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)
The Breastplate of Judgment
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Revelation 20:4)
In this technological age of computers and especially artificial intelligence (AI), more and more people are offloading decision-making to such AI tools such as ChatGPT. And while it can be useful at times to free up mundane tasks -- or what is called "cognitive offloading" -- it appears that more and more young people are using AI for help with their homework -- according to a recent survey, about one in four teens has used ChatGPT for schoolwork, which is double the number reported just three years ago. But what is even more worryingly, it's also being used for life-changing decision making. "While these tools can be beneficial in productivity, the downside is that students may cut corners that prevent them from deeper thinking. They can over-rely on AI to generate a 'perfect' response, when in truth, we learn from our mistakes." (Michigan Medicine)
ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. Originally released on November 30, 2022, the product uses large language models—specifically generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs)—to generate text, speech, and images in response to user prompts. ChatGPT was quickly adopted, reaching 100 million monthly active users two months after its release and 900 million weekly active users in February 2026.The chatbot has also been criticized for its limitations and potential for unethical use. It can generate plausible-sounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers, known as hallucinations. Biases in its training data have been reflected in its responses. The chatbot can facilitate academic dishonesty, generate misinformation, and create malicious code. (wikipedia.org)
Consider: What if...
Consider for a moment the possible outcome of using AI back in the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis if it had been available, when the Russian submarine B-59, carrying a nuclear-tipped torpedo with the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb, was being hunted in the Caribbean by US naval forces. Due to various technological problems, the sub was cut off from all communication with Russian HQ and all around them US ships -- not realising the sub was armed with a nuclear weapon -- were dropping practice depth charges, meant as signals and not weapons, but the Russian crew had no way of knowing this. The sub's commander presumed the explosions meant an attack and convinced the war had started, he gave the order to prep the nuclear torpedo in response. Soviet protocol required unanimous approval from three officers. Two agreed to fire, but one -- Vasili Arkhipov -- refused. Drawing on hard-earned personal experience from a prior nuclear accident aboard another sub, he argued this wasn't war and that a launch of their torpedo would doom the world. Without Arkhipov's restraint and analytical thinking, we probably wouldn't be here to read about the incident.
A similar close call happened in September 1983 when the Soviet Union's early-warning systems detected an incoming missile strike from the US. Computer readouts suggested several missiles had been launched and the protocol for the Russians would have been to retaliate with a nuclear attack of its own. Although the computer system was telling duty officer Stanislav Petrov that the reliability was "highest", with five missiles having been launched from the US, he hesitated to inform his superiors as he was supposed to, because he was suspicious about just how strong and clear the alert was. It turned out to be a system malfunction. As he reported in a conference some years later, he was the only officer in the team that had received a civilian education -- his colleagues were professional soldiers who had been taught just how to give and obey orders, i.e. not to think for themselves, but to "tick the boxes" regardless.
Purpose for Life
Using artificial intelligence to make our decisions for us flies in the face of the reason we were created in the first place. From the Personal "Emotional Maturity" in the Plain Truth of August 1978, Mr. Armstrong explains:
More and more I am impressed with a most important truth we humans are prone to overlook. While animals are guided by instinct into the course intended for them by the Creator, man is given powers and potentialities infinitely higher. The spirit in man imparts to the brain the powers of the human mind – an intellectual and even spiritual quality....
