Life Hound

Prophesy Fulfilled

2008-07-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

The first pope, Peter, is known for many things. Not much attention is given, unfortunately, to his prophetic writings recorded in 2 Peter that we see fulfilled today. In this scripture Peter foretells that eventually 1) men will abandon the belief that the heavens and the earth were formed by the 'word of God' and that 2) the current formation of the earth is a result of a worldwide flood, not uniformitarian geology, as is taught in most university geology classes today. Peter believed in creation by the spoken word of God and that the earth was 'formed out of water and by water'. Here are his words ....

"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.' For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water." 2 Peter 3:3 - 6 New American Standard Bible

Where Is The Evidence?

2008-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

My family spends a fair amount of time at Hodges Dairy Farm (pictured right) in Charlotte. Whenever there I'm often struck by the beauty of God's creation. The Apostle Paul said 'the heavens declare the glory of God'. Unfortunately many don't make the connection because they've been taught a naturalistic view of the origin of earth and life. Yet this view has no hard evidence to support it ...

"We are told dogmatically that Evolution is an established fact; but we are never told who has established it, and by what means. We are told , often enough, that the doctrine is founded upon evidence, and that indeed this evidence 'is henceforward above all verification, as well as being immune from any subsequent contradiction by experience'; but we are left entirely in the dark on the crucial question wherein, precisely, this evidence consists." - John Wolfgang Smith

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- John Wolfgang Smith. Mathematician and physicist. Oregon State University. Teilhardism and The New Religion: A Thorough Analysis of the The Teachings of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Tan Books & Publishers, Inc., page 2.

Picture of the Day - Benjamin and Josh

2008-07-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is a summer trip picture of Joshua playing with his second cousin, little Benjamin.

Uncle Charlie and Dad

2008-02-08T17:26:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday my Uncle Charlie (pictured right) passed away. My Uncle Charlie and my dad found each other later in life. They did not know each other during their younger years because my dad was abandoned at birth, being left on the doorstep of Falmouth Baptist Church in Massachusetts. Later on in life the two found each other.

Reading my Uncle Charlie's obituary was interesting. Both my dad and my Uncle Charlie were navy men. The obituary stated that my dad and Uncle Charlie had a business together in the 1970s (when I was between the age of 7 and 17). Apparently they provided radio receivers to hotels and hospitals. I never knew that.

Life Is Good

2007-10-03T02:36:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday afternoon as Jennie was heading out the door she announced that the Sunday evening meal was going to be cereal. I was a little bummed out until a few hours later when I was shoveling Frankenberry into my face.

It was a fun dinner. The kids were excited because we usually don't get the unhealthy cereals and also, for years, I'd described to them my favorite childhood cereal: Count Chocula. Even Jennie was mildly amused, enjoying her crunchy treat (likely well coated with non-nutritive cereal varnish). On bowl two, as I was finishing up the Count Chocula induced chocolaty milk, I was thinking about enjoying life and God's blessings.

Here are a few ...

* Count Chocula and Frankenberry.

* The Red Sox winning their division.

* The Red Sox ending the season with a better record than the Yankees.

* The Red Sox making the playoffs.

* Cool weather and fall football.

* Watching Josh enjoy fall football, pre-game jitters and all.

* Watching Hannah cheer for her brother and finding her niche in the 'heavy lifting' department.

* Enjoying a beautiful fall day at the farm.

* Enjoying Caleb enjoying Prophet.

* Finding solitude in the woods and communing with God on a cool fall night.

"a God who intended to create beings like us"

2007-09-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

"the odds against a universe like ours emerging out of something like the big bang are enormous....I think clearly there are religious implications."

"it would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us."

- Physicist Stephen Hawking

1) Stephen Hawking, quoted in John Boslough, Masters of Time: Cosmology at the End of Innocence (New York: Addison-Wesley, 1992) 55.
2) Hawking, A Brief History of Time, 127.

Step of Faith

2007-09-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

One of the basic tenents of Christianity is the belief that God answers prayer. The Bible teaches that God is powerful and prayer makes a difference. Here is an excellent prayer from James Emery White's book A Search for the Spiritual that anyone can start with .....

"God, I am not even sure that I believe you're there listening to this, but if you are, I want to find you. I really do want to know the truth. If you exist, please show yourself to me."

Do Blogs Violate The Bible?

2007-09-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly. (Proverbs 12:23 NIV)

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint.... Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue. (Proverbs 17:27 and 28 NIV)

When words are many, sin is not absent; but he who holds his tongue is wise . (Proverbs 10:19 NIV)

* * * * * * * *

By rights, this should be my last blog entry. Oh the wisdom of shutting up! These Proverbs were penned by Solomon, a ruler considered to be one of the wisest in ancient history. They came from this past Sunday's sermon at church entitle 'Lip-O-Suction' which was based on the Bible verse in James which says "be quick to listen, slow to speak". The sermon did make me pause and consider if blogging is really a positive activity. Am I just shooting my mouth off, showing my stupidity?
It made me think back about why I created this blog in the first place. We live in a culture that is filled with activity and distraction. We keep ourselves so busy that it's easy to just float along and amuse ourselves. We never turn down the noise long enough to consider if there is more to life than all this. What is the meaning of life? Where did we come from and why are we here?
I believe that we are God's creation, created for a purpose. God's primary purpose in creating us was so that we could have a relationship with Him. I created this blog with the hope that readers would take a moment to turn off the noise and consider the God whole loves them. My goal has never been to spout off my own opinions (although sometimes I fall into that trap) but to do what I could to turn our attention to God.
The Bible teaches that God has revealed Himself to us through his Son, Jesus. To learn more about how Christ brings us to God you can click here to take the Life Hound 8 Minute Challenge

Mouth In Motion Before Brain in Gear - Workplace Edition

2007-09-20T23:34:00.000-07:00

It's not easy being a Massachusetts Yankee living in the south, even though diversity and tolerance promotion seems to be the first agenda item at my company's staff meetings these days. Today we had a diversity ice breaker. Raise your hand if you're a male, raise your hand if you're a female, raise your hand if you were born in the south, raise your hand if you were born in the north, raise your hand if you were born outside of the United States. Then this wiseguy co-worker leans over and quietly says: 'Hey, being born in Massachusetts IS considered being born outside of the United States"! That was a swipe at Mass's liberal reputation.

- - -

There is one thing that I don't understand about the corporate world. My company will kick off a big initiative. It will be an important, high level project that is frequently talked about by management. But then they ask for 'volunteers' to help with the project! What's with this volunteering approach? If you're sitting around and have time to volunteer for stuff maybe they don't really need you anyway! Let's take the first three people that volunteer and eliminate their positions. See if the company can live without them!

- - -

I think the government needs to adopt one practice from the corporate world. That would be the concept of billing your time. Whenever we get asked by a project to assist with research or do analysis, we usually ask for a project number to bill the time to. I think the government should do the same thing. This would have been nice during General Petraeus's testimony before congress. The guy is supposed to come in and report on the situation in Iraq and instead our elected representatives waste at least 100 minutes of his time. He listens to congressman dis the Iraqi government, his microphone doesn't work, and protesters are allowed to disrupt the hearing. All this occurs before he even gets a chance to say his first sentence. Petraeus should have been allowed to bill that wasted time to congress. What a joke.

Life Hound Stories

2007-09-20T19:24:00.001-07:00

The Lord has blessed me with some great kids. This is my son Josh enjoying a smore on a recent family camping trip. Josh is a great kid. He is very active and loves all athletics. He is currently playing football. Josh is into Transformers and loves to play with his brother and a friend from the neighborhood.

Josh's story is the latest on the Life Hound Stories page. Click here to read it!

Oldsters - Memory Lapse

2007-09-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly."

The other man said, "What is the name of the restaurant?" The first man thought and thought and finally said, "What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... The one that's red and has thorns."

"Do you mean a rose?" "Yes, that's the one," replied the man.

He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"

_ _ _ _ _ _

"LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. "Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. (Psalm 39: 4-5)

_ _ _ _ _ _

A theme throughout the Old Testament is the brevity of life. This is hard to imagine when we are young but as we get older we realize what people mean when they say 'time flies'. Yet God has an eternal purpose for each of us and wants to build a relationship with us that never ends. You can learn more about having a relationship with God by taking the Life Hound 8 Minute Challenge

Important Additions to Life Hound

2007-09-10T19:57:00.001-07:00

My analytics reports indicate that people from all over the world stumble upon my blog. Over the last month I've gotten hits from Ireland, Germany, Mexico, and Turkey. I am an American, though, and I have an American mindset and American challenges.

One of the great challenges that I think we face in this country is the tremendous amount of media and distraction that can fill our minds and our time. We are a sports and entertainment obsessed nation. Songwriter Randy Stonehill used to write about our 'fear of silence'. He once surmised that if we ever permitted silence into our lives we would have the unpleasant experience of 'hearing what our aching hearts had to say'.

I started this blog 10 months ago because I believe that people in our culture fill their lives with so many distractions and diversions that we miss out on the awesome gift of the presence of God in our lives. (Me included.) I believe that God created mankind to experience a loving, relationship with Him but we are so 'distracted' down here that we miss out on that relationship. I chose as a theme for this blog 'the hound of heaven' based on the idea that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us.

I have added two important new links to the upper right hand corner of this blog under the heading of LIFE AND DEATH STUFF. 'Life Hound Stories' is intended to be a place where I will post the stories of those who have said 'yes' to Christ and have jumped into a relationship with God. I have added my own story first but hope to add many more in the coming months.

Also under LIFE AND DEATH STUFF is a more critical link to a page entitled the 'Life Hound 8 Minute Challenge'. This link outlines the basic teachings of Christianity, which can be reviewed in 8 minutes. It contains truths that all readers should review and decide upon.

I hope you'll check out and comment on these new posts! Again they are in the top right hand corner of the blog under LIFE AND DEATH STUFF.

Oldsters - Just Like A Kid

2007-09-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Two elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: "Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?" Slim says, "I feel just like a newborn baby."

"Really!? Like a newborn baby!?"

“Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants."

The World's Funnest Game

2007-09-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

Caleb, Josh, and I played our NEW Settlers of Catan game for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I got to place my settlements first. I was the Pumpkonians and the game lasted 4 hours and 1 minute because Caleb (the Strawberrians) and I kept going back and forth with the longest road. (Caleb ended up with it.)

I ended up winning but I was very proud of how the boys did. The game ended at 12:16 a.m.! In the picture you can see Caleb's longest (red) road. Caleb ended with 9 points and Josh ended with 8 points. We ate Jennie's chocolate chips during the game and when Jennie got home she was mad at us.

