O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness

WHAT IS THE REAL CAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING?

          Every day we receive news of extreme weather causing record-breaking heatwaves, fires, floods and storms which are affecting the lives of many people all around the world. Such reports are often accompanied with the explanation that all these are due to global warming caused by greenhouse gases generated by human activities. Thus, it is believed that there is a very urgent need now for everyone to implement measures that will save the world from destruction.

          Before we jump on the bandwagon of the Green movement, we need to consider the real cause of global warming: It is the curse that sin has brought on the whole world. This is described in Genesis 3:17,18 – “And unto Adam He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee…” It was man’s disobedience to God that brought this entire world under the curse mentioned here. All the sorrow and pain from natural disasters that we see in the world today is the result of sin.

          Three chapters later, we see how sin affected the world again, this time in bringing about the biggest climate change event in history: a global flood which destroyed all life on earth. “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Genesis 6:12,13)

          One day, the sins of man will affect the entire world again. This future climate change event will take the form of a global fire. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:7)

          All this shows that the real cause of global warming is not greenhouse gases generated by human activities, but the curse on all nature that was generated by human sinfulness. Now that we know that sin is the ultimate cause of global warming, it is obvious that any solution that does not deal with sin will not work.

          Thankfully, God has already provided the ultimate solution by dealing directly with sin. By sending His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross, God has dealt effectively with the penalty of sin which is death. When Jesus Christ comes again, He will deal effectively with the curse of sin on all nature. As Romans 8:21,22 tells us, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

          Therefore, the most urgent need now is not to implement measures to save the world from destruction, but rather to save the precious souls of men, women and children with the Gospel of Christ. Their souls will outlast the world and if they are saved, they will live forever as God’s children in a new glorious creation that is free from sin and all its terrible effects. Let us therefore invest all our time and efforts in promoting the Gospel movement rather than the Green movement!

          In order to learn more about how we should respond to global warming and climate change, please read the articles below which were sourced from the website, GotQuestions.org.

– Pastor

How should a Christian view Global warming?

          As Christians, we should be concerned about our effect on our environment. God appointed man to be the steward of this world (Genesis 1:28), not the destroyer of it. However, we should not allow environmentalism to become a form of idolatry, where the “rights” of an inanimate planet and its non-human creatures are held in higher esteem than God (Romans 1:25) and man created in His image. With global warming, as with any other topic, it is crucial to understand what the facts are, whom those facts come from, how they are interpreted, and what the spiritual implications are.

          A careful look at global warming, as a topic, shows that there is a great deal of disagreement about the facts and substance of climate change. Those who blame humanity for climate change often disagree about what facts lead them to that conclusion. Those who hold humanity totally innocent of it often ignore established facts. Experience and research lead us to believe that warming is, in fact, occurring; however, there is little to no objective evidence that humanity is the cause, nor that the effects will be catastrophic. The idea of earth “wearing out” is an apt analogy. This entire world has been continually decaying since the Fall.

          Global warming “facts” are notoriously hard to come by. One of the few facts universally agreed upon is that the current average temperature of Earth is indeed rising at this time. According to most estimates, this increase in temperature amounts to about 0.4-0.8 °C (0.72-1.44 °F) over the last 100 years. Data regarding times before that is not only highly theoretical but very difficult to obtain with any accuracy. The very methods used to obtain historical temperature records are controversial, even among the most ardent supporters of the theory of human-caused climate change. The facts leading one to believe that humans are not responsible for the current change in temperature are as follows:

• Global temperature changes from past millennia, according to available data, were often severe and rapid, long before humanity supposedly had any impact at all. That is, the current climate change is not as unusual as some alarmists would like to believe.

• Recent recorded history mentions times of noticeable global warming and cooling, long before humanity had any ability to produce industrial emissions.
• Water vapour, not carbon dioxide, is the most influential greenhouse gas. It is difficult to determine what effect, if any, mankind has on worldwide water vapour levels.

• Given the small percentage of human-produced carbon dioxide, as compared to other greenhouse gases, human impact on global temperature may be as little as 1%.

• Global temperatures are known to be influenced by other non-human-controlled factors, such as sunspot activity, orbital movement, volcanic activity, solar system effects, and so forth. Carbon dioxide emission is not the only plausible explanation for global warming.

