Month: August 2019

Then comes two major directives given to mankind. “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’” (Genesis 1:28). To this very day, the creation directives still stand because God’s nature, character and will for mankind has not changed. “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). The first directive is children, a gift from God. It should be noted that God wanted Adam and Eve to have multiple children, with no pain during childbirth for Eve. “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). The children of Adam and Eve would also have immortality, having full access to the “tree of life” as food and live forever (Genesis 3:22).

After filling the earth, the second directive flies in the face of those who worship creation over the Creator, or more specifically worshipping the earth and animals over mankind. “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men” (Psalm 115:16). The phrase “subdue it; have dominion over” from Genesis 1:28 means to keep or bring into bondage the earth while ruling over all animal life that moves. “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me” (Jeremiah 27:5). Any policy or law that promotes the earth or any living thing over mankind’s well-being is paganism and is contrary to God’s directive. More on that subject later in another post.

This brings to mind two obvious questions. First, did God give away His ownership of creation when He instructed man to subdue the earth and have dominion over animal life? “Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it” (Deuteronomy 10:14). “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them” (Psalm 89:11). The obvious answer to the question is “No.” As Exodus 19:5 states, “for all the earth is Mine.“

Secondly, did God expect man to treat the earth and animal life irresponsibly? To the contrary. All life was vegetarian from the beginning and lived in harmony with each other without fear. “And God said, ’See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food’” (Genesis 1:29-30). The lion could lay with the lamb beside Adam and eat herbs for food. Moreover, God gave Adam a charge which he failed to do and as a result sin entered the world through him, not Eve. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). That charge still stands today. What is it?

“Before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:5-6). “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The words “till” and “tend” have the same Hebrew root meaning, to work and labor. Even more specific, to serve another by labor. Adam was also to “keep” the garden, meaning he was to guard, observe, have charge of, keep watch and ward, protect and save life. He was the first watchman! He failed miserably at the task because Eve was tempted by the serpent in the garden (Genesis 3:1).

Man’s charge is to protect God’s creation. The problem with environmentalism and paganism is that people have taken good stewardship, as charged by our Creator, and turned it into worshipping the earth and/or animals over mankind. That is idolatry. Lastly, it is not possible for mankind to destroy creation since he and she are a part of it. Can we pollute it? Yes. Can we clean it up? Yes. Can we control nature? No. Can we destroy the earth in its entirety? No! “You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You” (Nehemiah 9:6). “For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: ‘I am the Lord, and there is no other’” (Isaiah 45:18). God did not create the earth in vain. It was perfectly designed to be inhabited by all living things. There was no death. “His work is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4). “His way is perfect” (2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30). It was simply perfect!

Next post: Choices Have Consequences
Previous post: Organized Chaos … Pt. 3: Days 5 & 6

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.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The answer lies in Genesis 1:21: “So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind.” The chicken came first, as did all other full-grown living creatures, male and female. “And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply’” (Genesis 1:22). The fifth day concludes with the sixth day doubling down with more carbon dioxide production. Carbon dioxide is produced by all aerobic organisms (an organism that can survive and grow in an oxygenated environment) when they metabolize carbohydrate and lipids to produce energy by respiration. It is returned to water via the gills of fish and to the air via the lungs of air-breathing land animals, including humans. We all learn this basic principle early in school. You inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The plants intake the carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

On the sixth day, “God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind” (Genesis 1:25). “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air” (Genesis 2:19). It is amusing at best to think man could destroy what God created from nothing. From nothing to something, namely earth (“the ground“), comes forth all moving things that breathe. Can man create something new from nothing? No! First you have to get your own dirt. “That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). Only God can make a “new” thing. Everything man has made or will make comes from what God created in six days. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7). More on that subject in a later post.

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26a, 27). Note the words “Us” and “Our” – meaning Adam (“him“) was made in the “image” and “likeness” of the triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), created to live forever as an immortal being. Furthermore, likeness does not mean duplicate (exact copy) because man had the capability (free will) to sin, unlike God, who cannot sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15). “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Once again that breath of life inhales oxygen, exhales carbon dioxide.

“Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’” (Genesis 2:22-23). Eve came from Adam, made from his image and likeness, also an immortal being with free will. “For man is not from woman, but woman from man” (1 Corinthians 11:8).

Once again the Spirit, water and blood bear witness on earth with the creation of mankind (1 John 5:8). “The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). “All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life” (Genesis 7:22). The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75% and “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). And thus the sixth day concludes with Eve being the bookend of God’s creative power. Adam and Eve had an equal desire to worship their Creator in love and adoration, neither looking at the other as someone to rule over. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). They were of one mind, one flesh and one spirit as husband and wife destined to live forever.

Next post: God’s Will for Creation Does Not Change
Previous post: Organized Chaos … Pt. 2: Days 3 & 4

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 carbon dioxide created on the second day was needed by what would take place on the third. The third day ushered in land, which in turn forced water to now become seas. The same day produced grass, herbs and trees bearing fruit. “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9).

On the fourth day, God’s light gave way to the sun, moon and stars as days would become seasons, in time, years. “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years’” (Genesis 1:14). Plant life can now thrive from the sun’s light energy via photosynthesis using the carbon dioxide distilled from the air, and “mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground” (Genesis 2:6). The wisdom of this creative power produced oxygen needed for all life that moves on earth!

Before we cover what God created from the ground, namely all life that moves, the following body of scripture emphatically rejects the climate change propaganda that mankind can destroy the earth. “Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved” (1 Chronicles 16:30). “You who laid the foundations of the earth, so that it should not be moved forever” (Psalm 104:5). “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).

Once again, it is crystal clear that God knew what He was doing when he created all life that moves to inhabit what is unmovable – the earth! If man could destroy the earth, the implications would not be good. But after the sixth day of creation that included man, “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Not just good, but very good! Now on to life that moves.

Next post: Organized Chaos … Pt. 3: Days 5 & 6
Previous post: Organized Chaos … Pt. 1: Days 1 & 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.

How much would you sell your child or children for? No… seriously think about an amount… $10,000… $100,000… $1 Million… $1 Billion?

“Silly question,” you may say. But if your answer is “priceless” or “there is no amount I would sell”… guess what? You are wealthy, my friend. Yes… I said wealthy! Stick with me now…

There are many people who do not have any children… for whatever reason… by choice or not by choice. Sadly, I am one of them. But for those who do, I have a message for you from God. Psalm 127:3 states, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” Let’s break this down what God is saying to us.

The Hebrew root word for “heritage” means to inherit, inheritance, possession and get this… even the word “heirloom” is used, which means a valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations. God entrusted YOU to take care of these valuable possessions and raise them right. Why?

Short answer is two main reasons… 1) To your benefit, the parents, so you have a safety net or what I call God’s social security… and 2) To their benefit, the children, so they may live LONG lives and be blessed. Let me elaborate in closing…

Some of us never make it to old age, like my late wife, who was ravaged by breast cancer. But if you do have children and you make it to your 80’s and 90’s and even older… those children become your safety net. The circle of life indeed comes full circle. As a baby, totally dependent on food, using the bathroom or diapers, etc… one day our feeble bodies return to the same dependency. And here is where the priceless value of children really kick in… “But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God” (1 Timothy 5:4). When your spouse dies (along with that support), your children and their children become your social security… your inheritance… your priceless heirloom.

But the children must live long enough themselves to be there for you when the time comes. How do they do that? The key is God’s fifth commandment… “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land…” (Exodus 20:12). This is a two-way commitment… parents raise their children in the teachings of God… and the children honor their parents in order to live long lives. That is wealth, my friends.