The Magician's Misdirection - Revisited
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Matthew 24:24)
The 4 Mandates
A couple of weeks ago I was asked "where does Mr. Armstrong mention we need to simplify our lives?" and it brought to mind a Pastor's Report I wrote some years ago about the Magician's Misdirection and I thought it was timely to re-examine the subject, as in the world at large -- and even in God's church -- this technique of misdirection to obscure what is true is becoming more and more of a problem. How often can we get a straight answer from a politician on subjects such as Covid 19 vaccinations, illegal immigration, welfare handouts, unemployment -- or even peace talks with Iran? And how often are we bombarded with the accusation of Israel's "genocide in Gaza" - and rarely hear of Hamas' massacre of Israeli citizens! No, the "leopard doesn't change his spots" -- Satan is the arch-deceiver of all time, and as the apostle Peter warns us: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: "(I Peter 5:8)
In that particular Pastor's Report I highlighted the Good News article of April/May 1987 written by Joseph Tkach just over a year after Mr. Armstrong's death, and his personal was entitled "Four Great Mandates". The entire 32 page issue of the Good News dealt with the subject of the four mandates -- with each article dealing with an aspect of one of them. It would be a good idea before going any further to read that Personal yourself and see if you can spot the problem, keeping in mind the "fruit" of the Tkach's administration!
- Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
- Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
- Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
- A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
- Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
- Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20)
So Christ here makes very plain that, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit." but conversely, He also makes very plain that, "A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit." Today the ultimate fruit of that corrupt administrative "tree" is very evident -- a shattered Church and an apostate organisation! So is it possible that the administration that was inexorably taking God's people into apostasy could somehow have been "on track" in this 1987 issue?
Yet in the first year after the death of Mr. Armstrong the church seemed to be going from strength to strength -- we were in a "honeymoon period", and that lulled a lot of us to sleep! Personally, we had plenty of our own distractions, with 3 young children, a job and a small holding to take care of, and I don't remember the initial article ringing any alarm bells at the time. And on RE-reading "The Four Mandates" : 1) Coming out of the World, 2) Simplifying your life, 3) Preparing to Teach and 4) Emphasizing the family -- I couldn't IMMEDIATELY put my finger on anything blatantly wrong . Those fundamentals appeared reasonable, helpful, even "on track" -- but it only had me puzzling for a few moments before I began to see that behind the façade that it was anything but!
The Magician's Trick
The first human leader of the apostate "christian" church is clearly identified in Acts 8 as a magician -- Simon Magus, who "bewitched them with his sorceries" (Acts 8:11). Admittedly, he was using much more than mere slight of hand, but as we will see, even Satan's full-blown techniques parallel the deceit of a magician! Satan used such deceitful techniques from the beginning. As Christ clearly describes, he "abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44) The very basis of the magician's trade, the liar's trade, and of Satan's trade, is the same -- it is "the misdirection"! Let me quote below just how it works:
In theatrical magic, misdirection is a form of deception in which the performer draws audience attention to one thing to distract it from another. Managing audience attention is the aim of all theatre, and the foremost requirement of all magic acts. Whether the magic is of a "pocket trick" variety or a large stage production, misdirection is the central secret. (wikipedia.org)
When we apply the above to "The Four Mandates", what is the larger movement ... the misdirection? And what is the concealed smaller movement ... the deception, the bit Satan does NOT want us to see?
The Larger Movement
The opening phrase of the Personal states, "For the last seven years of his life, the late editor-in-chief of this magazine, Herbert W. Armstrong, often emphasized three major areas of Christian living. I have called these 'the three mandates.'" When we begin to recognise what is really being presented here -- from our present, post-apostasy perspective -- this phrase can be seen as 'the larger movement'. There's "nothing up my sleeve" approach that would come across to those reading the Personal as:
If Mr Armstrong often emphasized these areas, particularly for the final seven years of his life, then they must be important. These mandates are therefore utterly foundational. They are the bedrock on which to build, as after all, hasn't an entire issue of the Good News been devoted to reminding us about them?
But are they? Seeing that the definition of "mandate" is: "an order given by a superior"...are these three points really the major areas Mr Armstrong emphasised in his last seven years?
