated. Systems are very unforgiving. Software programs do not allow for a single mistake. You cannot be approximately correct. You're either right or you're wrong."

John Hamre, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense ---- "This is going to have implications in the world and in American society we can't even comprehend."

Sherry Burns, Central Intelligence Agency ---- "There is very little realization that there will be a disruption.....I think most people are again assuming that things are going to operate the way they always have. That is not going to be the case."

William E. Kennard, Federal Communications Commission Chairman ---- "This could have a huge impact on international trade, foreign investment, the global economy and even national security."

United Kingdom Minister of Science and Technology ---- "Failure to deal with the problem could lead to commercial collapse. I put it bluntly, because I want to get the message across. It will not respect national frontiers. Unless we act now, there will be international chaos."

Quotes from Computer Technology Leaders:

Bill Gates, Owner of Microsoft ---- "Don't expect me to fix the world's Y2K problem. It's too big for my company to solve."

Gartner Group, World's Largest Information Technology (IT) Research and Advisory Firm ---- "Approximately 50% of the companies may not become Year 2000 compliant in time and will have all or part of their computer systems shut down or start producing incorrect data on or after January 1, 2000....It will cost between $300 billion to $600 billion to correct the Year 2000 problem worldwide The cost of converting systems could ultimately sink a number of already financially unstable companies."

Peter DeJager, Leading Expert and Consultant on the Y2K Problem ---- "No matter how much code you have, no matter how much budget you have available for this task, now matter how skilled you are at conversion, you have the same deadline."

Professor Leon Kappelman, Society for Information Management ---- "Time is of the essence so I will be brief. I humbly ask you to please declare a national and global state of emergency because of the year 2000 problem. I base this request not on some precognition about the future but on empirical evidence of both the enormous risks posed by this problem and on the minuscule probability that we will be able to effectively mitigate all of these risks in the time remaining."

Edward Yourdon & Jennifer Yourdon, Authors of Time Bomb 2000 ---- "...We can't help wondering how many parallels there may be between the Great Depression of the 1930s and the potential crisis caused by Year-2000-induced banking failures....With Y2000, we can anticipate when the problem will begin occurring, but we don't know whether it will be the equivalent of a Force-5 hurricane or a mild spring breeze...Regarding duration , we have found it useful to identify four distinct time periods: 2-3 days, a month, a year and a decade. The majority of Year-2000 problems are likely to be the kind that will last 2-3 days. A significant percentage of the Year 2000-problems will be serious enough to last for a month. A minority of the Year-2000 problems will have year long consequences. Finally, there is the possibility of a few Year-2000 induced disasters that could take a decade to resolve.

Lawrence Cleenewerck, Computer Expert in Internet Security & Database Systems ----"Meltdown 2000 is not a myth; nor is it a "perfect scam" designed to sell books, programs, and services. Unfortunately, it is a serious threat to our society that may impact and devastate thousands of lives."

Quotes from Christian Leaders:

Larry Burkett, Christian Financial Concepts ---- "The serious nature of this Year 2000 problem (Y2K for short) is illustrated by the huge sums of money being spent to try to avoid it.....As we look ahead to the full impact of the year 2000, panic and fear should not be our response. Instead, we should--as instructed in Proverbs---take prudent action."

Dennis Peacocke, Strategic Christian Services ---- "As I have pondered this issue for months, several things are very clear; the potential perils and opportunities are very great; fear and faith will collide....America may not be a very pleasant place to live for a while. Judgement is due. The "bug" may only be a major inconvenience, or it may be something well beyond that."

Rev. David Wilkerson, World Challenge ---- "I believe it (Y2K) could be that which dramatically helps precipitate the depression I have been warning about. It may not happen in January 2000---but I believe in the following months of that year, ominous things will develop as the seriousness of the problem dawns on the world community."

Intercessors For America Newsletter ---- "Pray that churches awaken and encourage members to meet the special needs of the elderly, infirm, poor, unemployed and single parents facing the possible Y2K impact upon utilities, heat, water, food, transportation and health care."

Rick Joyner, Morning Star Ministries ---- "I was told that the reason why the Lord had given so little revelation about Y2K is because of His people’s devotion to materialism. We must not continue to give ourselves to the things that are passing away, but to live for those things that will last forever. He told me to observe the problems that Y2K will cause in the natural as a reflection of the problems we have in the body of Christ. Y2K will expose many weaknesses in every system, and many of the solutions to Y2K parallel solutions to weaknesses and problems we now have in the church."

Chris Mitchell, Senior News Director of the 700 Club ---- " We've built a worldwide computer network, and soon many of these computers won't understand one another. It represents a grim reality for the world but a potentially great opportunity for the church.....Despite the technological storm on the horizon, our future is as bright as the unchanging promises of God."

Pat Robertson, The 700 Club ---- We've also got the year 2000 computer problem which could bring a financial collapse of major proportions. Just look to the Far East today. The Asian crisis is as bad as 1929, the collapse of their stock markets -- Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. -- and that can happen here. So now we've got potential financial collapse, plus the potential meltdown of our computer system. Now, what are we going to do? That's why we're praying.....We're talking about serious matters here. So if there was ever a time to pray for our nation, this is it."

The Cutting Edge Magazine ---- "We were delighted to see a local church taking initiative to address the Y2K situation with their congregation and to give some community direction....Personal preparation is not enough. Unless one's neighbors and community are prepared, security is seriously compromised. Hence the importance and strength of a community-oriented approach to preparedness, and the local church and your personal neighborhood are two obvious places to focus attention."

Biblical Approach to Y2K

The weight of this information tells us that we are facing a time of tribulation and crises, however as Christians we are told in the Bible in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." God's people are to be overcomers. However, the promises of God are only for those who are committed to do His will. Half-hearted Christians will not be able to stand in the days ahead. Only those who are able to hear God will walk in a place of peace, provision and safety.

