Why We Shouldn't Worry About Climate Change

Global warming and the drive to net zero seem to be the big issue of the day, at least in the West.

The reasons for this are debatable; some would say there is evidence things are heating up, whilst others might point to the attractiveness of a common purpose in the face of increasing helplessness in other areas of life. I’m sure there are other reasons too.

Environmentalism and taking care of the planet are also being given more and more house room in Christian circles. Whether it stems from panic about the scientific warnings or an interpretation of God’s instructions to Adam and Eve, again people have different reasons for their willingness to consider these things.

So what is the right interpretation of global events in the here and now? How should Christians respond to these challenges?

Here are some reasons we shouldn’t worry about climate change:

1. God is in control

This is the most obvious point. God created and sustains the Universe. He made sure conditions on Earth were exactly right for humans to live and function, albeit things have been spoiled by sin. The Bible says that “as long as the Earth remains Summer and Winter, seedtime and harvest, day and night will never cease”. It makes sense for atheists to panic about the possibility of us all being fried as temperatures increase, but not for Christians to do likewise. We should trust the God who created us and Who loves His Creation.

2. It’s a distraction

There are a lot of people jumping on the bandwagon with this issue which can act as a distraction from the chaos in the world. It’s well known that having a common purpose or goal and being involved in something of a team effort can motivate, encourage and inspire people to action. People need to pour their energies into something and climate activism and saving the planet are the flavour of the decade. But when all is said and done, it is just a distraction that won’t help people figure out the important issues of life and eternity.

3. We are meant to use the resources

Another one for Christians. God told Adam and Eve to use the Earth’s natural resources. In the Garden of Eden they were told to work and to take care of the garden mainly to get food to eat. After the fall, Adam was told that working the land would be harder but that was still God’s instruction. Later, after the flood, God tells Noah he can now eat animals as well as plants. If preserving the planet means that we cannot use resources in the way God intended, then we need to have a rethink.

4. It’s expensive

This is linked to the previous point. The drive to reach net zero is costing a fortune and exacerbating the cost of living crisis. Making things more sustainable and avoiding fossil fuels in favour of more expensive, cleaner energy isn’t practical for most people. The EPC targets for landlords are pushing up rents and causing landlords to exit the markets in droves as they can’t afford to operate. This will lead to a lack of affordable housing and increase the number of homeless.  Is the trade off worth it?

5. There are more important issues

Even if climate change is a problem, it doesn’t have anything to do with the most important things in life. A person’s greatest need, whether they know it or not, is forgiveness of their sin and peace with God which is obtained through the cross of Jesus. Then, they will have an eternity in Heaven to look forward to if and when the Earth fails.

I was disappointed when a well-known evangelist, who died in recent years, told us he had added “the environment” to his list of priorities for the future. In contrast, a church went viral when it displayed a large banner stating "We preach Christ crucified, not climate change!"

Seeking to preserve life in the here and now is an obvious priority for an atheist who thinks this life is all there is, but why are Christians focusing on environmentalism. Our home is not here on Earth, at least it shouldn’t be. We should be laying up treasure in Heaven. Even if we manage to preserve our planet for longer, people are still dying every day and heading to a lost eternity in Hell, our priority should be to reach them with the Gospel before it is too late.

6. We are told not to worry

Another one for Christians. The Bible tells us not to worry or to be anxious about anything because God knows what we need and will provide our necessities. Our attitude towards these things which can create panic and make people feel helpless, should be different from those who aren’t trusting in an all powerful Creator God. 

We have an opportunity to show that Christians aren’t afraid that things will implode or explode outside of God’s will. A bit like during Covid when some Christians seemed to be just as anxious as their non-believing friends and neighbours, we miss a trick if we succumb to the same “doom and gloom” as the people of the world.

7. The evidence shows it has happened before

A scientist professor friend of mine has spoken extensively on this topic and suggests the world has heated up and cooled down in similar ways before. Here is his YouTube research which is far more eloquent than I could be in this area  What about Climate Change? (with Prof. Steve Taylor)

8. It’s impossible to reverse

Let’s play devil’s advocate for a minute and suggest that climate change is a real and serious threat to humanity. Can we really do anything about it? Studies have shown that even when we do our very, very best to reach our net zero targets, we fail drastically.

It may be possible to make some progress in the developed world, if we give up some creature comforts for the good of the masses, but what about those developing nations that aren’t interested in being part of the mission? What about the huge economies of China and India who can’t or aren’t playing ball?

Nations would all have to work together and history tells us that this isn’t possible and that there will be wars and rumours of wars. Imagine trying to get to net zero in the middle of a war when these things go out of the window.

9. We don’t really know what we are doing

Scientists may think they have the answer to this problem but because Earth is sustained and controlled by God, there is much that isn’t known. Look at what happens when people change one element of the eco-system or add or remove something from it. Suddenly, we see what that element was there for and how valuable it was. There are all manner of unintended consequences and side effects when we meddle.

