"Earth" Day: Worship the Creator more than the Creation

Happy Earth Day!

I don't know about you, but I'm a little tired of hearing about the environment, global warming, and pollution. And, a few months ago, I realized how wrong I was for feeling that way.

As Christians, we SHOULD be good stewards of God's Earth. We SHOULD be concerned about pollution and trash filling up HIS world.

Because thats just it. It is HIS world. We have no claim to it. We are just here.

There's nothing we can do to purchase this Earth. We can own property, but is it really OURS? Do we control it?

Lets look at it from a purely scientific viewpoint. The Earth was formed Billions if not Trillions of years ago through the Compilation of chemicals, particles, or (fill in whatever crackpot theory you want here). A 'Big Bang'. Something happened. Of that we can all agree.

So, if the Earth was formed from chance, from the particles that just HAPPENED to join at just the right moment, then who's Earth is it? I would say it belongs to CHANCE. Luck. Fate.

its still not our Earth, because we did NOTHING to create it. We are just a compilation of chemicals produced by the almighty Chance.

This Earth is not ours, it belongs to Chance, as do we.

Thankfully...my outlook isn't quite that bleak. For me, its more than Chance that rules the world. Whether or not you agree that the Earth was created in 6 literal days, doesn't really matter to me. What DOES matter is that there is Someone who controls the whole process.

He spoke and the Oceans filled with water. He spoke and the land formed. He spoke and the animals began to roam the land. He spoke and I took my first breath.

My God is not the God of Chance. He is just GOD.

He makes no mistakes and puts no one on this world without a reason.

Whether or not you believe that He did it in 6 days is irrelevant. it doesnt lessen the fact that this Powerful force is controlling the very shape of our world.

For a Christian, this fact only intensifies how we should care for this world. Its not OURS. its shameful when we take care of a rental car better than we do His planet.

I believe that the Earth will be around for as long as God wants it to...no matter what we do to it. But He did leave us as Stewards of it.

I believe this passage sums it up:

Psalms 8:1-9

8:1 chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.> O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet:

8:7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8:8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, [and whatsoever] passeth through the paths of the seas.

8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent [is] thy name in all the earth!

*Emphasis mine.

Notice then, that the World is obviously God's. We are just here as stewards. Caretakers.

also notice though, that not once in the Bible has it ever been mentioned that humans could destroy the earth. I truly believe that for all the harm we do, it doesn't matter. God will use this Earth for as long as He needs... and when He is done, a New Heaven and a New Earth will take its place.

Maybe men's destruction of His beautiful work is the ultimate poetic justice that we reap upon ourselves. Maybe when the heavens and earth "melt with a fervent heat" we are the tools and catalyst that god uses to bring about that prophecy. maybe. I can't say for certain. But we as mankind have brought about our own demise. Our sin destroys our lives...and no one makes us do it. We choose to live in sin everyday. We make our own demise...and only God can save us from ourselves.

So, to sum up. Pick up some trash. Care a little more if your old car is pumping out fumes. Recycle. Reuse. Be frugal. But most of all ENJOY what God has made. it is a form of worship to look out at the trees and clear blue sky and marvel at how Great He is! Enjoy the things that matter. But, worship the Creator, not the CREATION.

Romans 1:25 "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen"

What are we doing to His image then, when not only are the skies darkened with the fumes of our factories and vehicles...but our lives are darkened with our sins?

Money, Society, and the Wool

It amazes me sometimes how something that is taught in a class or in the Services on Sunday's just apply to something that's been happening to me that very week. And maybe not something that the pastor/teacher directly said, but something that just got me thinking.

This week it was dead on.

We started a scratch-off game at work. Simple lottery-type game. Scratch off and if it matches, you win. The associates also play with their own cards. So, of course there is a lot of talk about the big cash prize. $50,000.

I was talking to one of my friends/coworkers (Shelby!) and talking about being tired of being poor. To be all modest, I just said I didn't want to be RICH, just to be comfortable. A good car, a good home, maybe some money put aside for a rainy day. Just so I didn't have to worry about bills anymore.

I realized today how wrong I am.

I Timothy 6:10 "..the love of money is the root of all evil.."

Stay around churches any length of time and you find this taught. a lot.

I realized that I was doing just that. I was thinking that MONEY would make me happy. That if I just had a little bit more, I could breathe a sigh of relief and sleep better at night.

Am I not blessed? Do I not have more than most people in the world right now?

I'm typing this on my new laptop that I was able to buy. Using a connection I was able to buy. I have food in me and I really don't NEED anything right now.

Then why did I say I wasn't happy?

I didn't say it in those words...but I did say "It would be nice to not have to worry about bills anymore..."

So I AM relying on money to make me happy. Christian or not, that's no way to live your life.

Our Society teaches us to live our life to the fullest. Be all you can be. This life is all you have, so grab what you can and don't look bad.

take a look at what's on your TV.

The Apprentice. It encourages backstabbing and throwing people under the bus, and its done under the guise of "Business"... "its not personal, it's just business".

They are pulling the wool over our eyes. Money is NOT what makes us happy! Yes, we need it in the world we live in...but it cannot CONSUME us. Cannot control us like it does.

It doesn't say "Money is evil" but the LOVE of it is.

It scares me to look at my own life and see how concerned with money I am. I should be different. These pieces of paper and numbers on a bank account don't come with me. I'm going to stop placing so much importance on the Almighty Dollar and start placing it on the Almighty.

Can He not provide for me? He has so far. I have no reason to doubt He wont in the future.

Because I know that even if I win this scratch-off and bank $50,000... it wont make me happy. Not truly. I will only want more, and more, and more and more...

lift the wool and take a look around.