After diligently seeking the Lord about the Y2K problem over the past two years He has impressed me with several things. As Christians we should not ignore this problem but prepare for it. Proverbs 22:3 says, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." The most important preparation is to make spiritual preparation. What kind of spiritual preparation? Here is a list of suggestions:

Spiritual Preparation

Pray: Spend time daily in prayer seeking God as to what you are to do personally in the way of preparation. If you have no money to make preparation ask the Lord in faith to supply for you. He will make a way when there is no way! Pray daily with your family and attend the prayer meetings at your church. (If your church does not have prayer meetings you should consider seeking another church or talking to your pastor about establishing one). Jesus said in Luke 19:46: "Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Study the Bible: Turn off the T.V. and spend time studying the Word of God. Christ Unlimited has Bible studies available to help you grow in God. A systematic study of the Word will equip you with the knowledge you need so that you can overcome the destruction facing us in the days ahead and to be able to hear the voice of God. Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." The Lord will reveal many things that you need to know about how to overcome. You can gain direction for your life, principles to live by, and most of all, you will strengthen your faith in God. We will all need faith to be able to prevail and help others in the future. Romans 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
Assemble with like Believers: As believers we need each other. There is strength and protection as we stand together in unity. Strong relationships will be important in the days ahead as we will need to help each other. The Bible also tells us we should be submitted to church leadership as God equips His five fold ministry to lead the church. Hebrews 10:25, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."
Reach out with the Gospel: As Christians we have been commissioned to take the good news of the gospel to the whole world. We must reach out to our family, friends, neighbors and others that have not heard and or need to be reminded of our Lord's message to the lost and backslidden. Y2K is an excellent time to share the gospel with those who will be seeking answers. Mark 16:15: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
Readjust Your Priorities: Seek God first and His righteousness. Place the importance on the above things, plus work on establishing good relationships with your family, friends, work mates and neighbors. Cut out worldly entertainment. It will take both spiritual and physical readjustments if we are to be ready for the events created by Y2K and other judgements that the whole world faces at this time.

What About Physical Preparation?

There are many accounts in the Bible of God instructing His people for physical preparation. Noah would be a classic example. The scripture records how God moved on Noah to prepare an ark because of the coming judgement of the flood upon the earth. Today our spiritual ark is Jesus and if we are in the right relationship with Him, He will direct us in regard as to how we are to prepare to survive the flood of destruction that is coming upon our world.

Hebrews 11:7: "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

Notice two things here: It was both by faith and fear that Noah prepared the ark. In the natural, we may be fearful in regard to the future when we think about what is coming. This is a healthy fear when it moves us to respond to and obey God. The Bible says in Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." This kind of fear is a respect for what God says. It is not the tormenting kind of fear that the devil uses to attack us with. We must have faith in the Lord that He will preserve us even as He did Noah and his family in the ark.

Preparing for emergencies is not a lack of faith when it is done out of wisdom. The Lord gave an example of the habit of the ant in Proverbs to illustrate this principle. Proverb 6:6 says, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest." We are facing a winter when Y2K will hit us and we should make some provision for this time. Most of us drive automobiles with spare tires in the trunk. We don't leave our homes expecting to have a flat but if we are wise we will have a spare in case that should happen. I believe the Lord is speaking to us to make some physical arrangements in case we should face the breakdown of utilities that could disrupt our food, water and heat sources.

Begin your preparations now. Do not wait until the last minute because panic may cause shortages, sky-rocketing prices, long waits, etc.

What Kind of Practical Preparations Should We Make?

I am including this section in response to people who have asked us about specific physical preparations. In the light of what might happen as a result of Y2K problems how should we physically prepare? What I want to share here is a list of things that you would not only need in this crisis, but in any crisis or emergency. Over the past number of years, many people in our nation have experienced the need for these items as they have suffered the aftermath of tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, floods. In many of these cases, the utilities were down for weeks at a time in the devastated areas. Those who had some emergency supplies were able to endure and get through these hardships until things were restored to normal. Those that made no plans usually ended up in public shelters. The most important need in any crisis is the need for three basic things: water, food and shelter. Since utilities could be down for a time and since this event will be happening in the winter, everyone should have a contingency plan (in this case, an alternate source for water, food and heat and light).

I will share two kinds of lists. One will be for short term survival, the other will be for a prolonged period of time. I believe there will probably be some power disruptions. However, the power companies will certainly be working to restore any outages as soon as possible, especially in the cities were the greatest density of the population exists. The cities will certainly be restored before rural areas will be. Therefore, if you live in a rural area you should consider owning a generator. It wouldn't hurt to own one in the city either if you have the funds to purchase one. Wholesale warehouses have good prices on the smaller, but adequate sizes for emergencies. Remember however, it also takes gas or diesel fuel to run a generator--and storage of these items can be dangerous. If you cannot afford a generator to keep your electricity, refrigerator and freezer running, you should make other provisions. There are inexpensive light and cooking equipment that will suffice. However, any food in your refrigerator or freezer can spoil if the crisis is prolonged. Make a point to invest in canned or dried food instead.

People in rural areas will need to store in larger quantities in case they are not able to get to the cities where food distribution would take place. If there is a prolonged recovery it certainly would be nicer not to have to stand in a rationing line awaiting your parcels of food. Should there be a transportation breakdown, the average grocery store has only enough food on its shelves for four to five days. People who have been in disasters know how quickly the store shelves are cleaned out.

Sanitation may also be a problem if the water is cut off, making it impossible to flush commodes. It takes about 5 gallons of water to flush a commode so you would not want to use your stored drinking water for this purpose. You must have extra water or deodorizing chemicals that people use in their RV toilets to prolong the flushing process. Porta-potties are also available at camping stores. For those living in southern climates their swimming pools could be a source of stored water that could be used for bathing and commode flushing. It can even be drinkable if it was purified with a good water purifier. (This is a good purchase for your emergency kit)!

A fully stocked RV is a good emergency vehicle as it is entirely self-sufficient for at least a short period of time. Remember to keep your automobile with a full tank of gas as service stations could have problems not being able to pump gas.

What About Financial Preparation for Y2K ?

I cannot not advise people as to what to do with their money or investments, as each one should seek the guidance of the Lord. However, I can share a few practical guidelines. Get out of debt as quickly as possible.Spend some of your money on hard goods that will be of use in the event that this crisis is long-standing. You might need to sell and dispose of those goods, luxury items, and properties that would be a burden for you to maintain. Keep hard copy records of all your business transactions. Request hard copies of your banking records, investment records, social security history records, bank mortgage records, insurance records, medical history, birth certificates, etc. ( This is just good business anyway). Check the stability of the bank you are using and inquire if they are Y2K compliant. You should also have some cash in small denominations on hand, in case the banks incur temporary shutdowns or grocery and service station computer check-out stands are not working. If the Lord has been speaking to you about a move, do it as quickly as possible; should things shut down you may be stuck where you are.