• Ice Age temperature studies, although rough, frequently show temperatures changing before carbon dioxide levels, not after. This calls into question the relationship between warming and carbon dioxide; in some cases, the data could easily be interpreted to indicate that warming caused an increase in carbon dioxide, rather than the reverse!

• Computer simulations used to “predict” or “demonstrate” global warming require the assumption of human causation, and even then are not typically repeatable or reliable. Current computer weather simulations are neither predictive nor repeatable.

• Most of the global temperature increase of the last 100 years occurred before most of the man-made carbon dioxide was produced.

• In the 1970s, global temperatures had actually been dropping since 1945, and a “global cooling” concern became prominent, despite what is now dismissed as a lack of scientific support.

• The “consensus” claimed by most global warming theorists is not scientific proof; rather, it is a statement of majority opinion. Scientific majorities have been wrongly influenced by politics and other factors in the past. Such agreement is not to be taken lightly, but it is not the same thing as hard proof.

• This “consensus,” as with many other scientific theories, can be partially explained by growing hostility to those with differing viewpoints, making it less likely that a person without preconceived notions would take on the subject for research. The financial and political ramifications of the global warming debate are too serious to be ignored, though they should not be central to any discussion.

• The data being used to support anthropogenic (man-caused) global warming is typically based on small data sets, single samples, or measurements taken in completely different regions. This creates an uncertainty in the results that rarely gets the attention that alarmist conclusions do.

          While the above list is not exhaustive, it does include several of the major points that raise doubts about mankind’s actual effect on global temperatures. While no one can deny that warming is occurring, “overwhelming evidence” of any objective type does not exist to support the idea that global warming is significantly influenced by human actions. There is plenty of vague, short-sighted, and misunderstood data that can be seen as proving “anthropogenic” global-warming theory. All too often, data used to blame humans for global warming is far less reliable than data used for other areas of study. It is a valid point of contention that the data used in these studies is frequently flawed, easily misinterpreted, and subject to preconception.

          In regards to issues such as this, scepticism is not the same as disbelief. There are fragments of evidence to support both sides, and logical reasons to choose one interpretation over another. The question of anthropogenic global warming should not divide Christian believers from each other (Luke 11:17). Environmental issues are important, but they are not the most important questions facing mankind. Christians ought to treat our world with respect and good stewardship, but we should not allow politically driven hysteria to dominate our view of the environment. Our relationship with God is not dependent on our belief in human-caused global warming.

How should a Christian view Climate change?

          It is interesting to note how the phrase “climate change” is replacing “global warming” as the catch phrase of environmentalism. Some scientists/climatologists are certain that human activity, primarily greenhouse gas emissions, is impacting the environment. What they are not certain about is precisely what the impact will be. A couple of decades ago, “global cooling” was the fear, with warnings of a new ice age being the primary scare tactic. While most scientists/climatologists today believe that global warming is the primary risk, uncertainty has led to “climate change” being used as a less specific warning. Essentially, the climate change message is this: Greenhouse gas emissions are damaging the environment, and, while we are not certain what the effect will be, we know it will be bad.

          Climatologists, ecologists, geologists, etc., are unanimous in recognizing that the earth has gone through significant temperature/climate changes in the past. Despite the fact that these climate changes were obviously not caused by human activity, many of these same scientists are convinced that human activity is the primary cause of climate change today. Why? There seem to be three primary motivations.

          First, some truly and fully believe that greenhouse gas emissions are causing climate change. They honestly examine the data and come to that conclusion. Second, some hold to the climate change mindset with an almost religious fervour. Many within the environmentalist movement are so obsessed with protecting “Mother Earth” that they will use any argument to accomplish that goal, no matter how biased and unbalanced it is. Third, some promote the climate change mentality for financial gain. Some of the strongest proponents of climate change legislation are those who stand to have the greatest financial gain from “green” laws and technologies. Before the climate change mindset is accepted, it should be recognized that not everyone who promotes climate change is doing so from an informed foundation and pure motives.

          How, then, should a Christian view climate change? We should view it sceptically and critically, but at the same time honestly and respectfully. Most importantly, though, Christians should look at climate change biblically. What does the Bible say about climate change? Not much. Likely the closest biblical examples of what could be considered climate change would be the end times disasters prophesied in Revelation 6–18. Yet these prophecies have nothing to do with greenhouse gas emissions; rather, they are the result of the wrath of God, pouring out justice on an increasingly wicked world. Also, a Christian must remember that God is in control and that this world is not our home. God will one day erase this current universe (2 Peter 3:7-12) and replace it with the New Heavens and New Earth (Revelation 21–22). How much effort should be made “saving” a planet that God is eventually going to obliterate and replace with a planet so amazing and wonderful that the current earth pales in comparison?

