GOD'S WORD ON CLIMATE CHANGE

In recent years there has been a constant stream of stories in the news regarding climate change. There are some who contend that earth dwellers face an “existential threat” in the next 12 years. I am not adequately informed to make definitive statements regarding climate change, though as a self-avowed ‘weather nerd’, I have noticed how meteorologists often have difficulty predicting what the weather is going do three days into the future.

One additional thought before I move to the point of today’s blog. If those of us who call earth home are facing catastrophic change by 2030, then one would think that there would more significant changes happening in the climate right now. Living in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, I am surrounded by farms. As far as I can tell, farming is going well. There has been an explosion of new hazelnut orchards all around us. These farmers are counting on the climate continuing to provide ideal growing conditions for the immediate future.

When Jesus walked the earth, he told us what to expect in the ‘last days,’ or as things would be moving towards a conclusion of life on earth, as we know it. Matthew 23 records His words. Jesus specifically mentions several things that will transpire: Verse 6: “And you will hear of wars and threats of wars”; Verse 7: “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” It is what He said next that I was reminded of this morning, Verse 7: “There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.” Famine is directly climate-related, as an extended drought grips a region of the world. Famine could also be caused by an infestation of insects (i.e. locusts), which could be weather-related, or due to political unrest, which would not be weather-related.

In Luke 21 Jesus spoke of the last days, uttering these words: “25 And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” Many of these signs are directly related to climate and conditions on earth. The whole chapter refers to different signs of the end. I encourage you to read it.

There are many other passages that speak prophetically about the end. If we begin to see increasing climate-related changes in the next few years, God-fearing people will have to discern whether the source is natural (of nature) or supernatural (of God). The stage has definitely been set, so if God does choose to make these the “last days,” with all of the associated climate-related signs prophesied in the Bible, there will be a strong movement to attribute the changes to climate. With the amount of attention climate-change receives today, I think it is in the realm of possibility that these changes could trigger massive changes in world governments (stronger centralized control, greater restrictions on corporations and individuals), including major economic impacts.

I close out today’s blog with these words from Jesus (Luke 21 New Living Translation): 34 “Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING

In my previous post, I reflected on Genesis 1:2 and the conditions in the world prior to Creation. The short version is that “earth was formless and empty.” This one verse contains the equation that makes all the difference: Nothing + Someone [God] = Something. In this case, it was something big, as God the Creator spoke all of Earth’s creation into existence. That is the Creation story. Every time we experience God’s creation, the beauty and variety, we should take it as a divine reminder that when God is near, even when there is nothing, He can do something.

There are different phrases I have heard people use to describe when they have reached the ‘end’ of themselves: “I’ve got nothing” or “I’m gassed” or “This is the end of me” or, in a moment of personal defeat, “I’m done.” Most of us have likely expressed something similar in our lives. For some, it may have been very recently. Life is hard. Sometimes we receive unexpected news, or life takes a devastating turn, or we are pushed to the edge of our emotions and our capacity to persevere is depleted. As we assess our losses and focus on the little or nothing we have left, that is when despair and hopelessness enters the picture. Our perspective is dimmed by the surrounding darkness, to the point we don’t see that Someone is still very much “hovering” (Genesis 1:2) over our lives. The familiar axiom is: ‘No God, no peace; know God, know peace.” The word, HOPE, could be inserted in the place of peace to refresh our perspective, as well.

May today’s blog post be a simple reminder to you and I, that God doesn’t need anything to create a miracle in our lives. He created the world from nothing. It is likely that your ‘nothing’ is more of a feeling than a fact. That said, even if you are at the place of nothing, that does not hinder God from creating something new in your life.

The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 New International Version (NIV)

NOTHING TO SOMETHING

We are nearing the growing season here in Oregon. Within several months home gardens will be sprouting from depths of dark soil. From small seeds, life will emerge and through exposure to sun and water, delicious vegetables will eventually be harvested. I am still somewhat in awe at the explosion of life that germinates from such a small seed, even though I have witnessed this miracle a multitude of times.

There is another miracle I want to reflect on today. This is the miracle of something coming from nothing—from nothing to something. Most of us have been in that place where we have nothing, see nothing, and feel nothing. Life’s road has led us to a dead end. Our dreams are dead, our hope has been crushed, we have lost our ability to see beyond our painful present.

The second verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:2 (New Living Translation), reads: “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters.” This is an apt description of ‘nothing’ or ‘next to nothing.’ Or is it? The remaining portion of the verse offers a critical detail: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” Even though creation was in a state of ‘nothing’, something, make that Someone, was suspended over the nothingness. When the Spirit of God is present, there is a miracle in the making; nothing is about to become something.

I want to continue this thought in my next blog post, but for now I want to encourage you to consider what Paul, the first Christian missionary, wrote in his letter to the Colossians (1:15-17 New Living Translation):

¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,

¹⁶ for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. 

¹⁷ He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. 

THOUGHTS IN THE NIGHT

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matthew 10:28 New Living Translation

Do you ever have a seemingly random thought intrude on your sleep? Last night that happened to me. While sleeping, the thought occurred to me that we often are concerned about things related to our health and happiness, when we need to give more attention to the condition of our soul. Matthew 10:28 (see above) was part of this nighttime thought process. Recently I have been thinking about what I perceive to be a lack of conversation about and focus upon eternity or eternal things. In our rapid paced world, the emphasis is often placed on what will make us happy in the moment or how can we experience the next adventure. This attitude and approach to life may be as common among professed followers of Jesus, as the general population. Whether we are focused on what we fear (“…those who want to kill your body”) or what is fun, we are often consumed by the ‘now.’ Driven by the desire to live the moment, we make decisions that we think will help us avoid those things we fear and steps towards acquiring what is fun. Concerns about the condition of our soul are given very little attention, if any at all.

Jesus chooses to use words, in Matthew 10:28, that are alarming: afraid, kill, soul, fear, destroy, and hell. If those listening to Jesus, when he first spoke these words, were drifting off to sleep or distracted by other thoughts, he likely regained their full attention.

As you go through your day or week, do you consider the impact your decisions will have on your soul? Our SOUL is the part of us that lives on in eternity. It is our soul that is the residence of our emotions, desires, affections, and dislikes. The Bible sometimes uses the word, HEART, when referring to our soul.

Our best decisions come from having a proper reverence and respect for God. In the Bible, this is referred to as the fear of God. If we are lacking in the fear of God, we will live recklessly [thoughtlessly] and make decisions that will be detrimental to our soul.

When making decisions, the highest consideration should be given to how the choice will impact the condition of our soul. In some respects, this is a long-term view, by considering the eternal impact made by a choice, but it will also lead to the greatest short-term benefits. We may think that the path to what we want is by doing what we want; we, more than our Creator God, know what is best and how to acquire it. I think there are many people who think they are smarter than God. God, save us from this self-deception! We should keep in mind that a prideful person is so proud, they are usually blind to the extent of their blindness.

If you and I will “fear only God” we will make decisions that will lead to our best life now and in eternity; our soul will thank us. May the Lord help each of us today!

“Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.”  Proverbs 9:10 New Living Translation