Above all, do not withhold your tithes and offerings from God. Ultimately God alone will take care of us! Giving to His works reveals to God our trust in Him. Give first, prepare next. Do what you can and trust God to take care of what you can't do. Faith in God can produce mighty miracles. If you do not have money to prepare anything and your trust and faith is in the Lord He will take care of you. That is His promise to His own. Matthew 6:33: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Some Christian leaders are receiving advise from the Lord to get out of the stock market and mutual funds and place their savings and other investment and/or retirement funds in more safe investments such as five year U. S. Treasury bills. God's prophets are warning of an economic collapse in this nation and no one knows if Y2K will be the thing that triggers that collapse. Each of God's people need to seek the Lord diligently as to what He would have them to do in the area of their investments.

Practical Suggestions for Storage Items Needed

This is another area in which you should be led of the Lord. Ask the Lord as to which of the storage plans you are to implement, if any. I have included a short term storage plan and a long term one. These are simply suggestions. You should seek the Lord as to what He would recommend in your situation.

1.) WATER: Short Term Provision: It is advisable to store one gallon of water per person per day as a minimum. It is impractical to store a whole year's water supply; but you should store a 2-4 week supply for short term emergencies. You can purchase 55 gallon poly-drums with a hand pump or siphon on top, and/or 1 gallon plastic or glass containers. (Make sure the plastic is food-safe quality. Plastic cola bottles make good storage bottles). Since bacteria and algae will grow in stored water, the water must be treated before storage. Water purifier tablets can be used (purchased from sporting goods stores). Or you may add four drops of chorine bleach per quart of water (or two scant teaspoons per 10 gallons) to treat it for storage.š Another storage treatment is to simply boil the water for 10 minutes and put it in a sterile container. (This also works for sterilizing water, period). However, even with such treatment water will not keep indefinitely. Your stored water should be changed every year. Hand water purifiers can also be used to treat stored water and make it drinkable also. Of course, bottled water purchased from grocery stores will keep for long periods of time. Water from swimming pools can be used for bathing and for flushing commodes. If it is used for drinking it must be filtered and purified.
Long Term Provision: Drill a well with a solar powered or hand pump to get it out of the ground. Having access to a spring could furnish you with a water source also.

2.) FOOD:
Short -Term Provision: You should have at least 2 weeks to a month's supply of food for the family (some groups are recommending 2 months). Start by buying extra quantities of the foods you are used to eating. To save money, you can dry your own fruits and vegetables if you purchase a dehydrator. Don't forget to purchase a hand can opener in case the electricity is off and a supply of matches. Foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking are best. Remember to have a stock of paper plates, disposable cups, utensils and napkins, paper towels as you might not have water to wash any dishes. Foil and zip-lock bags are good items to have on hand too. Don't forget to keep plenty of garbage sacks as garbage pickups might be delayed too.

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits and vegetables
Canned juices, non-carbonated fruit drinks, canned milk, soup
Staples--salt, sugar, flour, cornmeal, baking powder, yeast, vegetable oils
Ready-to-eat whole grain cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in sealed containers)
Dry, crisp crackers (in sealed containers)
Potatoes, carrots, onions (fresh or dried flakes)
Foods for babies, elderly persons or persons on special diets plus pet food
Comfort/stress foods-- cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops

Instant coffee, tea bags, cocoa, chocolate bars, canned nuts
High energy foods--peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
Dried spices (pepper, garlic, onion, oregano, chili powder, bay leaves, etc.)
Beans, rice, pasta, other dried foods
Bouillon products, dried soup mixes, powdered milk
Vitamins, Vitamin C, Tang

Avoid highly salted foods as they make one thirsty and you must conserve your water supply.

Long-Term Provision: If the Lord speaks to you, you may also want to store large amounts of staples along with a variety of canned and dried foods mentioned above. Bulk quantities of wheat, corn, beans and salt are inexpensive and have nearly unlimited shelf life. If necessary, you could survive for a long time on small daily amounts of these staples. Store sugar, wheat, corn and beans in sealed cans or plastic 5 gallon buckets (Make sure these are clean, dry and food quality containers). Buy powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans. Leave salt and vitamin C in their original packages. Other items I recommend that are relatively cheap and that have multiple uses are vinegar and baking soda. Get several gallons of vinegar. It can be used for canning as well as many cleaning jobs. Vinegar, salt and sugar help preserve foods, if you have a garden. You can brush your teeth in soda and there are numerous other uses for it too. Stock the following amounts per person, per month:

Wheat (or other grain) --20 pounds
Powdered Milk (for babies and infants) -- 20 pounds (Purchase in nitrogen-packed cans)
Corn (Kernels) --20 pounds
Iodized Salt --1 pound plus an extra 20 pounds for preserving food
Baking Powder & Yeast -- 2 oz.each
Sugar or fructose -- 10 to 40 pounds for preserving foods
Dry Beans (Pinto, Soy, Navy, etc.) --10 pounds
Cooking Oil -- 1 Quart
Dry Pasta -- 5 pounds
Vitamin C --15 grams (Good for two years so rotate this item)
Garden Seeds
Grain Mill for grinding wheat and corn (This can be purchased from your local health food store)
A good basic cookbook, "back to basics" book, and gardening book plus any other good "how to" books.

3.) Personal Items Needed: Prescription medications, personal items such as feminine napkins, disposable diapers, baby wipes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, Kleenex, toilet paper, detergent, several gallons Clorox (chorine bleach). You will need a good First Aid Kit furnished with gauze, tape, Band-Aids, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, aspirin, Tylenol, Neosporin, etc. Be sure and have on hand extra-warm clothes, winter boots, gloves, hats and extra blankets. Purchase a good first aid and emergency medical book.

4.) Equipment Needed: You will need batteries (all sizes), flashlights, butane or kerosene lanterns (army surplus stores carry these for under $25.00) and candles. Solar Malibu yard lights could be taken inside at night and then taken back outside during the day to be recharged. This requires no fuel source other than a sunny day. Camping stoves for cooking or propane, gas or charcoal grills (use only outdoors), supply of charcoal, butane or propane in small tanks or a large tank on your property for extended use. Several dozen Sterno cans could be useful for cooking if you didn't have anything else. You would need a wood stove with a supply of cut wood or a propane stove for alternate heat if the electricity is off (gas furnaces will not work as their thermostats are run by electricity.) Even a kerosene indoor heater will work. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions for burning indoors as these kinds of heaters can put off carbon monoxide which can be deadly. Be sure that you have a fire extinguisher on hand as well. A chain saw is also a good investment, as you could cut your own wood if you are in an area where it is available. Many have found that after storms they were able to cut trees that were blocking the roads for emergency help to get through. A good battery-powered radio may also be useful if other communications are out. Remember to include garden tools in case this crisis is extended. Purchase a good garden instruction book if you don't know how to raise food.