Since then we've had another game, this time with our friends Julian and Brenda. It was their first time playing but they did quite well. Julian tried some techniques that I'd never seen before: extortion via placement of the robber and the three way trade. It was great fun! (I won't mention who won since it wasn't me.)

Oldsters - Ahead of the Curve

2007-09-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100% The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again." The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

WalMart Bitternes

2007-09-01T02:37:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Jennie brought home a huge box of 4 lamps from Walmart that had to be assembled. I got an uneasy feeling when I noticed that the box appeared to have been opened and carelessly resealed with Scotch tape. I proceeded to open the box, because I knew Walmart would never place a returned, defective item back out on the floor. It took me 2 hours to take everything out of the box. As I started assembling the first lamp I noticed that a lampshade was defective. I spent another two hours putting everything back in the box.

Yesterday, when I got home from work, I noticed a familiar looking box in the living room. In fact, it had that same, messy, Scotch tape look. I glared at Jennie. She sheepishly replied that she had a big argument with herself about taking another chance with those Walmart lamps. I glared at her again as she ran out the door to go scrapbooking with some of her friends.

As her car pulled out of the garage I proceeded to dive into box number two. My first step was to carefully inspect all four lampshades. Things were looking up, defect free lampshades ..... check. My optimism quickly vanished, though, when I peered into the box and saw a partially assembled lamp. Why would a partially assembled lamp be in the box?!

I didn't panic though. I figured some nice Walmart employee was just trying to help me get started. I pulled out the instructions and immediately noticed that there was an important piece missing from the assembled lamp. I frantically searched the box and quickly realized why box number two had been returned .... a critical, missing piece.

I spent another two hours repackaging the box (not as carefully as I had repackaged box number one). I spent an additional 30 minutes vacuuming the residual packaging stuff off the carpet. I attached a note to the box informing Jennie that no more Walmart lamps were allowed in our home. I slid the box to a part of the living room where Jennie would be sure to trip over it when she got home. I'm still bitter, but expect to be over it by Christmas.

“Then came Peter to him (Jesus), and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” Matthew 18: 21 - 22

It's All About Me!

2007-09-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago the youth group from my old church was raising money for a missions trip by selling t-shirts. I bought one and still have the shirt. The church's name is printed on the back and on the front, in large letters, it reads "It's Not About Me". One day, while I was wearing the t-shirt out in public, a person who was walking in my general direction took note of the shirt. She made eye contact with me and in perfect deadpan said "Yeah, it's about ME"..... I think she was joking.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.' " Matthew 16: 24 - 25

The Current Struggle

2007-08-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

I don't get many newsletters in the mail but I did have two arrive on the same day this past week that both made reference to the West's struggle with Islam.
In the first newsletter, Ravi Zacharias warns that the West's inability to consider the potential impacts of Islam may result in the continuation of our way of life being 'theoretical'. Zacharias says:
"By the complete failure of the West to understand Islam and its secular prophets who evict Christianity from the academy, we are gambling away our own destiny. If this trend continues the survival of our cultural context will become 'merely academic'." - Ravi Zacharias, RZIM Volume 11 Fall 2007.
The second newsletter contains a piece written by former Navy pilot Stuart Witt who describes his experience on a flight which transported the body of American Marine Jared Landaker (pictured above) home to California. Lieutenant Landaker lost his life serving in Iraq. Click here to read Stuart Witt's narrative which was included in the Focus on the Family newsletter.

The Lost Art of Listening

2007-08-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

"What miserable comforters all of you are. Won't you ever stop your flow of foolish words? What have I said that makes you speak so endlessly?" The words of Job as recorded in Job 16: 2 - 3

The book of Job in the Old Testament records the travails of a man named Job, the ineffective assistance provided by his friends, and God's perspective in the whole matter. When Job first loses his wealth and family and then comes down with a painful illness, three of his friends arrive to provide encouragement. They start off well. The Bible records that they sat in silence with Job for seven days. Once they opened their mouths, in an attempt to diagnose Job's sin, their attempt at assistance went down hill.

Job's friends did well initially. They sat in silence with Job, showing their empathy. But when they stopped listening, they became a discouragement to Job.

I am a church goer and have greatly benefited from spending time with believers in fellowship. But the church, being an institution made up of fallen people, is not always exactly what God intended. I think that some churches are plagued by leadership and congregants who don't listen. In fact, in some cases 'listening' is not a discipline that is valued in the church.

I remember when a Catholic friend of mine told me about a trip that her church took to South America (El Salvador I think). I asked her what the purpose of the trip was and was shocked to learn that she had gone on a 'fact finding trip'. Us Protestants don't go on fact finding trips, that requires listening!

Back in college I spent the summer as a counselor and basketball instructor at a camp. The camp also employed high school students as maintenance workers and kitchen help. One night, before the campers arrived at the beginning of the summer, one of these high school guys came into my room and poured out his heart about an unhappy ending to his relationship with his girlfriend. He went on for about 20 minutes and I didn't say anything. I prodded him with a few open ended questions, but that was about it. Suddenly, he stopped, looked at me, and said 'Thanks a lot for your advice! It really helped me.' I hadn't said a thing.

Listening is a critical skill for knowing God. We have to listen to His word (the Bible) in order to grow close to Him in relationship. Listening is also a critical skill for human relationships. The church desperately needs listeners!

Trusting God

2007-08-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

"Pleasing God is an incredibly good longing. It always will be. But it can't be our primary motivation, or it will imprison our hearts. Pleasing is not a means to our personal godliness, it is the fruit of our godliness for it is the fruit of trust. We will never please God through our efforts to become godly. Rather, we will only please God - and become godly - when we trust God." - From the book TrueFaced, Thrall, McNicol, Lynch, pages 46 and 47.

"But His joy in those who reverence Him, those who expect him to be loving and kind." - Psalm 147:11

I was raised in the church and greatly benefited from my exposure to church life. This experience, however, was not perfect. The emphasis in church training on the disciplines (i.e. pray, Bible study, etc.) is important but can be detrimental if it becomes the focus of a seeker to place more emphasis on pleasing God than trusting God.

Organized religion can inadvertently perpetuate this problem. Some churches teach: "do x, y, z and you will get to heaven". This violates the New Testament teaching which says: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: (it is) the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast' (Ephesians 2: 8-9). Reconciling your relationship with God is a matter of trusting that Christ paid for your sins on the cross. We must live in that trust on a daily basis. We are to make Christ our Lord and confess that alliance to others.

You've Got To Watch This Video

2007-08-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Notes From July 2007 Trip to Cape Cod - # 9

2007-08-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that our nephews are having kids of their own now. To the left Benjamin shows interest in Jacob's straw.

Caleb really enjoyed playing with Benjamin and Anna.

Benjamin is wise to Jennie's attempts at thievery.

Notes From July 2007 Trip to Cape Cod - # 8

2007-08-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

The funnest games that I've ever learned have come to us through Jennie's sister Beth's family. A few years ago they introduced us to an addictive game called Settlers of Catan. We played at least five times while on the Cape.

From left to right Jessie, Terry, and Jacob are in deep strategical
thought as the game begins. Don't worry, nudity is not a require- ment of the game.

Notes From July 2007 Trip to Cape Cod - # 7

2007-08-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

I had a great time golfing with Jennie's brother Chris, his girlfriend Robin, and Jennie's brother- in-law Terry. Robin (pictured left) does some land- scaping.

Terry (pictured below) is a great golfer (although he did have home course advantage).

Robin putting out.

Chris being goofy!

Notes From July 2007 Trip To Cape Cod - # 6

2007-08-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

When we arrived on Cape Cod we got to visit with Jennie's sister Beth and brother Chris (pictured left). Chris is the chief BSer in the family.

Meanwhile, Emma and Jacob (pictured above) show amusement at the picture taking visitor.

At left Jennie is thrilled to be with her family.

This is a picture of Jennie's nephew Jacob. At this point he is ready to bust the camera over my head.

Cute little Anna.

Notes From July 2007 Trip to Cape Cod - # 5

2007-08-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from our summer vacation. We stopped at Bowcraft in New Jersey on the way to the Cape. Bowcraft is a mini amusement park that the kids loved. Above the twins are getting ready to ride what I used to call the 'Tilt-a-Whirl' with their cousin Erin. Below the twins are on a ride that I call the 'umbrellas'. It was a great day and all the kids had fun!

Can Science and Faith Co-exist?

2007-08-02T20:11:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I read Michael Denton's excellent book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis. Since then I've been fascinated by the origins debate that is taking place in our lifetime. A few days ago a close friend of mine shared with me a 'letter to the editor' that he wrote to Scientific American in response to a recent article addressing science and faith. Julian makes some very interesting points so I'm sharing his letter with Life Hound readers .....

From: Julian Macri
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2007 12:06 AM
To: The editors of Scientific American
Subject: Letter to the Editor

Regarding the debate in “Should Science Speak to Faith?”, I must say I was very disappointed in Professor Krauss’s condescending attitude toward people of faith. His approach will only harden people’s feelings, won’t advance the debate in a positive direction, and will only further make it appear as if science and faith cannot co-exist. As a Christian and a physics graduate of MIT, I believe I speak for many when I say that science and religion can co-exist and, in fact, complement one another. As I attempt to keep up with the latest discoveries and theories in cosmology and physics, my faith has actually increased because it opens the door to possibly explaining some of the things told in the Bible. How can there be this invisible place called Heaven? Scientific theory is pretty convincing about the existence of more that 3 dimensions of space so perhaps Heaven exists in these other dimensions. What does it mean when the Bible says that we are from ashes and dust? Some evolution theories indicate that life may very well have arisen from clay and that the heavier elements necessary for life may have come from the ashes of supernovas. How is it that God create the Earth in 7 days and that God can see the future? Einstein pretty much established that time is relative and attempted to even argue that time itself may not even exist!

Both science and religion are trying to achieve the same thing and that is to find “the truth”. While science attempts to do this by observation, religion does it via revelation. What is observed or revealed can be clouded by interpretation (or misinterpretation) and that, I believe, is where the difficulties arise. We must all be open-minded about this debate. We must learn to respect one another’s positions and beliefs. Only then, together, can we hope to understand that observation and revelation, science and faith, can both support one another.

Julian Macri

Charlotte, NC

luvmusic@alum.mit.edu

Raw Scripture - Entry 4

2007-07-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

The writings of Paul from the book of Romans .....

"For salvation that comes from trusting Christ - which is what we preach - is already within easy reach of each of us; in fact, it is as near as our own hearts and mouths. For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in his heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of his faith, confirming his salvation."

