So Cool...Yet So Useless

I don't care much for useless knickknacks, but I got to admit this is pretty cool.

Global Warming and God's Will

In previous post I wrote about Greg Craven's series of videos on global climate change, and I found one of them is called "God's Will". In it he tries to tackle the viewpoint of global warming is God's will, therefore we're powerless to stop it. He gave an illustration of how we would take the matter into our own hands if the scale of pollution is small, and challenged us to think where should the line be drawn between human's doing versus God's doing as the scale gets bigger.

Craven handled this viewpoint respectfully. However, he made some unmentioned assumptions:

1. He presented those who believe global warming is God's will thinks since there's nothing we can do about it, hence we don't need to do anything.
Maybe some people do think this way. However, just because it's God's will doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything about it. It's like saying it's God's will for my roof to leak, therefore I shouldn't go fix it. It's God's will for the crops to grow, but we still have to water and fertilize them. God regular carries out His will using us as His tool.

2. That if the size of the problem is small it's all men's doing.
God has EVERYTHING to do with EVERYTHING. If I did good on an exam, it is because I studied hard. But God is the one that deal with all my brain cells that remember what I read, and deal with how my eyes see and transmit the information to my brain. He kept my heart beating and alive so I can study. He didn't put me in an accident on the way to the exam. And the list goes on and on.

In summary, I think nothing falls outside of God's will, but we should still take actions as God can work through us.

How It All Ends

Oregon high-school science teacher Greg Craven's series of videos on global warming, How It All Ends, has made him somewhat of a celebrity. His simple argument, "the risk of not acting on climate change far outweighs the risk of acting," and his earnest and quirky appeal, has won him more than 4 million views worldwide through YouTube and other video posting websites.

But this is not what this blog entry is about. While the video title is "How it All Ends", it really doesn't tell us about the very very end. The ultimate end. The Grand Finale. The fat-lady-sing type of end.

To learn about that end, you have to read this.

Yes, that's the "final-showdown-between-God-and-Satan" end. To oversimplify, the following will happen:

1. Satan will be defeated once and for all: (not a big surprise, isn't it?)
"and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Revelation 20:10

2. Those whose names are in God's Book of Life will dwell with God, where "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

3. I hate to do a "fire and brimstone", but the fact is:
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8

If you think thank goodness I'm not a murderer, a sexually immoral...etc. Well, think again. In Roman 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". You can also read this again. (Yes, I actually finished reading that book, though I kind of just browse through the last few chapters. Got to go reread it again some time.)

The good news comes in the very next verses in Roman 3:24-25:
"and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."

So if you don't believe the Bible is the Word of God, or if you believe you need or can add something other than Jesus work on the cross (good works, religion...etc.) to bridge the great gap of men and God, use the logic of Mr. Craven: the risk of not acting far outweighs the risk of acting. With an open mind, read the Bible from beginning to end. Don't take verses out of its context. Go do some research on how the Bible come about, pray for guidance. Don't believe something just because someone in authority tells you. Find it out for yourself. If the Bible is wrong, the most you'll lost are some time and energy. But if what the Bible says it's true, the worst-case scenario for you will be extremely far worse than those from global climate change.