          Is there anything wrong with going green? No, of course not. Is trying to reduce your carbon footprint a good thing? Probably so. Are renewable energy sources worth pursuing? Of course. Are any of these things to be the primary focus of followers of Jesus Christ? Absolutely not! As Christians, our focus should be proclaiming the truth of the gospel, the message that has the power to save souls. Saving the planet is not within our power or responsibility. Climate change may or may not be real, and may or may not be human-caused. What we can know for certain is that God is good and sovereign, and that Planet Earth will be our habitat for as long as God desires it to be. Psalm 46:2-3, “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.”

Appointments for the Week

Monday, Aug 28

        7.30 pm     ERBL: OT Poetic Books (Rev Charles Seet)

Tuesday, Aug 29

        8.00 pm     Prayer Meeting (Eld Roger Lim)

Thursday, Aug 31

      10.00 am     Ladies’ Prayer Group

        7.30 pm     ERBL: The Theology of Prayer (Pastor Tan Soon Yong)

Saturday, Sep 2

        3.00 pm     LTF / YLM

        4.00 pm     SF Meeting (Rms 4-4 & 4-5)

Sunday, Sep 3

  8.00 am     Trust and Obey Acts 16:6-15 (Rev Charles Seet)

  8.00 am Choir Practice

  9.15 am Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  9.40 am Sunday School / Catechism Class

10.15 am Coffee Corner

11.00 am Trust and Obey Acts 16:6-15 (Rev Charles Seet, with Holy Communion)

11.00 am Children’s Ministry

11.00 am Chinese Service (MPH)

12.15 pm Library (Sanctuary Balcony)

  2.30 pm Thai Service (LMH)

  4.00 pm Indonesian Service (Rm 1-6)

Announcements

Social Media Seminar by YLM

30 Sep 2023 (Sat), 3pm to 6pm, Onsite @ Beulah MPH

Registration at https://tinyurl.com/ylmsocialmediasem2023

Infant Baptism on Church Anniversary, 15 Oct 2023.

Parents, please email the church office with your full names, contact numbers, and your child's name and date of birth by 24 Sep 2023.

Door to Door Evangelism 3 Sep 2023 (Next Sunday)

Meet in Beulah Room 2-11, 12.30 pm Contact: Desmond or Amos 

Traffic Wardens

Lifers are invited to serve our Lord as Traffic Wardens on Sunday. Kindly contact Bro Yeo HS if you are available.

Condolence

Our condolences to:

(1)      Family of the late Mrs Phang-Heng Guek Im (87 years old) on her homegoing on 22 August 2023.

(2)      Family of the late Mr Edward Heng Swee Bak (76 years old) on his homegoing on 24 August 2023.

Seniors’ Fellowship

Saturday, 2 Sep 2023, 4pm, Rooms 4-4 & 4-5. “You Shall Love the Lord!” by Rev Bob Phee.

Contact Bro Ong BH. 

Ladies’ Fellowship 45th Thanksgiving Anniversary

9 Sep 2023 (Sat), 4.00pm to 6.00pm, Beulah MPH

“How to Keep Shining For Christ” by Rev Charles Seet

Contact Sally for more information.

Participating in upcoming Mission Trips in 2023 

We would like to encourage Life B-P Church members to participate actively in missions both in support and involvement (short-term or otherwise), including medical and dental (MaD) missions, with the hope that some may be called to be full-time missionaries. If you are interested to participate in the upcoming mission trips being planned for 2023, please register your interest by filling in this form: https://forms.gle/Cc4Q22b8csiFmqEY6

Update on the Presbytery of Singapore Bible-Presbyterian Churches

We thank God that the following have been elected to serve in the Board for three years:

Chairman     : Rev Lim Chee Boon

Deputy Chairman : Rev Charles Seet

Secretary     : Rev Bendick Ong

Treasurer     : Eld Vincent Lee

Member       : Rev Ho Chee Lai

Please pray for them as they plan combined activities for the five affiliated churches of the Presbytery.

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