The environmentalists should like this concept. Their stated goals usually refer to protecting our earth. In their efforts to protect our "mother" earth they sometimes go to extremes. All good causes have a tendency to do that. Protecting our water supplies from pollutants is good for everyone. Stopping deforesting is a must. Keeping our air clean? Please, let's do it. However, the efforts are being nullified by the hugeness of the task. We have an uncontrollable population bomb exploding in our world. It is happening in some of the most over populated and polluted countries of the world. Countries that have almost no laws to protect our environment.
I think for real hope, we are going to need to look for solutions more promising. Something that is a sure thing. Although many will not believe it or accept it. It is true. There is a sure hope. And it will be the ultimate answer to this perplexing problem. I am afraid that in spite of man's very best efforts and intentions he is going to fail. The world is being destroyed faster than technologies can be developed.
I find my ultimate hope in two statements found in the Bible by two writers. One is Peter and the other is John. You will find Peter's statement in his second letter he wrote to his friends. In the 3rd chapter and verse 13 he tells us that we are to look forward to a new earth. He adds that this has been promised by God our Father. The second writer is one of Jesus Apostles named John. He wrote the last book in the bible called Revelation. John says in chapter 21 and verse1 of that book that he saw a vision from God of a new earth.
Wow! How could such a thing ever be possible? This old and polluted earth being made new is mind boggling. How could our waters ever be made pure again? How could our forest be restored? Our air? Becoming pure as it was at one time? Is that possible? These two men of the highest level of respected truth say it is going to happen. They also add in their prophecies that it will not be through man's efforts but God's.
As Christians we believe that we are where we are today because of a curse that is upon all that God created. This curse is bringing destruction faster than man can cope with it. It is a destructive curse that has been set into motion by the arch enemy of God. The goal of this enemy is to destroy everything God has created. This goal is stated clearly in John 10:10 The enemy is rightly called a thief because he is attempting to steal all God created. The goal of this enemy, who is called Satan or the devil, is to "steal, kill and destroy" all that God has created. He tries to steal from us everything good God has given us. He would like to kill the life God has given us. And he seeks to destroy God's creation completely.
Satan's goal seems to be working very well. Sickness and death are never very far from any of us. We are helping by destroying the earth ourselves even though it was made for us. There are those fighting this battle against Satan's goals. Our medical people are wonderfully healing and developing cures for our many diseases. The environmentalists are doing a good job of bringing things to our attention and some of it is helping. However, the "progress" of our developing world has a way of ignoring these issues and proceed to destroy our beautiful natural world. It is a battle we are losing.
If you ever wonder just what God plans on doing to stop this destruction and to bring an end to the curse, these two writers give us a hint. A new earth is being planned. But we must keep in mind that man will have little to do with bringing this plan into fulfillment. It will be God, whose powers are what will be needed, who will do this.
We do not know what this new earth will be like. We do have a few passages in the Bible that give a little insight. However, I think we will need to go back to the beginning of our earth to see what it was like then to understand what it may be like when God makes a new earth. In the beginning our earth was a garden. Everything was pure. It was in perfect balance. There was no curse so that meant there was no death and all that led up to it. It was a perfect world for man to enjoy.
If you can understand the concept of salvation as related in the Bible it will help you in trying to understand what will happen. The concept of salvation is basically a concept of restoration. God intends to restore all that has been destroyed over the long period of man's existence here. God built no buildings. There were no factories. There was nothing to pollute the air and water. Man and animals lived in perfect peace with one another. There was nothing to fear. Man was not busy building weapons. There was no hunger and no war. It was a paradise.
God's purposes are to restore this world. Nothing will be left behind. Everything will be included in this restoration. Here is what Peter said early in his work in Acts 3:11. He was speaking of the end of time and Jesus return. "He (Jesus) must remain in heaven UNTIL the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised."
This is our hope. Man will continue to do his best and he should, but it will take a power stronger than man to do the restoration. At the proper time God will step into our confused and troubled world and restore what we have lost. That is the only possible way for our earth to come back to us in its pure form. It will come my friend. It will come!
I think for real hope, we are going to need to look for solutions more promising. Something that is a sure thing. Although many will not believe it or accept it. It is true. There is a sure hope. And it will be the ultimate answer to this perplexing problem. I am afraid that in spite of man's very best efforts and intentions he is going to fail. The world is being destroyed faster than technologies can be developed.
I find my ultimate hope in two statements found in the Bible by two writers. One is Peter and the other is John. You will find Peter's statement in his second letter he wrote to his friends. In the 3rd chapter and verse 13 he tells us that we are to look forward to a new earth. He adds that this has been promised by God our Father. The second writer is one of Jesus Apostles named John. He wrote the last book in the bible called Revelation. John says in chapter 21 and verse1 of that book that he saw a vision from God of a new earth.
Wow! How could such a thing ever be possible? This old and polluted earth being made new is mind boggling. How could our waters ever be made pure again? How could our forest be restored? Our air? Becoming pure as it was at one time? Is that possible? These two men of the highest level of respected truth say it is going to happen. They also add in their prophecies that it will not be through man's efforts but God's.
As Christians we believe that we are where we are today because of a curse that is upon all that God created. This curse is bringing destruction faster than man can cope with it. It is a destructive curse that has been set into motion by the arch enemy of God. The goal of this enemy is to destroy everything God has created. This goal is stated clearly in John 10:10 The enemy is rightly called a thief because he is attempting to steal all God created. The goal of this enemy, who is called Satan or the devil, is to "steal, kill and destroy" all that God has created. He tries to steal from us everything good God has given us. He would like to kill the life God has given us. And he seeks to destroy God's creation completely.
Satan's goal seems to be working very well. Sickness and death are never very far from any of us. We are helping by destroying the earth ourselves even though it was made for us. There are those fighting this battle against Satan's goals. Our medical people are wonderfully healing and developing cures for our many diseases. The environmentalists are doing a good job of bringing things to our attention and some of it is helping. However, the "progress" of our developing world has a way of ignoring these issues and proceed to destroy our beautiful natural world. It is a battle we are losing.
If you ever wonder just what God plans on doing to stop this destruction and to bring an end to the curse, these two writers give us a hint. A new earth is being planned. But we must keep in mind that man will have little to do with bringing this plan into fulfillment. It will be God, whose powers are what will be needed, who will do this.
We do not know what this new earth will be like. We do have a few passages in the Bible that give a little insight. However, I think we will need to go back to the beginning of our earth to see what it was like then to understand what it may be like when God makes a new earth. In the beginning our earth was a garden. Everything was pure. It was in perfect balance. There was no curse so that meant there was no death and all that led up to it. It was a perfect world for man to enjoy.
If you can understand the concept of salvation as related in the Bible it will help you in trying to understand what will happen. The concept of salvation is basically a concept of restoration. God intends to restore all that has been destroyed over the long period of man's existence here. God built no buildings. There were no factories. There was nothing to pollute the air and water. Man and animals lived in perfect peace with one another. There was nothing to fear. Man was not busy building weapons. There was no hunger and no war. It was a paradise.
God's purposes are to restore this world. Nothing will be left behind. Everything will be included in this restoration. Here is what Peter said early in his work in Acts 3:11. He was speaking of the end of time and Jesus return. "He (Jesus) must remain in heaven UNTIL the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised."
This is our hope. Man will continue to do his best and he should, but it will take a power stronger than man to do the restoration. At the proper time God will step into our confused and troubled world and restore what we have lost. That is the only possible way for our earth to come back to us in its pure form. It will come my friend. It will come!
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