As the Earth was supernaturally created in the first place, perhaps some natural laws haven’t been properly understood. The idea that billions of tiny ant like people, even working together, can reverse the decline of the Earth by changing our habits is bonkers if you think about it.

10. The earth will be destroyed

According to the Bible and as a consequence of sin, the Earth will be destroyed by fire at the end. Indeed, it says in 2 Peter that “the elements will be destroyed by fire and the Earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” This passage further instructs that “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?” You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat….” It’s clear that to be focusing on preservation of the planet which is intended for destruction is folly.

Conclusion

Should we look after the planet that God has given us to the best of our ability? Yes, of course. We should love our neighbour and value the resources we have been given by God.

Should we invest huge amounts of money, time and energy seeking to preserve the Earth or reverse the decline? Even if we could change the course that God has set, we should have other priorities.

All people need to hear the Good News that Jesus came to save them from their sin. They need to be called to repentance (turn from their way and start going God’s way) and faith. This call is urgent and determines where people spend eternity which is far more important than this life on Earth which is passing away.

 

 

 

The Cruelty and Horror of Assisted Suicide

I saw this image on the J C Ryle Facebook page a few days ago. I felt shocked, then sad as I realised the reality for many millions of people. I couldn’t forget what I had seen. 

Death has always been one of those difficult subjects. We try to avoid thinking about it but it’s all around us; war, terrorism, crime, famine, earthquakes, abortion, murder, freak weather events, genocide, cancer, accidents, allergic reactions, suicide and now assisted suicide in some countries and the list goes on and on… If we dwelt on the reality of our own frailty and helplessness we’d never get anything done.

The Christian Institute provided a sobering list of what the Bible has to say about death at the Birmingham City Mission Convention this weekend:

-the punishment for sin (Genesis 3 vs 17)

-universal precursor to judgement (Hebrews 9 vs 27)

-a curse (Deuteronomy 30 vs 19)

-the wages of sin (Romans 6 vs 23)

-the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15 vs 26)

-feared by unbelievers (Hebrews 2 vs 15)

-the source of immense human grief (John 11 vs 33-35)

-the end of the opportunity for salvation (Luke 16 vs 26)

The last one on this list is the most frightening of all. What it means is that the minute a soul breathes their last breath here on Earth, they are consigned to their eternal destination without recourse or escape. 

I was on an Open-Air Mission team in Yorkshire last week and one of the guys had a talk entitled “Where are they now?” Then, he had large pictures of famous (or infamous) people including Queen Elizabeth, Margaret Thatcher, Hitler, Jimmy Savile and Amy Winehouse. 

You might imagine that this generated a lot of comments from passer’s by. A few bright sparks pointed out the obvious that they are all dead. Some people were angry about Savile being in the same list as the Queen or even that their pictures were next to each other. Others shouted things about individuals and where they felt they should be. Most believed good people like the late Queen and Margaret Thatcher would be in Heaven and bad people like Hitler and Savile would be in Hell. Amy Winehouse was more of a puzzle but most seemed to want to give her the benefit of the doubt.

The truth (and point of the talk) is that none of us know for sure where these people are now because we aren’t God and we don’t know their hearts, but we do know that their souls have lived on and that they are either in Heaven or Hell forever. They are not just dead in the ground as some would have us believe. 

The Bible also makes it clear that their perceived goodness/badness has nothing to do with where they ended up and although we may think we are better than some of those people, we are not as good as we think we are. The reality is that none of us live up to God’s perfect standard so instead of using society’s yardstick which sets the bar ridiculously low, we should be looking to God who sets the rules.

The debate about whether we should legalise assisted suicide in the UK is a product of secular (and atheistic) values permeating society. Would anyone really dare to suggest it was kinder to “help someone on their way” if they knew their loved one would face an angry, just God at the end of the process? Most sane people would surely agree that no matter how much pain someone was in, an eternity in Hell has to be far far worse. 

The Bible tells us that we are given one life and that the dates of our birth and death are determined by God. Every breath we take is a gift from God who sustains the Universe second by second and minute by minute. When we die we will face God and give an account of our lives; the God who created us, Who knows all things and Who is angry with our rebellion against Him. 

This would be a terrifying prospect for every person if it wasn’t for one historical event that changed everything…

God loved the world so much that He provided a mediator in His Son Jesus. He  sent Him to live a perfect life and then to die on a cross for the sins of the world. God the Father punished God the Son on the cross. This perfect sacrifice opened the way for anyone who believes that Jesus died for them to repent and be forgiven of their sins. We know the sacrifice of Jesus worked because He defeated the curse of death given to humanity at the beginning by coming back to life. Anyone who repents and believes in Jesus will be at peace with God and enter Heaven one day. 

