What about the earth? “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry” (Psalm 18:7). God controls earthquakes. “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because He was angry” (2 Samuel 22:8). God controls the severity of earthquakes. “Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants” (Isaiah 24:1). God can rearrange His creation when and how He wants to accomplish His will.

“Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth” (Psalm 46:8). God controls where life grows. “He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth” (Psalm 104:14). God controls where food will grow. “The earth shall answer with grain, with new wine, and with oil” (Hosea 2:22). God controls where grain, wine and oil is produced on earth. Oil is a natural source for energy and it comes from God. I guess environmentalists would say God polluted the earth.

So why does a good God (Psalm 136:1) allow natural disasters to deface His creation, including killing humans in some cases? If you recall, creation was perfectly made and God saw that everything was very good, not just good (Genesis 1:31). Sin entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve, resulting in the curse of thorns and thistles on His creation and a physical death to all living things. Sin has consequences! “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope” (Romans 8:20). Futility means devoid of truth, perverseness and depravity.

Nature and the animal kingdom were forced into corruption and bondage by the free will of man to disobey God. The end result? The earth, awaiting a new birth, groans in agony and pain as a consequence of man’s sin (Romans 8:22). However, Jesus is the truth and all of creation’s hope because everything seen and unseen was made by, for and through Him. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

This is why it is important to accept salvation from the Lord today, even more urgent than that … now! We are not guaranteed our next breath. We are guaranteed to be in His presence upon death if we accept Jesus as Savior. “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). It’s not by coincidence that the great commission follows Jesus’ declarative statement of all power, control and authority given to Him. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19).

What about the constellations? “Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night” (Jeremiah 31:35). Everything God controls gives. The sun gives light. The moon and stars do the same. Rain gives nourishment for grass, plants, trees and food. God the Father gave His Son. Jesus gave His life for us. His sacrificial blood gives those who believe eternal life. “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12). By contrast, Satan is a taker. “The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun” (Psalm 74:16). “He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knows its going down” (Psalm 104:19). God controls the sun and moon. There is nothing mankind can do to prevent the intensity of the sun’s energy or where and when it shines its light on earth.

To drive the point home about absolute control, authority and power over His creation, God can supernaturally alter celestial objects – the earth and heavens. “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped … So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day” (Joshua 10:13). God can stop time since He is the author of time. In this case God even gives us a clue that the earth rotates on an axis and around the sun (“the sun stood still”) and the moon rotates around the earth (“the moon stopped”). If the sun moved around the earth, it would also need to be stopped.

Nicolaus Copernicus has been credited in discovering that the earth orbits the sun in the 16th century. The Book of Joshua was approximately written between 1400 and 1370 B.C. It took someone close to 3000 years after the above inspired scripture is penned to put two and two together. During battle, Joshua prayed to the Lord for the sun and moon to stop, so he would have extra daylight to finish the task. The result was time (earth and moon) stood still for hours. “The sun and moon stood still in their habitation” (Habakkuk 3:11).

Not only can God stop time, He can also reverse it. “So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the Lord, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward” (2 Kings 20:11). King Hezekiah was sick and near death when he tearfully prayed to the Lord (2 Kings 20:1-3). God’s response via the prophet Isaiah was to heal Hezekiah and add fifteen more years to his life (2 Kings 20:4-6). God controls every breath you take!

Not just taking Isaiah’s word for it, Hezekiah wanted a sign from God he would be healed (2 Kings 20:8). “So the sun returned ten degrees on the dial by which it had gone down” (Isaiah 38:8). God caused the earth to rotate backwards on its axis and orbit around the sun in reverse for approximately 40 minutes. Imagine sunset, dusk is upon you, and the sun disappears over the horizon only to come back up and shine its light upon you for another 40 minutes. “He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars” (Job 9:7). That is a sign. That is control!

Previous post: Control Over Climate – Who Has It? (Pt. 2)

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

What about storms? Can humans help prevent the severity of storms. No! “The Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt” (Exodus 9:23). God controls storms and how much wind, thunder, lightning and hail is produced. Hail forms in strong thunderstorm clouds, particularly those with intense updrafts, high liquid water content, great vertical extent, large water droplets, and where a good portion of the cloud layer is below freezing. These types of strong updrafts can also produce tornados. “He casts out His hail like morsels … He sends out His word and melts them” (Psalm 147:17-18). As for the firework show in the sky darting to the ground, “He makes lightning for the rain” (Psalm 135:7). “His lightnings light the world” (Psalm 97:4).