For additional information on food storage you can write to the government Federal Emergency Management Agency for their information booklets on Storing Emergency Food and Water Supplies and Emergency Preparedness Checklist. Contact: Consumer Information Center - 6A, P.O. Box 100, Pueblo, Colorado 81002

Pray about how you are to prepare, and make your preparations now. Do not procrastinate! Be wise. Acquire extras of everything beyond your needs so you can help those that the Lord would send to you to help.

End Notes

š Federal Emergency Management Agency

Is Y2K the End of the World?

No, I don't believe Y2K is the end of the world however, it could usher the end of America's world as she has known it. Entering a new century, and a new millennium, tends to create apocalyptic fears and fantasies. There are always "doomsdayers" who twist the scriptures to fit the latest news events. Y2K as such, is not mentioned in the Bible. However, there are events mentioned in the Bible that could come from problems created not only by Y2K but other events as well. We live in what the Bible terms as "perilous times."

2 Timothy 3:1-4 says, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God..."

The time is getting close for Jesus to return to this earth as we see the signs that He told us about in the Bible all around us.

Matthew 24:3-8: "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows."

I do believe we are in the time of sorrows. The Lord plans to use His people in this time to do a mighty work in the earth to bring in a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God before the end of this age comes. This will be the greatest hour for the church. The end of this age comes after the gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world. This entails more than just preaching the gospel of salvation. The kingdom of God will be demonstrated by the saints of God to all the world, then the end shall come as Jesus shall return to this earth. We are nearing that time and it could happen in a short period of time as the entire body of Christ obeys the Lord. No one really knows when Jesus will return, but we do know we are in that season and we need to be ready.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

The trials ahead will thrust God's people into a place that they will have to make the commitments necessary to be brought into a new place in God with His power and anointing upon them. This will be an hour where God will demonstrate His power and miracle provision to His people. What we are unable to do at the physical level, He will anoint us to do supernaturally.

Some people are refusing to make any physical preparations because they say that God will take care of them supernaturally. Many of these same people are not walking in faith as their current needs are not even being met. How do they think their faith will be sufficient to multiply food? I do believe that the Lord will multiply food in the days ahead when needed as this miracle has been performed in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. However, this does not excuse us from making preparations. We must have food to multiply it. We could be called upon to share our food with others in need. This means there could come a day when we would need to pray over our food and multiply it so others could eat. We must not limit God! He is unlimited!! Western Christians have not faced the trials of famine and persecution to the extent that many of our brothers and sisters in other countries have faced and are facing at this time. However, this does not exempt us. If we do not repent and turn back to the Lord as a nation, we too, can face these same trials. We must stay close to God and remain in faith if we are to overcome the troubles facing our nation.

Is There a Place of Safety During This Time?

Many of the computer people that are warning about the Y2K problem are buying places in the country and stocking up on food and supplies. They are concerned about riots and food and utility shortages that will ensue from the fallout of Y2K and plan on fleeing the cities. Should Christians consider this option? The answer to that question depends on what the Lord has spoken to you to do. There is no safety in the country if you are out of the will of God. The only safe place for anyone is to be in the center of God's will for your life and standing in the authority of the Word of God. If that is ministering in the city ghettos, you will find your safety there. If that is serving in a war-torn country--you will be safe there. If the will of God is to serve Him in a remote area living in a mud hut--you will be safe there if you are standing in faith and trusting in God's promises of protection. There is no safety in a location unless you have been led of God to be in that location.

Definitely, there are times that God will lead you from one location to another as He knows what is going to happen and He wants to protect His people. During World War II, many of the Christians in Germany were warned of the evil that was coming through Hitler's reign and were told in prophecy and by the Holy Spirit to flee. Some obeyed and were spared the grief and destruction that would have come to their lives. Others would not leave as they couldn't part with their homes, bank accounts and material possessions. Some people in the cities at this time should be in the place that God wants them. However, some are unwilling to give up their high paying jobs, homes and other advantages in the city. Their families are suffering because many men and women have become work-alcoholics just so they can maintain a certain materialistic life style.

Others think that if they head for the country or small towns they will automatically be safe. This attitude can reflect a "bunker mentality" that thinks only of self-preservation. It is not wrong to seek safety or preservation, but if we truly have the spirit of the Lord we will not just be concerned with our own safety, but others as well. Sometimes the Lord will plant us in a place that may be dangerous. If this is that case, He will equip us with His grace and anointing to not only survive, but take territory for the Kingdom of God! We should never face our circumstances with fear, but rather with faith in what God can do. As Christians, our selection of a job, home and geographic location should be guided by the Holy Spirit. The bottom line, whether we are in the city or the country, is that only our faith and obedience to God will sustain us. Sometimes the Lord told people to flee and others times He told them to stand and see the salvation of the Lord. The key is hearing and obeying what the Lord tells us to do.

Sometimes we are kept in the midst of trouble even as Psalm 91 declares that others may fall but "...it shall not come nigh thee." We should all memorize this Psalm as it is one of the greatest promises in the whole Bible of God's protection, long life and salvation for those who abide under the shadow of the Most High. Being in God's shadow means we are close to Him. The time is coming when chaos and hardship will be everywhere. Man-made systems and institutions will topple around us. There will be no place of safety outside of the Lord. Everyone will be looking for a place of shelter, a place to hide. For us, as God's people, that shelter is the very presence of the Most High God!

Is Y2K A Judgement on the World?

We need to understand what Biblical judgement is before we address this question. Judgement is twofold:

(1) The wicked are punished for their deeds as the penalty for sin is executed upon them.
Ezekiel 11:21, "But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God."

(2) The righteous are rewarded for their faithfulness.
Galatians 6:7-9, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

Simply put, God judges evil by allowing its evil fruit to destroy itself. God never desires judgement on sinners but rather desires that they repent and come to Jesus to be pardoned for their wicked deeds and cleansed from its ravages. If you are a sinner and need this pardon and cleansing go to this link for help.

