Fools Holiday

~ The Atheists Holiday ~            

The following is from an unknown source.

An atheist was quite incensed over the preparation for Easter and Passover holidays, and decided to contact the local ACLU about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays, while the atheists had no holidays for them to celebrate.  The ACLU jumped on the opportunity to once again pick up the cause of the downtrodden and assigned their sharpest attorney to the case.

The case was brought up before a learned judge, who after listening to the passionate presentation by the ACLU representative, promptly banged his gavel and said, “Case dismissed!”  The ACLU lawyer stood up and objected to the ruling, and said, “Your honor, how can you dismiss this case?  Surely the Christians have Christmas, Easter, and many other observances.  And the Jews—why, in addition to Passover, they have Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, and yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!”

The judge leaned back in his chair and simply said, “Obviously your client is too confused to know about, or for that matter, even celebrate the Atheists holiday!”  The ACLU lawyer pompously said, “We are aware of no such holiday for atheists.  Just when might that be?”  The judge said, “Well, it comes every year at the same time:  April 1st!”

The Word of God Says  ~  “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1a).  This is repeated, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 53:1a).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Guilty!

~ Guilt—Spiritual Pain ~

Universal Guilt  ~  C.S. Lewis once said, “no man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” 

The Bad In Guilt  ~  Guilt causes us to feel defeated, left untreated (not dealt with) it can lead to depression and all kinds of problems—including physical, mental, and emotional ailments. 

The Good In Guilt  ~  Guilt unlocks the door to forgiveness—in other words guilt serves a great purpose.  We need guilt! 

We learn a lot about guilt in the first chapter of 1 John.

The Truth About Guilt  ~  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).  “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Similar to pain guilt is a warning that something is wrong.  Guilt is like spiritual pain (as opposed to physical pain).  Guilt tells the truth about us, we feel guilty because we are guilty.  Guilt opens the door for obtaining forgiveness.  

The Solution To Guilt  ~  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 

There has only been one Guiltless Individual on earth.  We know that He was “tempted in all points as we are yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). 

Additional Comment  ~  God does not “grade on a curve.”  How many bank robberies does it take to make one guilty?

We learn a lot about guilt and the solution for guilt from the Apostle Paul in the seventh chapter of the Book of Romans.

The Apostle Paul’s Problem  ~  Paul tells us he was well aware of his own personal guilt but he also tells us that he knew the solution, “What I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. …  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. …  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:15-23). 

The Apostle Paul’s Solution  ~  “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25). 

The Apostle Paul knew Jesus Christ personally and he had learned the truth of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up [on the Cross], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus Christ—The Messiah], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:14-18).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).

Identity in Christ, 13

~ I Am a Witness for Christ ~

Introduction  ~  When Christians understand the various characteristics and aspects of the birthright which came with their second birth, they comprehend their identity in Christ.  Once Christians understand their identity, their destiny is also clear!  This series of “Abundant Life Now” posts will look at one of those facets each week. 

This Week’s Verse  ~  Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

~~~ EXPLANATORY “IDENTITY IN CHRIST” NOTES ~~~  

(1)  Each Monday ALN posts an example of Scripture’s description of aspects/characteristics of Christians—those who have personally trusted in Jesus Christ, The Messiah, as their personal Savior.

(2)  This series is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

(3)  God the Father described Himself to Moses as the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  God the Son also said “I AM” (John 8:58). 

(4)  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and several times in the Gospel of John He refers to Himself as “I am.”  “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35-51), “I am the Light of the World” (8:12, 9:5), “I am the Door” (10:7-9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11-14), “I am the Son of God” (10:36), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (14:6), “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me … Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me” (John 14:10-11), and “I am the True Vine” (15:1-5). 

(5)  Individual Christians are also sons and daughters of God.  This series will show some of the various “I am” aspects of a Christian. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .