I chose to do my first blog on my friend Will Schmitt. This week I had a limited amount of time to research a religion so I decided to start with my own. I want to be able to understand what I’m writing about to help give my readers a full view. Will goes to my church and is married to one of my best friends. I chose to use him as an example because he takes an interest in studying Science from a creationism point of view.
What Will actively does for the environment:
*Recycles
*Recently got a new gas-saving heater
*Installed double pane windows to keep heat/cold in
*Upgraded to a high efficiency water heater
*Covers his outdoor spa so he doesn’t have to refill it as often due to water evaporation
*Recently got a new gas-saving heater
*Installed double pane windows to keep heat/cold in
*Upgraded to a high efficiency water heater
*Covers his outdoor spa so he doesn’t have to refill it as often due to water evaporation
Will Schmitt, 33, is a born again Christian, goes to Faith Christian Church and works at Raytheon. He says he would consider himself a conservationist instead of an environmentalist. See: FCC Statement of Belief
When I asked Will to be my first profile he eagerly accepted it and went home to do his own research. He carries with him a strong belief that God created the earth, the universe and all it contains. Christianity teaches that the earth will come to an end and people will live eternally either in heaven or in hell. But because Jesus died for us, if we give our lives to Him and believe He is God we will go to heaven. Because God will create a new earth after we die, many Christians believe it’s important to take care of what is on the earth now without being too concerned about what will happen millions of years from now. Will said that with that we need to be good stewards
of God’s creation without actually worshipping
it. He gave me some specific scriptures in the Bible (he mostly used the New American Standard Bible) about the environment and how God sees it. Here’s what Will found: One thing that is taught at Faith Christian Church is that the Bible is 100% true and therefore to find out what God thinks that’s the place to go. Here's what Will found.
of God’s creation without actually worshipping
it. He gave me some specific scriptures in the Bible (he mostly used the New American Standard Bible) about the environment and how God sees it. Here’s what Will found: One thing that is taught at Faith Christian Church is that the Bible is 100% true and therefore to find out what God thinks that’s the place to go. Here's what Will found.
God created the environment and all it contains for three main reasons.
1. To be an example for people.
Proverbs 6:6-8 “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which, having no chief, officer, or ruler, prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provision in the harvest.” - God uses the ant as an example of being faithful with what God has given you. Will said this shows that God is more interested in our character that we can provide for ourselves.
Deuteronomy 25:4 “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.”
1 Corinthians 9:9-10 “For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘you shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.’ God is not concerned about the ox, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.” - God actually does care about the ox, Will said, but God cares more for us. Will added that this law was created to first and foremost build our character and secondly for our physical well being.
2. To bring God’s glory
1 Corinthians 9:9-10 “For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘you shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.’ God is not concerned about the ox, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops.” - God actually does care about the ox, Will said, but God cares more for us. Will added that this law was created to first and foremost build our character and secondly for our physical well being.
2. To bring God’s glory
Job chapters 38 & 39
– Will said these chapters show God’s majesty and that He created the earth and the entire environment for people to look at and be in awe of.
3. To provide for people
Genesis 6:19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.” – Will said that even though God cared about the animals, He brought them on the ark with Noah to provide for the people on the ark during and after the flood.
– Will said these chapters show God’s majesty and that He created the earth and the entire environment for people to look at and be in awe of.
3. To provide for people
Genesis 6:19 “And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.” – Will said that even though God cared about the animals, He brought them on the ark with Noah to provide for the people on the ark during and after the flood.
One of the things that stood out after talking to Will is how much he said God loves the environment; He created it and loves it when we take care of it. Here are a few more scriptures Will found that convey God’s love of His creation. I put Will’s summary followed by a link to the scripture reference.
* God created aquatic animals, animals of the air and saw that is was good Genesis 1:20
* God created land and saw that it was good Genesis 1:24
* God says wants to have compassion on Nineveh, including the animals Jonah 4:11
* God cares so much for His creation that he doesn’t allow even one sparrow to fall without His knowing Matthew 10:29
* God remembers the animals on the ark and stops the storm early so they will not be destroyed Genesis 8:1
OTHER LINKS
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