Episode 893
The Last Trumpet: A Call to Environmental Justice
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is available seven days a week by 6:00 am ET. The episodes are no longer than ten minutes long and are...
- Understandable: A reading from the New Testament (usually the Gospel) selected from the Revised Common Lectionary using "The Message" translation.
- Relatable: You will have a couple of "points to ponder" from the text which will relate to your life
- Applicable: Every episode includes a way you can take action based on the reading
- A recommended resource to help you go deeper in biblical study and spiritual direction.
- A prayer for your day.
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Remember… “All scripture is God-breathed and useful”(2 Timothy 3:16)
The discourse unfolds around a profound theological interpretation of Revelation 11:15-18, which serves as a pivotal scripture for reimagining divine power in the context of justice and restoration. As the seventh angel proclaims the establishment of God's kingdom, we are confronted with a radical vision that subverts traditional notions of authority. I delve into how this passage articulates a transformative shift from the oppressive structures of earthly kingdoms to a divine reign characterized by equity and restoration. This exploration prompts us to reconsider our understanding of power, urging us to embrace a paradigm wherein justice is not merely an abstract concept but an actionable reality that shapes our interactions with one another and the world.
Central to this examination is the theme of environmental justice, which emerges as a sacred responsibility within the divine narrative. The text's warning against the destroyers of the earth challenges us to confront our complicity in ecological degradation. I emphasize that the call to protect creation is deeply intertwined with our faith, and we are invited to reflect on how our lifestyle choices impact the environment. This episode encourages a proactive stance towards sustainability, urging listeners to identify specific changes they can implement in their daily lives to align with God's vision for a restored creation. Through this lens, we are reminded that our individual actions contribute to a collective movement towards justice and restoration.
As the discussion progresses, the notion of universal justice is further explored, highlighting that in God's economy, every contribution to justice, regardless of its visibility, is recognized and valued. This egalitarian perspective serves to dismantle hierarchies and affirm the intrinsic worth of all individuals in the pursuit of justice. I conclude the episode with a heartfelt prayer that encapsulates the essence of our exploration, invoking divine strength and courage as we engage in the sacred work of dismantling systems of destruction and advocating for restoration. Ultimately, this episode serves as a clarion call to embrace our role as stewards of creation, fostering a spirit of hope and commitment to the transformative power of justice.
Takeaways:
- This episode emphasizes the transformative nature of divine power, advocating for justice and restoration.
- We explored the concept of environmental justice as an essential component of divine will and human responsibility.
- The discussion highlighted the significance of rewarding all contributions to justice, regardless of their visibility or scale.
- We proposed an actionable step to mitigate personal contributions to environmental destruction, encouraging conscious lifestyle changes.
- The podcast underscored the necessity of redefining power structures to promote equity and ecological sustainability.
- Listeners were reminded of the importance of faithfulness in their daily actions towards creating a just and restored world.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
- Voice of God Daily
Transcript
Brad Miller hello my friend and welcome to Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:This is the opportunity we all have to come together to read the Bible together.
Speaker A:We read the New Testament from the Message version to make it very understandable.
Speaker A:We read the we give you three points to ponder to make it relatable and we give you an action step to make it actionable.
Speaker A:We use the Revised Common Lectionary, the selected verse of Scripture for this very day.
Speaker A:We're in year c of a three year cycle and everything's brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com that's the home of the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible Study Method.
Speaker A:I'm Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A: on people two millionaires by: Speaker A:Here's our reading for the day.
Speaker A: From the Revelation: Speaker A:The seventh angel trumpeted a crescendo of voices in heaven, sang out the kingdom of the world is now the kingdom of our God and his Messiah, he will rule forever and ever.
Speaker A:The 24 elders seated before God on their thrones, fell to their knees, worshiped and sang we thank you O God, sovereign, strong who is and who was you took your great power and took over reigned the angry nations.
Speaker A:Now get a taste of your anger.
Speaker A:The time has come to judge the dead, to reward your servants, all prophets and saints reward small and great who fear your name and destroy the destroyers of earth.
Speaker A:So we're talking here about a passage of Scripture from the Revelation which helps us to, as we said, to reimagine divine power.
Speaker A:Reimagine it with a sense of justice and reconciliation and restoration.
Speaker A:And it's really speaking here about a cosmic transformation and environmental justice.
Speaker A:So let's talk about three points to ponder.
Speaker A:The first one is about redefining power and kingdom.
Speaker A:This passage presents a radical reimagination of power.
Speaker A:Unlike earthly kingdoms built on domination and exploitation, God's reign is characterized by justice and restoration.
Speaker A:The kingdom of our God represents a complete transformation of how power operates in our world from bottom up rather than from top down.
Speaker A:A second teaching point is about the environmental justice as sacred work.
Speaker A:The text here speaks of destroying the destroyers of earth.
Speaker A:This surprisingly eco conscious verse suggests that environmental destruction is contrary to divine will.
Speaker A:Those who harm creation work against God's vision for a restored world.
Speaker A:This connects directly to our current climate crisis and calls for environmental activism.
Speaker A:The third point is about universal justice and reward.
Speaker A:The vision speaks of rewarding both small and great.
Speaker A:This suggests a leveling of hierarchies and a recognition of often overlooked by contributions to justice work.
Speaker A:In God's economy.
Speaker A:Every act of faithfulness matters, whether it makes headlines or happens quietly in overlooked corners of the world.
Speaker A:Let's talk about an action step for today.
Speaker A:Identify one way your lifestyle or consumption patterns contribute to environmental destruction and choose one concrete change that you can do even this week, whether it's maybe reducing your use of plastics or eating more plant based meals, or supporting environmental justice organizations and communities most affected by climate change.
Speaker A:We're going to come back with a closing prayer here in just a moment, but I always wanted to let you know that we have a resource for you.
Speaker A:It's called the ABC123 Bible Study Method and it really makes your daily Bible study straightforward and in a linear fashion.
Speaker A:As simple as ABC and 1, 2, 3 and hope that you'll pick it up.
Speaker A:Go over to our website, Voice of God Daily.
Speaker A:That's where you find all the show notes of all of our episodes.
Speaker A:We have over over 800 of them now, so check those out and but you can find many places there to get a hold of our free download which is the ABC123 Bible study method.
Speaker A:Voiceofgodaily.com here's our prayer.
Speaker A:Oh God, you are the source of life and love.
Speaker A:Help us to reimagine power in our world when we feel small against systems of destruction.
Speaker A:Remind us that every act of resistance matters.
Speaker A:Give us courage to be destroyers of destruction, dismantling systems that harm your creation and your beloved community.
Speaker A:Help us see your kingdom breaking through in acts of justice, in movements for change, and in communities working for restoration.
Speaker A:May we find hope in knowing that you are working to transform, not destroy, our world.
Speaker A:Guide us in being faithful participants in this holy work of renewal.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:And thank you for joining me today here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:I hope that you enjoy me again tomorrow.
Speaker A:We almost always drop our episodes before 6am Eastern Time and we have a mission of getting the audible word of God into 2 million years.
Speaker A: That's a million people by: Speaker A:And you can help us by inviting a friend to join us tomorrow here on the Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:Until that friends, until that time, my friends, My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller reminding you that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up, is created new every morning.
