Judgement

Doomsday 'propheteering' is so common that it has lost credibility with a lot of people. But there are some disturbing signs around us. Here in Australia, there have been years of drought in the Murray-Darling River Basin, and some climatologists are afraid that it may be a permanent climate change. We will have to live with lower rainfall and reduced food production. Then there were the horrors of the tsunami that hit Asia, on Boxing Day 2004. And just days ago there was the fearful storm surge that hit Burma, which we are still hearing about. Some say it's global warming, resulting from bad lifestyle and industrial practices causing pollution, damaging the atmosphere. Others insist that it's only part of a natural cycle. They point out that some hundreds of years ago the climate of northern Europe was warmer. Having no particular science background, I can't argue with them. I do know this, though: the Scriptures give humanity a warning, first given to the Israelites who had been led out of Egypt. Leviticus 18:28 states: "And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you."
So, are we defiling the land? People have to live. That involves land use. But are we over-using it for greed? And in some of the life styles of the Western world, are we polluting God's Creation?
Some people do not want to involve the God factor in their life equation because they do not want to admit their debt to Him, or His authority over His creation. God did give us free will, too. But 'freedom of thought' can include terrible foolishness the becomes self-destructive.
Is God chastising the world to bring people back to Himself? If that happens, we need to pray that we are ready to cope with it ourselves.