This is amazing news for a broken, dying world.

However, most people who are advocating things like assisted suicide and encouraging others to consider ending their lives prematurely, don’t even acknowledge God let alone the Good News of the Gospel.

They are not, therefore, forgiven of their sin and will face God’s fury and be consigned to Hell for all eternity. Hell is a place of fire, punishment and torment where people will want to die but won’t be able to. Their pain will endure relentlessly. It's why the Bible warns us to "flee from the wrath to come...."

The horrible cruelty is that people who support this legislation are leading others astray by believing they are compassionate and caring and wanting to end people’s suffering.

Instead, they need to realise that God is the author of life and meddling in this way will have tragic and never ending consequences for those who die prematurely and are unprepared to meet their Maker.

Christians, please think about this and stop being neutral and/or silent during these discussions. There is no place for supporting assisted suicide in the church and we must stand against these evil laws that may soon be on our statute books unless we resist them with everything we have at our disposal. 

God is on our side and prayer is powerful when we take our part in the spiritual battle seriously.

Let's support the Christian Institute and other organisations as they seek to defeat this horrible bill once and for all. Let's also make evangelism a most urgent priority as we seek to share the Good News of Jesus with every soul before it's too late for them...

Why Western Countries Cannot Defeat Terrorism

I tend to get in trouble when I write political posts, but I hope you will see that in essence this is a Christian message, rather than a political one. That is actually the main reason that current Western governments cannot defeat Islamic terrorists—they fail to acknowledge that the battle is ultimately spiritual. 

 

I’m sure Christians around the world share in the sadness and frustration when yet another terrorist blows up innocent people, and our governments respond with condolences and extra security. If only they recognised that they are fighting a spiritual battle and turned instead to God in prayer, things could be so different.

I had thought that the arrival of Mrs May to the Prime Ministerial position in the UK, and the appointment of Vice President Pence in America might signal some form of change in tactics. Maybe even a collective humbling and a seeking God, as they both profess to be evangelical Christians.

However, events of the last few days indicate that there will be no sudden reversal of policy in our respective nations, or calls to prayer. This despite the fact that current protocols are clearly failing and nothing else has worked. In England, the threat level is at critical, the highest possible: armed police and military are patrolling the streets to protect us, and yet still we are defiant.

Important people appear on TV to offer their heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims. Then there are promises that this will never be allowed to happen again. Followed by the guarantees to learn the lessons for the future. Next, the endless discussions about what has happened, how and why it happened, who was involved. Sadly predictable. Only this time, I’m noticing that people are starting to admit that they don’t have the answers.

These things have their place, of course. It is right that we mourn the victims and seek to help the families of those injured or killed. Any of us could find ourselves in this situation, and we should remember that it is only by God’s grace that we are not. We can also try to investigate what has happened and try to prevent it happening again. But, with anything else in life, a thorough investigation would look at every possible angle. This is where the authorities seem to be falling short, as they refuse to believe that spiritual warfare should be a serious consideration.

For the first time today, I actually heard some politicians and commentators dare to suggest that Islamist ideology is the problem. They were immediately shut down with the usual reminders that mainstream Muslims don’t share the extremist’s views. We do need to be careful here, at the risk of alienating a growing percentage of our populations. We need Muslims on-board to root out the terrorists in their midst.

The problem is that certain interpretations of the Muslim’s holy book, the Quran, do lead to extreme behaviour. Within the Quran are the encouragements for a violent holy war (Jihad) against all those who resist the Islamic faith (infidels.) (I’m not going to quote the verses here, a simple Google search will reveal them for those that care to look into it.) These instructions come with a promise of eternal life in paradise as an enticement. 

This is a serious temptation—Muslims cannot gain assurance that they will be saved without committing Jihad. They are reliant on the will of Allah at the entry point to heaven, in the same way that Catholics believe their fate will be determined in a place called Purgatory. According to their respective teachings, their good and bad deeds will be weighed and their afterlife destination decided at the point of death and not prior to this, but Jihad is a free entry pass.

With this in mind, we should consider it a blessing that the vast majority of Muslims choose to interpret the Quran in a peaceful way. Not to acknowledge the potential of the Islamic holy book to incite violence, however, is a serious error. Political correctness should not stand in the way of a proper investigation into the ideology that leads to these crimes.

Our governments cannot fight extremism with human weapons because they are fighting the devil himself. He is present in the minds and hearts of extremists and he lures people to extremism. He cannot be stopped with conventional methods—only using spiritual ones.

Our leaders may say that their thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. How many of them are actually praying, rather than just offering the assurance that they are? How many of them even believe in the God they claim to be praying to? How many believe that it will make a difference? How many are trusting Jesus for their eternal salvation and therefore have the assurance that God will actually hear them?

