Articles
How to Accelerate Christ’s Return

When people are harming and killing animals they are denying God’s Word and are hindering God’s intentions: both original and future! Jesus could do no miracles in His own town except heal a few sick folks. Jesus could not do much in His hometown because of the people’s unbelief. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The first time we read something in God’s Word it may as well be snoring but God’s Word is alive. It becomes powerful and grows in our life. The trouble is that today we have multitudes of Christians who only know a scripture or two not the contents of the entire Bible. And if they know it, many still don’t really believe it because they have never meditated upon it. It was just like these unlearned and unenlightened people ignore what God said about the creatures crying unto Him and Him answering them. Even sparrows cannot fall without God being with them. (Matthew 10:29) C.S. Lewis said something to the effect that most Christians are only exposed to the truth enough to make them immune to the real thing.

How to Accelerate Christ's Return

Most of us Christians believe man was made from the dust and that God breathed into him the breath of life. (Genesis 2:7) In many minds this means for them, man is totally distinct from the animals. They have never considered the other text that indicates that God gave this breath of life to all His creatures. Genesis 7:15 says, “And they went in (the animals) unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.” See also Genesis 6:17.   
 
The gospel of Mark tells us to preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) The English translation creature comes directly from the Greek word ktisis meaning the original formation or the way something is built. In this case the way something is put together was God, man, the animals and the environment which were all wound together in His loving purpose and plan. The original formation which we read about in detail in Genesis chapter one included the animals.
 
Unbelief was the main problem that hindered Jesus Himself. On some occasions Jesus or His disciples even had people of unbelief leave the house where some grand situation was being prayed for because of the negative effect of the unbelievers. Faith comes by hearing. Look at what the scripture says in Romans 10:14-15, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things!” Don’t you think stopping the harassment of animals who wish to live in peace, ending animal cruelty and stopping the slaughter of countless animals for food and sport is a good thing? I’d say it’s even better than a good thing! It’s what God has promised to them and what all creatures are hoping for. (Romans 8:20)  
 
God did not create all the animals and place man in a close relationship with them through Adam so they could eventually die at the hands of an exploiter and destroyer like Nimrod! Did you know some people actually consider Nimrod to be an ideal leader and example? Like Darth Vader in Star Wars, Nimrod was only a master of evil. If you knew who Nimrod was I doubt that you would give him your ear for one moment. He certainly was a mover and a shaker and a money maker at the cost of all the creation, but he was far worse than that. He was part of the giants who were part human and part fallen angel. They eventually became the demons at the time of the flood. Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, but he is not alone. All the fallen angels are his assistants in destruction. God made innumerable angels. Two-thirds of them stayed under Heaven’s control. It seems to me that one-third of an innumerable group is still most likely innumerable. One-third of an innumerable host are Satan’s helpers and are fallen and were cast down to earth. As to the exact number, you go figure.
 
The thoughts of the crossbreeds were only continually evil. (Genesis 6:5)  Genesis 6:11 says, “And the earth was filled with violence because of them.”  The Apostle Paul wept for the space of about three years warning people what kind of messed up state the church would be in during the time we are living in.
 
This leads me to speak about a man I recently saw who claimed to be one of God’s spokespersons. He was talking about how he and a friend blew up beaver damns with dynamite. They were guffawing at what fun it was to keep the stream from being turned into lakes and ponds by the beavers which invites all types of animal life. The reason his friend wanted to blow up the damns and keep the streams flowing was to facilitate the harvesting of an enormous tract of trees. It was all about money. The host of the TV program laughed with him as he told of the enjoyment of his damage to these poor animals’ homes and habitat. Surely the percussion and the blast itself could damage the hearing of beavers or kill them. It could also leave their kits starving to death or killed by the blasts. Follow the money to find the source of any evil. Paul saw the coming evil of this age and wept. And I must weep with him. How far are we from God’s desire for the hope of the creatures and creation to be fulfilled with people like this who obviously refuse to obey the word?
 
God says that He has subjected all animals and all creation to hope and that we are supposed to be hasteners of Christ’s coming and speeding it along, not hindering it. (Romans 8:20 & 2Peter 3:12) We don’t encourage the creatures to develop a reason for hope or Christ to return for a “church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish,” if we hurt, harm and kill God’s creatures. (Ephesians 5:27) Isn’t it awesome that we are supposed to be speeding and hastening the coming of the day of Christ? God’s Word teaches that Jesus did not die for mankind alone; Jesus the Creator died for mankind and all creation. To save the first and not the latter is to infer that Jesus died for just one species (man) and to dismiss the fact that He died to reconcile every species! (Colossians 1:20)
 
How can we encourage the creatures hope by our ignorance and violence?  Scripture says, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:19) I am not going to explain the prophecies of Revelation in this article. Let it suffice to say that to have your name erased from the Book of Life means you will never rule and reign with Christ and you will know that you do not know Him.  Your actions will prove that you have no desire to please God even though; we were born again to be joint heirs with Christ and to please the Father, not our flesh.
 
We see Christ in the scriptures sitting on the right hand of the Father yet when it came to St. Steven laying down his life for his convictions, Jesus stood up for the pleasure He was taking in Steven’s actions.  When we please Jesus who gave us the new birth, wouldn’t it be wonderful if He like the father in the story of the prodigal son would come running to us because we have pleased Him so much? God says, “Jesus is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him.” (Matthew 17:5) As sons of God, we are to be like the Son of God meaning we also are to take our delight in pleasing God. His teaching is clear: we are to do all of our things with love.
 
How do you drown kittens, blow up the beaver’s home or say you love your heifer, then smash her skull with a sledgehammer or kill her with a gun or a knife. Any little child can quickly tell you, “You don’t!”  You might be too busy to slow down and consider what you are doing before you slit the cow’s throat or perhaps you are so uncaring that it is easier for you to drown the kittens than to adopt them out but God expects us to please Him in His pursuits that shows forth His love. We do not obey God so He will save us, but we appreciate His saving grace and so, want to please Him because we are thankful for our redemption and adore Him.  
 
In Romans 12:1-2 in the New Living Translation of the Bible the Apostle Paul says, “And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and traditions of this world (like hunting for sport or dynamiting beaver damns), but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Even the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10) I deplore listening any longer to creation’s cry, and would rather accelerate Christ’s return.
 
Seeking to please God,
 
Minister David Prather
The Church in the Green

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