Elon Musk wants to put human beings on the planet Mars. He's not alone. NASA aims to send astronauts to Mars as well. But what if we make it? What sort of world would we turn Mars into? Actually, we already know the answer--and there's a lot we can learn by exploring just how we know. Join us for this episode of Tomorrow's World where we explain How to Build a New World. ♪ Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow's World, where we help you make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible.
And "your world"--for right now, at least-- consists of only one world: the one we enjoy right here on good ol' planet Earth. But many are looking to expand that list of possible worlds to include the planet Mars. We'll discuss the prospects of that in just a moment. We'll also be offering you a copy of today's free resource, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? A detailed, biblical look at how Jesus Christ will transform our world after He returns.
Keep an eye out throughout the program for the information you'll need to get your copy. Would you like to travel to another world? Well, some very wealthy, very powerful individuals and organizations are very invested in trying to make such a possibility a reality--and possibly within your lifetime.
Multibillionaire Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla suggested in 2022 that he would land a manned mission to Mars as early as 2029 and released a video in 2023 depicting one of his planned Starship spacecraft landing on the planet and joining a thriving and growing human colony. But Mr. Musk isn't alone. America's NASA is working on its own efforts to put a manned mission on the Red Planet.
Through their Artemis program, NASA plans to establish humanity's first long-term base on the Moon. And there, they plan to learn what it takes to establish a base on Mars. I'll be honest--I find these missions fascinating. From the earliest days I can remember, the idea of mankind placing colonies on another world has gripped my imagination. Yet even for a relatively close planet like Mars, the technological challenges are formidable.
For one, the trip to Mars could take six to seven months, during which the European Space Agency estimates astronauts would be potentially exposed to 700 times the amount of radiation we're normally exposed to on earth. And surviving the long, lonely, and dangerous trip there isn't the hardest part. Mars may be the most earth-like planet in the solar system, but it is not even close to hospitable.
Even at the relatively "temperate" equator, the temperatures drop to -100 degrees Fahrenheit or -73 degrees Celsius, for our metric friends. The air on Mars is as thin as you'd find 21 miles above the surface of the earth, and 96% of it is carbon dioxide, with oxygen making up less than two-tenths of a percent. But, for the moment, let's set all of that aside. Let's suppose that we made it.
Let's imagine that humanity--whether the United States, or Elon Musk followers, or anyone else--has been able land craft on Mars and build a permanent settlement. In fact, imagine that settlement 100 years in the future. Even 500 years. All technological challenges met and surpassed--a large, thriving, new outpost for humankind.
That is, imagine we've achieved our wildest dreams, conquered the final frontier, and successfully transplanted humanity and human civilization from the planet Earth to the planet Mars. In such futuristic outposts, what should we expect to see?
I don't mean what technology should we expect to see. That could be anything-- domed cities, environmental reengineering machinery, new forms of transportation. No, I mean in terms of the civilization, itself-- the people--the citizens of our new interplanetary metropolises, their lives, their relationships. What should we expect to see concerning human life on this new world? Or maybe I should ask the question differently.
Is there any reason we should expect life on Mars to be fundamentally different from life here? Troubled relationships? Broken families? Government corruption? Educational confusion and nonsense? Political rancor? Crime? Theft? Murders? Rapes? Because no matter what new and fantastic technology we might invent and deploy there, the one common element in our imagined civilization on Mars and very real civilization here on Earth is us--human beings. And thousands of years of experience teach us an
We don't know how to live together on our own world--how do we expect to know how to build a new one? If we one day begin building new worlds on other planets, the key import we will bring with us is ourselves. And with us, we bring all the same spiritual problems we have allowed to corrupt and corrode our civilization here: Lust. Greed. Hate. Envy. Covetousness. Deceit. Pride. Malice. Arrogance. Bigotry. Cruelty. Hedonism. Selfish ambition.
No matter where we take ourselves in this universe, those terrible facets of human nature will ride alongside us as unwelcome, but inevitable, stowaways. Why is that? Why are such self-destructive vices so inevitable in our world? Is there a way to build a truly better, new world? Yes, there is. But understanding how to do that will first require us to answer a different question: Why is our current world the way it is? Believe it or not, the answer to that question is a simple one.
And understanding the answer points us to the only way to create a new and better world. We'll discuss that answer in a moment. First, I want to take a moment to offer you our free resource, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? Many believe that Jesus Christ will return, but very few understand just what He will do after He returns. This book lays out Christ's plans for the world, as revealed in the pages of your Bible.
If the return of Christ matters to you, then few things can be more important than understanding exactly how He plans to transform this world after His return-- and the role that you personally can play in that divine plan. You need this unique and eye-opening free booklet. Request your copy of The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? right now, and I'll be right back to reveal why building a bright, new world remains elusively outside our grasp. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ Welcome back. In our last segment, we pointed out that there's no rational reason to believe that we won't make any new world just like the old world. Whatever civilization we were to build on Mars would be little more than "the same old, same old." Experience teaches us that wherever we go, we take our problems with us.