It's critical that we understand what the foundational areas are on which we are to build, and that is why we make available the material found on getbackontrack.org. It's only when we go back and read what the apostle God sent to us actually wrote, what he actually spoke about, what he actually emphasised, can we then be sure we are indeed becoming aligned with the Truth as revealed by Jesus Christ to His end-time Church and not instead building on sand! (Luke 6:47-49) And when we do that, what do we find? We find that although Mr Armstrong did mention some of these areas, they were not "great mandates" -- they were NOT his primary focus! Other men may have mentioned "Mr. Armstrong said we must "simplify our lives" but I have electronically searched through all the HWA material on getbackontrack.org and cannot even find the phrase "simplify your life". It doesn't exist! But even that startling fact is not the main point.
The Concealed Smaller Movement
Understand very clearly that Satan is perfectly happy to have us try to become sons of God on our own strength. Why? Because he then knows we are certain to fail. If all we focus on is "being good people" and "getting into God's Kingdom" then Satan will most certainly have won! No one becomes a part of the God family with mere human goodness. A son of God requires a converted, divine Mind. So what was different about Mr Armstrong's focus? It was focused on God! His focus was on The Gospel of God - the same Gospel Jesus Christ and the apostles preached. And that Gospel is focused on God's rule, what God is doing, what God requires, what God's Plan is, a Gospel that was to be preached as a sign, a witness, in all the world as a unique event -- the Gospel of the Kingdom (or family) of God. So we didn't need Mr. Tkach to "emphasise the family" ... Mr. Armstrong was continually doing so!
There is also another vital point: When that Gospel was explained to those within the Church of God, there was ONE principle aspect above all that Mr Armstrong went back to over, and over, and over again. And that was the subject of the two trees. Two divergent ways of life -- with God's Way based, NOT on mere human goodness, mere human love (as taught in the world's churches, see Matthew 19:16,17), but squarely on "the love of God shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Romans 5:5). That was the clear, unambiguous emphasis -- the clear foundation of everything, particularly in "the last seven years of his life"!
And isn't it interesting, that in the 1987 Good News, the article, Prepare to Greatly Reduce Your Standard of Living initially written by Mr. Armstrong as a Plain Truth article in 1980, does indeed appear. But the article printed in 1987 is NOT the 1980 article in its entirety. The article in 1987 had the following paragraphs prior to the heading "Now Prophesied for the USA" missing:
At this point let me bring in another bit of historic background.
Go back, for a moment, to the first man, Adam. Prior even to Adam’s creation, the earth had been populated by angels. The angels had SINNED (II Peter 2:4). God had set over them His GOVERNMENT, administered by the mighty archangel Lucifer (Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28). This Lucifer, the most powerful spirit being God had created, was placed on the throne of the earth. But he rebelled against and rejected the GOVERNMENT OF GOD. He led his angels in the opposite direction: – rebellion against the law of God – vanity, lust and greed, envy and jealousy, competition with strife and violence, darkness of error instead of light of truth, destruction instead of creative construction. This Lucifer had become Satan the devil. His angels had become demons – evil spirit beings.
Until a successor qualifies and is set on that throne of the earth administering the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, Satan remains, though now disqualified – and the GOVERNMENT OF GOD not being administered over the earth, earthwide.
When God created the first human, Adam, He thoroughly instructed this man and Eve, his wife. He instructed them in the law and government of God, in the rebellion and sin of the angels. In the Garden of Eden were two symbolic trees. One, the tree of life, symbolized the Holy Spirit of God – the way of life of God and His law – the gift of eternal life. Adam and Eve were created with only mortal, temporary physical life. The other tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, symbolized the taking to themselves – IF they disobeyed God in so doing – the knowledge of what is good and what is evil, rejecting the gift of eternal life.
When Adam and Eve chose the forbidden fruit, rejecting God and His government, God drove them out of the garden, and barred the way of entrance, lest humans rejecting God’s sovereignty over them go back, take of the tree of life, and receive eternal life IN SIN. This would have brought on all such an eternal life in the indescribable misery and torment of unhappiness, despair in resentment and bitterness, and pain of mental frustration.
God is a God of LOVE – outgoing concern for the GOOD OF MANKIND, created in His image, with the potential of being BORN into the very GOD FAMILY!
