Point ONE: 3 INCONVENIENT TRUTHS
Al Gore alarmed us last year by making a movie called ‘An Inconvenient Truth’- inconvenient because selfish humans don’t like hearing about the state of the environment because we may have to do something about it.
But I would like to tell you 3 Biblical ‘Inconvenient Truths’ about Planet Earth. They are inconvenient for the same reason- because selfish humans don’t like hearing these truths.
3 Inconvenient truths to consider:
1. Planet Earth is God’s Earth
Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
There is a general rule in life- you create something you own it.
God created planet earth so it is his. All that you see- the valley, the soccer field, the rotary park- its all His. And he makes this world to bring glory to Himself, to sing His praises.
But this isn’t the full story, because secondly,
2. Planet Earth has been given to Humans To Rule (Under God)
Psalm 115:16 16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.
Earth actually belongs to both God and man.
God because he made it. Man because God has handed it to us.
The earth is God’s and ours. You see this in the creation account in Genesis 1.
Genesis 1:26-28 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Humans are given 2 commands- fill the earth and subdue it. We have no problems with the first command. The command to go forth and multiply is probably the only command of God’s we ever kept.
But we are also told to rule the earth. Subdue it. But ruling the earth does not mean ruining the earth. Because – and here’s the important part- we are to rule under God. God has given to the earth to run on His behalf. That means we are stewards. The earth is on lease to us. It’s rental property. We are not the landowners- we are the caretakers of God’s property. We have to manage it responsibly.
What do horses and atoms and cells all have in common? God has given them to us to improve life. We can train horses to plow fields. We can use atoms to create energy for good reasons. When I worked in the lab, we were taking strands of DNA out of one cell and putting into another cell to make medicines. We are supposed to use technology and science to improve life.
We are caretakers. But the reason we are caretakers is because God has given us the world to rent. The greenies are right about one thing- We have to care for the earth. We can’t do with the world what we like. But the greenies don’t have the same reason as us. We care for it because it’s God’s world and we are only the caretakers under him.
3. Planet Earth is ‘Sick’ because of Human Sin
There was a cosmic rebellion in the universe- we humans turned our back on our Creator. Instead of choosing to rule under God, we staged a coop and took control of God’s government.
We go on ignoring him. You see it in the way we simply ignore God as our Creator. We prefer to speak of ‘Mother Nature’ as the Creator. There’s even a company called ‘Natures way’. She is the maker of Earth. We worship her and her ways. What blasphemy! to be worshipping a false idol, instead of worshipping the God who made nature!
The result is that God lets us do it. He judges us for doing it.
And the results is catastrophic. Its cosmic.
Romans 8:20-22 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
Because of our human self-centredness, God has chosen to frustrate His own world. (‘frustration here means vanity’- its useless!) Creation is not what it should be. The world doesn’t do its job. It doesn’t achieve the purpose that the creator set out for it. As a result, the world is in ecological disaster.
Now there are hurricane Katrina’s and cyclone Tracey’s. Now there are floods and fires. Its now hard to grow crops. There are thorns and droughts and diseases. Its hard to rule creation. We are under the judgement of God.
But everything is still good (I Tim 4:3). It’s to be received with thanksgiving because its made by a good God. But it’s in decay.
We keep thinking that the real problem with the world is physical. But the real problem is spiritual. The heart of the problem with the world is the problem of the human heart.
The reason why there is a drought in this country is because of the spiritual drought in our hearts. We have ignored our Creator. If we all die a thirsty death it will be because we don’t thirst after God. It’s God’s judgement upon us.
And the cycle is endless. We bring ecological disaster upon ourselves. Human greed cuts down forests to make money but that damages the environment. Killing whales to make a buck will drive them to extinction.
The world exists to bring glory to God. But we think the material world exists to feed our materialism. See how the Bible makes perfect sense of the world we live in?
There are 3 Inconvenient Truths about Planet Earth. It’s God’s. It’s given to us to rule under God. It’s now sick.
Next: 2 Reasons why Christians should care about the environment.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Cause for Environmental Concern #1
OK, so I'm a little behind on this week's sermon. I've got the guts of it, but it still needs work. Besides prayer, I thought I would motivate myself by posting my sermon up as I finish it. Its a once-off topical on the Environment, so here's my introduction:
Is God a Greenie?