....Man was put on earth to develop and attain to something infinitely higher than animal destiny. Man was intended to develop spiritual character – to become like the Supreme God. This all comes through the marvelous human mind. One comes to knowledge of God through the mind. One realizes sin and repents of it in the mind! God’s Spirit entering is the Spirit of a sound mind! Not only spiritual development, but also emotional maturity, is developed through the mind. It comes by right knowledge, creative thinking, right decisions, the use of will, self-discipline. To rightly direct his actions is man’s purpose in life. (Emotional Maturity - PT August 1978)
The Urim and Thummim
In Old Testament times there was an unusual apparatus that was worn by the High priest, consisting of a robe to which was attached an apron-like garment called an ephod. Fasted onto the ephod was a breastplate which was to be placed over the High Priest's heart. It contained twelve precious and semi-precious stones -- representing the 12 tribes of Israel -- and two more at the shoulders. In a pocket in the breastplate were two items called Urim ("lights/illuminations") and Thummim ("perfections/truths") -- the instruments by which God revealed His will to His people. (See Exodus chapters 28, 39 and Leviticus 8:7,8)
- And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually. (Exodus 28:30)
But the anomaly is that although the breastplate itself is described in intricate detail, the objects by which God was to give His judgment are not! Knowing human nature, mankind no doubt would have turned these items into object of worship, as Israel did the brass serpent that God commanded Moses to make for the healing of the congregation. (Numbers 21:9 and II Kings 18:4)
What they were and how the Urim and Thummim were to be used has caused a great deal of conjecture. Possibly gemstones; dice; black and white sticks or stones that would give a yes or no answer to the questioner when shaken. In Revelation 22 we read of Christ: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 22:13) and it's been theorised that these stones were engraved with the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet: Aleph -- the first letter is the initial letter of the word Urim and Tau is the initial letter of Thummim. And it's been thought then that Urim with its Aleph was seen to mean Yes and Thummim with Tau was seen to mean No. It's also been surmised that the gemstones on the shoulder of the High Priest would light up if God was present -- or even that one of the two stones would light up to show which one God had chosen.
Seeing that the Urim and Thummim along with the Ark of the Covenant disappeared when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple and sacked Jerusalem, and the fact that we are NOT given a detailed description of the Urim and Thummim themselves should tell us something -- that we don't need to know that particular detail, but what IS important is how we are to go about making decisions and judgments today, after all, we have a very special calling:
- But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. (Isaiah 61:6)
How They Were Used
It would seem most likely that they were two stones, as it's mentioned in Proverbs 16 ; "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD (Proverbs 16:33) The word "lot" here is Strong H01486, which has the meaning of "pebbles use for systematically making decisions". We can see how tailoring the question to a yes or no answer could have worked in these examples:
In Judges chapter one, Israel wanted to know who was to fight again the Canaanites and God answered "Judah shall go up;" (Judges 1;1,2) Presumably they mentioned each tribe separately in order and waited for the Yes from the High Priest. And in Joshua 17 we read how it was determined that the sin of taking the forbidden spoil was attributed to Achan.
- And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. (Joshua 17:18)
We're not given all the details of each "enquiry", but reading between the lines it appears that relying on a Yes or No from God meant that the individual had to carefully formulate his question in order to know what God's will was in a particular situation. (see II Samuel 5:22-25)
What we can gather from the incident with Saul and the witch of Endor, is that it would appear we need to get our relationship with God on track if we want to get His advice and guidance, so it can't be a matter of just throwing "dice" and expecting God to answer us. So the concept that one of the stones would light up to show God's presence seems feasible.
- And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.
- And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. (I Samuel 28:5,6)
The Yes/No Principle
The business world in particular has caught on to the value of using the Yes/No principle in decision-making, and there is a plethora of articles/books/seminars to be found on the internet along that line, even advising ChatGPT to help. We can certainly use many of the principles that we find on these websites, such as initially identifying the problem; determine a solution based on different alternatives and then find the answer that has the best fit. But as useful as so many might be, there will be a vital missing link with its advice. Keeping in mind how today's technology -- AI especially -- has far exceeded anything Mr. Armstrong knew back in the early 80's this warning from him seems even more relevant to us NOW:
Worldwide News, December 22, 1980: "A Voice Cries Out: What's Wrong with Science and Technology!".
After all, the principal contribution of science and technology [including artificial intelligence] to civilization has been the development of constantly more terrifying weapons of mass destruction! This has brought us to today’s No. 1 problem – HUMAN SURVIVAL!