God created the weather patterns. “The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north; the wind whirls about continually, and comes again on its circuit” (Ecclesiastes 1:6). Meteorologists study things in the air. In 350 B.C., Aristotle (considered the founder of meteorology) is credited in discovering the global wind patterns. Winds were named by the direction from which they blew. The earth is encircled by six major wind belts, three in each hemisphere. All six belts move north in the northern summer and south in the northern winter. One problem with this discovery. God already revealed the wind pattern in Ecclesiastes (read 1:6 again above) in approximately 935 B.C., approximately 585 years earlier.

God controls the wind. “He brings the wind out of His treasuries” (Psalm 135:7). “He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; and by His power He brought in the south wind” (Psalm 78:26). God controls the direction of wind. “And the Lord turned a very strong west wind” (Exodus 10:19). God controls how strong the wind is. “The Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night” (Exodus 10:13). God controls how long the wind blows. “For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea” (Psalm 107:25). God controls the tropical cyclone (hurricane, typhoon, etc.), which grows in strength over the warm seas evaporation.

“But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up” (Jonah 1:4). God controls what the wind targets. “Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury— A violent whirlwind!” (Jeremiah 23:19). God controls the tornado. “After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree” (Revelation 7:1). God controls the wind to not blow. “The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). God has a will and His way is the only way. Mankind has no influence whatsoever preventing the severity, direction or pattern of storms.

Since God has all authority and power when it comes to His creation, He can break the laws of nature. We call it supernatural power. Forty days and forty nights of rain is a supernatural event, never to happen again by the sign of His rainbow. Forty days of floodwaters covering the entire earth is supernatural. “And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided” (Genesis 8:1). A supernatural wind caused the waters to go back to their borders. “But He said to them, ‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’ Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, ‘Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’” (Matthew 8:26-27). Jesus, the son of God, is His name.

“Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea” (Matthew 14:25). Jesus made water His sidewalk. It was a supernatural event when Jesus made water into wine (John 4:46). “The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). God used Moses to part the Red Sea. He used Joshua (Joshua 3:15-17), Elijah (2 Kings 2:7-8) and Elisha (2 Kings 2:13-14) to part the Jordan River on three occasions. In all four partings, they walked on dry land (as opposed to wet mud or sinking sand) while wind held the walls of water at bay by His command. And lest we forget the supernatural event of creation itself when the waters (in one day) were divided by a firmament to form the sky.

Next post: Control Over Climate – Who Has It? (Pt. 3)
Previous post: Control Over Climate – Who Has It? (Pt. 1)

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5). We have already established that our Creator made everything you see and don’t see in creation. The curses discussed in previously are still in effect, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:22). God is in control of it all. “And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority’” (Acts 1:7). And the Father gave that authority to His Son. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’” (Matthew 28:18). Authority means power. Power to control all nature – in heaven and earth.

The only commands God gave man regarding the earth was to be fruitful and multiply (fill the earth), subdue it and have dominion over every living thing (Genesis 1:28). “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand” (Genesis 9:2). Mankind is to tend and keep or bring into bondage the earth while ruling over all animal life that moves. It is called stewardship (specifically, the management, oversight, and administration of another’s property). However, God maintains ownership of it all – including each breath you take. “Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it” (Isaiah 42:5).

As of 2016, the topic “climate change” in Wikipedia had the following quote: “Certain human activities have also been identified as significant causes of recent climate change, often referred to as global warming.” After reading this and follow-up blogs, you will find this quote to be absurd on its face. Humans, who are a part of creation, can cause the climate to change? Wow! I had no idea we had the authority and power of God, the Creator, to control the temperature outside, prevent storms, earthquakes and seas from rising.

This line of thought can lead to paganism, specifically the worshipping of creation (more on this later). If human activity of today can cause “climate change” (the first car with combustion engine was made in 1886), then one can conclude “climate change” did not exist from the time of Adam and Eve till 1885. That is a recorded span of about 5900 years! The only means of travel was by foot or animal prior to the early 1800s when modern bicycles were used. There were no cars, airplanes, factories, etc. supposedly polluting the air. Did “climate change” exist since the beginning of time? And if so, what human activity could have caused it? Let’s dig deeper.

