Refurbished or New?

October 25, 2015
TimeWatch Editorial

The signs are thickening. It is rather clear that something is about to happen. Just looking at the advancing frequency of recent weather patterns makes it almost impossible to ignore the fact that there is something happening here. On one hand we have an almost international, intergovernmental agreement that the changing climate is a priority, while on the other hand there is a convicted minority who identify the entire movement as a hoax. So which is it? And how can it ever be decided, one way or the other?

First, let’s examine the evidence. The Guardian Newspaper on Monday 11 August 2014, published an article entitled: “Extreme weather becoming more common, study says” the article says: “Extreme weather like the drought currently scorching the western US and the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2010 is becoming much more common, according to new scientific research.” On the Weather Underground website, there is an article entitled: “Are Category 4 and 5 hurricanes increasing in number?” here’s an excerpt from that article. “In September 2005, a paper published in Science magazine reported that worldwide, the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes had increased 80% in the past 30 years.”

We could continue to relate actual occurrences, but I think the point has been made. Time and time again there are those who have lived through the four year drought and multiple fires in California, the recent floods in the south, and other extreme situations, that testify that they have never seen anything like their present experience, so these events cannot be imagined. But, what is causing all this? Sure we’ve ripped holes in the ozone layer with the carbon emissions we insist on creating, but, still, did the earth and the heavens make themselves? Did we just happen to evolve from some simplistic deposit following a “big bang?” or perhaps “a soft explosion?” Now if we are an evolved species then how is it that after all these millions of years that the “wise men” claim we’ve been here, how is it that our evolving wisdom did not include sufficient intelligence to see that we were destroying ourselves?

If however we were created by God, and if, the earth was created by Him, then perhaps the extremes we see about us are an important signal. To simply cut our carbon emissions by 20% or for that matter 100% would not repair the damage already done. To believe that the earth could and would repair itself would mean that the spreading deserts, the destroyed beaches and landmarks, the post-volcanic shaken earth, would slowly restore themselves.

The events we witness are very real. They warn of the time when Jesus will return. It will of course, be easy for some to scoff at this, but the sad part of it is that if you do, ultimately, like those who clamored outside the Ark as the waters flooded the earth, you’ll find that the second sentence in this paragraph, as simple as it now appears, was a warning that you should have heeded.

So go ahead, cut your carbon emissions. The air will be fresher and carbon deposits less destructive, but you must also cut your connection to destructive habits. Recognize the Creator as your Sustainer, begin to study His word, connect with Him as you travel each day, and see the world from His perspective. You will discover that there is a promise of a “New Earth” not just a refurbished one.

Cameron A. Bowen