• Is God a greenie?
• Does God want me to use plastic bags?
• How long should I spend in the shower or have my air conditioning on for?
• What kind of car would Jesus drive? Would he be a Commodore V8 guy or a Daihatsu Charade kinda man? Hereby known as WWJD- What would Jesus drive?
• Should you vote Green? Or just use green bags instead of plastic ones?
• Should you vote at all since there is so much paper wastage on election days?
I don’t know if any of these questions have crossed your mind, but the Environment is a big issue in today’s world, and its not an issue that is going to go away.
Earlier this year The Sydney Morning Herald published an article on the front page with the headline: ‘World wakes to climate calamity’.
February 3, 2007: 2007-THE world has been delivered its strongest warning yet that human actions are causing global warming and that greenhouse gas emissions must be reined in by 2020 if humanity wants a chance to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Should Christians care about this? There are many reasons humanly speaking why we should be concerned about the environment. Here's 4:
1. Population Growth. At the moment the population of the world is 6.7 billion. But by the year 2015, it could be 8 billion. Can the earth handle such a large population? How many people could live in your house before its just too much to handle?
2. Use of resources. Can we feed 8 billion people? The earth only has a limited amount of resources. You think of oil and other fossil fuels you cant recycle. Once they are gone they are gone forever.
3. Waste disposal. Our nation is rich in uranium, which when it is used it is still radioactive. What do we do with all that waste?
4. Damaged atmosphere. Think about the damages done to the ozone layer, and global warming. The hole in that ozone layer is getting larger, and are we to blame? And is it linked to increases in skin cancers and global warming? Scientists think that by 2100 the average temperature of the planet will increase by 1-5 degrees. Is that why there is a drought in this country and is the future of our great grandchildren that they will all die slow thirsty deaths?
There are many reasons why we should be alarmed about the environment.
But as Christians we always want to be driven by God and his concerns.
Coming up:
3 Inconvenient Truths
2 Reasons Christians Should care
Some Principles to Live by
Is God a Greenie?
• Is God a greenie?
• Does God want me to use plastic bags?
• How long should I spend in the shower or have my air conditioning on for?
• What kind of car would Jesus drive? Would he be a Commodore V8 guy or a Daihatsu Charade kinda man? Hereby known as WWJD- What would Jesus drive?
• Should you vote Green? Or just use green bags instead of plastic ones?
• Should you vote at all since there is so much paper wastage on election days?
I don’t know if any of these questions have crossed your mind, but the Environment is a big issue in today’s world, and its not an issue that is going to go away.
Earlier this year The Sydney Morning Herald published an article on the front page with the headline: ‘World wakes to climate calamity’.
February 3, 2007: 2007-THE world has been delivered its strongest warning yet that human actions are causing global warming and that greenhouse gas emissions must be reined in by 2020 if humanity wants a chance to avoid catastrophic climate change.
Should Christians care about this? There are many reasons humanly speaking why we should be concerned about the environment. Here's 4:
1. Population Growth. At the moment the population of the world is 6.7 billion. But by the year 2015, it could be 8 billion. Can the earth handle such a large population? How many people could live in your house before its just too much to handle?
2. Use of resources. Can we feed 8 billion people? The earth only has a limited amount of resources. You think of oil and other fossil fuels you cant recycle. Once they are gone they are gone forever.
3. Waste disposal. Our nation is rich in uranium, which when it is used it is still radioactive. What do we do with all that waste?
4. Damaged atmosphere. Think about the damages done to the ozone layer, and global warming. The hole in that ozone layer is getting larger, and are we to blame? And is it linked to increases in skin cancers and global warming? Scientists think that by 2100 the average temperature of the planet will increase by 1-5 degrees. Is that why there is a drought in this country and is the future of our great grandchildren that they will all die slow thirsty deaths?
There are many reasons why we should be alarmed about the environment.
But as Christians we always want to be driven by God and his concerns.
Coming up:
3 Inconvenient Truths
2 Reasons Christians Should care
Some Principles to Live by
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Do you want to attain holiness?
