Earth Day, the Environment, the Vatican’s Plan, and the Rogue Nation

Unofficial Earth Day Flag

April 22nd is known as “Earth Day.” COGaIC posted the following previously about it:

Earth Day Report:
Green With Compassion

Barring natural disasters or other forces beyond our control, when human relationships are good, life is good. And while we may have all kinds of important relationships, perhaps the most important for ensuring that life is good—or even that it’s possible at all—is the crucial interaction that occurs between humanity and the planet we inhabit.

The above article mainly had to do with interpersonal relationships and did not really discuss Earth Day per se, despite the headline (although it is clear that human behavior affects the planet).

Here is a little about it:

21 April 2013

By the late 1960s, air and water pollution had already achieved serious environmental damage in the USA. Acid rain damaged forests, smog plagued cities, and suburban sprawl in its own paved-over way extended urban blight. Yet little appropriate national legislation existed. There was no Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clean Water Act, or Endangered Species Act. Land, rivers, and people — whether in city or countryside — were all dumped on.

In 1969 that changed as two events grabbed the headlines: California’s pristine coast at Santa Barbara played host to a massive oil spill and Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River caught on fire. US Senator Gaylord Nelson, known from previous public service as Wisconsin’s “Conservation Governor,” flew back from Santa Barbara with an idea and on 22 April 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated by 20 million Americans across the nation.

Earth Day quickly went global. By the 30th anniversary in 2000, people in 184 countries were holding Earth Day celebrations. That year the focus was clean energy. A decade later, the 40th anniversary saw attention shift to climate change…

What was, on that first Earth Day, full-blown confidence that industrial-technological civilization and 3.7 billion people could right itself has in 2013 become a troubled doubt that global consumerism for the nearly doubled population—7 billion—can. http://blog.oup.com/2013/04/history-earth-day/

There are several scriptures that would seem to be appropriate for “Earth Day”. Here is one to look at:

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it (Genesis 2:15).

The concept of tending and keeping a garden suggests proper environmental stewardship.

Notice, however, the following:

18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth (Revelation 11:18).

Thus, God is not pleased when humans abuse the environment.

In 2017, there has been a lot of extreme weather. The time for God’s further judgment is coming. It appears that the “beginning of sorrows” which includes “earthquakes in various places” has began. The time to turn to God is now, for whosoever will respond to God’s calling.

In 2015, Pope Francis released his encyclical titled Laudato Si. This was well received in the international community and was consistent with the ‘New Universal Agenda’‘ Pope Francis endorsed that was adopted by the United Nations.

While Christians should try to properly tend and keep the earth, the Vatican’s and the United Nations’ plans go beyond that to include changes to society and governmental controls that will lead to the rise of the Beast power that the Bible warns against.

It will take the Kingdom of God, not the international environmental movement, to solve the major problems associated with polluting the earth.

Before US President Donald Trump took office, I wrote and had the following published:

Donald Trump’s view of climate change is expected to set up some type of issue between the USA and Europe. Europe will tend to see the USA as an irresponsible polluter of the planet, while Europe will claim to be the protector that the world needs. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017)

This is in the process of being confirmed. Notice:

February 1, 2017

Faced with a U.S. retreat from international efforts to tackle climate change, European Union officials are looking to China, fearing a leadership vacuum will embolden those within the bloc seeking to slow the fight against global warming.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to act on campaign pledges to pull out of the 2015 Paris accord to cut greenhouse gas emissions, his swift action in other areas has sparked sharp words from usually measured EU bureaucrats.

When Trump’s former environment adviser, until the president’s inauguration this month, took to a stage in Brussels on Wednesday and called climate experts “urban imperialists”, a rebuke from Britain’s former energy minister drew applause from the crowd packed with EU officials. …

‘WE LOST A MAJOR ALLY’

China’s partnership with former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration helped get nearly 200 countries to support the Paris climate change pact in 2015.

That agreement, which looks to limit the rise in average global temperature to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels, entered into force late last year, binding nations that ratified to draft national plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But despite Beijing’s green policy drive, propelled by domestic anger over smog and the environmental devastation wrought by rapid economic growth, some EU officials are skeptical it can pull as much weight as the United States on climate issues.