God judges evil. Keeping this in mind, yes, Y2K is a judgement. The judgement is coming on what man has done with the knowledge that he has discovered. One of the gods of this nation is worshipping at the feet of the god of technology. Many people in the world believe that man's own ingenuity and knowledge are the answer to mankind's problems. The advancements that have been made in the world because of the discovery of computers has been amazing. I will not elaborate on those here. There is no invention that exists that God did not allow man to discover. In the mind of God, these modern inventions were revealed to men for the good of mankind. Because we have an enemy named Satan, he always takes the things that God means to be a blessing to mankind and perverts them and tries to use them to destroy mankind. We see this in many avenues. Computers can be used for great good even as this ministry and other Christian ministries are using them to get the gospel out. On the other hand, the use of computer pornography is being used as an instrument of destruction. There is no sin in things. Computers can't sin. Sin is in the heart of man. It is what man does with things that make them sinful.

Everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God must come down. The god of technology is now coming down. Man must see his need for a savior instead of thinking that his own knowledge will save him. Other false gods are also coming down in our nation as well: the god of government, the god of materialism, the god of sex, etc. This nation as well as the rest of the world must see that the God of the whole earth is the only answer to their life's cries.

My definition of what a god is:

The word "god" has many meanings. Anything which a man considers to be most important in his life, whose power he thinks is the greatest, and whose favor he would do anything or give anything to win, is properly called his "god." A man may have many gods. When a man worships anything other than the God of the Bible, we say he is worshiping an "idol" or a false god.

An idol may be attractive or ugly. An idol may be a concrete thing, a mythical character, or a mental ideal. But, it is always something a person serves with all he is or has. Those that have looked to technology for their answers are now facing the failure of this god.

God's Mercy in Judgement

Y2K is only one of many judgements in the world. The Lord must deal with and destroy evil and wickedness in the world or it would eventually take over and destroy the good. This was the reason for the judgment of the flood waters in Noah's day. The Bible says wickedness was so great that God had to deal with it. Today we are again facing the same situation that existed in Noah's day and God must take action to see that evil does not destroy the righteous. Every wrathful judgment of God in the history of the world has been an act of holy preservation. God's wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys. Before any judgement, God warns people to repent so that the destruction might be avoided. Y2K and other judgements can be avoided or lessened through men's corporate repentance. Let us repent and plead for God's mercy and trust Him in this time of trouble.

Nahum 1:7: "The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."

Y2K's Silver Lining

Here are some things that I believe that will work for the church's good through this time of trouble:

Giving people time to prepare for Y2K is actually a merciful act from God, instead of a surprise judgement that we would be unprepared for. Should Y2K be not as serious as some think, we would still be prepared for perhaps other judgements such as the world-wide financial collapse that is being prophesied by many of God's prophets.There is of course, always the threat of natural disasters as well. Since there are many other problems we may be facing as a nation this will give us time to be prepared physically as well as spiritually.
It will cause the church to be more unified as we will need one another's help when times are difficult.
It will cause God's people to seek Him more diligently as the things they have relied on begin to fail them.
It will be one of the greatest opportunities to witness to and help a confused world that needs Christ as their world crumbles around them. This can be the church's finest hour as we labor to gather in the harvest of souls for the kingdom of God before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth.
It will be the perfect environment for God to show Himself as the true and living God as He intervenes with the supernatural manifestations and miracles to save His people. For example: Divine guidance to protect us, healing our bodies, multiplying food to feed us, multiplying gasoline in our auto tanks, even causing lights to burn without being hooked up to electricity. The church will be led to take the limits off of God and He will display Himself mightily!
Getting our priorities right as to what is really important --- people or things?

God will always work to bring good out of anything that we face as Christians as that is His promise to us.

Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

John 16:33: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

Joshua 1:9 "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

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"How Will the Y2K Millennium Bug Affect You?"

By Betty Miller

(Little Compromises That Cause Big Problems)

Song of Solomon 2:15 says, "Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes." Foxes sometime in search of food would enter into the grape orchards and devour the grapes and spoil the crop. However, the little foxes were too small to reach the grape bunches so they would chew on the vines and it would kill the whole vine. Instead of the farmer just losing his crop, he would lose his vine which was more disastrous. Spiritually some things we do or allow that we might think are little or insignificant can also be disastrous for us.

This "little fox" may perhaps be the ultimate little fox as far as our nation is concerned. We are facing a real and serious threat to the modern, industrial way of life. As the 1900s change over to the 2000s at midnight on December 31, 1999, our country and the world could face the biggest technological malfunction in history. What could cause this to happen? A seemingly insignificant detail: the way computers read dates. Computer programmers of the past failed to use four digits to write out the number of the year and instead used only two digits.

Publications are calling this computer problem the Y2K (Year "2K" or Two Thousand) Computer Crisis or also known as "The Millennium Bug." Since some of you may not know what this problem is nor how it could affect us, I want to share my research of the nature of this problem.

First, what is the Y2K Bug? Here is a definition from the General Accounting Office's "Year 2000 Computing Crisis" report, which was published in April of 1998:

"Over the past two years, the term 'Year 2000 Problem' has become increasingly familiar. This problem is rooted in the way in which automated information systems have, for the past several decades, typically represented the year -- using two digits rather than four -- in order to conserve electronic data storage space and reduce operating costs. Thus 1998 would be represented as simply 98. In this format, however, 2000 is indistinguishable from 1900 because both are represented only as 00. As a result, if not modified, computer systems or applications that use dates or perform date or time-sensitive calculations may generate incorrect results beyond 1999, reading 00 as 1900 rather than 2000".

That's it! That's the problem. However, what this means is something very complicated. The looming "year 2000" software conversion issue brings a chill to those who realize its seriousness. Computer crashes related to the date changeover could create communications disruptions, record keeping chaos, bank closings, a major disabling of the IRS and Social Security Services and even power failures. These computers may assume that "00" means 1900 and start generating spurious data. Some computers may reject any new data, believing it to be old. Others may simply shut down.

Most people when they hear this the first time ask the question, "Surely they can fix the problem?" The answer is yes and no. It can be fixed, but not in time before the new millennium begins. At least, that is the consensus of the leading computer programmers. Why is this so? Most of the world's business is run by large mainframe computers. These older computers have extremely complex programs, highly specialized to particular industries. They cannot be replaced with new programs in the brief time remaining. Existing programs sometimes have 10 million lines of code or 20 million, or, in the case of the U.S. Defense Department, 358 million. These lines of code must be corrected line by line and then tested. There is currently no other existing way that these errors can be corrected.

