# 217: Global Warming and God’s Part

The status quo the world dictates is this: "Birth, self promotion, and finally, death.” That’s life: no more, possibly much less. And yet, a hidden lie lurks in that widely- accepted hypothesis.

Those who believe intelligent life made its appearance on this planet just by chance, via Darwin’s natural selection—through an unguided evolution process—should think again as to what the overall accomplishment/s is/are for this continual cycle of birth, change, and finally, death. When one looks at our form of life with a weebit of an open mind, along with out-of-this-world seriousness, it is utter nonsense, since nothing is being achieved physically which has permanent value.

Then some will quickly say, "Our great technology is our achievement." That much-worshiped technology—since we think we just can’t live without it—is what will eventually be our doom. The reason our seemingly heaven-on-earth technology has/will continually work against us is because it is contrary to nature. We are no more than hybrid animals who were for eons physically active (made to move)—click on post # 109: "Creation, Evolution and Intelligent Design." When we wander from that form of natural activity, our slow demise will be what we reap. It is already happening: the 66% obesity rate in America, along with the myriad of other chronic diseases we have never seen to this degree in past generations, along with a prescription medicine for our every boo-boo. The majority of those medicines do work well in covering up our symptoms or whatever else they accomplish, while at the same time contaminating our bodies with their side effects; some are evident almost immediately, while others may never be known until it is too late.

In short, already our technology has spoiled us rotten to an unprecedented degree: laziness, which gives us much more time to engage in entertaining activities, which will increase our visits to the doctor and hasten our appointment with the undertaker. That sounds like technology in reverse.

The fruit of that technology has so far given us a toxic atmosphere, a polluted environment that is insidiously killing us, and now global warming, along with global dimming. That warming and dimming will, in a few generations (about 50 to 60 years), make life on this earth unbearable.

Let me explain: As most already know, greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and several other greenhouse gases) get trapped in our upper atmosphere, acting as a canopy, slowing down the release of earth's heat beyond our atmosphere. As those gases continue to accumulate in our atmosphere, the result is the warming of our planet.

A new phenomenon we were recently made aware of is “global dimming.” The way this comes about is particulate matter (from the combustion of diesel fuels, smoke stacks from electric power plants, from the exhaust of the thousands of airplanes flying day and night over our skies, etc.) gets trapped in the clouds and the upper air itself, thus restricting the amount of sunlight passing through them. That dimming has increased in the last 50 years or so, 22% in the U.S. to about 10% to 30% in other continents. The countries with the greatest amount of dimming are the industrial nations of China, Russia, the Unites States, even India and Europe.

In a way it has been a godsend, by cooling our planet a bit. Here is the problem: As we attempt to lower our CO2 emissions mostly from smoke stacks—we will succeed to a small degree—we also will lower the amount of particulate matter being released. That will lessen the global dimming, which will in turn slow down its cooling process; the result will be more global warming. If you have any comments or questions concerning global dimming, click on the comment section, or search Internet Explorer.

This is the pending paradox: As we decrease the amount of greenhouse gases we emit, thus having a slight cooling effect, we inadvertently decrease the particulate matter, which will have a warming effect. At this time, no one knows exactly which one will have the greater effect on the temperature of our planet. They are just shooting from the hip.

There has to be a delicate balance between CO2 and particulate matter. We have to figure out a way to continually decrease greenhouse gases—regardless of what it takes—while maintaining or increasing the particulate pollution. Good luck!

What will somehow have to happen is to install super-effective scrubbers in every smoke stack—a gigantic expense—or eliminate/replace them altogether with a clean source of electricity and have a mandate to dramatically increase solar energy on an individual basis, along with utilizing clean energy like wind, water, mandatory conservation and rationing. Eventually, gas-powered motor vehicles will have to be phased out of production. All these efforts will do little to reduce the present amount of greenhouse gasses already giving us problems; scientists say that a significant reduction of greenhouse gasses presently in our atmosphere will take up to 10 to 20 years to reduce, but that is only an educated guess.

If the global dimming is not decreased, the rate at which the polar icecaps are melting, along with the continual melting of Greenland’s ice sheet, our planet will be in the neighborhood of 18 degrees F. hotter by the end of the century. But if the earth’s dimming is weakened significantly by our efforts to clean our air, that catastrophic result may be in our midst much sooner, not to mention the rise in the levels of the oceans. I heard that by the year 2100, if drastic measures are not taken now, all the oceans may rise about 20 feet. That does not include some of our low-lying freshwater lakes. They will also, to a degree, be affected by that rise. A vast amount of the world’s real estate will be under water. Some of us may not be around if and when that happens. I really wonder if those “in the know” (atmospheric eggheads) are really aware of the propensity of the total damage to our beloved planet.

That is not the only problem. Our food supply will be lessened to a great degree, since many of our plants cannot tolerate that kind of heat. Even worse than that, a vast majority of the world's trees will die. That will mean less oxygen for us to breathe since those trees give us much of the oxygen we breathe on a daily basis. And the loss of trees and other vegetation unable to withstand the excess temperatures will mean more CO2 for earth, since CO2 is consumed by most, if not all, green life. In fact, greenhouses that grow green leafy plants inject CO2 into their greenhouses to produce a larger crop. I participated in that study when it was in the experimental stages.

