Can God's Existence Be Proved? - Part 1 of 2

Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, author and blogger in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of Stand To Reason, a Christian evangelical organization dedicated to the articulation and defense of the Christian worldview.

Can God's Existence Be Proved? - Part 1 of 2

Everything Comes Down To Poo

Here is a clip from one of my all-time FAVORITE shows Scrubs. The acting/directing for this show is brilliant! This clip can always put a smile on my face and it is one of the many "musical" bits featured on Scrubs. Enjoy ...and laugh!

Intentional Prayer

I stink at this.

Honestly, I lack in the praying department big time.

Prayer, for one reason or another, is difficult for me to do. I seem to be that guy that says, "Oh, don't worry, I'll be praying for you," and then never follows through. The only time I seem to pray, is when someone is doing it for me. There seems to be a block in communication between myself and the Big Guy upstairs.

Any simple, intentional prayer ideas? I'll be praying for your responses ;) Dang it. Probably not. See!

Mowing

As of last week, it is officially mowing season!

Being a school teacher, mowing has never really been a burden (summers off...yes!). Actually, I find it rather relaxing. You get to be outside. You can listen to music. You can wave at your neighbors and not have to stop to chat. Just kidding :)

This summer I will be mowing our yard and both sets of grandparent's yards. I'll be a mowing fool. This will be the first summer that I haven't worked summer school. Should be a nice break and RELAXING!

Sharpen those blades!

What Can I Say?

Liberals...Party-Poopers Since God Knows When

So recently, I wrote a post that vented my opinions on the political philosophy (and a seemingly disastrous way of life) known as Liberalism. Over the past week or so, I have been jotting down ways in which the liberal agenda has literally destroyed our "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness." Here are some of those items (along with some commentary):

*Prayer - Taken out of our court rooms, our government establishments, schools, hospitals, etc.
*Lead Paint - Man, all of those generations before us must be filled with lead!
*Low Flush Toilets - When they start regulating your toilet water, you know we're in deep crap (no pun intended).
*Aerosol Cans - My hairspray burned a hole in the ozone layer!
*Paper Bags - First they were in, then they were out, now they are back in...
*Oat bran - Huh?
*Coffee - It will kill you. Now, you need it to survive. Those silly scientists!
*ethanol - Put this in your car or else...
*Global Warming - Liberals say Conservatives are using fear tactics for the Iraq War, what the heck do you call Global Warming then? What the liberal media hasn't reported is that the Earth's temperature has actually DECREASED a degree. Thanks Al Gore :(
*Incandescent light bulbs - Global Warming!
*Balloons - Supposedly, a balloon fell into a lake and killed a fish. Result = several states banning balloons
*Outdoor Lighting - Light pollution...seriously?
*Cutting Trees - Apparently I have to ask to cut a tree down on my property. "Excuse me kind sir, may I chop down the tree in MY backyard?"
*Trans fat - It's called self-discipline.
*Coconut Oil - How dare you pop your popcorn in coconut oil.
*Smoking - I hate smoking as much as the next person, but I also believe cigarettes with tracking devices will be the next "it" thing.
*DDT - What was supposed to save millions of lives, killed millions of lives. Again, those silly scientists.
*Helmets - Pretty soon you'll be required, by law, to wear them while playing whiffle ball.
*Monkey Bars - Gone
*High Slides - Too high
*Toy guns - A few not so smart burglars, thousands of unhappy kids.
*Seat Belts - Wear it or be fined. Wear it or be dead was apparently not working?
*Garbage disposals - NC just recently tried to ban them.
*Rare Meat - You can't eat that! Yes I can! No you can't! OK!
*Firecrackers - You'll shoot your eye out!
*Diving Boards - No diving allowed.
Tag on the playground - Self-esteem issues, nobody wants to be "it."
Dodgeball - Too dangerous!
Touch Football - Too physical!

*And finally, starting in California (Home of Liberalism), Teachers may no longer refer to children's parents as Mom, Dad, Father, Mother, Spouse, etc. We must now refer to them as partners. Speechless...

Home of the free? If I can pray in school, then yes. Home of the brave? Are your helmets on? Then, yes.

Why is Jesus the Only Way?

Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, author and blogger in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of Stand To Reason, a Christian evangelical organization dedicated to the articulation and defense of the Christian worldview.

Why is Jesus the only way?

