Monday, July 1, 2019

Climate Change, No Worries


Climate Change? No Worries

   I would like to bring some calming words to the climate change dialogue for folks who may be distraught and panicked about climate change and the possible horrific things to come.  Listening to some politicians you might start to think the sky is falling.

   Fear not.  Please keep in mind that the awesome, omnipotent, One and Only God who made this world and everything in it, including all life forms, all the water and all the air, and every dust particle is still diligently watching over it.  He has absolute control of all things and every part of this earth that we live on.  He placed the sun and moon and earth in their precise places, and it is by His wisdom that they revolve bringing day and night and seasons.

   Every plant, every insect, every reptile, every animal and every human are all designed and created by Him and are at His beck and call.  To get the attention of a heathen king He used frogs, lice, flies, disease, hail, locusts, and even a penetrating darkness.  And, by the way He knows full well that cows pass gas.

   He caused edible manna to fall from the sky.  He caused water to come from a rock.  He caused a donkey to speak and a large fish to swallow a man and then to transport that disobedient man to exactly where God wanted him to be. (Maybe obedience is better.)

  Scripture says:  The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”  It is also foolish to assume that God is not in control. 

  There is something that is a much greater threat to the world’s climate than cows or SUVs or factory smokestacks.  In a word it is SIN.

   God uses all kinds of things to get man’s attention and to remind us Who is in charge and Who it is that gets to make the rules. This attempt to get man’s attention includes at times weather and climate changes.  All of that is in His control.

   In the book of Genesis God tells Noah, “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; every thing that is on the earth shall die.”

   “Why?” you ask would God do this?  Because of SIN.  Scripture also says, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

   And, by the way, just in case you don’t believe in Noah, I challenge you to do a genealogy search.  The scriptures carefully document the linage from Joseph (earthly father of Jesus) all the way back to Adam and on the way back you will find (because it has to) it goes thru Noah.

   Back to climate things.  We also know that God withheld rain or caused it to rain according to His will.  He also caused it to rain down fire and brimstone on a couple of cities (Sodom and Gomorrah).  The reason given for the destruction of these two cities is this, And the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave.

   Do not look to your political leaders to fix climate issues.  We best be looking to God, the one who really controls the climate.  We have a sin problem that needs to be fixed not a climate problem. There are not too many cars or too many cows.  There is too much sin. God is God and He gets to make the rules.  He makes them according to His wisdom.  We don’t get to make the rules and we cannot change His rules to suit our lifestyles. He does not, has not, and will not adjust to us.  We must adjust our lives to Him.

   Sin will destroy a life, a home, a country.  We, here in the United States, have allowed a climate of sin to penetrate every corner of our country.  There will be some climate change when God has had enough.  He will warn us by way of His past actions, but He will not coddle us.  Sin is sin and it is offensive to Him. He is holy.

   In the book of Genesis, it tells us that after Cain killed his brother Able, God spoke to  Cain.  He asked him “Where is Able thy brother?”  And Cain responded with that well known phrase, “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”  Then God said to him, “What has thou done?  The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.”

   Wow, ponder on that.  Does it not make you wonder if the blood of murdered innocents still cry out to God?  What must He be hearing from the blood of innocent aborted children?  It must be deafening.

   God has given guidelines of His desire for how we should live.  Well, we’ve come a long way baby.  A very long way from those God given wise paths.  Most people are on their own path carved out from their own wisdom.  We forget that His ways are higher than our ways.  His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  We should probably go with His.

   This whole climate change thing is a distraction from the real problem.  Those cars parked in garages are not the problem.  That sin parked in the hearts of mankind…that is the real problem.  The sin that takes men and women off the path that God lays out.

   God has a solution for all the sin parked in all the hearts all over the world.  He has a plan for all those who want to forge their own path instead of finding the one that God lays out.  The blood of God’s Son, Jesus, was shed to bring atonement and forgiveness for all of them. It opens a door to relationship with God.  He can lead people to have lives that honor Him, lives that bring blessings and not judgement.

   I do not lose one minute of sleep worrying about climate change.  I do grieve over the spiritual erosion in our country. People do what is “right” in their own eyes without regard to God’s view of things. Do I think His judgement will come?  Yes, I do.  Because He is holy, and this is His world not ours. It is sin that is corrupting it, it is sin that is the greatest threat to our lives, our homes, and our country.

   Do I believe that revival (an enlightenment to and a hunger for the ways of God) could happen?  Yes, I do, and I pray for that. I pray that people  will find that salvation for their soul that Jesus brings.  I pray for strong healthy homes with mom’s and dad’s who introduce their children to the Savior.

  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

  

Monday, May 27, 2019

Fruitless Trees


Fruitless Trees



   I was examining my two peach trees this week to see if there were any peaches on them.  From my kitchen window I had not yet seen any.  For the last two years, late frosts have prevented any fruit.  I planted these trees for fruit not for decoration.

   Although we have had lots of rain and cooler weather, I don’t think we have had frost during the time of blossoming.  Nevertheless, my diligent branch by branch searching discovered only one lone peach. In frustration I decided I was ready to cut these unfruitful trees down. If I had found 20 or 30 peaches, it would be different, but 1. What good is 1 peach.

   All this vain searching for tiny growing peaches caused me to remember something from the book of Genesis. It is a conversation between Abraham and God. (By the way, these are very real persons.  We have the whole nation of Israel to authenticate Abraham, and we have a whole universe to authenticate God.)

  Anyway, God told Abraham that “the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see.”  Abraham knew destruction was on its way. 

  He bravely spoke his concern to God.  “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?”  What if there are 50 righteous people in that city?”  God told him if there are 50 righteous people, I will spare it.  I guess Abraham wasn’t sure there would be that many righteous persons because he continued.  “How about 40?”  God replied, “I will spare it for 40.” 

  “Ummmm, how about 30?”  “I will spare it for 30.”

“20?”  “I will spare it for 20.”

  “Ahh, Lord please don’t be angry, but how about 10?  Will you spare it for 10?”   God answered, “For the sake of 10 I will not destroy it.”

   Well, we know the rest of that bit of history. There were not 10 righteous persons to be found and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.  It is a very sad thing when society heads in a direction away from God.

  Our God, the one and only true God, is a God of great and mighty love and is slow to anger, but He does get fed up with sin. God created us to have relationship with Him. Sin separates us from God.  No wonder He hates sin.  But, God provided a way for us to be holy and connect with Him.  That way is Jesus Christ.

    Be a tree that bears fruit. Psalms chapter 1 says: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water; that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
   Jesus is that nourishing fountain.  Plant yourself near to Him.

    Back to my peach trees that I was ready to cut down. Those trees that seem to have quit producing fruit.  

    As I was searching among the branches for peaches, I happened upon a sweet little bird nest.  I like birds as much as peaches, maybe more.  The trees will stay.