Yesterday I talked about Knut Hamsun and the Norwegians. It was my privilege to know and serve with an elderly Norwegian couple, Gunnar and Aslaug Mjölsvik who grew up in Norway in the first half of the 20th century who knew what hunger was like. Though it is hard to believe of Norway, one of the richest countries in the world because of North Sea oil today, but before the Second World war it was one of the poorest nations in Europe en par with Albania. The Mjölsviks told me of times when they were hungry and had to add tree bark to the bread they made to give it some body and stave off the feelings of hunger even though the bark was of no nutritional value. And though they didn't starve, my own parents related stories of how they existed on very little during the time of rationing during the Second World War. They taught me not to be wasteful or extravagent with food because they, like the Mjölsviks, knew what it was like to have little. It makes my blood boil, therefore, when I go to restaurants and see the amount of food customers waste. I have always taught my children to eat everything they get and to therefore not take more than they actually need. When we leave a restaurant, our plates are always spotless. They will appreciate my counsel when the hard times come to the West.

Famine, like every other event in nature or history, is fully integrated into the biblical doctrine of divine providence:

"...I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; yet you have not returned to Me, says Yahweh" (Amos 4:6, NKJV).

"So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth" (Rev.6:7-8, NKJV).

When Yah'shua returns in the Messianic Millennium, we are told that perfect accord will exist between Yahweh and His people. This era will be marked by unprecendented fertility of the earth (Is.4:2; 41:19; Hos.2:21-22; Amos 9:13).

By contrast, the fruits of nature are withdrawn when the relationship between Yahweh and man is dislocated. Accordingly, the curse on the soil was one of the foremost and immediate results of the fall (Gen.3:17-18), and Yahweh has used famines throughout Israel's history as indications of His displeasure, and as warnings to make teshuvah or repent (1 Ki.17:1; 18:17-18; Hag.1:6,9-11; 2:16-17). Therefore it is important that we all understand that obedience and prosperity (Ps.1:1-3; Prov.3:7-10; Is.1:19,), disobedience and want (Lev.26:14-16) are biblical inseparables. If you are in any doubt, read Deuteronomy 28 and Jeremiah 14.

I am sure that you are as appalled as I am over the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan and India, in a predominantly Muslim area, that has left two million people homeless and is leading to widedspread disease and famine. A very wise and humble Pakistani brother admitted to me that it was because of the sins of his people. Muslims, however, tend not to make the connection between famine and sin, and ascribe such disasters in their own lands to the 'inscrutible will of Allah', or if they do, it is because they are not practicing their Islam diligently enough. However, as should be obvious, Muslim lands remain basically impoverished and backwards no matter how fanatically they practice their religion.

The fires in Russia have resulted in the near total destruction of that country's wheat crop and a third of the world's. As a result, Russia is no longer exporting to its client nations like Egypt which are coming under threat of a major shortage. We will witness a price hike here for sure, to add to the creeping inflation caused by the gradual economic meltdown of Western and world economies.

You need to prepare for food shortage and famine. You need to sacrifice pleasures now and start storing food for at least a year. I don't know how many times I have told you over the last couple of years but I say it now with even greater concern and urgency, and with a clear prophetic mandate to do so. Make this a regular practice to maintain a year's storage, get into the habit of storing and circulating food and basic necessities. Why? Because the world is not going to make teshuvah, it is going to descend into greater and greater sin resulting in ever greater numbers of natural catastrophes. And even though there may be lulls of apparent prosperity, do not be deceived. Yahweh will not be mocked.

Repent and get your houses in order!