(Romans 10: 8 - 10)

The God Who Is Waiting - # 3

2007-07-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

I recently read in my Bible about King Rehoboam (of Judah). The writer of 2nd Chronicles says "... when Rehoboam was at the height of his popularity and power he abandoned the Lord, and the people followed him in this sin." (2 Chronicles 12:1) As my son Joshua likes to say 'typical, typical, typical'. We (I) are so much like Rehoboam. When things are going great in our lives we 'abandon the Lord'. We fill our 'time and attention vacuum' with the blessings of life and put God in the back seat. We forget about Him. But then, when something goes wrong, we cry out to God.
Our nation behaves the same way. In an effort to be inclusive we try to sanitize our country by removing God. We can't mention Him in the public schools or in the public forum, but as soon as a national crisis occurs our leaders ask us to pray to God for His help. During the Cuban missile crisis President Kennedy encouraged Americans to go to church and pray for the nation. (Pictured is President Kennedy with pilots who flew reconaissance missions over Cuba.) After 9/11 President Bush called for a national day of prayer.
Fortunately, God does not hold this immaturity against us. 2nd Chronicles records that Rehoboam had a period of repentance. The historian records "When the king humbled himself, the Lord's anger was turned aside". (2 Chronicles 12:12) The Bible teaches that God is patient, kind, and gracious. He sent His Son Jesus down to earth to die on the cross, in our place, as payment for our sins. The Hound of Heaven always pursues us. Have you given your life to Him?

The God Who Is Waiting - # 2

2007-07-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Psalms 17 continues in that vein. The Psalmist, in a prayer to God, says "Show me your strong love in wonderful ways, O Savior..." God DID show His strong love for us by sending his only Son to die on the cross for our sins, in our place, on the cross. Jesus DOES show his strong love for us daily by being our advocate before God. The Bible says that He is constantly making intercession to the Father on our behalf.

Filled with the Holy Spirit the writer of Psalms penned his response to the God who loves us. He wrote "But as for me, my contentment is not in wealth but in seeing you and knowing all is well between us." The most important thing to the writer was not the pursuit of wealth or earthly distractions but the pursuit of a relationship with the Creator of the universe.

On average we are granted between 70 and 80 years on this earth. Those who have given their lives to Christ will spend eternity with God. Yet, we spend so little time pursuing that relationship!

(Quotations from the Psalms are from The Living Bible.)

Notes From The Road - July 2007 Trip To Cape Cod - # 4

2007-07-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another entry about our vacation on Cape Cod.....

This past Saturday we had an enjoyable day with great weather in Harwich at Bank Street Beach (pictured above). (I think the town of Harwich is one of the great secrets of Cape Cod. It is quaint, beach accessible, but not overcrowded.)
Sunday was spent relaxing at Beth's house and playing games. The competition involved Settlers of Catan and Nerts. We said goodbye to Chris and Robin who headed back to Rhode Island.

On Monday the ladies decided to do some shopping at the Christmas Tree shops and other outlets nearby. The men went to Two Brothers Pizza for lunch and then had some rounds of Settlers of Catan. (I won my first game due to a strategically placed wood port.)

The God Who Is Waiting - # 1

2007-07-20T07:20:00.001-07:00

One of the great challenges of our generation is the ease with which we can distract ourselves with amusements. We have television, the Internet, professional sports, movies, etc. These distractions can sidetrack us from the more important things: relationships.

The greatest relationship that can be hampered by our propensity for self amusement is our relationship with God. The Creator of the universe desires to have an intimate, personal relationship with us. We need to make it a life priority to pursue a relationship with Him. First, we must turn our lives over to Christ. Then we must seek Him on daily basis in prayer, scripture meditation, and fellowship with other followers.

Living a life connected with God through His Son Jesus Christ is a great life of peace and purpose. The Biblical writer of Psalm 16 knew the joys of walking with God. He wrote: 'The Lord himself is my inheritance, my prize. He is my food and drink, my highest joy!' He then wrote words of direct praise to God: 'You have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of your own eternal presence.'

Notes From The Road - July 2007 Trip To Cape Cod - # 3

2007-07-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here is another post from the road ....

We made our trek from New Jersey to Cape Cod on Wednesday and arrived at the home of Jennie's sister Beth. Jennie's brother from Rhode Island also arrived and we had a fun, family reunion. Beth's family has been going through a phase of playing a very fun game called Settlers of Catan. They've played 115 plus games since November. My nephew Jesse and I played a game with the twins. The game was cut short due to dinner but I was winning at the time with five settlements and the longest road.

On Thursday I was able to golf with Jennie's brother-in-law Terry, her brother Chris, and Chris's girlfriend Robin. After golfing we had lunch in the clubhouse and I had my first stuffed quahog of the summer. We played another game of Settlers of Catan. Although I lost, again I had five settlements and the longest road. Thursday night for dinner we ate at Seafood Sam's. I had crabcakes and also stole some of Jennie's fried scallops. We finished the evening with homemade ice cream from Twin Acres!

Raw Scripture - Entry 3

2007-07-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

From the Apostle Paul in the New Testament ...

"...we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like. Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal; yet now God declares us 'not guilty' of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins" Romans 3, The Living Bible

Notes From The Road - July 2007 Trip To Cape Cod - # 2

2007-07-17T23:58:00.000-07:00

Here is an insomniac posting from New Jersey. (We haven't made it to the Cape yet!)

We had a fun day today with the kids and their cousin Erin. We took them to a local mini amusement park called Bowcraft. It has roller coasters, kids rides, etc. The kids had a great time. The place wasn't very crowded so you could get on a ride and stay on without having to get back in line. Both Caleb and Joshua threw up, but that didn't stop them from getting back on the rides! Hannah dragged me onto the kiddie hot air balloons and spun our car around so fast that my stomach started getting upset. I also went on the bumper cars with the kids and some punk kid yelled 'get the old guy'!

Overall it was a fun day!

Two Ministers, a Priest, and a Rabbi Walk Into A Bar ...

2007-07-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Four clergymen in New Hampshire were sitting at a bar arguing over whose religion was most closely aligned with God's will. The discussion got heated until the wise bartender suggested using one of God's creations as a test. The four clergymen, following the bartender's advice, went into the woods and found a papa bear. Each clergyman was to perform a spiritual practice from their religion with the bear. The clergyman with the most favorable results would be the winner.
The bartender was amused as each clergyman re-entered his bar to share the results. Each clergyman gave his report. The catholic priest had a smile on his face as he reported his attempt to serve communion to the bear. After the bear had consumed the wine and bread he held two paws up to heaven. The Lutheran minister also seemed pleased with his results. He read some portions from the New Testament book of Romans to the bear and he had raised one paw upwards to heaven.
The Baptist minister had a serious look on his face and a black eye. He reported that the bear had not respond favorably to a full immersion baptism. The Jewish rabbi was barely alive. His clothes were shredded and his body was covered with bite marks, scratches, and blood. By this time the bartender was overflowing with curiosity. He queried the rabbi on his attempt. 'Which Jewish rite did you attempt, Rabbi?' he asked. The rabbi answered solemnly, 'circumcision'.

Blond Jokes From My Nephew

2007-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

How do you give a blond a headache?

Give her a bag of M&Ms and tell her to put them in alphabetical order!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Why did the blond working in quality control get fired from the M&M factory?

She threw away thousands of M&Ms that were printed with Ws instead of Ms!

Raw Scripture - Entry 2

2007-07-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Apostle Paul in the New Testament Book of Romans...

"No one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what the law commands. For the more we know of God's laws, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying them; his laws serve only to make us see that we are sinners. But now God has shown us a different way to heaven - not by be 'being good enough' and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way(though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us- declare us 'not guilty' - if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins." Romans 3 The Living Bible

Notes From The Road - July 2007 Trip To Cape Cod - # 1

2007-07-16T08:22:00.001-07:00

Hi guys! We are taking our annual family trip up to the northeast. We left on Saturday. We stopped and slept in Winchester, Virginia Saturday night and then drove to Summit, New Jersey on Sunday morning. We have enjoyed a nice visit with Jennie's sister Sue's family (Summit) on Sunday. Today (Monday) we are heading to the Cineplex. Most of us are going to see Transformers. Jennie and Erin will be seeing Evan Almighty.

Raw Scripture - Entry 1

2007-07-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

From the Apostle Paul recorded
in his letter to the church in Rome ....

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is God's powerful method of bringing all who believe it to heaven. This message was preached first to the Jews alone, but now everyone is invited to come to God in this same way. This Good News tells us that God makes us ready for heaven - makes us right in God's sight - when we put our faith and trust in Christ to save us. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith." (Romans 1:16-17 - The Living Bible)

Life Hound Readers Conference - D.C. - Entry 1

2007-07-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

The first ever Life Hound Readers Conference early this month was a tremendous success! In this series of postings I'll share pictures and anecdotes from the conference. I hope you enjoy and will consider attending the next Life Hound Readers Conference.

Pictured right is Goob from California. Goob is taking a picture of the National Cathedral. More to come!

Overwhelming Problems

2007-07-08T04:48:00.000-07:00

There are times in our lives when we go through seasons of anxiety. We begin to crush under the weight of what seem like insurmountable problems. These may be: failures at work, relationship disappointments, spiritual doubt, the success of evil in the world, fatigue, etc.

This picture shows the remains of a wall built in Jerusalem during the time of King Hezekiah. The wall was intended to protect Jerusalem during a siege by Assyrian King Sennacherib.

The Jewish historian, Jeremiah, in approx- imately 550 B.C., recorded a season of doubt exper- ienced by Hezekiah, King of Judah, when his kingdom was threatened by this brutal Assyrian king. The Assyrians were a great civilization growing in power and in reputation for acts of brutality and cruelty. Jeremiah records an instance when an Assyrian general sent a threatening letter to King Hezekiah. The letter promised Hezekiah that Jerusalem would soon be conquered and destroyed.

How did Hezekiah respond? The Old Testament records that he read the letter, went into the temple of the Lord, spread the letter out before the Lord, and uttered a prayer of supplication. What a great example that Hezekiah sets for us. Those burdens that we carry should be written down on paper and then laid out before the Lord! We can lay our problems at the foot of Christ's cross, turn them over to Him, and let Him fight our battles.

Our loving, but powerful and capable Savior, who loved us enough to die on the cross in our place, for our sins, will manage all our troubles for us. He will carry us through our difficult times if we give our burdens to Him. Entering into a relationship with Christ has eternal benefits, but there are earthly benefits as well!

Chimney Rock - The Broad River

2007-06-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend our family had the good fortune to be able to camp along side the Broad River in the mountains of North Carolina. On Sunday morning I got up, grabbed Joshua's Bible, and set up my chair on a rock so as to view the scene pictured above. The sight was phenomenally beautiful and I loved listening to the water rushing down the river.

I opened up to the Gospel of John to chapter one and read: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.

