> Dean Scott: Good stuff. There may be a few surprises for a few peoplein future on this issue. Blessings. GDVW+ > THOUGHTS IN REGARD TO ANIMALS > > What does the Creator think of His creation? Does He regard it? What > about the animals? > > The writer of Genesis said that God looked upon His creation and said, > “Good.” > > Though Jesus does not talk about the future of animals, his occasional > references indicates a concern of God for all His creatures. > > Matthew 10:29 > “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the > ground apart from your Father’s will. 10:30 Even all the hairs on your > head are numbered. 10:31 So do not be afraid; you are more valuable than > many sparrows.” > > Matthew 6 > No one can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and > love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with > scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money. > > That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are > to eat, nor about your body and how you are to clothe it. Surely life > means more than food, and the body more than clothing. > > Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into > barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more > than they are? Can any of you, for all his worrying, add one single cubit > to his span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the new > flowers growing in the fields: they never have to work of spin; yet I > assure you that not even Solomon in all his regalia was robed like one of > these, Now if that is how God clothes the grass in the field which is > there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more > look after you, you men of little faith? > > So do not worry; do not say, what are we to eat? What are we to drink? > How are we to be clothed? It is the pagans who set their hearts on all > these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your > hearts on his kingdom, first, and on his righteousness, and all these > other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: > tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its > own. > > St. Paul indicates that the work done by God through the Cross of Jesus > Christ was for more than the redemption of man, but involves the renewal > of all creation. While we do not have final answers, even in the writings > of St. Paul, we know that the whole of creation looks forward to renewal > in the “New Heavens and New Earth spoken of by St. John the Revelator. > Isaiah also looked for a renewed earth with animals under the leadership > of the Messiah. John's vision of the new heaven and new earth is solidly > anchored in the pastoral tradition of Isaiah 11 as is Paul's view that all > creation awaits renewal from the "cursed earh." > > Colossians 1:21 > For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through > him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood > of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven. > > Romans 8:18 > 8:18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to > the glory that will be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits for > the revelation of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to > futility—not willingly but because of God who subjected it—in hope that > the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into > the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole > creation groans and suffers together until now. Not only this, but we > ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as > we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope > we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for > what he sees? 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait > for it with endurance. > > Isaiah 11:1 A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s1 root stock, a bud will > sprout from his roots. The Lord’s spirit will rest on him a spirit that > gives extraordinary wisdom,a spirit that provides the ability to execute > plans, a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. He will take > delight in obeying the Lord. > > He will not judge by mere appearances, or make decisions on the basis of > hearsay. He will treat the poor fairly, and make right decisions for the > downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his > mouth, and order the wicked to be executed. > Justice will be like a belt around his waist, integrity will be like a > belt around his hips. > > A wolf will reside with a lamb, and a leopard will lie down with a young > goat; an ox and a young lion will graze together, as a small child leads > them along. A cow and a bear will graze together, their young will lie > down together. > > A lion, like an ox, will eat straw. A baby will play over the hole of a > snake; over the nest of a serpent an infant will put his hand. They will > no longer injure or destroy on my entire royal mountain. For there will > be universal submission to the Lord’s sovereignty, just as the waters > completely cover the sea. > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > > ----------------------------------------- This email was sent using FREE Catholic Online Webmail! http://webmail.catholic.org/