We don’t have to read far in the Genesis account to see how God controls everything He created. “So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them’” (Genesis 6:7). Did God make a mistake? No. Man, having free will, continuously disobeyed God. “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” (Genesis 6:5-6). The curse of sin (“wickedness”) brought sadness to God, for “He was grieved in His heart.” “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). If God made a mistake, He would have wiped out all of humanity.

“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Genesis 6:11-12). Something had to be done by God to restore some order. A wicked, violent, corrupt earth would eventually consume Noah and his family. Satan was completely happy with this state of affairs because his goal was to prevent the Seed (Jesus) of the woman (Mary) from ever being born (Genesis 3:15). “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die” (Genesis 6:17). Causing imminent death for every living thing on dry land is power. Only the ark was the way of escape. God saved Noah and his household (eight people) and the male and female of every living thing (Genesis 7:1–3). “For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made” (Genesis 7:4). God controls the rain and water levels.

“He who builds His layers in the sky, and has founded His strata in the earth; Who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth— The Lord is His name” (Amos 9:6). Go back and review the six days of creation discussed in previous blog post when God separated the waters with a firmament, producing layers in the sky and water on the face of the earth (Genesis 1:6-8). “When He assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth” (Proverbs 8:29). On the third day of creation dry land appeared and God set borders for the seas, a command mankind has no effect on. “He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth” (Psalm 135:7). Water vapor is continuously generated by evaporation and removed by condensation. It is lighter than air and triggers convection currents that can lead to clouds.

“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud” (Genesis 9:13-14). Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11). God controls the whole process to replenish the earth (vapor, clouds and rain). “The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season” (Deuteronomy 28:12).

“For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength” (Job 37:6). “By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen” (Job 37:10). God controls when rain turns to snow, how heavy the rain falls, and where, when and how much of the water freezes. Mankind has no power regarding this natural yearly occurrence. It’s called summer and winter. “You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter” (Psalm 74:17). “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). “And He changes the times and the seasons” (Daniel 2:21).

Next post: Control Over Climate – Who Has It? (Pt. 2)
Previous post: The Cursed Earth (Pt. 2) – A Thorny Situation

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) . This verse comes right in the middle of a “trust” sandwich. Verse 3 encourages us to “trust in the Lord and do good” and verse 5 closes with “commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass.” So what do you desire in life? How does one attain wealth – tangibly and spiritually? It starts with trusting in the Lord.

The primitive Hebrew root word for “trust” literally means to have confidence, to be bold, to be secure, to feel safe in a source of refuge and hope. Being a child of God, through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ, provides spiritual wealth with one simple process. Belief! Romans 10:9 states, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.“

God is a giver. He “gave” His Son to die on the cross so the human race could be reconciled to Him and reverse the curse of death, hell and the grave. Upon belief that all your sins are forgiven by the innocent blood of Jesus, God gives your a “measure of faith” (Romans 12:3). Telling an unbeliever they must have “faith” to “believe” is wrong and not Biblical. They must first believe in Jesus, who is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

Remember this in simple terms. Everything God controls gives. Everything Satan controls takes.

Believe and then trust in the Lord knowing that your are wealthy beyond any imagination with eternal life as a joint heir with Christ, who owns everything you see and don’t see. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17). Revelation 5:12 exclaims, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!“

Now back to the middle of the trust sandwich, where God gives something else if we do this one thing called “delight.” After trusting in the Lord, scripture now implores us to “also” delight in the Lord – which means make it a dainty habit to pray and reference your Savior with a happy and merry heart. What is the result? God gives you the desires of your heart.

“What desires of the heart?” – you may be asking. Seek out His will and desire for your life and once they align with your heart’s desires – watch out! If something does not feel right, it is very likely outside of His will and desire for you. But once you are at peace with any decision, leverage will now create momentum because God is now with you 100%. Romans 8:31 sums it up: “If God is for us, who can be against us?“

PREVIOUS: Biblical Leverage 4 Wealth (2 of 15) – Purpose

Thorns, thistles and briers exist “because of the ground which the Lord has cursed” (Genesis 5:29). Jesus, the son of God, spoke of thorns in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13; Mark 4). He said that thorns choke good seed and render them unfruitful. That is what sin does to those who hear the word, but still desire worldly things (cares, riches and other unrighteous things). Sin literally chokes the life (specifically eternal life) from people who hear the Word of God and still ignore its message.