The words and meaning of the above scripture are stunning. Jesus already existed 'in the beginning'. He was with God and He is God. Through Jesus, everything was made that exists. Jesus created the beauty that I had enjoyed this weekend. He created the Broad River, the green trees, and the powerful thunderstorms that we heard on the first day.

John goes on to say that in Jesus is life. We can have abundant and eternal life if we give our lives to Him. Matthew records these words of Jesus.....

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." (Matthew 16: 24 - 25) By giving up our own lives we can have a relationship with Jesus. We can enjoy that abundant life and know that we will spend eternity in heaven with Christ. Death is not the end for those who have surrendered to Christ. "In Him is life!"

John was placed on earth to testify about Jesus so that 'all men might believe' and enter into that relationship with Christ. If we give our lives to Christ we can have that relationship with Him. The Bible says ....

'But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name.' (John 1:12)

The same God who created the awesome natural beauty that I enjoyed this past weekend desires to have a relationship with you and me so that we might become 'sons of God'.

Click Here To See More Pictures From Our Camping Trip

Did God Bless Mother Teresa and Kill John Lennon?

2007-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my wife and I enjoyed dinner out with some close friends. During the meal my friend ask me if the church I attend believes in or teaches what has come to be know as the health and wealth gospel. We discussed that for a few minutes at dinner and the conversation reminded me of a recent sermon that I had heard on that topic. The theme of the sermon revolved around the questions 'Do Christians suffer?' and 'What is God's purpose in suffering?'. This dinner conversation prompted me to create a posting on this topic. Click HERE to read Did God Bless Mother Teresa and Kill John Lennon .

How to tell if a Catholic is driving too fast

2007-06-07T19:24:00.001-07:00

Mouth In Motion Before Brain in Gear - 1

2007-06-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

* Newsweek front page: 'After Bush, How to Restore America's Place in the World'. How's that for objective news reporting?

* Newsweek front page. What about those of us that think he's doing a good job?

* National headline: 'Stupid Republican Candidates Don't Believe In Evolution'. Give me a break. It's not like they're doubting the Law of Gravity. Macro evolution has never been observed!

* I sure could go for some Cookie Crisp.

* I wonder if Cookie Crisp would pay me to type that?

* Science headline: 'Neptune's Climate is Getting Warmer'. Uh oh! Could global warming be caused by increased solar activity on the sun? (No humans to blame on Neptune.)

* Boston Bank of America employees mistaken distorted fax for bomb threat. Branch evacuated. Bank at Wachovia. They're smarter.

* I sure could go for a Dove bar.

* I wonder if Dove would pay me to type that?

* Latest bandwagon: Going Green. lifehound is a 'green' blog. (I've got a booger dripping out of my nose.) [Bugger corrected to booger 6/13. Thanks Rus.]

* Mini Coopers. Very cool with a bunch of personality.

* Season finale of Lost. Jack and Freckles back in the U.S. I guess they get rescued. Any more reason to watch? 30 episodes to go.

* ABC calls bachelor Andrew Baldwin an 'officer and a gentleman' and then shows him making out with half of the women on the show. (Not that I've ever watched it.)

* At least he picked Tessa. (Really, I've never watched it!)

bragonyourkids.com

2007-06-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

Caleb had a great year in Awana this year. He memorized many scriptures. Here he is displaying an award at the Awana end of the year banquet.

Hannah finished 2nd grade and is pictured here with her teacher. She won an award for musical talent and made the principles list.

Josh is on first playing in the all star game. Josh played right field and pitched one inning. He pitched well. At the plate he got 3 hits and walked once. His team (the National League All Stars) won.

The Kids On A Visit To The Zoo

2007-06-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

kiva.org - Loans That Change Lives

2007-05-17T18:45:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a friend of mine told me about a very cool website called kiva.org. Kiva allows individuals with financial means to loan money to hard working entrepreneurs who need assistance building their businesses. The web site says that it facilitates loaning money to the working poor in developing nations.

Go to kiva.org and you can view profiles of individuals who need a loan in order to grow their businesses and provide for their families.

Pictured is Ijang Rose Musi. Ijang is a widow and mother of seven from Cameroon. She is a farmer who raises pigs and chickens. She uses the manure from her livestock for cultivation and sells her extra manure to other farmers in her community. Ijang uses the profits from her business to pay school fees for her children. Ijang is seeking a loan of $600 to invest in additional piglets, chickens, and feed. Internet users with a debit or credit card can loan money to Ijang on the kiva.org website, in increments of $25.

I found kiva.org to be very user friendly. On my first foray on Kiva I loaned some money to a hard working young couple from Cambodia. The couple own a farm and make their living by planting, cultivating crops and selling them in the market. Their daily income is $5 and they are using the loan proceeds to purchase a horse and cart for transporting their farms goods to market.

The attraction of kiva.org is that it is a very convenient way for ordinary people of means to make a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs in impoverished countries. I think you'll enjoy checking out the sight. Click here to go to kiva.org.

The Virginia Tech Shootings

2007-04-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

A week after the tragic April 16th shootings at Virginia Tech we are still struggling through the standard array of 'why' questions. The heartbreaking event also provides a spiritual struggle. Why does a loving God allow evil to prevail? Where was God when these promising, innocent lives were taken?

I recently received an e-mail from Priority One Associates with some very good articles that help with these issues. I hope you find them useful ........

Living without an answer

Where is God in the midst of tragedy?

So why do bad things happen?

Doesn’t evil and suffering prove that God doesn’t care?

Easter Sunday At Chimney Rock

2007-04-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

Our family spent a beautiful but cool day visiting Chimney Rock Park in the mountains of North Carolina on Easter Sunday.

Click here to see a few more pictures!

Jesus: Democrat or Republican?

2007-04-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've seen bumper stickers recently that proclaim 'Jesus is a liberal'. I'm sure there are a decent number of Democrats who think that if Jesus were in the United States today He would be a Democrat. And I'm sure there are the same number of Republicans who are convinced that Jesus is a Republican.

Everybody wants Jesus on their side! But I wonder if people really knew what Jesus said, would they still want Him on their side?!

I think that what both Christians and non-Christians often forget is that Jesus was and is counter cultural!

Click here to read more!

Famous People Follies - Special Edition 1

2007-04-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

This famous person created 'New Rules for 2007'. Here they are:

New Rule: Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Lobster?

New Rule: Ladies, leave your eyebrows alone. Here's how much men care about your eyebrows: Do you have two of them? Okay, we're done.

New Rule: If you're going to insist on making movies based on crappy, old television shows, then you have to give everyone in the Cineplex a remote so we can see what's playing on the other screens. Let's remember the reason something was a television show in the first place is that the idea wasn't good enough to be a movie.

New Rule: No more gift registries. You know, it used to be just for weddings. Now it's for babies and new homes and graduations from rehab. Picking out the stuff you want and having other people buy it for you isn't gift giving, it's the white people version of looting.

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below.

Hint 1 - April 15th - An American comedian.

Congratulations to Goob from California for correctly identifying this controversial American comedian! See Goob's comment below for the correct answer.

Blue Collar - White Collar?

2007-03-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Awhile ago I was speaking with a gentleman who is in full time ministry. He is associated with an organization whose objective is to minister to individuals in the work place. He shared with me some information that I found interesting but not surprising.

If you were to compare white collar workers with blue collar workers which group would you expect to be most receptive to the salvation message? (The 'salvation message' is the New Testament message that Jesus died in our place on the cross so that by casting our lot with Him, we can have a relationship with God and spend eternity in heaven after death. Casting our lot with Christ involves faith in Him, a confession of sin, and a decision to follow Him.)

This minister told me that blue collar workers are far more likely to realize their need for Christ and to give their lives to Him than are their white collar counterparts. I asked him what he attributed this difference to and he indicated that since white collar workers generally perceive themselves as being more successful and are generally better off financially, they don't perceive that they need God as much as blue collar workers.

The Bible records the warnings of Moses to the children of Israel before they entered the promised land. Moses warns the Israelites not to forget about God once they enter the promised land and 'become full and prosperous'.

The writer of the the book of Luke records an incident where a prostitute enters a home where Jesus was dining. The prostitute washes Jesus' feet with her tears and pours perfume on them. Jesus contrasts this act of love with the boorish behavior of his well respected and upstanding dinner host. Why did the two respond differently to Jesus? Luke records Jesus words 'she loved me much; but one who is forgiven little, shows little love'. (For scriptures see comments below.) The inference is that those of us who 'have it all together' are less likely to love God and realize our need to have a relationship Him.

I fear for those of my friends who are successful and don't know Jesus. We're so reluctant to seek God's help when we have it all together. And yet we need God so much. The Bible says that our sin separates us from God but in Christ we can have our sins forgiven and enjoy our day to day life in the presence of our Creator. Jesus said 'I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly'.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 9

2007-03-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below.

Congratulations to the amazing Rus from North Carolina for correctly identifying #15! See comments below for the identity of this football great.

While The Wife's Away ........

2007-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

My wife went out of town this weekend with some friends and that left me in charge of our three children. She left on Friday afternoon so that meant that Friday night's dinner was at Friendlies Restaurant. We had hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, a salad and some ice cream.

On Saturday morning the kids fed themselves breakfast and then we brought the twins to a birthday party. We dropped them off at the party and then Hannah and I went to Chillis for lunch. I had a buffalo chicken salad and Hannah had ribs. For dessert we split their delicious chocolate cake with ice cream. For dinner the five of us went to the Chinese food buffet. I had one of everything. The kids ate a hearty meal and then each had two bowls of ice cream. On Sunday morning the kids fed themselves breakfast again. For lunch I cooked steak out on the grill and we ate that with barbecue chips. On tap for dinner tonight? I'm gonna cook up some frozen corn dogs and we'll eat the second half of the bag of barbecue chips.

This is the nourishment that my kids get when mom's away. I would never let my family eat like this on a regular basis but when mom's away this is our way of 'letting our hair down', enjoying a little freedom and independence!

It's interesting that in the Old Testament God appointed holiday's for the children of Israel to observe. There were festivals and celebrations. Many were meant for the Hebrews to remember a historical event or God's works in the past. I believe that God created these events to help the Israelites remember and He used an effective tool: mankind's love of celebration.

The Bible records that Paul wrote to Timothy "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following." (1 Timothy 4: 4 - 6)

This weekend my children did not get very good nourishment but we had fun! In this scripture Paul encourages Timothy to be nourished on the words of the faith and on sound doctrine. God's will and wisdom and truth are recorded in the Bible. We need to give ourselves a steady diet of that truth! The Bible shows us the way that we can be forgiven of our sins and be reconciled to God. It also teaches us how we can have a close relationship with Jesus.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 8

2007-03-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Rules of the game: A picture of a famous person is posted on Life Hound. The winner of the challenge is the first person who posts a comment below correctly identifying the famous person. The winner will in some way be honored on Life Hound. If a few days go by and the famous person hasn't been identified. I will add hints to the posting until we have a winner!
Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!
Congratulations to Rus from North Carolina for his continued dominance of Famous People Follies and also for identifying the 1960s musician pictured above! Rus is the only Life Hound reader to correctly identify more than one FPF personality. He's racked up four victories so far. Click comments below to determine this singer's identity.

