From: "Beverly French" <frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us>
To: "Heritage" <gheritage.ga@verizon.net>
Subject: Blessings To All
Date: Sunday, June 30, 2002 7:01 AM

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God'..."Psalm 14:1 and 53:1

What does Scriptures say of one who says 'there is no God'?

Scripture calls that person a fool and gives us the characteristics of such
a one.  He is:
Corrupt:
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'  They are corrupt, and
have done abominable iniquity; there
is none who does good." Psalm 53:1

Slanderer:
"Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
 And whoever spread slander is a fool."  Proverbs 10:18

Mocks at sin:
"To do evil is like sport to a fool..."  Proverbs 10:23
"Fools mock at sin..."  Proverbs 14:9

Despises instruction:
"A fool rejects (despises) his father's discipline (instruction)..."
Proverbs 15:5

Contentiousness (quarrelsome):
"A fool's lip's enter into contention,
 And his mouth calls for blows.
 A fool's mouth is his destruction,
 And his lips are the snare of his soul."  Proverbs 18:6-7

Confident in self:
"He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a
[self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall
be delivered."  Proverbs 28:26

Hypocrite:
"But the Lord said to him, 'Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup
and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.
Foolish one!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?"
Luke 11:39-40

This week there was a great uproar over the decision by the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals to declare 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance
unconstitutional. The suit was brought by a self described atheist (one who
denies the existence of God).   It was reassuring to see the nation stands
firm against such a ruling and those who continue to whittle away at the
things that are of God.

"If...My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and
seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven,
will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:14
Let us do just that and continue to pray for our nation and for our leaders
that they would seek God's wisdom in all decision making.  Is it not the
Psalmist who said,
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..."   Psalm 33:12

And let us also pray that those who are unbelieving and do not know that
"God so loved the world He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in (trusts in, relies on,
clings to) Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
For only God can soften and invade those hearts with truth.

The Psalmist also says AND DON'T WE KNOW IT!,
"How blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, to be envied) are the people
whose God is the Lord!"
Psalm 144:15b

With grateful hearts let the Church worship and adore our God and Savior.
Amen.