The Earth Is Not Ours to Destroy

...The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to him.  (Psalm 24:1)

God created a universe filled with spectacular wonders.  However, the crown jewel is a relatively small green and blue marble we call Earth.  It is located in the Goldilocks zone of a small star which we call our sun; he placed our celestial home at distance where it is not too hot or too cold for our fragile bodies.  He shaped the Earth so that we, his blessed and highly favored creations, can hurl through space surrounded by stunning beauty with a multitude of interesting places to explore.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”   (Genesis 1:26)

I think many of us have forgotten how humans are made after the likeness of God.  His power and dominion grow out of his consummate consideration, kindness, and sense of responsibility.  We must be like him.  The Earth belongs to God alone.  The Earth is a blessing, but it is not a gift.  He graciously allows us to be stewards of such a priceless possession.  This means we must actively and wisely direct affairs, in his name, so that everyone and everything living thing on this gloriously green planet is protected from harm.  

Humankind has fallen short and betrayed God's trust.  There are clear signs of how we have abused our power.  There are climate changes; ice caps are melting and ocean levels are rising.  We continue to push animal to the brink of extinction because we need more space or more tusks and horns.  We have poisoned the land, the air, and the oceans with a multitude of chemical, byproducts of unfettered commerce.  

Do we really want our children to remember us as immature and cruel parents who were unwilling to be good managers of the Earth?  Let's make sure they get to see glimpses of Eden.  We must find ways, starting today, to stop destroying what was never ours to neglect.  

An Eye-Opener

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.  (Matthew 15:14 KJV)

The worst fear of an utterly blind man is to have his kindness be mistaken for weakness.  A woman who lacks wisdom and insight wonders why she has to keep climbing out of a ditch.  Americans deserve so much better from their leaders.  It is time for us to demand more of ourselves.  Diligently look for ways to help your neighbors and this nation grow stronger.  This is actually a good time to walk toward the light.  Do not go to the left or the right.  Seek the Lord because He will order our steps along a path that leads to great success.

Believe Like a Child

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  (Mark 10:15)

A study on three-year-old reported in Psychological Science showed that young children believe what they are told even if they see something contradictory to what has been said.  Believers are commanded to walk by faith in God's Word and not by sight just like these little ones.  God extends an invitation to anyone who will seek Him diligently.  You can gain entrance into a powerful kingdom where prayers are answered always and joy abounds because love reigns.  

Americans need, more than ever, a reliable source of relief and protection.  This nation is standing at a crossroads.  Every citizen knows something is not quite right in this country.  There is an undercurrent of pain, anger, and frustration threatening to tear us apart.  It is seen in the increasingly frequent acts of gun violence, in the communities scarred by rioting, and in the faces of our children who seem to lack purpose or direction.  I would be amiss if I failed to mention God is gracious.  There is still a lot for which we can be grateful but...  That word "but" changes the course of the discussion.  

The entire nation can be even more blessed if a few bold ones will not settle.  There is no reason to be swayed by the mountain of trouble Americans see daily when God says there is power of life and death in the tongue.  The prayerful ones who have planted the Word of God in their hearts can have what they say.  They must declare America to be the land of the free and the home the brave in expectation of having this become manifest.  

This a call to rise up and to set a good example for everyone in your sphere of influence.  Seek places where the Word of God is spoken, hold those promises in your heart, and do not be discouraged by the state of the union.  Speak words of this hope so that everyone around you, like little children, can learn to be encouraged by the thought of good and pleasant things despite the adverse circumstances they are facing.  Create a chain reaction of blessings that overwhelms then transforms America.    

One Big Leap for...

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  (Romans 10:9)

Your must know Jesus is God incarnate and believe God miraculously raised him from the dead in order to embrace the divinely-inspired wisdom found in the Bible.  This leap of faith will allow you to find eternal liberty, emboldening you to become an active participant in making America the land of the truly free by spreading the good news of His grace.  

May America be blessed with such greatness.

The State Inspired by the Church

The separation of Church and State is a good thing.  Everyone’s religious freedom would be threatened if the line between Church and State was blurred forcibly.  What one chooses to believe can never be regulated.  More importantly, it takes study and constant meditation to interpret the Word of God.  Attempting to transform God's wise counsel into law is like trying to stay upright on a dangerous and slippery slope.  However, the State can be inspired by the Church which delights in the promise of growing in strength and beauty as it actively seeks ways to spread Love around the world. 

"God is love. Therefore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love."  (Henry Drummond)