Do you want to attain holiness? Do you feel this day a real hearty desire to be holy? Would you be a partaker of the divine nature? Then go to Christ. Wait for nothing. Wait for nobody. Linger not. Think not to make yourself ready. Go and say to Him, in the words of that beautiful hymn,
‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, flee to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace.’
There is not a brick nor a stone laid in the work of our sanctification till we go to Christ. Holiness is His special gift to His believing people. Holiness is the work He carries on in their hearts by the Spirit whom He puts within them.….Holiness comes from Christ. It is the result of vital union with Him. It is the fruit of being a living branch of the true Vine... Go then to Christ and say, ‘Lord, not only save me from the guilt of sin, but send the Spirit, whom Thou didst promise, and save me from its power. Make me holy. Teach me to do Thy will.’
Would you continue holy? Then abide in Christ. He says Himself, ‘Abide in Me, and I in you….He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit’ (John 15:4, 5). It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, a full supply for all a believer’s wants. He is the Physician to whom you must daily go, if you would keep well. He is the Manna which you must daily eat, and the Rock of which you must daily drink. His arm is the arm on which you must daily lean, as you come up out of the wilderness of this world...
May all who read these pages know these things by experience, and not by hearsay only! May we all feel the importance of holiness, far more than we have ever done yet! May our years be holy years with our souls, and then they will be happy ones! Whether we live, may we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, may we die unto the Lord or, if He comes for us, may we be found in peace, without spot, and blameless.
JC Ryle, Holiness, p48,49
‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, flee to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace.’
There is not a brick nor a stone laid in the work of our sanctification till we go to Christ. Holiness is His special gift to His believing people. Holiness is the work He carries on in their hearts by the Spirit whom He puts within them.….Holiness comes from Christ. It is the result of vital union with Him. It is the fruit of being a living branch of the true Vine... Go then to Christ and say, ‘Lord, not only save me from the guilt of sin, but send the Spirit, whom Thou didst promise, and save me from its power. Make me holy. Teach me to do Thy will.’
Would you continue holy? Then abide in Christ. He says Himself, ‘Abide in Me, and I in you….He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit’ (John 15:4, 5). It pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, a full supply for all a believer’s wants. He is the Physician to whom you must daily go, if you would keep well. He is the Manna which you must daily eat, and the Rock of which you must daily drink. His arm is the arm on which you must daily lean, as you come up out of the wilderness of this world...
May all who read these pages know these things by experience, and not by hearsay only! May we all feel the importance of holiness, far more than we have ever done yet! May our years be holy years with our souls, and then they will be happy ones! Whether we live, may we live unto the Lord, or whether we die, may we die unto the Lord or, if He comes for us, may we be found in peace, without spot, and blameless.
JC Ryle, Holiness, p48,49
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Sometimes Process Beats Destination
My dear reader, it is truly wonderful to know that you are still out there and taking in the words which now appear before your eyes. Life for me has been all systems go. The train has left the station. The eagle hasn’t landed. The fat lady has not yet even begun to sing. OK, I’m rambling. I’m musing. But that’s the title of this blog, and you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t at least a little bit interested in even the most obscure keystroke I have to offer you.
So let me see if I have anything to offer you, so that you can say that your time here was of some value to your day. Have you considered what makes reading this blog- this particular blog, worthwhile? Is it interest in the author’s life and happenings? Is it some insight into a subject that the author has, and how it applies to his specific situation? It could even be boredom that brings you here. At its worst, perhaps it is even be a form of voyeurism that brings you here, and apart from these words, the thoughts of the author are veiled from your mind.
Whatever the reason, dear reader, your interest means masses to me. I consider it pure altruism that you indulge me by your presence. How thoughtful of you to click on these pages and upload my words with interest, consider my thoughts, and perhaps even comment on the most archaic of my ramblings, hereby increasing my site meter count as well as my own self esteem.
So what insight can I offer you tonight? What possible words of wisdom will ‘random musings’ offer you? That, dear reader, is hard to say. For tonight presents a different kind of blog entry. This entry has no set purpose in mind. The aim here, dear reader, is to share my thoughts, as the blog name suggests, with randomness, but not at the expense of clarity. But you will need to be the judge of that. My habit has been to reflect before I speak. However tonight I find myself doing the opposite. I speak as I reflect. And I’m sure that you will agree that the result is rather...impetuous.
