“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast” (Proverbs 12:10 KJV). And, why wouldn’t we care for someone who is so faithful to us? Judy (1936-1950) was a pure-bred liver and white Pointer, born in Shanghai, China and adopted by the British Royal Navy as a ship’s mascot for the HMS Gnat, and later with the HMS Grasshopper. During WW2, many times she provided early warning to the ship’s crew of approaching enemy aircraft with her acute canine hearing. After her ship was finally sunk, and finding refuge on an island, she helped surviving crew members find fresh water, saving them all. Upon their eventual capture by the Japanese, Judy was the only dog ever registered as a prisoner of war. Moving from camp to camp, she survived the sinking of the transport ship Harugiku Maru, and saved many passengers from drowning by bringing them flotsam. In camp, she caught small rodents for the POWs to eat for survival. Judy bonded with fellow POW Frank Williams, who shared his handful of rice, and both cared for one another until her death years after the war. Bonding with furry friends such as Judy reminds us of our Lord’s attachment to us. LORD, may we be inspired to be as faithful to You, as Judy was to Frank and all her crew mates. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Future You Hoped For
AI is the Future
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the future, and everyone is trying to play catchup in figuring how not to be left behind in product development, incorporating AI into every conceivable aspect of human interaction, and displacing many white collar jobs thought to be immune to machine learning and automation. The title of a YouTube interview with renowned American artificial intelligence researcher, Eliezer Yudkowsy, is “We’re All Gonna Die” (1:49:22). Cheery thought! Like predictions of catastrophe with nuclear weapons proliferation, comet collision, and global warming, Yudkowsky presents his sobering warning that AI will ultimately doom humanity. Jesus prophesied of upcoming days, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22 KJV). Humanists without God in their heart or mindset, like Yudkowsky, are without hope, while the elect of God have been thrown a lifeline! LORD, may the elect make their “calling and election sure” (2Peter 1:10) by practicing godliness, rather than claiming exemption from judgment based upon a claim of salvation, while calling You “Lord, Lord, and do not the things which [You] say” (Luke 6:46). Hope and peace upon all those, who walk in faith with You. Return quickly, in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
In the Twinkling of an Eye
Heaven is a place, but it is also a change of dimension. Paul attempted to teach this truth to the Corinthians. “Behold, I shew [shō] you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Corinthians 15:51-52 KJV). The whole study of God and last things brings us to this mystery. In the blink of an eye, we shall change our dimension into Christ’s presence. The last or final blast of the trumpet for both the living and dead saints will produce this instantaneous change. This is the hope of rapture and resurrection for the Body of Christ. LORD, purify Your body of disciples in hope of this transformation. Come quickly. Lord Jesus. Amen.
Voice of God: In Our Thoughts
We need to quit treating our thoughts as if they were our own creation and comprehend they come from God. “The thoughts of the righteous are right” (Proverbs 12:5 KJV). It may startle us to think this since often in the past we have stifled good thoughts and replaced them with idle thoughts, which serve only as the springboard for temptation then sin. But, the “thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness [Hebrew, môthâr, profit, abundance]” (21:5), because they flow from the mind of God. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end [Hebrew, literally, ‘a future and a hope,’ the future you hoped for, ‘future filled with hope’ (NET)]” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV). If we want to keep the conversation going with God, we must acknowledge and honor God in all our thoughts. Amen?