Atheist Paranoia

Joshua S. Black, when addressing an atheist said, "For people who don't believe in God, you guys sure are paranoid about something!!" How true that is. I have known many atheists, and I have found them to be totally committed to their negative cause. They are zealots, fanatics--who are serious, angry, hateful, and blasphemous towards something they don't believe in. And what's more, they spend their time gathering fuel for the fire of their hatred for God and those that love Him. They gather what they think is legitimate fuel, whether it is atrocities committed by hypocritical religions of history, or the horrors of the Inquisition (the Catholic church torturing Christians for their faith in Jesus). They even gather unintelligent and unscientific material. It qualifies for use because it fits their presuppositions. Any fuel will do, as long at it puts smoke between them and the God they hate "without cause." It was Jonathon Miller who said, "In some awful, strange, paradoxical way, atheists tend to take religion more seriously than the practitioners." So, what is this "something" about which they are so paranoid? It is the same "something" that makes criminals paranoid, and it is that paranoia that fuels criminals to have a deep-rooted hatred for the police. It's not the individual officer they hate; it's what he stands for--civil law. And that's the root of the hatred that the atheist has for God and for those that represent Him. Once again, the Bible has said this all along. It hits the nail on its big and hard head: Romans 8:7: ". . . because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God's Law; indeed it cannot" (Amplified Bible). They hate the morality that God's Law demands. That's the fuel for their hostility.

This is Just for Men

Someone once asked me the question "What's the difference between in-laws and outlaws?" The answer was that outlaws are wanted. I am fortunate, because I have wonderful in-laws who love the Lord. Some people don't, and it's a scary fact of life that a man doesn't just marry a wife, he marries her whole family, and he may therefore have a life-time of rubbing shoulders with people he doesn't like. The unwanted in-laws problem can put a strain on any marriage, but as Christians, the love of God in us can help solve the problem (Jesus said to love our enemies). A lack of finances can be another strain. A big one. So don't let covetousness and credit cards pull you into debt. Contentment is born out of thanksgiving, contentment is the enemy of greed. If a burglar tries to break into your house, don't send your wife to the door. As a man, you could never do that. So, don't send your wife to the door spiritually. Take the lead. Don't let the thief who came to kill, steal and destroy, steal time with your wife and destroy your marriage. You initiate prayer together. You read the Scriptures with her daily. And here's something else that will help your marriage. It's a principle that took me years to learn. When your wife has a problem on her mind, just let her talk it out. Don't offer solutions. Zip it. I know it's hard, but believe it or not, she doesn't want a solution. She just wants a listening ear. I know it sounds strange, but we are talking about a different species here. Do you like messing around in a women's shoe store for hours? Nope. She does. Do you like talking while the TV is on? Nope. She does. Do you give every tiny detail about a new born baby? She does. They are a different species. So deal with it and just listen. It works. For further instruction about both men and women, see, 101 Things That Husbands Do To Annoy Their Wives. Sue helped me write it in ten minutes.

Memory Bank

Can you recall your very first memory? Mine was as a four year-old in kindergarten. We had to line up for a class photograph and as I was the shortest, I was taken to the front and made to sit crossed legged holding the class sign. I find the subject of memory banks incredibly fascinating. In a second I can withdraw memoirs from the bank and re-spend them. Smells, songs, or something I see can trigger a pleasant or a painful memory. Of course, like so many things we take for granted, the memory process is truly amazing. Think of a pleasant memory. Perhaps it's your house as a child. If you close your eyes and concentrate enough, you can actually walk through the door of your old house, into the kitchen, down the hall, into your bedroom and look at things, all within the corridors of your mind. There's also a fearful side to this. The memory has also recorded every sin we have ever committed. Yet, as a Christian I thank God that He knows nothing about them. The Bible says that He has forgotten my sins. However, there is the thought that if God is all-knowing, then He will know exactly what He has forgotten. So the only way we can reconcile His forgetting with His omniscience is to realize that He has annihilated our sins, through the blood of Christ. They no longer exist. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." They have been removed as far as the east is from the west. That's an infinite distance. If I am at the South Pole and head north, I will eventually hit the North Pole. But if I head towards the east, I will never find the west. It's in the opposite direction. So, because of the cross the sins of those who trust in Jesus are at an infinite distance from the mind of God. Praise the Lord for that. Now there's a massive understatement.