God could not allow any such indescribable eternity of anguish and mental torment to come to the humanity He had created.
Therefore He BARRED entrance to the tree of LIFE – to an immortality in the supreme torment of eternal anguish and frustration. That is, God put an impassible WALL between Himself and all humanity – EXCEPT those infinitesimally few He would specially call to Him – for 6,000 years! Afterward – after Satan is conquered by Christ and those called to be His, and Satan is imprisoned forever, every human who ever lived will be called, mostly in a special postmillennial resurrection, and offered repentance, forgiveness of sin, and the gift of ETERNAL LIFE!
HOW WONDERFUL are the ways of Almighty God!
So God had said to Adam, in effect: “YOU have made the decision for yourself and the whole world that shall spring from you. Therefore, go, and devise your own ideas of government, your own religions, form your own gods, produce your own store of knowledge and its dissemination, during the next 6,000 years.”
Mankind was CUT off from God, except those predestined to be specially called by God.
Jesus said plainly: “No man CAN come to me, except the Father which sent me draw him” (John 6:44). Others who think they are “saved in Christ,” accept Him IN VAIN – in a FALSE RELIGION promulgated by Satan! Jesus also said plainly: “… IN VAIN do they WORSHIP me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men” (Mark 7:7-8). (The Plain Truth – January 1980)
And those missing paragraphs deal with the unique understanding that sets God's true church apart from the churches and religions of the world. Mr. Armstrong dealt specifically with the two trees, Satan's rebellion and current rule in this world -- stressing the need of a qualified Successor to administer the Government of God. And this basic but VITAL understanding is very much part of priorities Mr. Armstrong wanted to get across to us, but that was not where the "wolves in sheep's clothing" were planning to take us! As Mr. Armstrong so often pointed out, "if you don't understand the lesson of the two trees, you don't understand anything". And they didn't. And when he DID mention "simplify", it was in connection with summarising two opposing ways of life -- Give versus Get! From his Good News article December 1980 "Why This Gap In The Bible?":
God’s LAW, the foundation of GODLY CHARACTER, of the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, is outflowing LOVE. It is a WAY OF LIFE! It is the way of love to God first of all, then love to fellow man by serving, helping, giving, sharing, cooperating. Adam and Eve chose to decide for themselves instead of believing GOD’S LAW. And they chose the OPPOSITE way of life – that of SELF-love, vanity, coveting, envy and jealousy, hostile competition, strife, violence, war – rebellion against authority.
I simplify these two ways – God’s LAW and its transgression – by the terms “GIVE” and “GET.” (The Good News – December 1980 )
So can we now see how presenting the four mandates is actually a substitution, a misdirection -- the old magician's trick? It is not that the four mandates are of themselves wrong, and many worldly christian churches would sign up for them as well. But making them "great" and giving them inordinate prominence - "playing the Mr. Armstrong card" (as still happens in some of the churches of God today) was a smoke-screen to obscure what was in the process of being removed -- which was the True Gospel Christ brought to the world, turning our focus instead onto a gospel about the person of Christ. It was changing the Kingdom from "a present hope and future reality" into the exact opposite; a nebulous "present reality and future hope".
How often did we hear Mr. Armstrong, in frustration telling us..."brethren, you are not getting it!"...and what we weren't getting was the DEGREE OF CHANGE necessary to become a born son of God -- something totally downplayed by the apostasy, which substituted traditional and watered-down "christian" ideas, and mere human goodness, as found throughout the wider "christian" world...
- For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
- And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
- Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (II Corinthians 11:13-15)
The Lesson for Today
And why were we deceived? Because we were so busy concentrating on these reasonable but inflated christian-living areas that we failed to see the erosion of the truth, the Way of Life that Christ put in His church by His end-time apostle -- and it's still happening today. "Mr. Armstrong always said...XYZ" or "Mr. Armstrong never said...XYZ", and "before his death Mr. Armstrong was about to change...XYZ"; A classic "magician's misdirection" that we need to be aware of, as, Satan is still on his throne and is still attacking God's Church today, using all the deceptive devices he can.
In a sense, it is the same old story as found in the Garden of Eden: "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1), when God's clear emphasis was very different! "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat" (Genesis 2:16), but He also added that mankind was not to take to themselves the knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil, but rather be obedient to Him (verse 17). Satan then gave a reverse emphasis -- he used a misdirection! He had Eve focus on the phraseology; "Yea, hath God said, ye shall not ...", so he could subtly sow doubt and lead her to accept something other than God's clear instruction, which was for her own good. Has anything really changed?
The Two GREAT Mandates
As Mr. Armstrong simplified the lessons of the two trees into two ways of life: Give versus Get, so we can see that GOD has also simplified HIS way of life into two great principles of living, two "mandates" in fact:
- Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
- Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
- This is the first and great commandment.
- And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:36-40)
Just two complete and comprehensive commandments -- guiding our every thought and deed and expounded for us by God's apostle at this perilous time, the end of the age. If you wish to find out more concerning what Christ inspired him to teach the church, there is a wealth of information on the internet; books, booklets and articles to download, plus sermons and World Tomorrow programmes to listen to, checking your Bible as you go, as Mr. Armstrong always encouraged us to do. And by doing so, we can be forewarned, and thereby forearmed against one of the oldest tricks in the book -- the magician's misdirection.
- But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
- But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; [God's apostles]
- And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
- All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
- That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (II Timothy 3:13-17)
A new business model is taking shape:
Scarcity
FOOD
Milk Shortages Loom Across America
A growing problem today is devastating cyberattacks on mega-companies. This is what can happen when the computer systems of a large food producer are attacked. This situation can occur suddenly, without any warning. The attack on Fairlife affected one in four US households - that’s around 90-100 million people!
“A billion-dollar milk company has been forced to halt production following a devastating cyberattack. Fairlife, owned by Coca-Cola, announced on July 16 that it had detected ‘unauthorized access by a third party’ to parts of its computer systems, including those that support production operations. The company said the breach was linked to a ransomware attack, prompting it to take portions of its network offline and temporarily suspend production at all US facilities while it investigates and restores its systems.
The disruption has raised concerns about potential supply issues, as Fairlife products are found in approximately one in four US households, making the brand a staple for millions of American consumers.
While products already on store shelves remain safe to consume, a prolonged production shutdown could make some Fairlife items harder to find in grocery stores. Fairlife is the latest company to be hit by ransomware, but the attacks are becoming increasingly common.” (dailymail.com )
France: Heatwave Ruins Crops
“France is facing a shortage of onions and other vegetables after heatwaves decimated crops across the country. Shoppers have been warned to expect a drop in the amount of fresh produce in the coming weeks, after a ‘catastrophic year’.
Some of the hardest-hit crops include onions, shallots, carrots, leeks, fennel, radishes, garlic, blueberries and strawberries, according to Vegetables of France, a trade group that represents producers across the country.
Heatwave temperatures combined with hot, dry winds suck moisture out of crops faster than roots can draw it from the soil, causing them to die. Cyril Pogu, the co-chairman of Vegetables of France, said: ‘When a field goes up in smoke in three hours, it’s the work of an entire growing season that vanishes, and the farm’s long-term viability is immediately called into question.