The key to solving that problem is to understand why our world is the way it is. And the reason why has to do with the foundation on which our world is built. In Psalm 11:3, King David asks, "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The answer is assumed to be obvious: "Nothing." If the foundations are broken, then nothing of lasting value can be built upon them. And as we will see, the foundations on which we continue to try to build our world are utterly broken.
To understand why, we have to go back to the beginning of our civilization-- the very beginning. We see that beginning in the book of Genesis, when God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.
In Genesis 1 and verse 26, we read the following: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'" Man was to be given full control over the whole world and everything in it. That was because humanity had a very special purpose to fulfill.
Continue in verse 27: "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Unlike all the animals, each created according to their kind, man was created after the God kind--designed to reflect his Creator and, ultimately, to become fully like his Creator. But becoming like the Creator requires more than just being in His likeness and image. It requires building His own character. And building character requires choice.
So, God planted two trees in the Garden of Eden that would present man with a choice: to obey or disobey... "And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
...And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'" And, if you know the rest of the story, then you know Adam chose to eat of the wrong tree. His wife, Eve, was deceived by the devil to do so, but when she gave fruit from the forbidden tree to Adam, the Apostle Paul tells us that "Adam was not deceived."
He knew what he was doing, and he willingly chose to disobey God. That single act laid the foundation for all of human history and civilization. God had given Adam and Eve, the first humans, all they could ever want: a safe, beautiful paradise, honest labor, fellowship with their Creator, and a future family to grow and nurture. They had only to obey their Creator's loving will. But Adam chose otherwise.
In choosing to purposefully eat from the forbidden tree, Adam told God, in effect, "Not Your will, God, but mine." Adam rejected God's will in favor of his own. And, really, if you and I are honest about it, we've made the same choice ourselves from time to time. Choosing our own will over God's express will is sin. And the Bible assures us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
And that statement--"Not Your will, God, but mine"-- is the fundamental basis of virtually every human institution we see around us today. In government, we see lip service paid to God-- in America, for instance, politicians like to say things like "God bless America," but they don't want to seek His blessings in their laws and policies.
In the ivory towers of academia, credentialed elites tend to believe they've outgrown God and constantly come up with humanly devised codes of ethics and morality that result in little more than continued moral rot. Calling the entertainment industry a cesspool is an insult to cesspools.
And--as shocking as this may seem--our religions, even the vast majority of so-called "Christianity," is filled with ideas and philosophies of mere human beings and pagan superstitions--not a devotion to the word of God over human tradition. The foundation of our collapsing society can be summed up in that single phrase: "Not Your will, God, but mine."
And understanding that foundation of our current world is the key to understanding how to build a new world, a good world, a world to last for eternity. We'll explore how to do that in the next segment of our program. But first, let me give you another very brief opportunity to request today's free resource, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
Christ's return is closer now than it has ever been, bringing with it a time Jesus called "the regeneration" and Peter called the "restoration of all things." Jesus' reign is not a mystery-- in fact, the Bible is filled with details about that future world. The hope of the world Jesus Christ will bring with Him tomorrow is a hope that has the power to transform your world today. You need this unique and eye-opening free booklet.
Request your copy today, and I'll be right back to explain the only foundation on which we can ever build a truly new world. ♪ This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now! Or go to... ♪ In our last segment, we noted that the foundation of our collapsing and decaying world can be summarized in the statement "Not Your will God, but mine."
For millennia, mankind has sought to build its own world its own way--never committing to do it God's way--not fully. Since we can't build a new world on a broken foundation, we have only one choice: Remove that foundation and replace it with a good one. And Jesus Christ provides that foundation. We see it revealed in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night Jesus was to be betrayed and ultimately delivered up to crucifixion.
As His disciples slept that night, Jesus pleaded before His Father in prayer. Knowing the pain and agony to come, He knelt there in the garden and asked His Father if there was any other way that Their great plan could be accomplished. Like any of us would, He did not want to be tortured to death for hours. He did not want to go through the agonizing trial and cruel, lonely, excruciating death that lay ahead. Yet, in all His passionate pleading, His focus and resolve never wavered.
Even in the face of one of the cruelest executions mankind has devised, He told God in prayer, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." That is the foundation on which new worlds can be built. Surrounded by paradise and comfort, Adam told God, "Not Your will, God, but mine." Yet, facing agony, suffering, and a torturous death, Jesus told God, "Not My will, Father, but Yours."
That, my friends, is the only foundation on which a new world of true, unending peace, joy, hope, and love can ever be built. It is the very opposite of the foundation today's world is built on-- but it will be the rock-solid foundation of tomorrow's world. Our free booklet today, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? goes into detail in page after page about that coming, beautiful world Jesus Christ will build on that foundation.
