Save The Earth! Lesson Five

SAVE THE EARTH!
It's true. The earth needs saving. In fact, all of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. The reason being that creation was condemned, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet, even in that, there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. (adaptation of the Goo9d News Bible Version of Romans 8) Jesus Christ, after all, came to save sinners. In essences he came to save all of creation too, but not man;s way, God's.

Ecology and the Christian
Christians should not make creation groan more by being wasteful or wreckless anymore than they should place a burden on another human being, one that they themselves are not willing to carry. It is our duty to be good stewards over our environment, over our lives and be responsible with how we use natural resources, but natural resources are not our ultimate cause and purpose for living, nor are they our only sustainer for this life. God is our provider, sustainer, and very present help in time of need. He is, after all, super natural and because he is supernatural he can
do anything in the time of need, like part the Red Sea or change water into wine.

A large majority of humanity is on the bandwagon "to save the planet," and help humanity, but not with eternity in mind. Not only to the reject God and God's messengers, but they are only thinking of the here and now and their own comfort and survival. Many have a deep rooted disregard for God. They want to "save" humanity from annihilation, even "save" the planet from poisons and human greed, but they do not want to believe the way Jesus said it must done.

They have their own way of doing things.

They are willing to kill babies through abortion to" save" the planet, they believe that "there is not enough food, land, or love to go around. " They are even willing to euthanize the old and feeble to "save" them from death's door and to make the world a more beautiful, peaceful place.

They work real hard to "save" the world by recycling everything, but the word of God and the one he sent, they gladly throw away.

They preach about global warming and how if we are not careful, we will all reap the heat of what we drive, but little do that know, their greatest fear of late, "global warming" is nothing compared to the hellfire and damnation Jesus died to save us from, a reality that much closer than they think. But it's not all hot air.

It's true, land is being converted from natural wildernesses to industry and this industry is causing ecological problems. Species do go extinct, never to reappear again. Harmful chemicals are harmful and take their toll on plant and animal life. Rivers and oceans, lakes and streams are becoming more polluted. Landfills are filling. Air is smoggy and energy continues to be an issue in an energy consuming world. But like Humpty Dumpy, all the human effort in the world, cannot put the broken thing back the way it was created to be, but we can repect and love one another as we live out our earthly lives.

Take responsibility for your actions and how your actions affect others, and remember, the point of being in the wilds is to experience the wilds, to understand the real nature of life as God has made it, and make new discoveries even new friend. Perhaps even share the gospel with someone you meet so that they can really know salvation and the joy of the hope we share in this thing called eternal life.

Matthew 28:19
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:."

As for saving planet earth...
Jesus did that.


This week, learn and practice trail etiquette. Make arrangements to help in building otr maintaining a local trail.


Trail Etiquette

Do not leave anything behind; pick it up and pack it out.

Leave plants and trees that you do not have a use for alone, so others can enjoy them. Carving, hacking or peeling bark and leaves from them may kill them. Stepping on flowers and young trees can damage them to the point they will not grow back.

Treat animals respectfully and do not do them injury or harass them for the sake of "fun."

Use bathrooms or outhouses when available. If not available, bury human waste and anything used for toilet paper in a small hole 6-8 inches deep and 200 feet or 70 big steps from water. Keep water clean. Do not put soap, food, or human or pet waste in lakes or streams.

Burn all wood to ash in a camfire and be sure the fire is completely out and cold before you leave. If you want to have a campfire, be sure it’s safe to build a fire in the area you’re visiting. Use only existing fire rings to protect the ground from heat and keep your fire small and under your control.


More Trail Etiquette

Hiking is not a time for blasting tunes, control your noise and make sure that other people can enjoy the sounds or lack of sound in a natural environment. Keep noise as a reasonable level. The point of hiking and backpacking is not to make being out in nature more like being indoors it's to boldly go outside your normal comfort zone and enjoy the great outdoors!

If you come across signs that have been vandalized or damaged, make sure to notify the local ranger. This will help maintain the site and will keep the signs fresh for other hikers.

Say hello to fellow hikers on the trail. When approached by hikers moving faster than you, let them by and generally speaking, the hiker coming up the hill has the 'right-of-way' over the hiker coming down the hill.

Bikers should always yield to pedestrians. Horses rule. Let them by if they approach from any direction.

Leashes for dogs are a good idea and even required on some trails. It is proper etiquette to have control of your dog at all times, on or off a leash. People do not want a strange dog to be running up to them.

It is the dog owner's responsibility to properly dispose of pet waste. Horse owners are responsible for removing horse manure from the trail.

It is a good etiquette to try to perform one bit of trail maintenance if you see it need to be done for the safety of others. This would include: moving sticks or downed trees from the trail, filling holes or picking up garbage that is not your own.

When using the trail systems in winter, avoid walking on cross country ski trails. Instead, walk to the right-hand side of the tracks so they are not ruined by your footprints.


Life Etiquette
And God spake all these words, saying,

1. I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
3. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
4. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house,
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.



...And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1John 2:1

God bless you as you continue Hiking with the High King!