The Pollution Crisis
Man’s Extremity — God’s Opportunity
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DO YOU KNOW: That mankind is heading rapidly toward self-destruction, largely by worldwide pollution of earth's atmosphere, water and land?
● That man's great acquired capability of tampering with his environment threatens to destroy it? ● That serious ecological problems have arisen due to widespread use of internal combustion engines, poisonous gases, pesticides and other chemicals, plastics, chemical fertilizers, man-made radio-isotopes, etc? DO YOU KNOW: That modern man has committed himself increasingly to technology—more planes, cars, industrial machines, nuclear energy, electric power, etc.? ● That the U.S. produces 50% of the world's industrial pollution, uses 40% more oxygen than it produces, and has huge dirt clouds over much of its surface as a result of car, plane and factory exhausts, thus affecting multitudes with respiratory diseases, etc.? ● That nuclear explosions and nuclear energy production have polluted the atmosphere with radiation, causing in mankind cancer, leukemia, genetic injury, etc., in direct proportion to the radiation dose? ● That all mankind is affected by earth's polluted atmosphere, which extends 8 miles above the earth? ● That environmental spoilage by car and plane exhausts, industrial smoke, wastes and heat in rivers, sewage, rubbish, garbage, fertilizers, pesticides, oil spillage, etc., is an increasingly serious major problem? ● That such pollution of inland waterways and oceans with mercury, DDT, PCB, fertilizers, etc., some of which remain indefinitely, is bringing suffering and death to multitudes of people, animals, birds, fish, etc.? ● That water pollution may be even more dangerous than air pollution, for from water man and other creatures get food as well as drink, directly or indirectly? ●That much of man's food has been polluted by poisonous additives, by processing, by hormones, etc.? ● That many noble and commendable efforts are being and will be made by people (including especially the young) and industry to remedy this crisis, and thus make the earth more fit for human habitation, but that this is an extremely difficult task, because of man's greed, insensitivity to others' rights, carelessness, etc.? ● That God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16, 17), and "the earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psa. 24:1; Deut. 32:43; Job 41:11)? DO YOU KNOW: That Adam was created perfect and given, not a promise of a home in heaven, but dominion over earth as his eternal home if he remained heartily obedient to God (Gen. 1:26-31; Psa. 8:4-8)? ● That because of Adam's disobedience he and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden (a sample of the ideal environment God intends for all mankind) and "sin entered into the world, and death [cessation of life] by sin; and so death [not eternal torture!] passed upon all men [by heredity, with accompanying sorrow, pain, sickness, etc.] for that all have sinned" (Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12, 17-19; 6:23; Ezek. 18:4, 20; 1 Cor. 15:21, 22)? ● That man, with inherited Adamic sin (Job 5:7; 14:4; Psa. 51:5), has polluted himself more—physically, mentally, morally and religiously—with such sins against God and man as blasphemy, murder, theft, sex sins, dope addiction, gluttony, drunkenness, greed and idolatry? ● That God's words to Israel fit the situation now: "The land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it" (Lev. 18:25; Isa. 24:4-6)? ● That despite noble efforts by some people, man is unable, because of greed and depravity, to really solve his own problems and restore himself and his environment to utopian conditions (Psa. 49:6-9; 82:1-5; 107:26, 27; Luke 21:25-27; Rom. 1:18-32; 3:10-23)? ● That man's extremity is God's opportunity, for when men are humbled by the great, unprecedented "time of trouble" (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21, 22), which began in 1914, "they will cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he [through Christ—Dan. 7:13, 14; Psa. 72:1-20; Matt. 28:18] will bring them out of their distresses" (Psa. 46:8-11; 107:28-30; Isa. 29:18-20; Haggai 2:7)? ● That in the incoming "times of restitution [restoration] of all things" (Acts 3:19-23), Earth's 1,000-year Judgment Day (Acts 17:31; 2 Pet. 3:7, 8; Psa. 94:15; Isa. 26:9; 28:17; Rev. 5:9, 10; 20:1-6), all the earth shall be filled with God's glory (Num. 14:21; Psa. 72:19; Isa. 5:16; 6:3; 11:9; Hab. 2:14)? DO YOU KNOW: That Jesus (only faith in and loyalty to Him as Savior and Ruler ever brings eternal life—John 14:6; Acts 4:12) will then gradually cleanse the willingly obedient from all pollution (2 Pet. 2:20; Isa. 52:15; Ezek. 36:25, 33); and they will go up, up on "The way of holiness" to human perfection (Isa. 35:8-10; 2:2-4; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1-8, 24)? ● That the billions who have died without having a complete trial for life will get it then, after being raised from the unconscious sleep of death (Psa. 22:27-29; Ezek. 16:48-63; Matt. 11:21-24; Rom. 14:9; Psa. 6:5; 90:3-5; Eccles. 9:5, 10; Dan. 12:2; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14; Acts 2:29, 34; 1 Thes. 4:13-15)? ● That during that 1,000 years the fully irreformable, and at its end all the polluted at heart and all polluters, will be annihilated in the Second Death—God will "destroy them which destroy the earth" (Rev. 11:18; 20:7-9, 14, 15; 21:8; Psa. 145:20; Isa. 65:20)? ● That all pollution of air, water, land, food, etc., will gradually be removed and Edenic conditions will become worldwide (Psa. 37:9-34; Isa. 35:1-7; 45:18; 51:3; 65:17-25; Ezek. 36:35; Rev. 22:3)? ● That the awakening of many to the dangers of pollution and the movement against it are among the many signs of the times showing that "the kingdom of God is nigh at hand" (Matt. 6:10; Luke 21:29-32)? |
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