Spring!

2007-03-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day. I got home from work to a sunny day in the mid 70s! I don't know if this means we're going to have an early spring but it was time to get the hammock out! I love my hammock! I've got it under some trees in my beautiful back yard and there is nothing I love more than taking a nap back there in the shade, relaxing with the kids, or reading a book. There is something about being outside. The wind blowing. The birds chirping. The blue sky. The sound of the kids playing. Reclining in my hammock, considering the goodness of God. I love it!

The beauty of nature is a gift from God and rest was His idea. He worked on creation for six days and then rested on the seventh.

In one of the Old Testament Psalms the Israeli king David says '… taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!' (Psalm 34:8)

God is good not only because of creation but also because we have the opportunity to be reconciled to Him and to walk with Him. The Bible records these words of the Apostle John: '...God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.’ (1 John 5: 11 - 13)

The opportunity to spend eternity with God is available to all those who receive Christ into their lives and believe in Him. The journey begins with a simple prayer of faith.

Mulling It Over (Reflections on This Past Sunday's Sermon) # 070311

2007-03-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

According to data from a 2001 study there are 2.1 billion people in the world who claim to be Christians. There are 159 million adults in the United States who claim to be 'born again'. That's 75% of the adults who live in the U.S.

But what is a Christian? The term 'Christian' literally means 'little Christs'. It was a term used to describe the early church followers of Christ. They were called 'little Christs' because as people observed their lives, they recognized that these disciples were like Jesus.

The Apostle Paul wrote "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20) Being 'crucified with Christ' means that we put to death our own desires and allow the life of Christ to live through us. It's not easy to do it, but we can, with Jesus' help.

The Bible also says that God is involved in the process of making us into the image of Christ. Paul also wrote "...we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) Don't misunderstand. Good works don't save us. Good works are the natural outpouring of a life lived 'in Christ'.

Being a Christian isn't a birthright, like being Chinese or French or American. It's a conscious decision to trust Christ, to give your life to Him and then to follow Him!

Famous People Follies - Challenge 7

2007-03-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

Rules of the game: A picture of a famous person is posted on Life Hound. The winner of the challenge is the first person who posts a comment below correctly identifying the famous person. The winner will in some way be honored on Life Hound. If a few days go by and the famous person hasn't been identified. I will add hints to the posting until we have a winner!
Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!
HINT 1 (March 14) - Goofy actor.
Congratulations to Jack from North Carolina for correctly identifying the character, show, and actor! You're no Rus but you have potential! : ) See comments below for correct answer.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 6

2007-03-05T22:15:00.000-08:00

Can you identify this 'famous' person?! If so, add a comment below!

HINT 1 (March 2) O.K. Maybe this guy is borderline famous. He's a professional athlete.
HINT 2 (March 5) He's in the NFL.
HINT 3 (March 10) He plays for the Carolina Panthers!
Congratulations to Vol in Carolina for correctly identifying this Panthers field goal kicker. See comment below for correct answer.

Have The Bones of Jesus Been Found?

2007-03-04T12:20:00.000-08:00

This picture is of the ossuary of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was a high priest from 18 to 37 A.D. and is notorious for his role in the trial of Jesus. An ossuary is a bone box where human remains are placed after substantial decomposition has taken place.

Ossuaries are in the news these days because of a Discovery Channel documentary to be aired this evening. In the documentary the film makers will claim that they have found an ossuary which belongs to Jesus of Nazareth. The implication is that Jesus physical body died and was not resurrected.

If you'd like to learn more about these archaeological finds and what critics are saying about them check out these two postings on 'Life Hound - Deep Dive Dog' .....

Ossuaries, Film Makers, Characters, and Martyrs

The Jesus Family Tomb and Speculative History

Rational Responders # 23 - Premise 3

2007-03-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

The Santals' decision to turn away from the Genuine God, Thakur Jiu, is further described by Santal sage Kolean in Lars Skrefsrud's Traditions and Institutions of the Santal published in 1887. According to Skrefsrud, Kolean said ...

"In the beginning, we did not have gods. The ancient ancestors obeyed Thakur only. After finding other gods, day by day we forgot Thakur more and more until only His name remained. In this present age it is said by some that the sun god is Thakur. Therefore, when there are religious ceremonies ...[some people] look up to the sun... and speak unto Thakur. But the forefathers taught us that Thakur is distinct. He is not to be seen with fleshly eyes, but he sees all. He has created all things. He has set everything in its place, and he nourishes all, great and small."

The discovery by Skrefsrud and Borreson of the Santal oral tradition about Thakur Jiu is more evidence of God's revelation of himself to mankind.

Rational Responders # 22 - Premise 3

2007-02-25T22:07:00.000-08:00

In the previous Rational Responders posting I wrote about two Norwegian missionaries who in the mid 1800s discovered an oral tradition among the Santal people of India about a Genuine God named Thakur Jiu. This oral tradition was told to the missionaries by a Santal sage named Kolean. In addition to the Adam and Eve type account mentioned in the previous posting, Kolean also recounted how the descendants of this first created pair had become corrupted.

According to the tradition, as recited by Kolean, Thakur Jiu decided to eliminate mankind with a flood but rescued a 'holy pair' in a cave on Mount Harata (a name similar to Mount Ararat [pictured above], the final resting place of Noah's ark).

Kolean explained that the descendants of the 'holy pair' multiplied and Thakur Jiu split them into many different people groups. One of these groups migrated eastward but were prevented from continuing because of a group of impassable mountains.

Becoming discouraged at their plight it was at this time that the ancestors of the Santal turned away from Thakur Jiu and made an oath to the evil spirits of the mountains. They would practice spirit appeasement if the spirits would allow them to pass through the mountains. Shortly after, the travelers found a pass through the mountains and entered the plains of present day Pakistan and India. Because of their oath the Santal people began practicing spirit appeasement, sun worship, and sorcery and turned away from Thakur Jiu.

(The account of this Santal oral tradition is described in Don Richardson's book Eternity in Their Hearts, Regal Books, Ventura, CA, 1984, pages 43 and 44.)

Rational Responders # 21 - Premise 3

2007-02-24T15:55:00.000-08:00

In additional to the Incan tradition of Viracocha, there were some Norwegian missionaries in Asia who in the mid 1800s discovered an oral tradition about an omnipotent God among the Santal people living in India. In the book Eternity In Their Hearts Don Richardson tells the story of missionaries Lars Skrefsrud (pictured left) and Hans Borreson who lived among the Santal people in order to learn their language.
Once they learned the Santal language they were ready to share with the Santal people the Biblical account of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection for the salvation of mankind.

Richardson indicates that upon hearing the story of Christ the Santal people were 'electrified' by the Biblical narrative. A Santal sage named Kolean exclaimed "What this stranger is saying must mean that Thakur Jiu has not forgotten us after all this time!" Skrefsrud was astonished at the remark. 'Thakur Jiu' in the Santal language means 'Genuine God'. Kolean went on to explain that the Santal had an oral tradition about the Genuine God.

According to that tradition this God had created the first man and woman and placed them in a region far to the west of India. There they were tempted to make rice beer and pour a portion of it on the ground as an offering to Satan. They became drunk on the rest of the beer and fell asleep. When they woke up they realized that they were naked and felt ashamed. (Summarized from Eternity in Their Hearts, Regal Books, Ventura, CA, 1984, pages 41 - 43.)

Stirring The Pot

2007-02-22T22:29:00.000-08:00

Back in the mid 80s I worked in a church youth club. As Halloween approached one year the club leaders decided to have a 'Halloween' party for the kids. Being careful not to endorse the pagan holiday and wanting to avoid ghosts, vampires, and witches, the children and leaders were instructed to dress up as Biblical characters.

The supervisor who came up with that guideline must have forgotten about the Old Testament story in which King Saul approaches a witch to obtain guidance from the dead prophet Samuel. The many Biblical references to Satan must have also slipped his mind. Of course back in those days I was much more willing to 'stir the pot'. In this picture you can see my choice of a Biblical character.

This reminds me of a letter that I read a few years ago in one of those 'cute letters that kids write to God' books....

'Dear God, On Holloween I am going to wear a Devil's costume. Is that all right with you? Signed, Marnie'.

Marnie's desire to consult with God before making decisions is an admirable step to take. God is interested in our lives and has a will for mankind. What is that will?

The Bible says that '... as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' (John 1:12-13)

God wants us to give our lives to Him. It is His will that we become His children. We do that by confessing our sins and trusting that Jesus paid the consequences for our sins, in our place, when He died on the cross for us. As the Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans we must 'confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead'. This is the first step in having a relationship with Christ.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 5

2007-02-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!

HINT 1 (2/24/07) - This famous person is known for flamboyantly tickling the old 88s.

Congratulations to Rus from North Carolina for correctly identifying this colorful pianist! Rus' knowledge of effeminate piano players is only exceeded by his knowledge of Filipino women! See comment below for the correct answer.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 4

2007-02-18T03:39:00.000-08:00

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!

Congratulations to Rus from North Carolina for correctly identifying this famous actor. See comments below for correct identity!

Famous People Follies - Challenge 3

2007-02-18T03:36:00.000-08:00

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!

HINT 1 (posted 2/19/07) - O.K. This may be a tough one. This leader was know for his cruelty. He got his kicks by dropping dogs off the Kremlin wall.

HINT 2 (posted 2/20/07) This guy was a Russian Czar.

Congratulations to Randy Z from North Carolina for correctly identifying this Russian historical figure! Check out his comment below for the correct answer.

Rational Responders # 20 - Side Note

2007-02-14T03:24:00.000-08:00

The map to the left depicts the migration of Indians across the Bering Strait, down through North America, and into South America. It is widely accepted that during the ice age a land bridge appeared between what is now Russia and Alaska. Travelers crossed that land bridge, likely following food (buffalo?). So the 'Indians' that were found by the Europeans in North and South America originally came to the Americas across the Bering Strait. By looking at the map you can see how the Incan civilization of western South America had their origin in the people group that migrated across the Bering Strait.

Historians generally believe that human civilization began either in Mesopotamia (near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers) or in Africa. Assuming that civilization began in Mesopotamia, it is believed that humans spread out across the Middle East, into Asia, and eventually across the Bering straight into the Americas.