Thorns inflict physical pain. By comparison, sin inflicts emotional and spiritual pain. King David can attest to the agony in Psalm 25:18 as he pleads to God, “Look on my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.” Gideon used thorns with briers to tear the flesh of the leaders of Succoth for questioning him as God’s servant (Judges 8:7, 16). In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul talked of “a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me.” The word “buffet” means to strike with the fist, give one a blow with the fist, to maltreat or treat with violence.

Note how Satan is associated with the thorn. Which brings me to the ultimate use of thorns to inflict pain, the twisted crown of thorns. “When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” (Matthew 27:29).

Thorns, a curse on this earth because of sin and a tool used by Satan to inflict pain, was placed on the head of Jesus during His crucifixion. At the cross, God the Father placed the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) on His Son, Jesus, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). The next time you feel a prick when you pick a lily among thorns (Song of Solomon 2:2) or smell a rose, think of the physical, emotional and spiritual pain Jesus went through bearing your sins as He wore a crown of thorns.

In the end, thorns are worthy of one thing – fire! And the source of that fire is God Himself, for He is a consuming fire (Exodus 24:17; Deuteronomy 4:24, 9:3; Hebrews 12:29). “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

I love this body of scripture. The “foundation” is Jesus Christ, the “gold, silver, precious stones” is your work done with pure motive as a Christian, the “wood, hay, straw” are works done with an impure motive (sin), and “revealed by fire” means every thought, word and deed will be tested by God Himself. I call it the sniff test! Good work is refined by fire, resulting in you getting “a reward.” Bad work is consumed by fire and you “will suffer loss,” for He is a consuming fire. This judgment of work takes place for Christians in heaven (“but he himself will be saved“) after we physically die. The judgment for all your sins took place at the cross and were forgiven when you asked Jesus to be your Savior. But what about those who do not ask Jesus to be their Savior? Fire is their future.

The future destiny for all sin, represented by thorns, is fire. “For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:7-8). “For wickedness burns as the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and kindle in the thickets of the forest; they shall mount up like rising smoke” (Isaiah 9:18). The lake of fire is the eternal home for Satan (Revelation 20:10), the beast and false prophet (Revelation 19:20), Death and Hades (Revelation 20:14), and anyone not found written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15), meaning the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars (Revelation 21:8). The key word is “unbelieving” – those who rejected the sacrifice Jesus gave for their sins. They have to pay the death penalty themselves – TWICE! The lake of fire is the second death (Revelation 20:14). What are sins and thorns good for? Fire.

The ultimate curse imposed by God on humanity for sin was death, hell and the grave. No longer in reach was the tree of life in the garden of Eden that produced immortality fruit (Genesis 3:22). “Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’— therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24). That tree of life still exist today. It produces twelve fruits, a different kind every month, and contains leaves to heal the nations (Revelation 22:2).

The good news is that Jesus is the way, truth and life (John 14:6). To punch your ticket to heaven and defeat this curse, accept His gift of eternal life by believing in Him as your Savior and He will give you a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) to continue in that belief. “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13). “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).

Next post: Control Over Climate – Who Has It? (Pt. 1)
Previous post: The Cursed Earth (Pt. 1)

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

To all the environmentalists, this curse is for you. “Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return’” (Genesis 3:17-19).

The ground is cursed in two ways! No longer will there be a garden of Eden that produces boundless fruit, including fruit from the tree of life that provides immortality (Genesis 3:22), but now the ground will bring forth “thorns and thistles” that man must toil by the sweat of his brow just to produce food to eat. The second way the ground is cursed is by way of death (“all the days of your life“), which until sin entered the picture did not exist. The ground now becomes a graveyard for all mankind. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God provided a way (Jesus) to reverse the death curse.

