I want to report a kidnapping. Words. Words are being kidnapped today.
They aren’t being snatched by gangsters in a black sedan pulling up beside them on a deserted street; they are being abducted by social thugs in academia and their accomplices in the national news media.
The word “gay” for instance, used to mean happy, carefree and festive. A rainbow used to accurately symbolize the divine combination of judgment and mercy. And the latest abductee by these left-leaning hostage henchmen is the word “justice.” Tied to a stiff wooden chair with a bag jammed over his head in an abandoned warehouse, justice is being forced to mean something rather different today. Biblical (or righteous) justice is being rebranded as “social justice” and the results are anything but just.
Packaged in a type of partisan snobbery which says “We know what is best!” social justice is being used as a conduit for abortion, homosexuality, feminism, and radical environmentalism. Especially environmentalism, and the latest social justice green salvo comes from a surprising source, the Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army, which used to stand for reinforcing righteousness and biblical benevolence is rapidly morphing into a mouthpiece for the cause of Global Warming. In their recent call for “Climate Justice” they recommend “Keeping the Sabbath” as an act of environmental stewardship. Listen.
It could be the most radical thing a church can do for environmental stewardship—to commit to keeping the Sabbath. The scriptures make constant reference to rest and care for the land as well as for people on the Sabbath. Spending time with family and friends and enjoying the free outdoors is an act of resistance to the pressures of materialism and consumerism.
Followers of Christ are called to do his justice in the world. That means facing climate change (Zechariah 7:9-10, Romans 12:15-18, Jeremiah 22:3, Isaiah 1:17).
This statement by the Salvation Army is industrial-strength word revisionism. In it, the true Sabbath is being kicked to the curb by the now-dominant left boot of the Salvation Army. Did you catch the combination of liberal emphases coupled to twisted Scripture? Yeah, that's pretty common these days. It is essentially a mixture of Babylon and Berkeley aiming to control how we live. Incidentally, they don’t mean the Bible Sabbath at all! They mean we should all begin keeping Sunday in order to “save” the planet. Here’s their statement:
In its recognition of Sunday as the Sabbath, The Salvation Army aligns itself with the custom of the Early Christian Church, which chose that day on which to commemorate and celebrate Christ’s resurrection.
Wow. The green movement is a bubbling stew of confusion out of which leftist souls emerge to cry out for auto-developed eco-justice. It’s also (according to Nobel laureate Ivar Giaever) an intricate financial scheme in which the perpetrators fill their wallets with innocent greenbacks harvested from an unsuspecting populace. And churches—encouraged to green their messages on the altar of political correctness—have become increasingly political and decreasingly correct. Unfortunately, some of our own are joining this green bandwagon. Unfortunate--because words—and truth—still matter to God.
Words matter when the Review Magazine published a series of pro-environmentalist, pro-global-warming articles in January of 2016. There was not one counterpoint article among them. Not one.
Words matter when The Review published an October 2015 article suggesting that “thoughtful” Adventists should align themselves with Pope Francis’ passion for Climate Change. Huh?
Truth matters when Horley Gatwick Adventist church in London conducted a Green Sabbath to get church members focused on the environment on March 31, 2012. It was part of a Green Sabbath Adventist program across the British Isles, and many churches “got involved and fully embraced the green.” In the throes of green excitement, Pastor Colin Stewart said he hopes this is the start of many more green worship celebrations. I can almost hear the joyful refrain “How Green Thou Art . . . .”
God said “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.” Today's Christian (and Adventist) is called to forget. To turn his children or church-members into green bricks in order to construct the utopia of a new world order. To bend to the progressive wheel and wear the social justice chain, and cast his own offspring into the sea of zero population growth. To give up his worldview, his land, his faith and his future to toil in the fallow fields of political correctness. To forget who he is in order to serve others in the new slavery of social justice. To exchange God’s Bible Sabbath for the new green Sabbath (Sunday).