Weekend Inspiration Vol. 9

From Alone in Majesty by William MacDonald:

"It is overpowering to think of all the knowledge of God. In our generation, we have witnessed an enormous knowledge explosion. In science, literature, philosophy, geography, history, and every other sphere, new books pour out in seemingly endless procession. Our libraries are glutted. Specialization is the name of the game. Experts are proficient in only a small field; they can never hope to cover the spectrum. But God has full knowledge of everything in heaven and on earth, and He doles this knowledge out to people in thimblefuls.

Whenever He does, these people are promptly acclaimed discoverers.

But there is still so much we do not know. Though we can travel to the moon, we can't understand how a bee can fly. Though we can transplant human hearts, we can't cure the common cold. We can conquer outer space, but we cannot conquer inner space. We can make war, but we can not make peace. We know so much, and yet we know so little. With God there are no mysteries, no insoluble problems, no puzzle...

This attribute of God should have a profound effect on our lives. How we should honor the Lord as we muse on the infinite dimensions of His knowledge! How we should sing Him praises!"

Personality Type

According to a quick personality test, this is me:

Life as an INFJ

(Introvert, Intuitive, Feeler, Judger)

People of this type tend to be: creative, original, and independent; thoughtful, warm, and sensitive; global thinkers with great passion for their unique vision; cautious, deliberate, and planful; organized, productive, and decisive; reserved and polite.

The most important thing to INFJs is their ideas, and being faithful to their vision.

How to Spot INFJs:

* reserved, proper, and cautious at first
* creative, visionary, and complex
* decisive with strong convictions and values
* thoughtful, figurative language


What's your personality type? Take this short quiz to find out:

http://www.personalitytype.com/quiz.html

Addicted

I LOVE Crystal Light On the Go Lemonade. Seriously, I might even buy stock in the stuff. Ever since I kicked the pop (or soda for my southern brethren) habit, I have been drinking more and more healthier products. I have never been a huge fan of water because of the "blah" taste, but I love sugar-free flavored water. Products like Propel, Fuze, Crystal Light, and other flavored water items. It is amazing how much better you feel when you simply cut sugary drinks from your diet.

So, what have you found to be your healthy drink of choice? Anything good out there that is worth the money and good for your body?

Why Does/Doesn't God Answer Injustice?

Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, author and blogger in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of Stand To Reason, a Christian evangelical organization dedicated to the articulation and defense of the Christian worldview.

Why does/doesn't God answer injustice?

Softball

So, I finally did it...

I joined a softball league!!!

For years, I have wanted to put my competitive drive into something dealing with athletics. Growing up, I was always VERY competitive when it came to sports (I was that guy that went full go in gym class and then went to class sweaty...sweet). I was an All-Ohioan in Track and Field in high school and then competed collegiately in the same sport. Ever since I stopped running in 2003, I have been DYING to get back into sports. Any sport!

So, this past week I joined a men's softball league in Massillon which starts on May 12 and goes through the summer. Nothing better than roaming the outfield with grass stains on my knees and the sun going down behind me on a warm summer night....

ahhhhh, sports. Where would we be without them? That is a cruel world I never want to know ;)

Weekend Inspiration Vol. 8

He's Been There by Max Lucado


“. . . shall not perish but have eternal life . . .”

On a trip to China, I rode past Tiananmen Square in a bus full of Westerners. We tried to recollect the causes and consequences of the revolt. Our knowledge of history was embarrassing. One gave one date; another gave a different one. One person remembered a certain death toll; someone else disagreed. All this time our translator remained silent.

Finally one of us asked her, “Do you remember anything about the Tiananmen Square revolt?”

Her answer was solemn. “Yes, I was a part of it.”

We quickly grew quiet as she gave firsthand recollections of the bloodshed and oppression. We listened, because she’d been there.

We who follow Christ do so for the same reason. He’s been there . . .

He’s been to Bethlehem, wearing barn rags and hearing sheep crunch. Suckling milk and shivering against the cold. All of divinity content to cocoon itself in an eight-pound body and to sleep on a cow’s supper. Millions who face the chill of empty pockets or the fears of sudden change turn to Christ. Why?

Because he’s been there.

He’s been to Nazareth, where he made deadlines and paid bills; to Galilee, where he recruited direct reports and separated fighters; to Jerusalem, where he stared down critics and stood up against cynics.

We have our Nazareths as well—demands and due dates. Jesus wasn’t the last to build a team; accusers didn’t disappear with Jerusalem’s temple. Why seek Jesus’s help with your challenges? Because he’s been there. To Nazareth, to Galilee, to Jerusalem.