Taking all the negative effects of global warming into account, the most devastating result of all may be the erratic and unpredictable weather changes: droughts in some places and floods in others. We have seen that happening this year and with severity. And that is with only ½ of a degree of increase of temperature worldwide. What will happen when it increases two- or threefold? In that same category, the oceans will also increase in temperature. What can we expect from hurricanes? Many, many more that will be super severe, which will be the norm. We have already had two Category 5 hurricanes reach landfall this year. That was the first time in the recorded history of hurricanes that it happened. These predictions are not wild guesses of a mad man, but actual predictions of known data.

What can we do about this pending catastrophe other than living green? One of two things: Buy some property in northern Canada or above the Arctic Circle while the price is still cheap (or in the Scandinavian countries or Siberia); or better yet, believe, love and live as God dictates so that death and suffering will not be a devastating event, but actually a blessing. That is the reason I previously used the clause, “it will be unbearable.”

Doing what we will in living green, the damage already incurred will not just disappear. As has been said previously, "The writing is on the wall." To believe otherwise is nothing less than being pollyannaish.

Could these upcoming verses be speaking of that unbearable period? Revelation 6:15-17: "Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the thrown and from the wrath of the lamb.’ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" This scenario may be only a bit of holy conjecture. Nevertheless, now is the time to repent and change our ways; read large portions of the New Testament daily and believe what it says with action, with no passivity. God is waiting with open arms for all who are real, or desire to be real, disciples of Jesus Christ.

Even though God knew the end from the beginning, many times God works His ways through nature—even man-/woman-made nature, which is not really nature. Therefore, God through Christ will capitalize on these extreme conditions to draw more people to Himself when all hope of living a normal life on earth has vanished.

When we think highly of our human status, just remember that about 96 % or more of our DNA and physical makeup is the same as the chimpanzee and the orangutan. That tells us that we are animals with intelligence. Some will say, "How can you say that? The Bible says we were created in God’s image.” That is true. But our physical bodies are animal and our potential spiritual bodies/lives are made in the image of God. To give these words a finer point, being created in God’s spiritually image gives us the potential to become children of God; I like using this phrase: Clones-of-Christ-in-the-making.

Now if our intelligence came about without any help from God, then we could boast of our human greatness. Only thing, that boast would last until our death. At that time we will end up as a pile of bones and ashes. There isn’t much greatness in that except as fertilizer for the garden. Without God, life would be meaningless, except to live as educated/conniving animals. Isn’t that the way a majority of us are living? Without God, life would be a free-for-all: “Hooray for me and screw everyone else.” Of course, most of us do that in a dignified way. Like the philosopher once said, "I love me; who do you love?"

What does Christ say? John 12:25. "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Some will say, "Christ couldn’t really mean that." If one believes the New Testament, they will believe it and make maximum effort to live accordingly.

Jesus reiterates that verse in Luke 14:26. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple." Also, Matthew 10:37: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." The apostle Paul gives us the essence of those commands when he says in Philippians 2:3-4, ". . . but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." You say, "But, to actually live that way is not normal or natural." That is absolutely true. But the true Christian life takes one big giant step above the natural.

This teaching of having greater love for others than self is underscored by the fact that our God is a jealous God. He commands us all to love and worship Him more than any other person or thing. And we display our love and worship for Him by our obedience to His command to love our neighbor. Matthew 22:27-39. "Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" Those two commands must be every genuine Christian’s holy grail. Also, Biblical evidence as to God being a jealous God: Nahum 1:2. "The Lord is a jealous and avenging God." Exodus 20:5. "‘I, the Lord your God am a jealous God . . .’" 1st Corinthians 10:22. "Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealously?" Most churchgoers may never have heard about our God’s jealousy.

Could you imagine what a wonderful world we would be living in if every person was living as God commands? Guess what? Every genuine Christian is, or will soon be, living that way. Is that one of our Christian criteria? That is a command, not just a friendly suggestion. I am not saying that; the Bible says that, and I am just repeating what it said. Yes, having belief in and obedience to Almighty God is that important. Listen to what Paul said in Romans 1:5. ". . . we received grace and apostleship to call people from among the Gentiles (us who are not Jews) to the obedience that comes from faith." If we truly have faith, we will be obedient. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Although this is mandatory, it is not an easy teaching. But when one starts to experience this type of love for God and others, it will be easier. Does your church preach this type love and obedience? If not, they are suspect.

In ending, those who don’t believe in God, either by flatly denying the existence of God, or by not believing what His Son taught by ignoring His commands, are living in an animalistic world without God.

Although it doesn’t seem this way at this present time, God is fulfilling His prophesy as a result of our selfish free will. That means He is in control of global warming and all other earthly situations. A time is coming when it will be best for us to be certain we are in God’s favor. Now is that time. Where do you and I stand?