As for the earth itself, the ground is still under a curse of corruption. In essence, the ground is no longer holy and pure. Men normally wore sandals, and it was ceremonially important to wash the cursed soil off one’s feet before entering a house (Genesis 18:4; 19:2; 43:24; Judges 19:21; Luke 7:44).  Jesus set the ultimate example for feet washing in John 13. “Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.’ Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’” (John 13:6-8).

Strong words from the son of God. Why? Because the ground, specifically the dust, is cursed because of sin. Holy ground, where the curse was removed, required men to go barefoot. Just ask Moses at the burning bush on Mount Horeb when God spoke to him. “Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’” (Exodus 3:5). Joshua was commanded to remove his sandals due to holy ground (Joshua 5:15). Jewish custom required the priest on duty in the temple to be barefoot.

“Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:21-23). God will reverse all curses on creation one glorious day. The earth and heavens will be resurrected from the “bondage of corruption” just as our bodies will be resurrected in the likeness of Jesus, if you have accepted Him as Lord and Savior (Romans 6:5). “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). There is nothing mankind can do to stop God from re-creating a new earth from the current cursed version we live on now!

Next post: The Cursed Earth (Pt. 2) – A Thorny Situation
Previous post: Woman’s Curse Is The Man

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

“To the woman He said: ‘I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you’” (Genesis 3:16). The woman still has no name when the curse is laid out by God. She would be named later by Adam in Genesis 3:20 because she is the mother of all living.

The sentence upon the woman deals with the two aspects of the married woman’s life as wife and mother. The woman’s biological system regarding ovulation, sex and conception would be cursed with sorrow and pain. No longer would childbearing be painless and full of joy, having many children to multiply the earth, and living forever as God intended in His perfect creation. Imagine conceiving a child and the pregnancy produces a miscarriage or stillbirth. Imagine the sorrow Eve must have felt when the first murder (Genesis 4:8) happens between her two sons, Cain killing Abel. That is a curse!

Furthermore as a wife, the woman was created as man’s equal. “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him’” (Genesis 2:18). She was made to provide help, relief and aid to Adam. He was to tend and keep the garden, and she would be his relief, capable of performing the same task.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). God ordained this first marriage between one man and one woman. As a wife, God in Genesis 3:16 also stated, “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Because of Eve’s disobedience to God and subsequent manipulation of her husband, her “desire” will now be for her husband’s needs as he leads his family spiritually.

Adam is now charged to be the head of the family. Of course, if the husband fails to lead his family in spiritual matters and love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25), it leads to discourse and more sorrow for the woman. “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

God encourages equality in marriage when it comes to being one flesh. “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does” (1 Corinthians 7:4). Spiritually, “wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). So husband, if God is not first in your life, all bets are off when it comes to your wife submitting to your ungodly leadership. This is why God, the ultimate marriage counselor, implores us in 2 Corinthians 6:14: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” Unequally yoked literally means to have fellowship with one who is not an equal. Equality in marriage starts with both the husband and wife believing in Jesus Christ.

Next Post: The Cursed Earth (Pt. 1)
Previous post: Satan’s Curse Is The Woman

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

The serpent was the agent of Satan and God’s redemptive plan for mankind to be restored to Him in grace, truth and mercy was boldly stated in verse 15: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Enmity means hostility and hatred. Ask Satan whom he hates more – man or woman? Your answer is in Genesis 3:15. Satan would be defeated by what he perceived to be the weaker vessel – the woman (after all, she didn’t even have a formal name when the conversation took place).

It would ultimately be a woman, a virgin named Mary (Matthew 1:18-25), who would bring forth the “Seed” conceived of the Holy Spirit in childbirth, the son of God, Jesus Christ. Satan would bruise His heel at the cross, but three days later Christ crushed Satan’s head by conquering death, hell and the grave. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

The Garden Tomb in Jerusalem is the only attraction in the world where people will spend money to see nothing, for He has risen! Jesus said, “I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:18). Satan’s curse was the woman, who would give birth to the Son of God.

Is there no wonder there is so much animosity toward women in the ministry? Every person should closely examine themselves (spiritual discernment) when it comes to such matters. “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load” (Galatians 6:3-5). Suffice it to say women play a vital role in spreading the good news that Jesus Christ lives (Mark 16:9-11), becoming the firstfruits from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20).

