Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Green Letter Bible

You've heard of the Red Letter Bible? The one where all the words of Jesus are in red letters?
There are "Red Letter Christians" who only read those parts of the Bible and develop their religion from them.
To them Christianity means living a certain lifestyle and making "disciples" of all people so that the whole world will become the "Kingdom" suitable for the return of the King. ("Thy kingdom come")
Well, now there is a Bible for all the Gaia worshippers out there- the "Green Letter Bible."
"The Green Bible will equip and encourage people to see God's vision for creation and help them engage in the work of healing and sustaining it. With over 1,000 references to the earth in the Bible, compared to 490 references to heaven and 530 references to love, the Bible carries a powerful message for the earth."
"Understand the Bible's powerful message for the earth" is how this Bible is promoted. As recommended by Larry Schweiger, president and CEO, National Wildlife Federation, "With The Green Bible highlighting relevant verses and offering solid context, we must heed the call to solve urgent climatic and ecological threats facing creation."

Me? I'm a black letter Christian.
I read the Bible's powerful message for the earth to be:
And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! (Rev 8:6-13)
Three more woes yet to come!
The ultimate outcome of the earth?
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:9-13)
Do you wonder if these verses concerning the earth are green in the Green Letter Bible?

The "message" of the Bible?
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Cor 5:17-20)

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