“Short-term ‘shortages’ are expected in stores, as imports are not able to make up for the shortfalls,” the group said. ‘A new business paradigm is taking shape: that of scarcity.’” (telegraph.co.uk)
WATER
Not Enough Water For UK’s Datacentre Plans
“Industry says government’s failure to address cooling demands means AI growth plans are ‘fatally flawed’. The UK will not have enough water for future datacentres, the water industry has said in stark criticism of the government’s AI growth plans. Datacentres rely on large amounts of water to manage the heat generated by densely packed servers. ‘There appears to be an assumption that the country will always have enough water for its economic needs,’ the briefing said. ‘Nothing could be further from the truth.’” (theguardian.com)
The Devastating Toll As Drought Grips The Western Plains
“The drought gripping the Western Plains is rapidly becoming one of the most devastating agricultural disasters producers have faced in decades. From southern Colorado to Montana, farmers and ranchers are battling a crisis that extends far beyond dry fields. Water supplies are dwindling, wheat crops are failing, hay production is shrinking and cattle producers are being forced into difficult herd liquidation decisions. While recent rainfall has provided temporary relief in some areas, many producers say the damage is already done. Crop insurance agent and market analyst Ben Rand says. ‘I travel. I drive 125,000 miles a year. I don’t know. I can’t show you a good wheat crop anywhere in my draw.’” (agweb.com)
Colorado River Reservoir Faces ‘Dead Pool’ Crisis
“Lake Powell was 23.4% full on July 19. It was last full in 1983. If its level falls more, that could create environmental catastrophe by stopping the river flowing through the Grand Canyon, a situation known as ‘dead pool.’ The crisis could create ripple effects nationwide. Nearly half of the country’s vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts are grown in California, according to the state’s Food and Agriculture Department. A substantial amount of California crops are irrigated with Colorado River water. Meanwhile, California and the six other states that collaboratively manage the river have been unable to reach a compromise on what to do about the problem.” (usatoday.com)
UK Heat Stress Impact On Food, Farming, Crops And Farmed Animals
“The UK’s food system, including nature and farmed animals, is increasingly coming under strain from periods of high heat, and we’ve had two record breaking heat waves in both May and June. These can have disastrous consequences. For example, during summer 2022, when temperatures reached more than 40C in the UK, around 18,500 chickens died in transport due to heat stress, and wildfire incidents increased by more than 300% compared to the year before. Heat stress is already causing economic losses of £205 million annually across wheat, barley, oats, dairy cattle, free range hens, and lambs, according to research…” (eciu.net)
Heat Stress And UK Food Imports
“Global average temperatures are rising, and heat records are being broken every year, in all parts of the world. And 2026 now looks almost certain to experience a particularly strong El Niño effect, running into 2027. If so, that will turbo-charge climate change impacts, and likely propel 2027 to the top of the list of hottest years. One of the growing threats from these rising temperatures is heat stress. The nations most exposed and least resilient to climate extremes were the source of 13% of UK food imports, worth £8.9 billion.” (eciu.net)
‘Extreme Water Stress’
“‘Water stress is the biggest crisis no one is talking about,’ said Dr Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute. ‘Its consequences are in plain sight in the form of food insecurity, conflict and migration, and financial instability.’” (rt.com)
Rhine Drought Cripples Shipping In Blow To Germany
“Heatwaves and drought have sent water levels on Germany’s Rhine river plunging to multi-year lows, driving up freight costs on the world’s busiest inland shipping route. The Rhine’s depth dropped as low as 53cm on Monday at the critical Kaub chokepoint near Frankfurt, marking the lowest July reading in decades. Any reading below around 80cm will prompt barge owners to start shrinking their loads and raising their prices. Wouter van der Geest, a senior consultant at Rebel Ports & Logistics, said: ‘The levels are very low, and it’s unusual because it’s so early in the year.’” (telegraph.co.uk)
WAR and WEAPONS
Pentagon Hiding Missile Shortage From White House
“The US president is under pressure to hit back at Iran after the deaths of three US service members over the weekend. But rumours are spreading across the administration that the Pentagon is concealing a shortage of interceptor missiles, which are needed to resume the war. There are also suggestions that the White House does not want to know about the scale of the shortfall. Sharing ‘bad news, or realistic news, doesn’t seem to end well for anybody’, an insider told The Telegraph. (telegraph.co.uk)
Pentagon Is Running Out Of Money
“The Pentagon is running out of money, Pete Hegseth has admitted. The US defence secretary warned his department would face ‘critical shortfalls’ if Congress did not pass an emergency funding request, and said the cost of the Iran War had ballooned to at least $37.5 billion (£28 billion). ‘Without these funds, we face critical shortfalls that threaten our ability to… pay our service members, rapidly replenish equipment and munitions, and sustain vital operations without disruption,’ Mr Hegseth told the Senate appropriations committee on Tuesday.” (telegraph.co.uk)
SUPPLY CHAIN CHAOS
The Whole Global Market Is Seizing Up
Supply chains are the backbone of modern business, but inefficiencies and disruptions can create chaos that ripples across operations. Hence Iran can hold the world to ransom!
“Just a trickle of cargo ships and tankers has made it through the Strait of Hormuz since Iranian forces blocked the crucial trade route in the Middle East war. The channel typically sees around 120 daily transits, according to shipping industry intelligence site Lloyd’s List.