Next post: Woman’s Curse Is The Man
Previous post: Disobedience Begets Sin & Curse of Death

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

This body of scripture is often quoted out of context by many in an attempt to console others going through difficult circumstances. “All things work together for good,” you say. Really? Is that a true and accurate statement. No!

We all will go through peaks and valleys. We are all sinners, but there is a distinction. You are either a sinner OR a sinner saved by grace. The latter LOVES God and is CALLED according to His PURPOSE. In that person’s life, all things do work together for good. Stick with me as I break this down…

Spiritual wealth starts with being saved through Christ, who is the embodiment of love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God first loved us, even as a sinner, that He sent His Son to pay the price for sin – death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The root Greek meaning of this word love is “agape,” which means to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of. Of all the different meanings of love, this is the highest form of it. It led Christ to die for you so that you may live… forever. A sacrificial love. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

You became wealthy beyond all measure when you accepted Christ as your Savior. We laid our filthy rags at His feet in exchange to become joint heirs to all He has… and He owns it ALL! But now let’s go back and re-read Romans 8:28 above and this time add to the quote.

“All things work together for good to those who love God…” Love in this context also means “agape” – which means your love for God should also be sacrificial. You should be willing to carry your cross… even until death for Him. The root Greek word for good means, that no matter what peaks and valleys you go through in life, it is useful, beneficial, honorable, upright and well. And yes, it also means pleasant, agreeable, joyful and happy – the feelings we get from the peaks in life.

Roses must be pruned in order for something NEW to come forth. It is never pleasant to be pruned… it hurts! But hold steadfast to that love for God, and something NEW will happen. Something GOOD! But that is still only one part of the equation. Let’s close with part two…

You must also be “called according to His purpose.” Because we are born sinners and even after being saved, we still live inside our sinful bodies, we have this insatiable desire to focus on self. We have in-grown eyeballs… starring at self. We must crucify self and pursue His purpose. Your purpose in life is simple to find. It will always have something to do with His purpose.

Matthew 28:19-20 states, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” Note these three simple words – go, baptize and teach. They require discipline and action. Help others find Christ. That is His purpose for all mankind. How you do that is up to you but sitting on your asset is not the answer.

In summary, “all things work together for good” is simply NOT true. Why? Because if that person does not love God and is called according to His purpose, then it very well could be pure evil at work. Satan’s goal to rob, kill and destroy is still in effect. But the “good” shepherd is on His throne…. waiting for you… to take action!

NEXT: Biblical Leverage 4 Wealth (3 of 15) – Trust
PREVIOUS: Biblical Leverage 4 Wealth (1 of 15) – Destiny

Coveting someone or something that does not belong to you gives birth to sin. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). The woman “saw” with her “eyes,” which built up an inward “desire,” prompting her to “take” the fruit (meaning she touched it and did not die; the serpent must be telling the truth) and finally doing what God forbad – she “ate.”

At this point, sin still has not affected mankind but for one final and fatal step. Adam, who was with her, who was to “tend” and “keep” the garden and protect the woman from harm, failed! He consummated that failure when “he ate” also. Uh oh! “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7). Temptation turned into sin and the pending curses on creation were born.

After the blame game takes place in Genesis 3:12-13 (man blames woman, woman blames serpent) of who said and did what, God lays down the hammer on creation – starting first with the serpent. “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14).

The Hebrew root word for serpent translates to be a snake, which is now cursed to its belly. In addition, note how all cattle and every beast is also cursed with the snake. What is the curse? Death. “All the days of your life” means time is now ticking on the number of days left to live. The first recorded death was an animal sacrifice (innocent blood shed for atonement of sin) recorded in Genesis 3:21 where God made tunics of skin (in place of fig leaves in Genesis 3:7) to cover Adam and his wife.

All life will “surely die” (physical death) because of sin and return to the dust of the earth. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 states, “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.” Unfortunately Adam and the woman disobeyed God, and in doing so, a physical death would become their curse also. But God had a backup plan for such disobedience.

Next post: Satan’s Curse Is The Woman
Previous post: Choices Have Consequences

NOTE: The preceding excerpt was taken from the book, “God on Climate Change: Worshipping creation instead of the Creator” by Jim Wear (the author of this blog)… available in paperback at Amazon.