What about personal computers and their software? Are they 2000 year compliant? Some are and some are not. Computers manufactured before this problem gained attention were made with bio-chips embedded in them that could cause problems. Most computers (and traffic lights and microwave ovens and automobiles and just about everything else these days) have built-in chips that may cause date-related failures between now and the turn of the century. Nobody knows how many embedded chips and software programs will cause problems. Bill Husted, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests, "Just go to Microsoft's official site on the Web -- www.microsoft.com -- and you can read about the damage the bug will do to various Microsoft programs, including Windows 95."

Now we are talking about millions and millions of chips, and that each system has to be tested to determine which chips will cause problems. It's hard to test the systems because most of them are running 24 hours a day to take care of business. And many of these embedded chips are located in places that are difficult to reach. For example, North Sea oil companies estimate it will cost them $57,000.00 per dive to replace embedded chips on the floor of the ocean.

We are all going to pay for the past programmers' mistake: the worst technical mistake in the 20th century. As Christians we need to be in prayer about this immense problem facing our nation and the world. We know that when men cannot find solutions, God has them. However, I believe that unless we humble ourselves as a nation and repent of our sins, this will be only one of the judgments that will fall upon us.

To understand the magnitude of this potential catastrophe, I want to share an example as to what this computer problem could bring about. The following is from the book, Time Bomb 2000 "What the Year 2000 Computer Crisis Means to You" by Edward and Jennifer Yourdon. Edward Yourdon is a respected computer professional and top programmer in his field. (He recently appeared as a guest of Pat Robertson on the 700 Club).

"As an example of the kind of problem that computer software professionals are worrying about within plants, refineries, and manufacturing organizations, consider the following excerpt from the January 8, 1997 issue of The Dominion, a Wellington, New Zealand newspaper that reported on the consequences of a non-Year-2000 date calculation problem:

"A computer glitch at the Tiwai Plant (in South Island of New Zealand) aluminum smelter at midnight on New Year's Eve has left a repair bill of more than $1 million (New Zealand) Dollars. Production in all the smelting potlines ground to a halt at the stroke of midnight when the computers shut down simultaneously and without warning. New Zealand Aluminum Smelters general manager David Brewer said the failure was traced to a faulty computer software program, which failed to account for 1996 being a leap year.

The Computer was not programmed to handle the 366th day of the year, he said. 'Each of the 660 process control computers hung up simultaneously at midnight,' Mr. Brewer said. The same problem occurred two hours later at Comalco's Bell Bay smelter, in Tasmania (Australia). New Zealand is two hours ahead of Tasmania. Both smelters use the same programme, which was written by Comalco computer staff. Mr. Brewer said the cause was difficult to trace and it was not till a telephone call in the morning from Bell Bau that the leap year link was made. 'It was a complicated problem and it took quite some time to find out just what caused it.'

Tiwai staff worked through the night, operating the potlines manually, trying to find the cause of the failure. They couldn't find it. The glitch was not fixed and normal production was not restored until mid-afternoon of the next day. However, by then, the damage had been done. Without the computers to regulate temperatures inside the pot cells, five cells over-heated and were damaged beyond repair. Mr. Brewer said they would have to be replaced at a cost of more than $1 million."

The authors of Time Bomb 2000 liken Y2K to a hurricane -- it only lasts a day, but requires a year of cleanup.

Now you can get a glimpse of the problem -- it will take squads of technicians and programmers and billions of dollars just to begin addressing the problems and even with their best efforts there is still not enough time to do it all before the deadline of January 1, 2000. Some of them will not even be discovered until that time. Another problem also exists. That is, even if some systems do beat the deadline, because of the vast networking of so many systems that are interdependent, they can corrupt those that are compliant.

What should we do, as Christians, since this faces each of us? First and foremost pray, pray, pray! Secondly, there are others who have researched this more thoroughly than I have and you can investigate the truth of this article by going to their sites which I have listed below. Ask the Lord what kind of preparations you should make for that time? There may be not only power shortages, but food shortages as well, as our nation's shipping schedules could be disrupted. Freight shipments were delayed and stopped recently when two of the nation's train systems merged. Because their computer systems were not compatible, connections were missed and their delivery schedules were halted, resulting in major chaos and lost revenue.

The Lord always warns His people so we can be prepared. If we are totally committed to God we can trust that we shall hear His voice in what we are to do. God will always take care of His own if we walk in faith and obedience. We do not have to be fearful. However, since we are living in perilous times the most important thing is that we remain in the will of God. That is the place of safety, protection and provision.

Proverbs 21:31: "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD."

Proverbs 22:1-4: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished. By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life."

Also read Psalm 91.

This article was taken from the Overcoming Life Digest (August/September 1998 Issue); click here to view Digest

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"Warnings"

By Donald McAlvany

(This article was reprinted with permission from the August, 1998 issue of the McAlvany Intelligence Advisor.)

Throughout the history of the world, God has always made known to his people impending times of trouble, and given them time to prepare (or escape):

He warned Noah and his family of the coming flood and directed them how to prepare to survive it.

He warned Lot and his family of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and told them to flee.

He warned Pharaoh, through Joseph, of the coming famine and used Joseph to prepare stores of food during the seven years of plenty, which saved Egypt and Joseph's family (Jacob, his eleven sons, and their families) when the famine came.

He warned the Israelites living under Egyptian slavery that the "angel of death" would kill all the first-born of every family and that they must protect themselves and their families by placing the blood of a lamb over the doorposts, so the angel would "passover" them.

He warned the people of Israel through his prophet Isaiah of the coming conquest of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria; it happened in 712 BC.

He warned the people of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) through his prophet Jeremiah, of their coming conquest by Babylon; it happened in 586 BC.

Jonah was sent to Ninevah, the capital city of Assyria to warn the people of God's coming destruction, and when they repented, he postponed the judgment for a number of years.

Jesus warned the people of Jerusalem of their coming destruction by Rome. Luke 19:41-44 says: "As he (Jesus) approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace, but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you'."

When Jerusalem fell to the Romans, almost 40 years later in 70 AD, most of Jesus' followers had already fled the city and scattered. Over one million Jews were killed in Jerusalem at that time by the Romans under Titus.