But most of all, he’s been to the grave. Not as a visitor, but as a corpse. Buried amidst the cadavers. Numbered among the dead. Heart silent and lungs vacant. Body wrapped and grave sealed. The cemetery. He’s been buried there.

You haven’t yet. But you will be. And since you will, don’t you need someone who knows the way out?

Kayley Updates...Again :)

Political Mess

Warning: No liberals were hurt in the writing of this post. Not all liberals are bad and not all conservatives are good. These are just my thoughts and I'm stickin' to 'em.

"If you are not a liberal at 20, you have no heart. If you are not a conservative at 40, you have no brain." ~Winston Churchill~

Many of you know that I am a political junky. I love the stuff. But first, to clear the air (for some), I consider myself a political moderate. I consider the term Conservative to be far right and the term Liberal to be far left. Neither of which I am. However, when it comes to politics, I truly believe that the “liberal” philosophy of governance is like that of a cancerous tumor. It may start off small and unnoticed, but in time that tumor will grow in size…damaging the basic system in place, draining the hope, and spreading irrecoverable filth.

I've spent many hours trying to right the modern liberal thought process, from its uncivilized embrace of harmful racial politics to its obsession with victimhood. Perhaps the most worrisome issue is their apparent incapacity to appreciate the geopolitical implications of the war in Iraq.

A little history first: During the 1893 Depression, President Grover Cleveland dismissed the idea of liberal social programs that would “build up” the economy. With 4 million American workers unemployed, Cleveland vetoed the plan for social foundations and, instead, reduced the burden on taxpayers nationwide. In his statement, Cleveland said, “Federal aid in such cases encourages an expectation of paternal care on the part of Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character.” This example is a classic case of everything that has went wrong over the past 114 years. To be blunt, the liberal cancer has spread.

During a recent ride home, I had the pleasure of listening to my daily talk radio station. On this particular day, the host opened the phone lines for caller comments. The topic? What have you personally done to scam the government? Over the next 20 minutes, I was appalled (but far from surprised) at the sickening state of this country. One caller discussed how people at his machinery job have no desire to work, so they routinely fake chronic injuries to collect disability pay. Some people had made more money sitting at home collecting government payouts then what they were actually making in the workforce. Others were tricking the welfare system by attending interviews with the intent of not getting the job just to fill a required monthly quota. Individuals had lied in front of a judge just to continue (or increase) child support. Basically, when a nation rises to success, we get comfortable. The rich get comfortable being rich. The poor get comfortable being poor. Why? Both ways work in this country. Entitlements, driven by the liberal think tank, provide comfort. Those entitlements snag the vote. Those entitlements keep people believing that there will always be more support, more comfort, and more opportunities to be lazy. Why work when the government does the work for you?

Now, are there impoverished people who really need government assistance? Most definitely. I’ve seen it myself. However, a majority of my tax money, and yours, is spent on social programs that cater to this thought that “just getting by” is good enough. “If you eliminate the pain of struggle by smoothing out life's inevitable challenges, you also eliminate the evolution of inner resources that we never know exist unless they are pressed into action (ClearCommentary).

“The left's vision of America champions the idea where every ill is corrected, health care is 'free,' and housing and jobs are evenly distributed, but it's not the vision our Founders contemplated. They knew that life's lessons are best learned empirically, not with 'help' from the blunt hand of government engineering”(ClearCommentary).

“That phenomenon is itself based on the left's view of poverty, of those who are temporarily down on their luck, and that it's never their fault. Blame, in the view of the left, can always be ascribed to our capitalist system, to racism, gender bias, or some other ready made bane. Unquestionably, those problems do exist, but to reflexively indict them as the cause is not only intellectually dishonest, it leads to a prognosis that relieves the recipient of the conjoint responsibility so crucial to the goal of ultimate independence” (ClearCommentary).

“It's a cynical view of human nature when people endorse a cold and anonymous government bureaucracy as the most efficacious way to help their fellow man” (ClearCommentary).

What about my Christian faith? Do I not want to end suffering? Do I not want what is best for mankind? Most certainly. But, I do not believe the government is responsible for this co-dependence. I believe in the power of God and humanity to lift itself out of this mess.

“Another illuminating point is that people with strong religious beliefs also tend to believe that it's not the role of government to redistribute money, even, or especially, for those in need. Why? Because people in need, whether of food, clothing, or shelter, are best served by people and agencies on an individual basis, where assistance can be customized, if you will, in a way that obliges them to meet the donor half-way. The value of that, which is justified by an even cursory reading of human nature, is that the goal of assistance is twofold: First, to ensure people are cared for, but, second, to migrate them to independence” (ClearCommentary).

