{"id":11017,"date":"2016-04-01T16:15:17","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T20:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=11017"},"modified":"2018-04-03T08:07:34","modified_gmt":"2018-04-03T12:07:34","slug":"april-1-national-atheists-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=11017","title":{"rendered":"April 1: National Atheist’s Day!"},"content":{"rendered":"

On April 1, 2016, the following message was posted on our signboard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

APRIL 1:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

NATIONAL <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

ATHEIST’S DAY!<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\"Signboard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

April First, like any other first day of the month, ushers in a new month.\u00a0 It demands that we turn the page on our calendar.\u00a0 But when that first day comes in the month of April, it takes on a special meaning:\u00a0 April Fools Day!<\/p>\n

Now, that’s not a religious holiday.\u00a0 We just wrapped up the season of Lent and celebrated the wonder of Easter.\u00a0 We celebrate these Holy Days because the Bible speaks about them.\u00a0 In fact, to say that the Bible “speaks about” Easter is a gross understatement!<\/p>\n

Because it “speaks to us” about them, the Bible prompts us to observe many other special days such as Christmas,\u00a0 Pentecost, and April Fools Day.<\/p>\n

April Fools Day?!?<\/span><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 That’s not in the Bible!<\/p>\n

Well, in a very real way, the Bible does warn us about April Fools Day.\u00a0 Take a look at Psalm 53:1-3…<\/p>\n

The fool<\/span> says in his heart, “There is no God.<\/span>“<\/span><\/strong>
\n They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

God looks down from heaven on the sons of men <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt;<\/span><\/strong>
\n there is no one who does good…<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We are living in a Day which isn’t immune from some serious foolishness!\u00a0 Here are some other things the Bible says about Fools…<\/p>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\tThe way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice…<\/p>\n

Prov 12:15\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tA wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil,\u00a0 but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.<\/p>\n

Prov 14:16\u00a0\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe tongue of the wise commends knowledge,\u00a0 but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.<\/p>\n

Prov 15:2\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tA fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions.<\/p>\n

Prov 18:2\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tDo not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.<\/p>\n

Prov 23:9\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tHe who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.<\/p>\n

Prov 28:26\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tThe wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness;<\/p>\n

Eccl 2:14\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t

\n\t\t\tFor the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil:<\/p>\n

He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the Lord;\u00a0 Isa 32:6\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\n

Doesn’t that sound like our own day and age?\u00a0 People don’t seek wisdom as much as they seek to have their own opinion accepted.\u00a0 If there are things we don’t understand, we tend to accept the little we do understand as fact.\u00a0 Then we spread our own misunderstanding by encouraging others to believe our wrong conclusions.<\/p>\n

What do we trust in?\u00a0 Do we trust in God’s wisdom or in our own Human Reason?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Atheism…\u00a0 Foolishness?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Let’s return to Psalm 53:1.\u00a0 This verse tells us that if you adhere to atheism, you’re being foolish!\u00a0 The common thread running through all of the Foolish things listed above is that the Fool bases reality totally<\/span><\/em> upon human understanding.\u00a0 In other words, if something can’t be explained by science or human wisdom, it must not be true.\u00a0 The Fool comes to one of the following conclusions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I’ve studied this and I understand the science.\u00a0 I’m convinced- it’s true!<\/li>\n
  2. I don’t understand it myself, but people I trust believe, it so it must be true.<\/li>\n
  3. I’ve tried. I can’t understand it and nobody can explain it.\u00a0 Therefore it must not be true.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Apostle Paul wrote quite a bit about this in his letter to the Romans (1:18-25)…<\/p>\n

    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,\u00a0 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.\u00a0 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities \u2014 his eternal power and divine nature \u2014 have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. <\/span><\/p>\n

    For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.\u00a0 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools\u00a0 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.\u00a0 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator \u2014 who is forever praised.\u00a0<\/span> NIV\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><\/div>\n

    Science can’t explain our almighty all knowing Creator-God.\u00a0 And yet, in some way that we can’t understand, God has placed knowledge about Himself in us.\u00a0 We have no excuse, even if we have no explanation.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    How’d That Happen???<\/span><\/h3>\n

    \"galaxies-601015_400x300\"<\/p>\n

    Take a look at the vastness of the stars.\u00a0 Or take a look at the intricacy of a butterfly.\u00a0 Science wants us to believe that because nature has been trying so long, the wonders of creation were bound to happen eventually.\u00a0 If you flip a coin you have a 50\/50 chance of it coming up heads.\u00a0 But, in theory, your odds are just a tad less; the coin could land on its edge.\u00a0 It might be a 1 in a million chance, but if you keep flipping it for a million years, it will eventually land on its edge.\u00a0 Is that how the world came into being?<\/p>\n

    We try to explain creation by believing that time is able to beat the odds.\u00a0 If someone attributes creation to God, the person of “reason” assumes that God is a superstitious figment of imagination.\u00a0 We only resort to God when we haven’t yet discovered the “true” scientific cause.<\/p>\n

    But, how do we know that we humans are actually capable of understanding things we haven’t discovered?\u00a0 Are our minds and our senses able to understand what is currently not understood?\u00a0 Is it logical (or reasonable) to assume that we humans are able to understand everything?<\/p>\n

    If you believe that we do have that capability, that we can explain everything without “resorting” to God, then take another look at the verses scrolling above.\u00a0 If you believe that it all happened without God:\u00a0 maybe you should wish yourself a happy “April Fools Day!”<\/p>\n

    +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 +<\/span><\/p>\n

    For more Signboard Messages, click this button:\u00a0 Signboard<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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    For more thoughts on Our Awesome God, check out the following sermon:<\/p>\n

    What an Awesome God! (8\/3\/14)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n