In Europe, during the 1930s, many Christians and Jews were given discernment by the Lord. They recognized the dark clouds of death and destruction that were rolling across Europe, and got out before the Nazi boot slammed down on the continent. There were warnings which many of God's people acted upon, thereby getting them and their family out of harm's way.

Throughout the history of the Christian church, a period of almost 2000 years, that has been checkered with numerous persecutions, the Lord has given advanced warnings of the coming persecutions to His followers, so that they might flee, prepare for the trials spiritually or physically, or go underground. In almost every one of those situations, it was primarily the God-fearing remnant who had the discernment to understand the times, to see the destruction or suffering that was coming, and to prepare (physically and spiritually).

In China, when persecution of the Christian church was coming several decades ago, believers were warned by the Lord to move from the their open churches to underground, home churches. They did so and the underground church was born in China. Today, over 83 million Christians meet in underground churches, while their Communist government continues to persecute them. Does the Lord warn and prepare His people for coming catastrophes, danger, upheaval, persecution or suffering? I believe that the Bible and the history of the church demonstrate that He does!

One common denominator is, that in almost all of those times of trouble down through the ages, the great majority of people could not see the upheaval coming. They refused to believe it. They were in denial. They were enjoying the good life (eating, drinking and partying) right up until the disaster overtook them. And, nothing was going to make them believe otherwise.

As Jesus said regarding the people of Noah's day in Matthew 24:38, 39: "For as in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage up to the day Noah entered the Ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away." [ED. NOTE: Noah warned them. They laughed at, and ridiculed him. They all died!]

The people of Pompeii, the party city of the ancient Roman Empire, had 16 years of warnings that Mt. Vesuvius was going to blow. They ignored all the warning eruptions, until one day in 79 AD, it exploded (like Mt. St. Helens) and everyone in Pompeii was killed. Undoubtedly, a few heeded the warnings and fled the destruction, but most did not.

Our present situation in America is somewhat comparable to some of these past upheavals or crises with respect to the coming Y2K crisis. There are now ample warnings from knowledgeable people of the coming computer meltdown and its implications for most Americans.

As with the peoples of Noah's, Lot's, and Joseph's day; as with the peoples of Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem; as with the people in Pompeii, in Europe in the 1930s, and in Communist China in the '70s, '80s, and '90s; there were always warnings of the coming destruction, persecution, or upheaval.

The Lord lets his people know of the coming crisis; often months or years before the time of trouble. This writer personally knows Christian families who saw the Bolshevik Revolution coming in Russia in 1917, and fled to safety one, two or three years before the death and destruction of the Communist Revolution began. I, likewise, know of Christian and Jewish families who saw the carnage of the Third Reich coming in the 1930s and fled Europe to safety in advance of the upheaval.

The same is happening in America today. A growing number of people in the remnant see the political and financial upheaval which Y2K is likely to bring to America in less than 500 days or so, and are taking steps to get out of harm's way, to protect their families, and to prepare for the time of trouble. But, the great majority of Americans, like the people in Noah's day, the people in Pompeii, the people in Jerusalem, and the people in pre-War Europe will not listen to the warnings.

They are enjoying the good times the stock market is going up, good times will roll forever - their philosophy (mirroring their young hedonist president) is eat, drink and be merry; let the good times roll; our prosperity will last forever.

Like the people in America in the late 1920s, like the partying peoples in Babylon the night that the handwriting of God was written on the wall, warning of their immediate destruction (and Babylon fell to Persia under Cyrus the Great that very night); the great majority of Americans will not listen to the warnings until it is too late. They are in denial. They are in a party mood. Their affluence will never end. They know that the good times will roll forever. But they are wrong!

At this time, a growing number of Christians, of members of the remnant (still a small minority—probably under 1% of the population) are waking up and are heeding the warnings. They are beginning to make adjustments or preparations in their lives—physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, economically, and most important of all—spiritually. Pat Robertson (on the 700 Club), Jack Van Impe, Chuck Missler, Warren Duffy, and other Christian leaders, as well as a growing minority of pastors, are beginning to warn Christians of the coming time of trouble and to urge them to make preparations: individually, as families, and as churches.

The majority (even of Christians and Christian pastors) will not heed the warnings; but some will. I recently spoke to 1200 people at a Southern California Y2K Conference and was greatly encouraged that people (especially Christians and conservatives) are beginning to wake up, to prepare, to get out of harm's way, to form groups of like-minded people to cooperate with, and to seek the Lord's wisdom and guidance as to how to live and function in the times which lie ahead.

It can be expected that as more Americans begin to wake up and make preparations for Y2K, that Bill Clinton, the liberal media, most of Wall Street, and many Americans, who are and will remain in denial, will become angry and begin to attack those who believe there is a problem; labeling them as fearmongers, doomsayers, gloom and doomers, Y2K fanatics, right-wing or Christian fanatics, hoarders (food hoarders, currency hoarders, etc.).

Those who are issuing the warnings will also be attacked, and in the midst of the crisis, the Clinton-types will probably even blame the "Y2K fanatics" for triggering the crisis, the financial panic, etc. That is when the anti-hoarding laws will probably be instituted. Remember, when Nero needed a scapegoat after he burned Rome, he blamed the Christians, and the masses turned on them with an angry vengeance.

The times which lie ahead over the next 12-24 months will (in the opinion of this writer) try the souls of men. They will be challenging, exciting and will offer great opportunities for those who have heeded the warnings to minister to those who have not-to those who have lost that which they thought was most important. Those who are prepared will be in a position to help those who have not prepared physically, and perhaps in the greatest way of all, by sharing the ultimate security in an insecure world-the saving truth about Jesus Christ.

MIA encourages its readers to seek the Lord for wisdom, guidance, and direction on how they should live, prepare and serve the Lord in the next few years. Philippines 4:19 says: "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Isaiah 58:11, 12 says: "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations."

The God of the Bible will warn and will take care of His people! And that is the bottom line!

