Participants:
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI190451B
|
00:01 Welcome back to the discussion
00:02 before the break with guest Greg Hamilton. 00:05 We were both riffing 00:06 on a lot about the coming environmental catastrophe 00:10 and how the modern world needs to deal with this 00:14 and the suggestions, 00:16 most particularly coming from Rome, 00:18 and on one level you have to applaud 00:21 any religious leader and the pope 00:22 for speaking to something that's of such immediate input 00:26 and clearly it has a religious component. 00:31 I mean, we live in God's creation. 00:35 But if history's any rule 00:37 and how humans react under panic as in any model 00:41 which hasn't changed much. 00:43 Very likely though 00:45 with some degree of religious coalition 00:47 to conformity in a solution. 00:50 I've been surprised even now with the fires in California... 00:54 Well, devastating. 00:55 And the different earthquakes 00:57 and the hurricanes that we've had 01:00 that there hasn't been a wider call 01:02 to sort of come back to God and then repent as a nation. 01:06 My wife and I won't retire in California, that's for sure. 01:09 Well, it's not near eucalyptus trees. 01:11 Yes, right. 01:13 I was visiting... 01:14 Or manzanita trees. 01:16 Yeah, I was visiting near Paradise 01:20 week or two before that fire. 01:22 And I told the group then, I said, 01:23 "You've got too many eucalyptus trees here." 01:26 And they'll feel bad like I was the... 01:28 I used to pastor near there in a town, 01:30 mountain town, logging town called Quincy. 01:33 Quincy in Plumas County, just north and east of there 01:37 and along Highway 78, it comes through there. 01:41 And, I mean, yeah, I always, 01:44 every time I used to drive through Paradise, 01:45 I always thought, it was so tender dry 01:48 that I just thought this thing would go up in minutes. 01:52 Again to comment on the fires 01:55 that Australia is going through, 01:56 it's catastrophic, 01:57 and as I remember there was something like 01:59 40 or 400 homes destroyed which is not normal. 02:03 They're pretty good at defending against... 02:05 Where in Australia was this? 02:07 On the east coast, I don't know what near city. 02:09 I think it's generally. 02:11 But the point 02:12 that's worth commenting on Australia, 02:14 every year they have a spate of wild fires. 02:18 It's part of the natural cycle of the eucalyptus tree. 02:21 And in fact, many varieties of eucalyptus won't even, 02:25 they won't drop seed unless there is a fire. 02:27 The fire releases it 02:29 and it doesn't kill the eucalyptus tree. 02:31 They'll grow back the next year. 02:34 So I know there's no panic when it happens in Australia 02:36 except this year, 02:38 there's such a loss of life and property. 02:40 I know that it's worse than usual. 02:42 But I do panic when I hear California fires 02:44 because I know that the pine trees, 02:47 they'll never grow back, they're dead, 02:49 just to be scorched as the end. 02:50 But just a clarification on eucalyptus trees, 02:52 having grown up in California in the Central Valley. 02:55 Those eucalyptus trees were imported from Australia. 02:58 They're the only place they come from. 03:00 And they were imported to be planted... 03:02 By Jack London... 03:04 By farmers to be wind breakers for their crops. 03:08 Oh, they've been very frontally positive, of course. 03:11 And they grow best on the coast, 03:14 especially the Northern California Coast. 03:16 And, so they've been used as wind breakers for farmers. 03:20 But as far as fires, they give off a volatile oil. 03:24 Yes, so do man's need is. 03:25 So on a hot day... Yes. 03:27 When a fire starts, the trees explode. 03:29 They don't actually burn initially 03:30 and it's just like a gas explosion 03:33 along the treetops. 03:34 The man's need is to do the same thing 03:36 and the problem with the man's need 03:38 is there a deeply embedded bush within the forest. 03:42 And if you don't clear those out, 03:43 those things are like tender boxes and they explode. 03:45 Now, you're sounding like a good president hysteria... 