Liberalism has bred an inconceivable society. An over medicated, under educated, everybody makes the team, no disciplinary, no problem solving, no work ethic, my parents will take care of it, selfish instead of selfless, immoral, let's talk about my feelings American society. A philosophy that promotes the idea of ending innocent lives in the womb, but wants to eliminate the right to bear arms because of the utopian idea of saving all murders. A philosophy that wants to increase our taxes to support the people they themselves have fostered. A philosophy that wants to make educational mandates that look good on paper, but put our children further and further behind. “Therein lays the crux of the left's urgency to intervene, because the notion of winners and losers, whether in our public school system, on the sports field, or, on the battlefield of business, is simply unacceptable. You see, in the land of liberalism, we're all winners, quite apart from individual effort, sacrifice, or talent”(ClearCommentary).

Finally, Liberalism and the Iraq war (all war). “As Senator McCain has correctly observed, it's not the length of time we're in Iraq, it's the casualty rate. We have troops in dozens of countries world-wide, with South Korea and Germany being the most notable examples, and the left doesn't call for their withdrawal because they implicitly understand the strategic role they play as counterweights to unstable regions.

If we can achieve a measure of political stability in Iraq, the implications for avoiding war with Iran are substantial. If we leave prematurely, it's almost guaranteed we'll be drawn into war with Ahmadinejad. Moreover, a stable Iraq would lay the groundwork for urging meaningful reforms in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, as well as better control over the Israeli-Palestinian internecine.

But for reasons best left to cultural psychologists, the liberals of the world seem incapable of understanding that nothing of lasting value comes without sacrifice. It makes one wonder whether there's anything--save raw political power--they would fight for” (ClearCommentary).

A standard definition of Liberalism;

A political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government, nonviolent modification of political, social, or economic institutions to assure unrestricted development in all spheres of human endeavor, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties.

I agree with the above definition wholeheartedly. The problem is, that definition is no longer the ideologies of Liberalism. The original ideas of racial equality and human betterment were genius. The fact is, it was never about that. In the minds of liberals, it was about being right even if that meant making a wrong.

Is the Standard of God's Law Perfection?

Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, author and blogger in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of Stand To Reason, a Christian evangelical organization dedicated to the articulation and defense of the Christian worldview.

Is the Standard of God's Law Perfection?

Easy Street

Living the good life...

You Couldn't Just Stop At Oprah's Favorite Things?

Oprah, the world's most dangerous woman? Well, it depends on your point of view. As a follower of Christ, I believe Oprah is misleading the public by promoting the New Age Movement which clearly denies Biblical teachings and the Word of God. With so much influence on her side, people (Christians and non-Christians alike) need to be made aware of this propaganda. I was very intrigued by this information when I first read about it. I have always thought that Oprah was a self-proclaimed Christian. Guess not! Please read the following commentary on the issue of Oprah and her "New" religion:

If anyone wishes to come after me he must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me. Whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for me and for the sake of the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his own soul?
--Jesus, Mark 8.34-36

"This past Monday Oprah Winfrey, considered by many to be the world's most influential woman, began a ten-week long online course on the best-selling book, "A New Earth," by New Age guru, Eckhart Tolle. "A New Earth" has already sold some 3.5 million copies worldwide, thanks largely to the publicity given to it by Oprah. According to Oprah, 500,000 people from across the world signed on to the first segment of the online course, to spend an hour and a half listening to Ekhart and Oprah talking about chapter 1 of the book, and taking calls from participants.

In recent years Oprah has been inviting an increasing number of representatives of new age spirituality onto her talk shows, including figures such as Marianne Williamson, Barbara DeAngelis, LaVar Burton, Richard Carlson, Betty Eadie, and many others. Oprah has strongly endorsed many of their works, and has included some of them in her "Book Club" list. Since the beginning of this year Oprah has offered daily classes on her XM radio station on the book "A Course in Miracles." "A Course in Miracles" (or ACIM for short) was written by another major player in the New Age movement, Helen Schucman, who claims that the book was dictated to her by an interior voice, which she identifies with Jesus Christ. In that course, the listener is taught that there is no sin, is told not to make the "mistake" of "clinging to the old rugged cross," and that the name of "Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol."