Since humanity has a common origin in a creator God, it is reasonable to conclude that a memory of that creator God might be present in the traditions of peoples as they spread across the earth. That is the essence of premise 3.

The Question of Evil

2007-02-14T01:19:00.000-08:00

Are men inherently evil or are men basically good?

According to radio talk show host Neal Boortz men are inherently evil:

"A lot of people can't be convinced that some people are inherently evil. We like to buy the lie that most people are basically good and that if we were only nice to them or listened to their grievances, that they'll be nice back to us. We try and domesticate Islamic terrorists...legitimize them by trying to negotiate with them. There's only one problem: it doesn't work."

What does the Bible say about the nature of man? The Bible records that the Apostle Paul said: ".... I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want."

Click Here To Dive Deeper Into This Topic

Rational Responders # 19 - Premise 3

2007-02-13T11:23:00.000-08:00

In installment 18 we noted that Incan leader Pachacuti (in approximately 1450 A.D.) abandoned the worship of a sun god to worship Viracocha. The University of Oklahoma's Dr. B.C. Brundage summarizes Pachacuti's description of the omnipotent God Viracocha as follows ....
"He is ancient, remote, supreme, and uncreated. Nor does he need the gross satisfaction of a consort. He manifests himself as a trinity when he wishes,...otherwise only heavenly warriors and archangels surround his loneliness. He created all peoples by his 'word', as well as all huacas [spirits]. He is man's Fortunus, ordaining his years and nourishing him. He is indeed the very principle of life, for he warms the folk through his created son, Punchao. He is a bringer of peace and an orderer. He is in his own being blesssed and has pity on men's wretchedness. He alone judges and absolves them and enables them to combat their evil tendencies."
Pachacuti found the one true God and abandoned the false gods of his own culture. He was able to do so because the testimony of the true God could be found in his culture's ancient hymns and oral traditions.

(Pictured are Machu Picchu, the last great Incan fortress and a map of South American indicating the extent of the Incan Empire at the height of its power.)

[Much of the material under premise 3 comes from the excellent book Eternity In Their Hearts written by Don Richardson, Regal Books, Venture, California, 1984.]

Rational Responders # 18 - Premise 3

2007-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

The great Inca civilization of South America was ruled from 1438 to 1471 A.D. by Pachacuti (or Pachacutec). The drawing to the left is a 1615 portrayal of Pachacuti. The Incas had no writing system but their oral traditions and hymns were passed down through the centuries and later recorded by chroniclers and missionaries.

In 1575 Cristobel de Molia recorded Incan hymns and their associated traditions in the Inca language. These traditions trace back to the reign of Pachacuti. A 17th century Indian chronicler by the name of Yamqui Salcamayga Pachacuti also preserved a hymn from this time period.
These hymns reveal that Pachacuti abandoned Incan worship of the sun god Inti in order to worship an omnipotent God by the name of Viracocha. There is a shrine to Viracocha in the upper Vilcanota Valley and the hymns reveal that Pachacuti's father claimed to receive counsel from Viracocha. Viracocha told Pachacuti's father that he was the Creator of all things.
What are the qualities and attributes of Virocacha as revealed by these Incan hymns and traditions? That will be the topic of my next posting.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 2

2007-02-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!

Congratulations to Goob from California for correctly identifying the famous athlete pictured in this posting! See comments below for answer.

Rational Responders # 17 - Premise 3

2007-02-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this series is to list supporting premises for the conclusion: there is a God, God is involved in the world, and God wants to have a relationship with us. If you go back to read the postings on premise one you'll learn how the Second Law of Thermodynamics points to a powerful and intelligent being who must be responsible for the order present in the universe. The second premise deals with complex biological adaptations and how their existence in nature alludes to an ingenious creator God.
Up to this point I've provided an argument for the existence of a powerful, intelligent, ingenious creator God. The question then remains, what type of God is this? Is this God an impersonal deity who created the universe like a clock, wound it up, and has walked away to work on another project? Or is God involved and interested in His creation? Has this God revealed Himself in the universe in a specific way? Has this God revealed Himself to living creatures on Earth?

There is evidence that God has, in fact, revealed himself in a specific way to human cultures throughout the world. The concept of a supreme God has existed for centuries in people groups on every continent. These traditions are in some cases documented and in other cases passed down through oral tradition. Under premise three we will examine instances where the supreme God has revealed himself to mankind.

Famous People Follies - Challenge 1

2007-02-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

Rules of the game: A picture of a famous person is posted on Life Hound. The winner of the challenge is the first person who posts a comment below correctly identifying the famous person. The winner will in some way be honored on Life Hound. If a few days go by and the famous person hasn't been identified. I will add hints to the posting until we have a winner!

Can you identify this famous person?! If so, add a comment below!

February 11 - Congratulations to Rus from North Carolina! Rus' knowledge of Filipino women is astounding! See comments for answer.

Rational Responders # 16 - Premise 2

2007-02-09T05:47:00.000-08:00

In this series under premise 2 we have examined some of the ingenious, perfect biological adaptions present in living organisms. I've stated that these incredible, useful machine-like components suggest an intelligent, powerful machine Maker. I believe we can see the awesome, creative skill of God in examining these biological adaptations.
David was a king of Israel who reigned from 1005 BC until around 965 BC. David is known for his great bravery and faith and also his complete love of God. His beautiful prayers are recorded in the book of Psalms. Listen to David's prayer recorded in Psalm 27, verses 4 - 6:
"The one thing I want from God, the thing I seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in his Temple, living in his presence every day of my life, delighting in his incomparable perfections and glory. There I'll be when troubles come. He will hide me. He will set me on a high rock out of reach of all my enemies. Then I will bring him sacrifices and sing his praises with much joy."
Even David, 3000 years ago, was able to enjoy God's "incomparable perfections" and realize that this powerful Creator was concerned about him and could protect him in times of trouble.

(Pictured are David and Goliath by Caravaggio and Michelangelo's David.)

Rational Responders # 15 - Premise 2

2007-02-08T05:20:00.000-08:00

In Evolution: A Theory in Crisis Michael Denton mentions the machine like qualities of biological components ....
"According to Paley, we would never infer in the case of a machine, such as a watch, that its design was due to natural processes such as the wind and rain; rather, we would be obliged to postulate a watchmaker. Living things are similar to machines, exhibiting the same sort of adaptive complexity and we must, therefore, infer by analogy that their design is also the result of intelligent activity....The conclusion may have religious implications, but it does not depend on religious presuppositions." pages 339 and 341

The amazing, ingenious, useful biological adaptations examined in premise 2, such as the eye or the brain, allude to an ingenious, powerful, creator God!

Rational Responders # 14 - Premise 2

2007-02-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Under premise 2 we have looked at a small sampling of the ingenious biological adaptations observable in nature as described by Michael Denton. We discussed the brain, the eye, cells, insect and human legs, and DNA. These complex, incredible components couldn't be the result of chance. Denton addresses this issue in Evolution: A Theory In Crisis .......

"It is the sheer universality of perfection, the fact that everywhere we look, to whatever depth we look, we find an elegance and ingenuity of an absolutely transcending quality, which so mitigates against the idea of chance. Is it really credible that random processes could have constructed a reality, the smallest element of which - a functional protein or gene - is complex beyond our own creative capacities, a reality which is the very antithesis of chance, which excels in every sense anything produced by the intelligence of man?" (Published by Adler & Adler, 1985, page 342.)

The clear answer is a resounding 'NO'. These incredible perfections couldn't have arisen from chance. Even man has yet to produce a computer as powerful as the brain or a storage mechanism as efficient as DNA. So there must be a supernatural, creative presence in the universe more reliable than chance and more powerful and intelligent than man!

Rational Responders # 13 - Premise 2

2007-02-04T03:02:00.001-08:00

Another 'problem' of living organisms overcome by ingenious biological adaptation is the problem of data storage and retrieval. How is an organism's design documented? Michael Denton discusses the genius of DNA in 'The Puzzle of Perfection', a chapter in his book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis ....

"A chemical solution to the problem of information storage has, of course, been solved in living things by exploiting the properties of the long chain-like DNA polymers in which cells store their hereditary information. It is a superbly economical solution. The capacity of DNA to store information vastly exceeds that of any other known system: it is so efficient that all the information needed to specify an organism as complex as man weighs less than a few thousand millionths of a gram. The information necessary to specify the design of all the species of organisms which have ever existed on the planet, a number according to G. G. Simpson of approximately one thousand million, could be held in a teaspoon and there would still be room left for all the information in every book ever written." (Adler & Adler, 1985, page 334.)

DNA is another example of an amazing, useful biological adaptation that sheds light on an ingenious, powerful, creator God.

Rational Responders # 12 - Premise 2

2007-02-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

My children are two boys and a girl ages 10, 10, and 8. I was surprised this past Christmas when it was my daughter who asked for a remote control car ... which she got. I get a kick out of watching her play with it, driving the thing around the kitchen floor, crashing it into my feet. Those gizmos are fun to watch.

Over the past few years Americans have been intrigued by the space missions to Mars as the Mars rover rolls across the surface exploring the planet. Years ago the Soviets developed a similar lunar exploratory machine named Lunakod.

Planetary explorers, lunar rovers, and remote control cars with wheels have limitations. They require a relatively flat surface and are not always able to spin around in position, like a soldier doing an 'about face'. However there are living organisms that are capable of climbing over virtually any type of surface. You've likely seen humans climbing up the face of a cliff, cockroaches running across your ceiling, or ants climbing up a wall carrying a crumb.

A gentleman by the name of Marc Raibert founded the MIT Leg Lab in 1980. The MIT Leg Lab developed the first robots that were able to mimic human walking. Raibert also created a robot capable of flipping itself in an aerial somersault and landing on its feet.

The amount of technology required to overcome the problem of traversing uneven terrain is astounding and instills in the careful observer a sense of awe at the ingenuity present in the legs of humans, animals, and insects. In Michael Denton's book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis Denton states that "The control mechanisms necessary to coordinate the motion of articulated legs are far more complicated than might be imagined at first sight." In 1983 the magazine Scientific American quoted M Raibert and I Sutherland as saying that "It is clear that very sophisticated computer-control programs will be important component of machines that smoothly crawl, walk or run." And yet we observe, in nature, organisms that CAN crawl walk and run.

My two sons were born premature by 14 weeks. They spent week after week after week in the hospital and I was frequently asking the doctors about their development and what type or problems they may have being premature.

I'll never forget a conversation that I had with one doctor while asking him about when my sons would crawl and walk. He said: "Your boys will walk when they are programmed to walk". The ability to walk is sophisticated and complex and it requires a control program. If there is ingenuity and if there is a program, there must be an ingenious programmer. That programmer is our powerful, creator God.