03:49 Clear out the underbrush. 03:51 Well, actually, he's got a very good point 03:53 that wouldn't have prevented the fire in Paradise 03:55 because they had cleaned out the underbrush 03:58 for the most part in Paradise, 03:59 and they've done a good job of it. 04:00 Well, you can't do it in an entire forest. 04:02 Right. That's the real thing. 04:03 Yeah. And... 04:05 Anyhow there's a big risk, but natural calamities clearly 04:09 are gathering people's attention lately. 04:12 And I do believe while it may not be, 04:15 I quote "final conflict." 04:17 There's a very good chance in the near future, 04:20 the whole world and including the US 04:23 might be forced to a sort of a religious coalition 04:27 to deal with this, 04:28 to importune God to save us and, of course, God needs to... 04:34 In most people thinking God needs to be placated. 04:36 And if he asks for worship on a certain day, 04:39 and we think it's a certain day, 04:41 then do it or, you know, you're against the environment, 04:45 you're against the world. 04:46 Where did the concept of appeasing the wrath of God 04:49 come from though? 04:50 I mean, you think about it, that's a pagan concept. 04:53 That's a pagan view, a pagan religious view of God. 04:57 It's a total misunderstanding of the character of God. 05:01 That's horrible. 05:05 And that's what we are talking about here. 05:07 Well, that's human nature and not just with gods, 05:09 with other people. 05:11 If I've done you wrong and then I want to... 05:13 I'm gonna take it back in your favor, 05:14 I bring gifts in. 05:16 It's akin to saying, "Well, God, 05:17 if You save me now from this catastrophe, 05:19 I'll do this and this and this for you." 05:21 Okay. 05:23 And some people really live up to that. 05:24 And there's nothing wrong with that. 05:26 But the problem is, you're right, 05:28 it's human nature. 05:29 And even the Old Testament has over tones of that. 05:33 Of course, God says, you know, 05:34 I don't need the blood of bulls and cows 05:37 and that, you know, deeds of love and mercy. 05:41 But still, it's something you have to show actions 05:44 and change and willingness to do what God says, 05:49 and that's not even that wrong. 05:51 Well, you know, one thing I've said 05:53 to Seventh-day Adventists who have a... 05:55 We Seventh-day Adventists have a clear end-time scenario, 06:00 you know, dating and actions right up 06:02 till the Second Coming of Christ. 06:05 And we believe there's intimations 06:07 in Revelation Chapter 14, 06:11 isn't it? 06:14 No, no, I've got the wrong chapter, 06:15 on the US in prophecy. 06:17 Chapter 13. Thirteen. 06:19 Yeah, 'cause 14's 06:20 the three angels' message, right? 06:21 Chapter 13:11-15. Right. 06:25 That United States will play a key role 06:28 at an end-time coalition. 06:29 And, you know, 06:31 as the Bible says, it will happen, 06:32 but I've said to people, it doesn't have to happen now. 06:35 Yeah. 06:37 You know, any number of cases, both in the Bible 06:39 and in the real world we know this. 06:41 If there's an emergency coming, if you change your views, 06:44 if you seek God in the case of religion, 06:47 the evil day will be deferred. 06:49 Let me add something to this. My... 06:51 Again back to my wife who's a environmental engineer 06:54 with The United States Army Corps of Engineers. 06:57 They've done some studies, 06:58 and my wife looks at these studies all the time. 07:01 But, more and more salmon as they swim upstream, 07:05 and the studies have shown 07:07 that as the water becomes more toxic 07:10 and becomes less livable. 07:14 The fish are having a hard time 07:16 determining what sex they are. 07:20 And, this is what's interesting is because with toxic... 07:23 Seems like humans having that. 07:24 With increase of toxic chemicals 07:27 in the water, okay, 07:30 it's creating a, "gay chromosome" 07:35 when they're born. 07:36 So the idea, 07:38 and I know this is heresy to say on the set, 07:41 but, with environmental degradation 07:43 is it possible, 07:45 is it possible that we see more and more of this 07:48 and really you can't necessarily, 07:51 yes, you can talk about the gay activists. 