A Wildfire

 You've seen it, right? The orange sky-- the sepia tone photos of California and Oregon? It really is like a scene out of a movie. Fires are still burning hot on the West Coast and has proven to be difficult to contain. Some suggest that this is due to climate change. Whether that is the actual cause is irrelevant. What I want to draw attention to is the dire warning that comes from it: 

"California is now the world's warning on climate change" (an opinion piece)

"California's Disasters Are a Warning-- Climate Change is Here"

Christians do need to pay attention to our environment. After all, this is the planet God made and Creation is longing for us to be revealed. We ought to mourn that fields are on fire, animals are displaced, and the sky is hidden because Creation is supposed to point us towards God! 

Romans 1:20, "  For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

But there is something greater than climate change that the world needs to awaken to.

We see that Jesus has authority over nature in Matthew 8:27,

"And the men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?'"

We hear from Jesus Himself that He has full authority over all Creation in Matthew 28:18:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. "

Since Jesus reigns supreme over Creation, we know that He is in control of what's happening in our world: West Coast fires, Hurricane Sully, flooding in China, the 100 earthquakes in Yellowstone two days ago, etc...

Was He the direct cause of it or was it just a part of a line of cause and effect that He allowed to happen? We cannot say for certain. But we do know this-- since Jesus has authority over what's happening, the world needs to awaken to His presence and power. 

We've come a long way from the righteous shepherd boy, David, who laid out in the field and gazed at the night sky and saw the wonders of God (Psalm 19:1,50:6). Civilizations before us would look at what is happening in nature and attribute it to god/gods. We scoff and laugh at their ignorance of science, because we hail science to be the ultimate truth. But today, the power of science is being challenged. We boast in our understanding of nature, but we cannot produce one weatherman who is 100% right in his/her prediction. There is wisdom from those who have gone before us: examine the heavens and question what's happening in Heaven. The One from Heaven speaks:

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  (Matthew 24)

The coming of Christ is joyous for the believer as He gathers His elect!! But remember that the coming of Christ is disastrous to those who are not His!

Let me clarify: I am not comfortable to say that what is happening in the West Coast is a direct judgement from God. Nor am I saying that what's happening is a definite sign that the End Times is here and we are entering into some apocalyptic era. 

This is what I will say though: those articles are right-- California is a warning sign to the world. While their property burns and air is toxic, they cough and gasp blaming political policies and capitalism. As tragedy strikes other parts of the country and the world, they will also find someone to put the blame on. The world darts its eyes left and right trying to pin the cause on some one/group. Yet they would benefit in shifting their eyes upwards with knees bowed in repentance! Nature's job is to point us to God. To ignore those signs is a travesty. 

California is truly a warning sign-- not that climate change is coming-- but that the King is returning! 

Seeing nature in turmoil should cause fear-- not of climate change-- but of a righteous and mighty God!

May the California/Oregon cause us to repent. 

May Hurricane Sully cause us to repent.  

May the flooding in China cause us to repent. 

May the earthquakes worldwide cause us to repent.

May Covid19 cause us to repent.

May all of 2020 thus far and the events coming cause us to repent. 

Repentance may not deliver us from this present death, but it will preserve us from the next one which is eternal.