From March 1 to 18, commodities carriers made just 105 crossings, according to analytics firm Kpler - a decrease of more than 95 percent.” (france24.com)
A Global Network Under Siege
“As political tensions spill into cyberspace, state-aligned attackers are disrupting government systems and infiltrating the digital arteries of commerce itself. From ports to payment systems, supply chains are under siege. And the consequences aren’t theoretical. They’re operational. Financial. Existential.
Political unrest, sanctions, and digital sabotage have turned once-stable logistics networks into strategic liabilities. The old rules no longer apply. Organizations must confront a hard truth: Supply chain resilience can no longer be separated from cybersecurity — or geopolitics.
Today’s supply chains are vast, intricate ecosystems — sprawling across continents, supported by thousands of vendors, and stitched together by digital infrastructure that was never designed for geopolitical warfare. What once symbolized economic efficiency has become a strategic vulnerability.
The weakest link is no longer theoretical. As Palo Alto Networks reported, nearly one third of breaches in 2023 originated through third-party access. A single misconfigured device, a forgotten login, or a contractor with outdated credentials can offer adversaries a direct corridor into critical operations.
Nation-states and their proxies have taken notice. In an era of rising global instability — from armed conflict and economic sanctions to political fragmentation — supply chains have become a high-value target. These attacks are calculated, opportunistic efforts to destabilize markets, erode trust, and project influence far beyond the battlefield. In this new calculus, disruption itself has become the point.” (paloaltonetworks.com)
ENERGY and FUEL
Britain At Risk Of Winter Fuel Shortages
“Britain will face fuel shortages over the winter if Andy Burnham fails to approve a new gas project in the North Sea, its operator has said. Mr McCulloch said the project was ready to drill from October 1 and would meet 6 percent of Britain’s gas demand. He told the BBC that the UK needed the field in the event of a ‘gas supply emergency’, such as adverse weather or sabotage by a hostile state. ‘The wells are drilled; they’re hooked up. We’re just readying the systems. It will be ready for the 1st of October.’” (telegraph.co.uk)
Oil Settles Over $100 As Houthi Attacks Intensify
“Oil prices settled above $100 on Thursday for the first time since May after Yemen’s Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, causing further global supply disruptions following a near-halt in trade through the Strait of Hormuz. Goldman Sachs said Brent might exceed $120 a barrel in the fourth quarter and average $100 next year if the strait remains disrupted through 2027, with further [upheaval] if the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Suez Canal also suffer persistent disruption.” (jpost.com)
Beware The Rising Energy Dangers Of Trump’s Gulf War
“The price of crude oil is a broken barometer. Acute pain in the world energy market has switched to the trio of refined products that we actually consume: diesel, petrol and jet fuel. The IATA jet fuel index for global airlines has hit $154 a barrel in Europe and $149 in North America, almost double the cost of underlying crude. In trade parlance, the ‘crack spread’ has gone mad. It is arguably worse for diesel. The spread over crude has reached $80 in Rotterdam and $88 in New York, the highest since records began.
The whole global market is seizing up. ‘I’ve never seen an energy environment this stretched,’ said Jeff Currie, perhaps the world’s best-known oil guru. Oil traders say it would not take much at this stage to set off a sudden ‘non-linear’ spike to $200 levels.
We have been lulled into complacency by deceptively moderate oil headlines and by assumptions that the Iran war has settled into a low-intensity management problem. It is nothing of the sort.
The immediate risk as fighting returns to near-full-blown war is that Donald Trump will attack Iran’s energy plants, bridges and civil infrastructure, prompting Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to retaliate by hitting Saudi pipelines and port facilities.