“We will make a lot of noises (about allying with China), but let’s be honest we lost an ally – a major one,” a senior EU energy diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-eu-climatechange-idUSKBN15G5B3

The Trump Administration position on ‘climate change’ upset the Europeans at the latest G20 conference (see Trump, Germany, China, and G20).

Furthermore, because of at least two of Donald Trump’s executive orders, the USA is being called a rogue nation. Here is a dictionary definition of rogue:

1.

a dishonest, knavish person; scoundrel.

2.

a playfully mischievous person; scamp:

The youngest boys are little rogues.

3.

a tramp or vagabond.

Notice some news reports:

Trump’s attack on the climate will fail, spectacularly

President Donald Trump’s most recent assault on the environment not only makes the US into a rogue state on climate change. It will also fail in its goal to create jobs and stimulate the economy, says DW’s Sonya Diehn.

29 March 2017

US President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to pander to a tiny constituency – aside from being a thinly veiled gift to the fossil fuel industry – is bound to fail.

In a PR event on Tuesday, Trump stood flanked by coal miners and climate-denying Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt as he announced his latest assault on global environmental security.

Not only does Trump’s executive order deny the existence of climate change, it also rejects the existence of well-documented risks resulting from our changing climate

What, then, will be the result of this executive order?

Step toward self-destruction

Trump’s executive order reversing the climate protections introduced by former President Barack Obama will stand as another milestone in a gradually failing administration.

Just as Trump demonstrated a lack of knowledge, negotiating skills and general competency in the dramatic failure of Trumpcare last week, so too will this executive order ultimately act to undermine the administration.

Even if it does salvage some coal jobs, this won’t outweigh missed opportunities in the renewables sector. It’s a round conclusion that the US turning its back on the development of renewable energy will set the country back economically. …

China and the European Union will now have to take the lead, as they’ve already been doing. …

Where will this story end? http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-trumps-attack-on-the-climate-will-fail-spectacularly/a-38184209

28 March 2017

The US is becoming a “rogue state” as it backslides on hard-fought global pact, say international observers http://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/03/28/trump-reneges-on-us-climate-pledge-but-stays-in-paris-agreement/

March 28, 2017

Trump’s executive order puts the world on the road to climate catastrophe

It’s so egregious, it no longer really matters if he doesn’t formally opt out of the Paris climate deal. …

This is not politics as usual. The irreversible consequences of Trump’s actions would rank as one of the most tragic blunders of all time. …

But far more importantly, this order makes America a rogue nation in the global fight to save the climate, comparable to Vladimir Putin’s Russia. …

America is not just the second-biggest annual carbon polluter, but we are the biggest cumulative source of CO2 over the past century and the richest country in the world. https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-executive-order-on-climate-just-turned-the-u-s-into-a-rogue-nation-6bf6cccbda91

30 March 2017

ROME, March 30 (Reuters) – The Vatican urged U.S. President Donald Trump to listen to “dissenting voices” and reconsider his position on climate change on Thursday, saying the United States risked being supplanted by China as leader in environmental protection.

Pope Francis has made defense of the environment a key plank of his papacy, strongly backing scientific opinion that global warming is caused mostly by human activity. https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/03/30/vatican-urges-trump-to-reconsider-his-stance-on-climate-change/22018621/

This will end with the Europeans turning against its ‘friend’:

1 How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!

2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies. (Lamentations 1:1-2)

The Europeans will take over the USA per Daniel 11:39. If more and more consider the USA to be a rogue nation, it will be easier to persuade more to support the takeover. Climate positions of the USA may be something that will be used to justify the takeover.

This will happen, even though they do not think that they want to:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says,
‘Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols,
Whose carved images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 As I have done to Samaria and her idols,
Shall I not do also to Jerusalem and her idols?'” (Isaiah 10:5-11)

More on the Assyria can be found in the articles Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History and Germany in Biblical Prophecy. More on Samaria in the articles Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel and Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? A YouTube video is available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy.
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long? Here is a link to a sermon: Genesis, ‘Prehistoric man,’ and the Gap theory. Here is a link to a related article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 202x or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2017, 2018, or 2019? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Will the Great Tribulation Start in 2017?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?