_________________

Donald McAlvany publishes The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor which is an analysis of global, monetary and geo-political trends which impact our nation and is explicitly Christian, conservative, and free market in its perspective. Don is pro-U.S. Constitution, pro-Biblical, traditional, and pro-family values oriented. Should you desire to subscribe to his newsletter you may contact his office at this toll free phone (800) 528-0559 or you can visit his website at:

http://www.mcalvany.com/index.htm (Documentation of the Y2K problem and solutions from The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor)

Y2K AND THE CHURCH PROPHECY

By Rick Joyner

The Y2K problem is the computer glitch that will cause many computers to malfunction when their internal clocks turn to the new century on New Years Day 2000. Because many systems were not prepared for this when they were programmed, when computer clocks go to "00" at midnight on December 31, 1999, many will read this as "1900" instead of "2000," making it difficult or impossible to retrieve the data stored in them. The fear is that banks will not know how much money they have or how much money you have in them. Inventories will be lost and manufacturing plants will shut down. It is expected that many airline reservations will be lost and that the governments will lose all or much of their data, crippling social security, the IRS, and even local water and sewer systems. The effect of this problem on civilization is viewed by different experts as being somewhere between a bump in the road to the end of the modern world.

One of the potentially devastating problems can come from the almost universal dependence on "Just In Time" (JIT) inventory control that has been almost universally adopted by western industry. For example, most products are made from a combination of parts or products which are each made by smaller vendors. A car may be built from several hundred parts all made by different companies. To save the expense of storing large inventories of all of these parts, most industries have instituted JIT where they have the parts delivered to the assembly plant "just in time" to be used. Of course all of this must be computerized. The problem that Y2K presents is that even if almost all of the smaller vendors figure out the problem, but just a few don’t, the assembly plant will still be shut down, and production will grind to a halt.

Most companies have already figured out the Y2K problem and have reprogrammed their computers, but many have not, and it seems that they are not going to make it on time. For those who have figured it out, another potentially great problem has arisen. Many resolved the Y2K problem by writing new software, but now they are not sure that the software programs will be able to talk to the other vendors, assembly plants or agencies with which they need to communicate, creating a modern, technological tower of Babel that some say can never be resolved.

Even though I have a fairly good understanding of the technical and commercial issues Y2K can cause, I wanted to hear from the Lord about it. For over a year I prayed about this concern, but He said nothing to me about the Y2K situation. When He finally did begin to speak, I was surprised by what He said.

Do Not Be Shaken

The first thing the Lord said to me about this is that He is not sitting in the heavens, wringing His hands and worrying about Y2K, and neither is anyone who is abiding in Him. This is not going to be the end of the modern world, but it is going to cause some problems which we need to be aware of. The most severe problems will come from the panic generated by the situation and not the actual problems themselves. The Lord wants His people neither to be controlled by this fear, nor to contribute to it.

We must abide in the peace of God regardless of the circumstances, and if we allow fear to control our decisions, we will suffer loss. This does not mean that there are not some changes and preparations that we need to make, but we must do all that we do in faith, following the Lord and not the world. Even more important than having our assets protected is having our hearts steadfastly trusting in the Lord.

The whole world and all of its systems are extremely shaky and vulnerable, and Y2K is not by any means the worst problem now facing us. The meltdown of the Russian economy, North Korea, terrorism, and the rising tension between India and Pakistan are all going to be far worse problems than Y2K. The world is tottering at the edge of many different precipices. Only the grace of God has kept us until now, and only the grace of God will keep us in the future. We are in the period of time
spoken of in Revelation 7:1-3:

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads."

There is a restraining that is now taking place, and God will continue to restrain the forces that are trying to break forth across the earth until He is finished sealing His bondservants. He can and will restrain the effects of Y2K and all of the other potential disasters until He has finished this.

One thing we must understand is that not all Christians are bondservants. They are supposed to be, but few are. A true bondservant is a slave. He does not own anything, but everything that he has belongs to his Master. Even his time is not his own. He does not live for himself, but for his Master. Many claim this position, but few truly live it.

A true bondservant cannot lose anything in the stock market, or in any other business, because he does not own anything. He may be a steward of much, but it is not his, and he does not treat anything as if it were his, but his Master’s. Those who have become true bondservants have built their lives on the kingdom that cannot be shaken by Y2K, an economic collapse, or any other disaster. Those who are true bondservants are being sealed in this hour, and they are protected. Those who have claimed this position but have gone on living their lives for themselves have built their lives on the kingdom of this world that will fall, and they will fall with it.

There is still time to get our houses in order. It does not matter how entangled we are with the ways of this world—true repentance will bring us under the Lord’s care. Though we are His slaves, there is no greater Master that we could ever have, and He will care for us much better than we can care for ourselves. This does not mean that we will not suffer any loss. Those who have built their lives on the ways of this world will lose, but they will not be lost. Soon they will be entrusted with much more to steward than what they have lost by trying to build their own lives. Those who have truly submitted to the Lordship of Jesus are soon to be rulers themselves. If you are moved in your heart to repent, begin by reading, studying and obeying the following scripture found in Hebrews 12:1-29.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives."

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them.

For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriad of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." And this expression "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

We are approaching the judgment day. We will not be able to get away with the things that God may have overlooked in the past. As He promised, those who call Him "Lord, Lord," but do not do what He says will pay the price. We must get rid of the roots of bitterness and forgive others as He has forgiven us. There are no excuses that will stand up when we are before His judgment seat. We are admonished to "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." (Psalm 100:4), so let us be thankful for all things, even the trials of our faith which are more precious than gold, given for our good to help shape us into His image. Now is the time when all true bondservants will be revealed, and they are the ones who truly do all things for the sake of His gospel.

_____

Editor's Note: This prophetic word by Rick Joyner was taken from the MorningStar 1998 Prophetic Bulletin. Rick Joyner is an anointed teacher and prophet in the body of Christ at large. He is also founder of MorningStar Publications located in Charlotte, North Carolina.

MorningStar Website: http://www.eaglestar.org/

Rick is also the author of the book The Harvest which details a vision that Rick had concerning the end times. A brief summary of this vision was first circulated in 1987. It quickly found its way into major periodicals and countless newsletters, reaching millions in just a little over a year. It has been called "a prophetic word for the nineties" by major Christian leaders. This book promotes a message of devotion to Christ and preparation for the coming harvest. The Harvest is available in our CHAPEL BOOKSTORE (Click here to order).

Other Links Regarding the Y2k Problems

http://www.millennia-bcs.com/prep.htm (Practical and Emergency Preparation)

http://www.CBN.org/ (The Church's Response to Y2K - Faith, Not Fear)

http://www.mcalvany.com/index.htm (Documentation of the Y2K problem and solutions from The McAlvany Intelligence Advisor)