It’s time for our governments to stop talking about learning the lessons and increasing security. Our leaders need to stop relying on themselves and earthly capabilities. It’s time for them to humble themselves and call our nations back to prayer. Then we will see what God can do with nations who once again are trusting in and relying on Him instead of leaving Him on the side-lines or relegating Him to a dark corner.

This message may seem hopeless—we cannot defeat terrorism, and it will continue. The opposite is actually true for a Christian. We can know that whatever happens, God is in control and has a plan. Even when evil seems to prevail and terrorists blow themselves up, we can know that there will be justice one day. 

Unlike other faiths, Christianity assures us that we can know now where we will spend eternity. We don’t need to wait for a distant deity to decide, or for karma to kick in. The Bible tells us in Romans 10 vs 9, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED.”

 

The Bible assures us that all of the events on earth, good and bad, are recorded carefully by a holy, perfect, righteous, just, good, God. Jesus will one day return to earth and gather all those who believe in Him for their eternal reward. All who have rejected Him will sadly be lost to hell, forever. 

Let us remember that this is a spiritual battle and let us have hope as we pray for Jesus’ return.

Why America Has Not Gone Mad in Electing Trump

Today, I watched the inauguration of the 45^th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. I watched the proceedings including his televised speech alongside a fair number of Americans. As I did so, something unexpected happened, emotions began to rise to the surface. I turned to the person next to me and said, “Speeches like that would not be allowed in England.” I felt sad for my country, overwhelmed by what I was seeing and hearing, and somewhat envious. 

Speech after speech made reference to God and quoted from the Bible. The Beatitudes were even read out in full to respectful and contemplative silence in the gathered crowds. There was no mockery or question surrounding the existence of God, He was present at every stage of the inauguration. 

I had expected Vice President Mike Pence to talk about God—he is a Christian after all. I had not expected Trump himself to not only talk about God but to suggest that God was the most important aspect in the protection of America. He even quoted from the Bible during his speech!

I noted an absence of references to himself—everything was “we,” a refreshing change from outgoing President Obama. Sure, Trump has his faults and skeletons—we have heard enough of them in recent media coverage--he is not a perfect man. But, he is willing to admit changing his mind when he is presented with evidence--on abortion for example—that suggests at least some level of humility.

Recovering myself, I wondered whether the UK media had censored the reporting of the inauguration, maybe cutting out some of the references to faith. I wondered whether the political commentary would discuss the naivety of the American people in making God a central part of the day’s events.  The media bias against all things Christian in Europe has resulted in a skewed interpretation of what is going on in America. 

Travelling backwards and forwards between England and America a fair few times in recent months and listening to political discussions on both sides, it is apparent that there is a misrepresentation or misunderstanding in relation to America’s opinion of Trump. 

In Europe, I have heard sympathetic comments like “I just feel so sorry for the Americans,” and “I don’t think they realised what they were letting themselves in for,” as if they made some type of mistake or acted in ignorance. I have also heard the incredulous “How could they have voted for him?” and “What were they thinking?” The other type of response has been to make personal accusations about Trump and to label him with all sorts of derogatory labels which don’t bear repeating.

It is clear that Europeans are outraged and insulted on America’s behalf, but a lot of the offence has to do with Trump’s lack of political correctness. Americans appear to be ten years behind Europe in the march of the politically correct brigade and loss of free speech—maybe that has caused the divergence.

Here in America, the vast majority of people I have spoken to are excited and enthusiastic about a Trump Presidency. They believe it is time for change, that Obama didn’t deliver and indeed frustrated the will of the people a lot of the time, as well as failing to adhere to his election promises. That Hillary Clinton would’ve continued to be embroiled in one scandal after another and that the excuses would’ve started to wear thin, if they hadn’t already. People just don’t trust her and there are those who are convinced that she is “evil.”

Trump talks about putting America first which angers the globalisationists, but isn’t that what all our governments should be doing—dealing with their own domestic issues and prioritising their own people? At least he’s being honest instead of spouting politically correct rhetoric about open borders and free movement under the misguided notion that this is embracing and celebrating diversity. His speech didn’t leave room for racism or discrimination in any capacity. It was heartfelt albeit ambitious—removing Islamic terrorism from the face of the earth is unlikely to be something that is achievable anytime soon, but with God’s help he can try!

Trump appears sincere in his desire to “make America great again,” he has a VP who is a Christian and by all accounts he is listening to those around him. There are millions around the world praying for him. He quotes the Bible and speaks of the protection of God as something necessary for America’s survival. That has got to be a good start for the 45^th President of the United States. 

Let’s pray for the American people, for Donald Trump as their President and for Mike Pence as he works alongside him. Whatever happens in America will affect all of us to one degree or another and with a Christian Prime Minister recently being appointed in Britain these are interesting times.