Rational Responders # 11 - Premise 2

2007-01-29T21:53:00.000-08:00

In previous posts I've listed the brain and the eye as ingenious biological adaptations present in living organisms. These useful biological components are evidence for an ingenious, powerful, creator God.

The living cell is another fascinating biological structure. Michael Denton states that if we were to magnify a cell so that it were large enough to cover the city of New York "What we would then see would be an object of unparalleled complexity and adaptive design." A continual stream of materials flow in and out of a cell. Denton says that the internal world of the cell is one of "supreme technology and bewildering complexity".

Denton goes on to say that if we were to see a magnified living cell "We would see endless high organized corridors and conduits branching in every direction away from the perimeter of the cell, some leading to the central memory bank in the nucleus and others to assembly plants and processing units....What we would be witnessing would be an object resembling an immense automated factory, a factory larger than a city and carrying out almost as many unique functions as all the manufacturing activities of man on earth....To witness such an act at a magnification of one thousand million times would be an awe-inspiring spectacle."

From Denton's book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis. (Adler & Adler, 1985, pages 328 & 329.)

Rational Responders # 10 - Premise 2

2007-01-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

The eye is another incredible biological adaptation. The ingenuity of the eye is evidence of a master Designer. It is a complex image capture mechanism. Each eye has 125 million visual receptors.

In an 1861 letter to the great American biologist, Asa Gray, Charles Darwin admitted that "The eye to this day gives me a cold shudder."

Michael Denton in his book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis suggests that the momentary feeling of doubt experienced by Darwin is likely shared by most biologists .....
"... to common sense it does indeed appear absurd to propose that chance could have thrown together devices of such complexity and ingenuity that they appear to represent the very epitome of perfection. There can hardly be a student of human physiology who has not on occasion been struck by the sheer brilliance apparent in the design of so many physiological adaptions." (Adler & Adler, 1985, page 327.)

Rational Responders # 9 - Premise 2

2007-01-20T14:31:00.000-08:00

"It is the sheer universality of perfection, the fact that everywhere we look, to whatever depth we look, we find an elegance and ingenuity of an absolutely transcending quality, which so mitigates against the idea of chance." - Michael Denton Evolution: A Theory In Crisis

The primary focus of my comments under premise 2 will relate to biological adaptations seen in living organisms and how these perfect, useful biological components are evidence for an ingenious, powerful, creator God. Much of the material that I will share on this topic comes from chapter 14 of Michael Denton's excellent book Evolution: A Theory In Crisis. (Adler & Adler, 1985.) I will share descrip- tions of a sampling of the biological adaptations described in chapter 14 which Denton aptly titled 'The Puzzle of Perfect'.

For example, Denton describes the extremely complex mammalian brain which has an incredible number of connecting fibres used to connect nerve cells within the brain. The total number of connections is a thousand million million. The brain is an ingenious and powerful biological adaptation.

Donald DeYoung said the brain has the "the greatest concentration of chemo-neurological order and complexity in the physical universe. It is a video camera and library, a computer and communication center, all in one. And the more the brain is used the better it becomes! A detailed picture of the human brain is slowly emerging, the origin of which seems entirely beyond comprehension from a naturalistic point of view. We see remarkable purpose and interdependence within the brain—every part works for the benefit of the whole."

Rational Responders # 8 - Premise 2

2007-01-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

I attended college in the early 80s, before computers were common tools owned by your 'run of the mill' university student. We had a computer lab at my school but I never went in there because I was a broadcasting major. I knew of one student at my college who had a PC in his room, my friend Steve. It was fun to play 'Star Trek' on and I figured my friend Steve did engineering stuff on it because he was an engineering major, but I didn't know much more than that.

One day Steve showed me a few other uses for his computer that got me excited about them. He explained to me that by using something called a word processing program you could type class papers into the computer. The words appear on the screen. Make a mistake? You just back space over the word and retype it! No erasers. No liquid paper. Type your paper, check it out on the screen, and then print it out. The onscreen editing feature would save me hours and hours when typing term papers! In my estimation, computers went from being a novelty item used by engineering students to an ingenious and useful tool for anyone. I was hooked!

Another feature of Steve's word processor (WordStar) that excited me was the spell checker. You run the spellchecker and the program highlights the words that you've misspelled. This was too good to be true. I almost felt guilty using it! For me, Steve's computer was an ingenious miracle.

As stated in installment 3, the purpose of this series is to provide a list of supporting premises for the conclusion that there is a God and that God is involved in the world and wants to have a relationship with us. Premise 1 dealt with the 2nd law of thermodynamics and the requirement for design/intelligence and energy to arrive at the ordered complexity observable in our world today. My second premise delves into the incredible, ingenious, biological adaptations seen in living organisms. These perfect, astounding, useful biological components are evidence for an ingenious, powerful, creator God, just as Steve's ingenious word processing program is evidence for an intelligent software programmer. If there is a program, there must be a programmer.

An adaptation is the modification of an organism or its parts that makes it more fit for existence under the conditions of its environment. In future installments these adaptations will be discussed more thoroughly.

Rational Responders # 7 - Premise 1

2007-01-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

The 2nd law of thermodynamics is a well established and confirmed law of science. The natural tendency of things is to run down, to go to a state of disorder, unless energy and design are introduced into the system. The Bible alludes to this in a prayer to God recorded in the book of Psalms .....

I say, "O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your years are throughout all generations. Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end." (Psalm 102: 24 - 27)

The 2nd law and the resulting, eventual death of the universe is also addressed in Henry Morris' book The Long War Against God:

"The second law (decay of energy) recognizes that this power is always becoming less and less available to maintain the systems and processes of the universe. Thus, the universe must eventually die if the second law continues to function. Since the universe is not yet dead, it must have been created at some point of time in the past, with its tremendous power imparted to it then by its eternal Creator."

Rational Responders # 6 - Premise 1

2007-01-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

The problem of the existence of complex organisms in a world where the natural tendency of things is from a state of order to disorder is noted in Ravi Zacharias' book The Shattered Visage:

"...how do biological systems climb the ladder of intricacy and order, while the natural world descends to entropy and disorder? Scientists have attempted to deal with this conundrum in their studies in dissipative structures, which show that biological organisms maintain their structure at the expense of the system, returning heat to the environment. However, as other scientists point out, this still does not explain nor answer the question of how it was that such highly ordered systems as living organisms could ever have come into existence in a world in which irreversible processes always tend to lead to an increase in entropy and thus, to disorder."

Zacharias then goes on to describe a seminar that he sat in under eminent theoretical physicist John Polkinghorne (a colleague of Stephen Hawking). Polkinghorne was "... commenting on the built-in factors within this universe, with particular reference to Quantum Theory, he said, with a grin, 'There is no free lunch. Somebody has to pay, and only God has the resources to put in what was needed to get what we've got.' " (Pages 41 and 44, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., Brentwood, Tennessee, 1990.)

Only God has the resources to generate the level of complexity observable in the universe!

Rational Responders # 5 - Premise 1

2007-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

Stephen Hawking discusses the 2nd law of thermodynamics in his book A Brief History of Time:

"The explanation that is usually given as to why we don't see broken cups gathering themselves together off the floor and jumping back onto the table is that it is forbidden by the second law of thermodynamics. This says that in any closed system disorder, or entropy, always increases with time. In other words, it is a form of Murphy's law: Things always tend to go wrong! An intact cup on the table is a state of high order, but a broken cup on the floor is a disordered state. One can go readily from the cup on the table in the past to the broken cup on the floor in the future, but not the other way round." (Page 144, Bantam Books, New York, 1988.)

As stated in the previous posting, the only way to circumvent the second law is to introduce energy and design into the system. Complex structures like the sun, a cell, a strand of DNA, or an eye must have their origin in a powerful God who has a vast amount of energy and design ability at his disposal.

To quote Henry Morris: "Local and temporary increases in complexity are only possible when driven by designed programs and directed energies, neither of which is possessed by the purely speculative notion of vertically-upward evolution."

Rational Responders # 4 - Premise 1

2007-01-14T00:19:00.000-08:00

I have to confess that massive office towers impress me. I've lived pretty close to uptown Charlotte for more than 10 years and whenever I'm in the city I still think they're pretty cool. They're awesome and they seem like they're going to last forever.

But they won't. Their natural tendency is to wear down and become more disorderly. They require on-going repair. This downward trend is described by a law of physics called the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.

In the Smithsonian Institution Journal in 1970 Isaac Asimov described the 2nd Law this way ...

"Another way of stating the second law then is, 'The universe is constantly getting more disorderly!' Viewed that way we can see the second law all about us. We have to work hard to straighten a room, but left to itself it becomes a mess again very quickly and very easily....How difficult to maintain houses, and machinery, and our own bodies in perfect working order: how easy to let them deteriorate."

So the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics says that the natural tendency is for systems to go from a state of order to a state of disorder. However outside influences can fight against the 2nd Law, for a time, and win! What are those outside forces that can make things go from disorder to order? They are energy and design. If my daughter's room is a pigsty she can expend energy to clean it up (carrying dirty clothes to the hamper). She can utilize intelligence (design) to eliminate the disorder. She's smart enough to know that the clothes go in the hamper, that books go on the shelf, and the sheets are to be laid across the bed before the comforter.

The natural progression of all things is to a state of disorder and yet we have complexity in the universe. The solar system is a complex system. The earth is uniquely capable of supporting complex biological forms. The human brain is a complex computer. Where did the complexity in the universe come from? Energy and design were a necessary ingredient for a universe with complexity.

I believe that there is a God who is interested in the world because there must have been a force of energy and design to have created a universe with complexity in the first place.

Rational Responders - Installment 3

2007-01-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

In the previous installment I shared a high level view of logic. We discussed conclusions and how to evaluate the truth of conclusions based on the strength of supporting premises. The primary purpose of this series is to provide a list of supporting premises for the conclusion that there is a God and that God is involved in the world and wants to have a relationship with us. Beginning with the next posting I will begin laying out those premises.

Before I start, however, I would like to make a comment about the organization 'The Rational Response Squad' whose stated purpose is to 'free humanity from the mind disorder known as theism'.

When I first learned of the Rational Response Squad website I though it might be interesting to visit their site and to learn about the reasons or premises that the group holds for their belief that there is no God. I went to the site expecting to see a 'rational', logical list of evidence for the non-existence of God. They pride themselves in being rational, right?

Let me credit them with having an interesting, in your face approach. How many STRONG premises did I find on their site for accepting atheism? None. How many premises at all? None.

The site lists their top 10 contributors. They have links where you can make contributions. They have a pile of Google adds. There is a posting that attempts to thoroughly outline the number of times the Bible records incidents where God killed people, however the numerous biblical references in the posting might lead one to conclude that the writer believes the Bible is true. There is also an encouragement by the group for individuals who are atheists to record YouTube videos stating that they don't believe in the Holy Spirit. A lot of colorful stuff .... but not a single premise.