Those in Washington who still think that Iran can be bombed into submission are a dwindling and discredited number. The conflict is reaching the point where Trump must either accept de facto defeat and the worst US foreign policy humiliation of modern times or raise the strategic stakes in a fateful gamble.” (telegraph.co.uk)
SURVIVAL
All EU Households Warned To Prepare WW3 Survival Kit
“The European Union has urged all citizens to prepare a survival kit for use in extreme emergencies, that includes bottled water, torches, matches and energy bars in case of an attack. Households in the EU have been urged to prepare three-day survival kits for use in the event of a future conflict. The European Union has encouraged all citizens across its 27 member states to be equipped for 72 hours of self-reliance, advising people to stockpile essentials such as food, bottled water, torches, matches, energy bars, and ID documents in a waterproof pouch.” (mirror.co.uk)
Stockpile Food In Case Of Russian Cyber Attack, No 10 To Tell Public
“The public will be told to stock up on food and water in case of a Russian cyber attack under new plans to prepare the country for conflict. Later this year, ministers will launch a public information campaign to advise households on how to prepare for emergencies, including creating a stockpile of food, medicines and basic survival tools. It comes amid rising concerns of a Russian attack on a NATO country and near-constant cyber attacks on the UK’s critical national infrastructure.” (telegraph.co.uk)
A Comprehensive Guide To Effectively Stockpiling Food
“‘Be prepared,’ says the Boy Scout motto, and the phrase has taken on a new significance. For years, people who stockpile as a safeguard in the event of national emergency have been the butt of jokes and even a Radio 4 satire, Preppers. Now they are being given government endorsement, with new advice on what to keep at home in the event of a breakdown in power or food supply.
Not-so-neurotic, then.
But in fact experts such as Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at City St George’s, University of London, have often warned that we need to ready ourselves. ‘For too long a “don’t frighten the public” ethos has ruled,’ he says, ‘yet other countries take a more grown-up approach to the public.’
He is right that countries such as Sweden have detailed advice for coping with food shortages in an emergency, and Lang’s Just In Case report for the National Preparedness Commission warns of the vulnerabilities in the food system, from war, climate change, terrorism and myriad other threats.
So what can we do? Firstly, don’t panic – and don’t panic buy. But we can give a little thought to how we’d manage if the power went out for a day or a week, or if the internet stopped working, or shops ran low on supplies. In fact, a little less dependence on all these props of modern life can’t be a bad thing.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Suggested Store-Cupboard Essentials To Stock Up On
This is what the experts suggest:
“Items that last without being kept chilled or frozen – what supermarkets call ‘ambient goods’ – are the cornerstone of any food cache, as they’ll survive long power outages. We can all take inspiration from the old-fashioned pantry.
Pasta, rice, bread flour, yeast and baking powder, crackers and biscuits, beans, lentils and chickpeas, Tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tomato concentrate, tinned fish, A tub of powdered skimmed milk, and cartons of full-fat long-life milk as well.” (telegraph.co.uk)
Remain Spiritually Alert And Watch
As we come closer to the end of this age, we have been blessed with an understanding of upcoming events before they occur. We are told to stay alert and watch as prophecy is fulfilled. We can see the effects all around us. We see the wars, and the threat of wars. We see harsh heatwaves leading up to huge droughts. We note as crops and animals are destroyed, leading to inevitable food shortages. Britain imports over 50% of its food - and the countries who supply it are also suffering the effects of heat and drought.
In America, nearly half of the country’s vegetables and more than three-quarters of its fruits and nuts are grown in California. A substantial amount of California crops are irrigated with Colorado River water. The Colorado river is close to drying up!
Meanwhile, the US/Iran war continues - with no end in sight. With the price of oil now around $100 a barrel - which will push petrol, diesel and jet fuel higher, causing great economic hardship for Western nations.
Many governments are worried enough to urge people to stockpile basic food supplies. But this has to be a short term solution, especially if the electricity is cut off.
The Immediate Future
As far as fuel is concerned, they say it could take several years to restore normal oil production due to the destruction of infrastructure at refineries. So petrol and diesel prices will be high for months to come.
The weather is also causing problems. Intense heatwaves are destroying some crops while the threat of El Nino is intensifying.
Drought is becoming a serious problem around the world. Some food will be available, but it’s bound to become yet more expensive.
The Bible gives us this warning:
“And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, ‘A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.’” (Revelation 6:6, NLT)
It would seem to be wise to have a small stock cupboard - to help survive short term problems, for a few days. This is what the governments are advising. If we are watching world events, we can see what is coming, and act accordingly…
“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences”. (Proverbs 22:3, NLT. Repeated in Proverbs 27:12)
While it would seem to be a sound idea to have a small stock of food to carry us over a crisis, our trust is not in the food cupboard.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (II Peter 1:4)
“Let your conversation [conduct] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
“I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20)
Latest Audio - 2026-08-01
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
Read online or contact email to request a copy