Now I’m all for spontaneity. Spontaneity wakes people up in the morning. Spontaneity provides unpredictability to an otherwise boring existence. Spontaneity breathes exhilaration into life and sucks up the mundane. Spontaneity is what keeps share market analysts employed.
So do not be alarmed dear reader. I have not lost my mind. I am merely celebrating an opportunity for a newly found spontaneity. Its an opportunity to start with a thought, and to enjoy the process of thought upon thought, without giving much thought to the final destination. Indeed, there does not have to be a significant distination. For process is what is important here. This process reminds me of when I was a child, and I would place a leaf in a flowing creek just after the rain, only to see where its destination would be. In once sense the destination did not matter, but the process of travel was important to observe. And I must say, that the enjoyment of the ride along the way can sometimes overshadow the importance of the destination. It should, for creativity sometimes needs to be an end within itself. And this is why modern art is highly subjective. The artist has enjoyed the process of creating, even if the end result is something you wouldn't hang up on a preschoolers wall. Don’t blame it all upon postmodernism, dear reader. The process involved in creativity does have its place.
Forgive my reflective and somewhat evasive mood this cold September evening. Some will read this and feel that the contents are not fit to line my dog's kennel. Others will enjoy the process and feel a warm heart at an update. But whoever you are, dear reader, I do owe you for the pleasure of allowing myself to indulge upon this rather poetically reflective mood I find myself in this evening. The process has been engaging and entertaining for at least one of us. Until next time, my dear reader...
So let me see if I have anything to offer you, so that you can say that your time here was of some value to your day. Have you considered what makes reading this blog- this particular blog, worthwhile? Is it interest in the author’s life and happenings? Is it some insight into a subject that the author has, and how it applies to his specific situation? It could even be boredom that brings you here. At its worst, perhaps it is even be a form of voyeurism that brings you here, and apart from these words, the thoughts of the author are veiled from your mind.
Whatever the reason, dear reader, your interest means masses to me. I consider it pure altruism that you indulge me by your presence. How thoughtful of you to click on these pages and upload my words with interest, consider my thoughts, and perhaps even comment on the most archaic of my ramblings, hereby increasing my site meter count as well as my own self esteem.
So what insight can I offer you tonight? What possible words of wisdom will ‘random musings’ offer you? That, dear reader, is hard to say. For tonight presents a different kind of blog entry. This entry has no set purpose in mind. The aim here, dear reader, is to share my thoughts, as the blog name suggests, with randomness, but not at the expense of clarity. But you will need to be the judge of that. My habit has been to reflect before I speak. However tonight I find myself doing the opposite. I speak as I reflect. And I’m sure that you will agree that the result is rather...impetuous.
Now I’m all for spontaneity. Spontaneity wakes people up in the morning. Spontaneity provides unpredictability to an otherwise boring existence. Spontaneity breathes exhilaration into life and sucks up the mundane. Spontaneity is what keeps share market analysts employed.
So do not be alarmed dear reader. I have not lost my mind. I am merely celebrating an opportunity for a newly found spontaneity. Its an opportunity to start with a thought, and to enjoy the process of thought upon thought, without giving much thought to the final destination. Indeed, there does not have to be a significant distination. For process is what is important here. This process reminds me of when I was a child, and I would place a leaf in a flowing creek just after the rain, only to see where its destination would be. In once sense the destination did not matter, but the process of travel was important to observe. And I must say, that the enjoyment of the ride along the way can sometimes overshadow the importance of the destination. It should, for creativity sometimes needs to be an end within itself. And this is why modern art is highly subjective. The artist has enjoyed the process of creating, even if the end result is something you wouldn't hang up on a preschoolers wall. Don’t blame it all upon postmodernism, dear reader. The process involved in creativity does have its place.
Forgive my reflective and somewhat evasive mood this cold September evening. Some will read this and feel that the contents are not fit to line my dog's kennel. Others will enjoy the process and feel a warm heart at an update. But whoever you are, dear reader, I do owe you for the pleasure of allowing myself to indulge upon this rather poetically reflective mood I find myself in this evening. The process has been engaging and entertaining for at least one of us. Until next time, my dear reader...
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