Science and technology are not evil in themselves but an important facet in a good civilization – if we had one. It is the materialistic CONCEPT – the approach to life and its functions and problems from the materialistic “GET” attitude instead of the spiritual “GIVE” attitude of outflowing LOVE. For that reason modern science is a false messiah! It threatens to become the Frankenstein monster to destroy the mankind that produced it! (WN - Dec 22,1980 - what's wrong with science and technology)
Our High Priest
From time to time some of us might think it would be helpful to get an email from God outlining what He feels is the best direction in a particular circumstance ... whether it's a job issue, or family worries, or moving house. Or even, as they did in the OT, going to the High Priest and getting an answer through those two stones! What we might forget is that we DO have a High Priest and He is more than willing to guide us through the maze of this life's worries and decision-making. After all, He has been there already:
- Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death He could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil),
- and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.
- For surely His concern is not for angeles, but He is concerned for Abraham's descendants.
- Therefore He had to be made like His brothers and sisters in every respect, so that He could become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the people.
- For since He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18 NET)
From the World Tomorrow, The Priesthood of Christ:
Now, everyone of you are having your troubles. You know, we see a little baby and he'll begin to try to talk and make a few little sounds, and one thing and another and we think it's a lot of fun. You know, we tell it now, "Come on, tell us your troubles." Yes, he has his little troubles and a little child has his troubles that are just about as serious to the child. But when you grow up, you still have your troubles. And there isn't a one of you listening, that doesn't have problems and troubles and discouragements and disillusionments and all that sort of thing. You meet a lot of problems that you don't know how to handle. Sometimes, you are in real trouble. You get into real deep water. And what you don't seem to realize is that there is a supernatural power, that there is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not hanging dead on a cross, but who rose from the dead and ascended to heaven and is there now to help you, and God Almighty has assigned Him to that job and He's busy on the job. But it's a free moral agency proposition and you're not going to get that help unless you go after it....
And it is recorded here in this book of Hebrews that tells us about Christ and His present position. He has a job and He is on the job and He's very industrious and very busy on it and it tells us in the first chapter that Jesus Christ has so much power that He sustains this entire universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).
He upholds and sustains and keeps in force and in motion, all of the laws; such as the law of gravity, all of the laws of physics, all of the laws of chemistry. Now, how much help could He be to you? (World Tomorrow, The Priesthood of Christ)
Not only in Old Testament times didn't they have access to the scriptures but neither was the Holy Spirit generally available, hence going to the High Priest for advice. The last recorded use of the lot in the New Testament is in Acts chapter one, where Peter points out that a replacement was needed for Judas Iscariot. It appears they had already "thinned out the field" to two men, but needed God's input -- His Yes or No -- as to which man He had chosen:
- Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
- And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
- And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
- That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
- And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:22-26)
But with the fulfillment of the Day and Pentecost (Acts 2) and now with access to the Word of God and His Mind through the Holy Spirit, we can have wisdom in decision-making that excels anything artificial intelligence can come up with! There are over 60 references to "wise" in the book of Proverbs and over 20 in Ecclesiastes.
- Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
- But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:...
- But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
- But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
- For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
- Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (I Corinthians 2:6,7,9-12)
Replacing Today's Governments
- For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water,
- The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,
- The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.
- And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. (Isaiah 3:1-4)
The big news in the UK right now is a new Labour Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and each time there is a new PM, we witness another cabinet re-shuffle -- people being put into important government offices for which generally they have had no experience, no training, and have been raised in a God-less environment, with no real foundation for their decision-making. In contrast, in the National Portrait Gallery in London there is a painting that, although an imagined scene, it reflects the attitude and viewpoint of the mid nineteenth century. In the painting Queen Victoria is pictured as receiving an African envoy:
"When asked by a diplomatic delegation how Britain had become so powerful, 'our beloved Queen sent him, not the number of her fleet, not the number of her armies, not the account of her boundless merchandise, not the details of her inexhaustible wealth … but handing him a beautifully bound copy of the Bible, she said 'Tell the Prince that this is the Secret of England's Greatness'. (The Secret of Englands Greatness)
The Word of God -- in writing and as our High Priest, is also the secret of OUR individual greatness! Each day of our lives we are in training for the position of kings and priests in GOD'S government, guiding those under our care, with "this is the way, walk in it"... (Isaiah 30:19-21). Until that day, God has given us full assurance that we can get all the help and guidance WE need, we just have to make use of this priceless and unparalleled resource, given to so few today:
- Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
- For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
- Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Latest Audio - 2026-07-25
“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