Let me just read a few excepts from the booklet describing that new and beautiful world... On page 12, the late Roderick C. Meredith-- long time evangelist of Jesus Christ--writes of this new world ahead of us, built on a brand new foundation: Yes, we will have peace and prosperity when everyone learns to obey God's commandments. Then the world will be blessed with physical abundance. The sick and the crippled will be healed. The spiritually blinded millions will come to really know God.
The human beings on earth under God's government during Christ's millennial reign are pictured as learning to sing, dance, and shout for joy at the wonderful way of life they will experience under the perfect government of God. As we have seen, even the nature of wild animals will be turned to peacefulness. At last, people will learn that it really is more blessed to give than to receive. All their frustrations and guilt complexes will at last disappear.
Then they will come to know "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding." Under God's government and His perfect laws, people will learn that Jesus meant business when He said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
Later, on page 26, speaking further about the 1,000-year reign of Christ and His saints, he writes, During the Millennium, the entire approach to agriculture and health will be vastly changed from the emphasis we see today in many "mega-farmers" and agro-businesses. Today, profits reign supreme, at the expense of food quality and health. But in the world ahead, with the living Jesus Christ directly in charge, farmers will have what the Bible calls the "fear of God" guiding them.
They will be willing--even eager--to genuinely serve their fellow human beings in how they produce and distribute agricultural commodities. These are only a few examples--our booklet, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? goes into so many more. Suffice it to say that what God intended the world to be, illustrated in the abundant and beautiful Garden of Eden, will be restored.
It will be, in a very real sense, a new world-- built by the returned Son of God and His glorified followers, guiding, directing, and teaching mankind for 1,000 years. Instead of the broken, plagued world we've always known, mankind will experience a world of peace, joy, health, and abundance. All because the new world ahead will have been built
"Not my will, God, but Yours." How we long for Christ to return and that day to come, as Jesus Christ taught us to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Once you know how to build a truly new world, and how beautiful and joyous that new world will be, it's hard to wait. And on that front, I have very good news, which I'll share in our last segment.
Before that, let me give you one more opportunity to request today's free resource, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? This booklet discusses in remarkable detail the world Jesus Christ will build after His return. In its pages, you will see biblical explanations of
Education, Entertainment, Religion, Agriculture, Health, Environment, Government, and Who Will Reign. And you'll see why and how you can be an intimate part in helping Jesus Christ accomplish all these wonders. There is nothing out there quite like this unique free resource, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? Request your free copy right now, and I'll be right back to explain why you don't have to wait until Christ returns to experience the hope of that new world to come. Don't go away.
♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Six inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... ♪ In our last segment, we saw that the only foundation on which a truly new world can ever be built is an utter and complete submission to the will of God in obedience and love. As Jesus Christ said, "Not My will, but Yours."
And unless Elon Musk or NASA plan on building on that foundation, expect any civilizations we build on Mars to be mere reruns of the horrors we've created here on earth. Different planet, same humanity, and same devastating problems. But the world Jesus Christ will establish after His return will be built on that new foundation-- transforming the world and then, afterward, the entire cosmos.
As Paul tells us in Romans 8, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."
Indeed, eventually all of creation--the entire universe--will get to experience the liberation that comes with being ruled by the divine Family of God, which will include the glorified followers of Jesus Christ, who are eager to build on the new foundation that their Savior had laid. So, yes, even Mars may finally get its shot. But we do not have to wait until Christ returns to begin knowing the joy of building a new world.
None of us may control a whole planet right now, but we each have our own world--our own families, our own spheres of influence, our own lives-- in which we can begin to build anew. We can experience, in our own worlds, now, a taste of the joy, hope, peace, and happiness that awaits the rest of the world at the Savior's return. All that is required is to begin building that new world in our lives now is the choice to begin building on that new foundation: "Not my will, God, but Yours."
We need only to repent. Give up our sins. Ask God for forgiveness. Give up our devotion to doing things our way, and ask God to help us begin doing things His way-- the way Jesus Christ would do them. And with every step we take in doing so, we will find the blossoms of that new world growing beneath our feet, and bringing with them the aroma of the world tomorrow that Christ is bringing with Him. There is a vibrant community of commandment-keeping Christians who are striving to do just that.
If you've come to the point that you wish to set aside your own ways and your own will and truly abandon yourself to obedience to God's will and commands, you may want to counsel with one of our dedicated ministers around the world. If so, you can call the number on your screen, or contact the regional office nearest to you, listed on our website at TomorrowsWorld.org. I hope you'll consider it. And I hope you'll request today's free resource, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
And, of course, I hope you'll come back next week. When you do, you'll find Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod McNair, and me, right here waiting for you-- ready to teach you about the teachings of Jesus Christ, the prophecies of the days just ahead of us, and the beautiful Gospel of God's Kingdom in Tomorrow's World. Until then, take care. ♪ For today's free offer call... Or go to...
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. ♪ The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God. ♪ Do you have the feeling our world is going in the wrong direction? Where can you turn to make sense of a world that is spinning out of control? Join over 450,000 loyal readers and enjoy peace of mind knowing what's ahead. In times like these we need real answers. Clarity not confusion.
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