Oprah, who is a self-labeled "Christian", was recently named the "most dangerous woman in the world" by Bill Keller, considered by some to be the world's leading Internet evangelist. He accused Oprah of peddling the equivalent of "spiritual crack." Keller has been warning the subscribers of his Daily Devotional for years about Oprah and how she uses her TV program to promote every New Age philosophy in the world, including the wildly popular book and DVD last year, "The Secret," which teaches readers or viewers that simply by desiring them strongly enough, one may obtain wealth, health and happiness.

However, rarely has Oprah shown more enthusiasm for a New Age guru than for the so-called Eckhart Tolle, who takes his first name from the well-known 13th century Catholic Rhineland mystic, Meister Eckhart. Tolle is the author of several books including "The Power of Now," and, most recently, "A New Earth."
Much like many other New Age systems, Eckhart's "spirituality" is a vague, ethereal blend of spiritual theories and ideas, gleaned from all of the world's major religions. Eckhart promises the attainment of "inner peace" and a higher state of consciousness by utilizing methods of meditation that plunge one into the "now." He also says that mankind is in a moment of crisis, in which the race must either achieve the next stage in its evolution by attaining "higher consciousness", or destroy itself and the planet."

Source: http://markclarksblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/oprah-religion.html

Also, please view the link provided below. It is an in-depth look at the philosophy behind Oprah's "religion" and the New Age Movement.

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm

Humorous Political Satire

Sorry, couldn't help myself :) As a Christian, I know that, no matter what the presidential outcome, God will have our backs. But, for once, is it wrong for us to have God's back? I'll be honest, Obama scares the heck out of me. Not because of his inexperience. Not because of his color. Not because of his background. Barack Obama scares me because of his positions concerning key issues that may directly or indirectly effect American citizens in the years to come:

Health care: You think it's bad now? The overhaul to this system would be a financial nightmare. It would be a sea of mandates and price controls, with reduced choice and access; If you say you passed the Patients' Bill of Rights, but forget to mention that it was never passed into law...that's not change!

Education: it would be the status quo of a competition-free zone, and the continued hegemony of the teachers unions;

Taxation: he would repeal the Bush tax cuts, increasing marginal rates, capital gains, and ensuring the death tax lasts an eternity (aka MORE TAXES);

Judges: he would be a champion of activist-liberal judges;

Guns: he supports a complete ban on the manufacture, sale, and possession of handguns;

Iraq: Does he even know? If you gave a speech, and a very good speech, against the war in 2002; and then by 2004 you're saying you're not sure how you would have voted; and by 2005, 6, and 7 you voted for $300,000,000,000 in funding for the war that he was against in the first place...that's not change!

Abortion: he's in favor of partial-birth abortion;

Foreign Policy: From "Cowboy Policy" to the "Psychologist Couch Policy." In this fallen world, Utopia mindsets are illogical.

Religion and Race: Two Words: Jeremiah Wright. What would Dr. King think of this approach to racial "equality"?

Energy: If you rail against the special interests- like the oil companies and all the tax breaks and give-aways they've been given -- but you vote FOR Dick Cheney's energy bill...that's not change!

Kayley Updates (4 Months)

Our little family...

Weekend Inspiration Vol. 7

From Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado:

"It's a wonderful day indeed when we stop working for God and begin working with God. (Go ahead, read that sentence again.) For years I viewed God as a compassionate CEO and my role as a loyal sales representative. He had his office, and I had my territory. I could contact him as much as I wanted. He was always a phone or fax away. He encouraged me, rallied behind me, and supported me, but he didn't go with me. At least I didn't think he did. The I read 2 Corinthians 6:1: "We are workers together with God."

Workers with God? Co-laborers? God and I work together? Imagine the paradigm shift this truth creates. Rather than report to God, we work with God. Rather than check in with him and then leave, we check in with him and then follow. We are always in the presence of God. We never leave the church. There is never a nonsacred moment. His presence never diminishes. Our awareness of his presence may falter, but the reality of his presence never changes."

April Fools Day

I actually got punk'd. Worse yet, it was by one of my STUDENTS and the oldest trick in the book.

Before each class, I am always out in the hall greeting the students as they enter my classroom. During 3rd period, one of my students thought it would be funny to put a whoopee cushion underneath my chair.

Yes, I sat on it and she was right...it was funny :)

Religion and Works

Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio talk show host, author and blogger in Los Angeles, California. He is the founder of Stand To Reason, a Christian evangelical organization dedicated to the articulation and defense of the Christian worldview.

Religion and Works