07:54 But, in some sense, 07:55 you know, in somewhat sense you can't blame many of them 08:00 because they are the way they are. 08:03 Well, you opened up a whole line of sensitivity... 08:06 That's a different kind of worms, 08:07 but it goes with environmental degradation. 08:10 Well, there's no question 08:12 that every aspect of creation is under distress. 08:14 It's called sin. 08:17 Is under distress, and, you know, 08:21 the fertility rates in western countries 08:24 have drop radically. 08:25 And chemicals in the foods 08:27 and in our environment are directly implicated. 08:31 So I'm positive. 08:32 Yeah, and remember sex is a matter of... 08:35 Sexual identity is a big factor and that is human development. 08:40 Yes. 08:42 Starting from conception right on through 08:44 and that's being interfered within in great way. 08:46 So, yes, I'm sure that you could, 08:49 if you are more knowledgeable than you and I are on this, 08:52 you could perhaps point some markers. 08:54 But you think about it. 08:55 As in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, 08:57 so shall it be in the days 08:58 of the coming of the Son of man. 09:00 As it was in the days of Noah, so shall be it be coming in, 09:03 be in the days of the Son of man. 09:05 So I'm thinking when it comes to Second Coming, 09:08 that clearly is a sign that we're very close. 09:11 Environmental degradation 09:14 clearly is creating certain propensities 09:17 that you know, we would not have sanctioned. 09:22 But clearly, that seems to be a factor. 09:24 Well, many changes, and violence as it broadened 09:27 and you can't put it all down to Hollywood although is... 09:31 I'm travelling, I look on the television 09:32 and it's just a constant stream of shootings and all the rest. 09:34 Oh. 09:35 They ate and embedded. 09:36 But, our very being is been affected. 09:39 There's no question, 09:40 but I think 09:42 we're at a hinge point of history 09:44 and when I'm talking to groups, I often say, 09:46 I don't know any more than you 09:48 when the world will end, the Bible gives hints. 09:50 But I say one thing I'm sure of, 09:52 the world that you know is about to pass away. 09:56 We're at a time of rapid change, 09:58 don't you think? 10:00 I think so. 10:01 I think environmental degradation 10:03 is the root of many problems, 10:05 and I really believe like Lincoln said, 10:08 it creates people to either panic 10:11 and form agendas 10:13 or they're just dismissive and they're apathetic 10:16 and they say to themselves, "Well, what does it matter?" 10:19 You know, we'll just ignore it and live our lives. 10:23 We can't afford to do that right now. 10:25 We've got to be people who take our earth seriously 10:28 and to be good stewards of the earth 10:31 that God has created for us to enjoy. 10:34 So I hope we remember that, 10:35 and I hope that we will take out 10:40 and do our part and be responsible. 10:45 The Bible does say that when God comes, 10:49 when Jesus Christ, the Son of God 10:51 comes in the clouds of heaven, 10:53 He will come to destroy those that destroy the earth. 10:56 It's an undeniable reality 10:58 that for each of us living in this world, 11:00 we have a responsibility to be custodians 11:03 of what has been bequeathed to us, 11:06 not just by our parents, our grandparents, 11:09 by the civilization that went before us, 11:11 but by the Creator God. 11:13 There's a certain irony though 11:14 that as we awaken to the need for custody of the environment, 11:19 to care for it before it destroys us. 11:21 We may indeed in evoke the wrong gods, 11:25 the wrong methods and the wrong solution 11:29 to save our species rather than a spiritual return 11:34 to God the Creator. 11:36 Loyalty to Him, 11:37 custody for what He provided for us 11:40 and a reverence for all living things. 11:43 Not least of all, 11:44 our own selves and the responsibility 11:47 to order our lives as God would see fit. 11:51 For Liberty Insider, this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2020-01-23