I get a lot of emails from people who fear an economic collapse that could come after a complete and catastrophic failure of the dollar. These people own silver and gold, but fear that might not be enough. They feel they should not be dependent upon trade for survival, but that they should be completely self-sufficient. In fact, my own wife, and my readings of other "doom and gloomers" inspired me to buy two goats, eight chickens, and my wife started her own garden. In fact, we even spent $3000 for a goat hut, and another $3000 for a chicken pen, and another several thousand dollars for a fence for the garden to keep the wild deer away. I figured, even if it didn't work out, I could afford the experiment. Really. True story!
What a waste of time and money! I should have kept the silver, instead! A year later, we are down to 3 chickens, the rest got out, ran away, or were eaten by wolves or dogs. Nobody ever bothered to milk the goats, so we sold them. They just made bleating noises and a stink anyway. Baby Jude loved them. He's almost 2. But that's not enough. Yes, the chickens produced eggs, and I ate them, but it's not efficient. We got maybe 4 eggs a day on average? You can buy eggs at the store much cheaper. I'd have to collect eggs for about 50 years to pay off the $3000 for the pen.
Besides, we still need to go to the store for everything else. Today's money may literally come from trees, since it's made of paper, but zip lock bags don't grow on trees!
I think that trying to be totally self sufficient due to a fear of total economic collapse is wrong, and contrary to the lessons I have learned from life experience, and from the Bible.
In Genesis, God speaks of the very first humans who made various things before Noah's flood, and God speaks of gold as good. That means that trade and specialization were taking place even before Noah, among a world that was entirely wicked!
It has been said that trade leads to specialization. But perhaps, even more so, specialization creates the excess that is needed to be able to trade it away for other things!
If you plant all of one crop, it creates enhancements in efficiency, creating extra productivity, and forces one to trade the excess, and means that, no, you are not self sufficient, but that you will produce more.
Almost everyone who has ever owned one fruit tree knows that one tree produces way more than enough fruit for one family. The problem, though, is how to give away the rest, since one tree is almost not enough to take the time to harvest efficiently, nor is the crop very good; it's not enough to bother taking to market, and so, it's often just given away, or wasted on the ground.
Thus, a whole field of trees of one kind means that you must harvest the crop, and sell it at a market, yes, rely on trade, and that means you are not self sufficient, but that you will get your other things from trading with other people.
Planting a home garden, with many different vegetables, to achieve some sort of self sufficiency, so that you don't need to go to market, would be the opposite kind of thing, and would be contrary to the following scriptural advice from God.
Leviticus 19:19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
People have suggested that we sell vaults, and guns, along with our gold.
Why? There are two excellent gun shops in my town, they each also sell vaults, and there is also a locksmith that also sells vaults. Is there a shortage of vaults to be found? No.
Why should I take time away from my core business? Am I an expert on vaults? No. Should I be? I don't see why I should. I just know that home vaults work. I recommend you get one. Then maybe build a cabinet, or even a wall, around it to hide it, for extra security, or maybe get several, just in case.
I don't need to try to do it all. I should specialize in one thing. And so, I specialize in silver and gold bullion. I'm not even an expert in numismatic collector coins. Metal values only for this dealer.
I think the desire to be totally self sufficient is a fantasy, a wicked fantasy. We are not supposed to put our hope in wealth, nor to trust in it, but to trust in God.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share (communicate-KJV). In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
If we who are wealthy, should be willing to share, then this means we must, at the very least, share our excess in trade, which enables others to trade, which enables others to specialize, which enables productivity and wealth for everyone.
But what good is wealth that is hoarded, specifically for the express purpose of enabling total self sufficiency?
Luke 12:15-21 Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
How can we be rich towards God? The Bible says:
Prov. 19:17 Caring for the poor is lending to the LORD, and you will be well repaid.
The poor in our society today are those who think they are rich because they have an abundance of things, but they are not rich, they are poor, and they need gold!
Revelation 3: To the Church in Laodicea 14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Many have claimed I'm taking this verse out of context, so that's the full context.
I think this verse is in perfect context, especially with my message today arguing against trying to be totally self sufficient. Look at what these poor people are saying, "I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing." That's total self sufficiency, to the point that they are lukewarm towards God. They are so complacent that they have become spiritually blinded, and don't even know that they are literally poor, perhaps because they are in debt, with a negative net worth, or they only have paper wealth, and no gold at all.
Buying physical gold, it has been claimed by critics, is not the message of the passage, because this is somehow "spiritual gold". But buying physical gold (or silver) is an action that is the ultimate fulfillment of many spiritual lessons!
Gold ownership is sometimes bashed by immature Christians as somehow being materialism. Owning gold is not "materialism"; nor is it "consumption".
Gold ownership is evidence of savings, evidence that consumption has been delayed.
Thus gold ownership is evidence of self denial, and self control.
Self control is one of the ultimate fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Yes, Revelation 3's message to buy physical gold is a spiritual message; it is a spiritual exercise to buy physical gold!
Buying gold is not enough. If it were, I would stick only with a message of supply and demand statistics. But buying gold, for the purpose only of making only yourself rich and comfortable, is not being rich towards God, or other people, and would be a mistake.
The purpose of gold, and silver, once again, is to enable trade. Trade means you don't need to be self sufficient, but rather you ought to concentrate instead on a specialization that enables you to be most productive, and trust in God's instructions for how to become wealthy, productive, and blessed.
Due to my understanding of economics, I respect expertise where I find it.
As someone who has been writing about gold and silver for ten years now, I can confidently and happily recommend that you get some, as much as you can, while you still can.