But words still matter today. Words are containers for meaning, finding their true expression in The Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. It was The Word who created the world (John 1:1–3, 14), and by extension The Word who created the Sabbath. Just as His glory He will not give unto another, He will not give His Sabbath Day to be perverted in the green temple of false religion.
Adventists of all people should see this green deception for what it is, and reclaim the sacred memorial of creation from these green occupiers of the true sanctuary. We must clean away the filth left by these eco-Amorites, and light the menorah of biblical truth before a world racing into the box canyon of deception.
As noted above, liberal Protestantism has largely embraced the political-left agenda as its central message. They are much more interested in “saving the planet” with multicultural rhetoric than saving souls with the gospel. The Adventist church’s main message therefore, must be the Everlasting Gospel accompanied by the biblical warning of His soon Return. Jesus is coming back with vengeance on those who obey not the Gospel (2 Thess. 1:8). We must warn them, loving and living the sober truth in a drunken world. Our task is the saving of souls, not saving the planet. Our ultimate destination is the earth made new—and the only ones who will ever see the New Earth are the redeemed children of God (Romans 8:21; 1 John 3:1–2).
And that brings us to the fact that the Bible is clear that injustice will not exist forever. There is a perfect social order coming, but it is not liberal political social justice. Just the opposite. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ in its fullness spells the end of injustice and every cause and consequence of human sin. We have work to do in this world, but true justice will be achieved only by the consummation of God’s purposes and the perfection of God’s own judgment on That Day.
So why write this article? "Mr. Wagoner, don't you have better things to do?" I wrote this article to inform you of the green groundswell (greenswell) taking shape on the eschatological horizon. This green wave has all the major players surfing on it, the Pope, the schizophrenic Lamb-like beast, apostate Protestantism, and global geopolitical soft-law Climate Treaties (which are soon to become hard law). Cowabunga, dudes.
And what about the secular huddled masses? They have that covered too. Last year the Green Sabbath movement formed with these words:
Green Sabbath is a non-religious, non-political, non-profit campaign which aims to raise awareness, to encourage people to do their part in slowing down climate change, to preserve precious natural resources and improve planet health by observing at least one carbon footprint-free day each week--on any day of the week. We call it, symbolically, A Green Sabbath day. It's a solution that will have a profound impact on climate change for little to no capital investment! Once A Week can result in over 15% annual emission reduction per country. Participation by only top carbon dioxide emitting countries will have the largest impact in climate change!
“Each one of us is a cause of global warming, but each of us can become part of the solution…” [Al Gore]
Perfect. Betrayed Christians are lured into this powerful new movement by twisting a couple Scriptures and tying them up with false guilt. Sunday becomes the new Green Sabbath for these folk. Secular people are captured by creating a green Sabbath day of their choice. Any day of the week will do. Don’t want a Savior on a cross? — You can be your own green savior by saving the planet.
Summary
"Are you saying that RECYCLING is BAD??" No, I'm not saying that. I am saying that what began as a movement for responsible stewardship of the earth has been corrupted from the ethical to the fanatical to the eschatological. Adventists should avoid this wave by exercising simple individual stewardship and leave it at that. To join this green tsunami is to lose our distinct message & mission. And probably be lost. Let’s recap.
- Eco-Adventists are duped into this pseudo-religious snare by creating Green Sabbath on Saturday.
- Mainstream Christians are pulled into it by creating a Green Sabbath on Sunday.
- The rest of the world is deceived by allowing them to pick any day of the week as their personal Green Sabbath. Got all the bases covered.
- El Papa Jesuita (the Pope) says (paraphrased) “You are good children. Now that you are supporting this measure, let us honor the earth together on “the day that heals our relationships with God, the earth, and all creatures. Sunday, the day of the Eucharist” (Section 237, page 172 Laudato Si).
The only safe ground from these rising waters of deception is the high ground of Scripture. These words from Romans are an incredible theological paradigm on what is happening right now:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever (Romans 1:18-25).
Listen friend. There are only two realities available--the reality of God or the reality of creation. There are only two ways of being human. You will worship creation in a thousand ways, or you will worship the Creator. Don't let yourself be kidnapped.