My next posting will delve into premises that support Christian theism.

Shooting Off Our Mouths - Rob and Randy - Part 2

2007-01-13T15:10:00.000-08:00

This series of posts contains an instant messaging conversation that I had with my friend Randy ...

Rob: Hey Randy, here is a question about teaching the Word and just letting the Holy Spirit do the rest. What do you think of this scripture from 1st Corinthians 13:2: 'If I have {the gift of} prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. '

Randy: First, I do not think those gifts still exist, but love should still be the most important thing in everyone’s life. If you are selfish and not willing to give of yourself, you will never understand what Christ really expects from your life. At least it was that way with me, until I learned what 'selfless' meant I didn't understand a lot of the scriptures.

Rob: Yes. I think one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works is through Christians. The Spirit gives us passions to pursue and a Christlike attitude so that we pursue them the right way. We can preach the Word, but if we don't have love I doubt most people will listen or be motivated to change. You can't just talk at people. You have to find out how they experience love and then love them.

Randy: True, but I also believe that some will change in spite of how we act.

Shooting Off Our Mouths - Rob and Randy - Part 1

2007-01-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

This series of posts contains an instant messaging conversation that I had with my friend Randy a couple of days ago ...

Randy: We need to make a way so that more people are interested in reading the book of Romans in the Bible.

Rob: Interesting. Motivating people is a very interesting undertaking. If you ever figure it out, let me know!

Randy: I think that all you really have to do is to teach the Word the way it was meant to be taught. The Holy Spirit does the rest.

2 Tim 3:16 + 17: 'All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.'

Rational Responders - Installment 2

2007-01-06T18:03:00.000-08:00

In installment 1 I wrote about the opinion of Neal Boortz and the Rational Responders that creationists and Christian theists are unreasonable and irrational. So what does it mean to be reasonable and what is rational thinking?

Logic is the process of offering reasons (or premises) for holding a specific belief (or conclusion). Logic requires the proposal of a conclusion along with a list of premises for believing that the conclusion is true. Logic involves the critical examination of the reasons for a held belief and an evaluation as to how well they support the belief.

I could say that I believe that the Carolina Panthers will win the Super Bowl in 2008. A New England Patriots fan may challenge me on that belief and when he does, if I respond by saying 'BECAUSE' then I have provided the weakest of all arguments! My argument becomes stronger if I can provide one or more reasons to support my belief. Coach Fox plans to beef up the offensive line. Injured players will have recovered by next season. I could provide this argument ....

premise 1 - the offensive line will be 'beefed up'
premise 2 - injured players will return

premise 3 - we've still got Jake
__________________________________________

conclusion - the Panthers will win the 2008 Super Bowl

Above I've depicted a relatively weak argument for believing that the Panthers will go all the way. But at least it is a stronger argument than 'BECAUSE'! By adding additional premises I make my argument stronger. I can also help my argument by making each of my premises stronger. For example, my argument would be much stronger if one of my premises truly read: 'all of the other NFL teams have replaced their players with three year olds'.

So this is a 'crash course' in logic. In future installments, logic will be applied to the comments made by Neal Boortz and the Rational Responders.

Rational Responders - Installment 1

2007-01-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

While I don't have that much of an opportunity to listen to nationally syndicated talk show host Neal Boortz on the radio, I do read his news commentary daily on his website, http://www.boortz.com/. One of the hot topics of conversation on Neal's show revolves around the evolution/creation debate. So I was surprised to read on the website the other day Neal's comment that, on the radio, he would no longer be discussing the origins controversy. His reason? Boortz believes that you can't reason with creationists!

One definition in Webster's dictionary for reason is: 'a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense'. Another definition reads: 'something that supports a conclusion or explains a fact'.

So Webster is saying that reason involves a logical explanation given in defense of a belief or something given in support of a conclusion. Philosophers call those 'somethings' premises.

Joining the chorus with Boortz is another group with a presence on the web called the 'Rational Responders'. The Rational Responders are a group of outspoken atheists who are trying to convince everyone else that Christian theists (people who believe in the one God described in the Bible) are irrational.

In this series I will delve into the topic of atheism, theism, reason, rational thinking and logic.

Lessons From Clark W. Griswold - Episode 5

2007-01-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

In the hilarious movie 'Christmas Vacation' (not for the kids), the main plot revolves around Clark Griswold foolishly spending a huge amount of money for an 'in ground' pool, in anticipation of his annual Christmas bonus. Unknown to Clark, however, is his boss's decision to cut company costs by eliminating Christmas bonuses and replacing them with a much cheaper membership in the 'Jelly of the Month' club.

When Clark is informed that he won't be receiving the normal, huge, cash bonus, he loses his cool and tells his family that all he wants for Christmas is revenge against his boss. Clark's moronic cousin, Eddie, takes the request literally, kidnaps, and wraps Clark's boss as a Christmas present. In spite of the outrageous confrontation, the lesson is not lost on Clark's boss, who surprisingly admits that the cost saving measure doesn't feel so good after he sees how it affects 'the little people'.

Matters get worse when Clark's boss's wife shows up to heap further condemnation on the cheapskate. Genuinely sorry for being a skinflint, Clark's boss confesses: 'I was wrong' and promises to double Clark's bonus.

The repentance is warmly portrayed in the movie. The boss's genuine soul searching and admission of wrong doing is admirable. It's refreshing, I think, because real repentance and public confession is so rare in our culture.

The Bible says that all humans have sinned against God and that our sin has resulted in a broken relationship with our Creator. It goes on to say that we should have proper sorrow for our sin accompanied by repentance and regret. When we admit to God our sin and ask for His forgiveness, we become inheritors of God's salvation and forgiveness.

The Bible says: '...the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.' In spite of your sin, the hound of heaven loves you and wants to have a relationship with you!

Game Cube Golf Tournament - Part 2

2007-01-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

My three children and I recently had a Game Cube golf tournament. To the best of my knowledge the game is not programmed to give mulligans ....

Webster's dictionary lists the word 'mul·li·gan' as a noun with this meaning: 'a free shot sometimes given a golfer in informal play when the previous shot was poorly played.'

Here is a variation of that definition that I've heard that I like even better: 'a free shot sometimes given a golfer in informal play when the previous shot was poorly played ... and the golfer is among friends. '

The beauty of a mulligan is that it is a conferment of grace on an undeserving person who just screwed up.

Jesus angered the religious people of His day because He frequently gave out mulligans to notorious sinners. In the Bible, John records that a woman caught in adultery was about to be stoned to death by a mob when Jesus stepped in and insisted that the first person to throw a stone should be the one who had never sinned. One by one the crowd dispersed. Jesus turned to the woman and told her that He wouldn't condemn her either. He said 'From now on sin no more'.

Likewise Christ won't condemn us if we, in prayer, confess our sins to Him, ask for forgiveness, and turn our lives over to His leadership. The hound of heaven sought us out to rescue us by sending Jesus down to earth and dying on the cross, for our sins, in our place.

(Pictured above is my son Josh's Game Cube character for our golf tournament.)

Game Cube Golf Tournament - Part 1

2007-01-02T22:35:00.000-08:00

Game Cube Golf Tournament Photo Gallery!

Here I am. The Game Cube Golf
Tournament Champ.

Here is Hannah hitting a good looking tee shot. Hannah lost to me in the first round.

Here is Josh admiring one of his shots. Josh made it to the final round.

Here is Caleb hitting one out of the bunker. Caleb was eliminated in the first round by Josh, but only by one stroke!

(No spiritual application, just goofy Game Cube golf pictures!)

Part of Our Christmas Celebration

2006-12-29T20:39:00.000-08:00

When Hannah was younger she told me that she wanted to be a 'cooker'. At first I thought that meant a chef, but after some interrogation I realized that she wanted to be a baker! (Now she wants to be a teacher.)

Here is a shot of Hannah displaying the birthday cake that she and Jennie made for Jesus on Christmas eve. Hannah decorated the cake!

The cake was part of our celebration/remembrance of Jesus leaving heaven and coming to earth as a baby for our benefit.

The Bible says that Jesus ...

'... came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name ...' (John 1: 11-12)

Lessons From Clark W. Griswold - Episode 4 - Fried Pussycat

2006-12-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

One of the great characters in the movie Christmas Vacation (not for the kids) is the elderly and absent minded Aunt who comes to visit the Griswolds on Christmas Eve. Clark's confused aunt arrives at the reunion bearing gifts, but instead of bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh she's wrapped a jello mold in one box and her cat in another.

The cat, another agent in the plot to ruin Clark's perfectly planned Christmas, gets a hold of the Christmas tree lights and starts chewing on the plugged in cord. Since cat saliva is a conductor of electricity the critter goes up in a cloud of smoke and the evidence is burned into the carpet, garnished with toasted cat fur. Clark's cousin Eddie sums up the tragedy when, with a smirk on his face, he says 'that's one fried pussycat'.

During the closing credits of Christmas Vacation you don't see the disclaimer 'no cats were harmed in the filming of this movie'. I attribute this to the fact that Christmas Vacation is an older move, filmed prior to the advent of today's animal sensitivity.

The smoking carpet reminds me of a conversation that I had several years ago with a junior high student. She was expressing anger at the use of lab animals for testing during the development of prescription drugs. It amazes me how many folks I meet who are 'softies' for animals, speak passionately about their protection, and yet never express any concern about the thousands of abortions that are performed in this country every year.

The Bible says that mankind is special. We are 'created in the image of God' and are given dominion and stewardship over God's creation. The great variety of animals created by God are a testament to His majesty and sense of humor. But it is humans that God has pursued a relationship with, since the beginning of time. Secular intellectuals try to diminish human significance, but the Bible lifts mankind up.

In a prayer written by David, recorded in the Bible, David reflects on the bounty of God's thoughts about us. David says: 'How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.' The hound of heaven loves us, and because we are human, and created in His image, he has a strong love commitment to us. That is why He invites us to into a relationship with Him, so that we can live with Him forever.

Lessons From Clark W. Griswold - Episode 3

2006-12-24T02:51:00.000-08:00

In the movie, Christmas Vacation (not for the kids), Clark's extended family reunion is crashed by his obnoxious cousin. The cousin, Eddie, arrives at Clark's house in a beat up old RV with his wife and two small children. Eddie and his family will be staying at Clark's over Christmas but Clark comes to realize that due to Eddie's poor handling of finances no Christmas gifts are prepared for the children on Christmas day.

The soft hearted Clark graciously approaches Eddie for permission to purchase Christmas gifts for the kids. Eddie feigns surprise but then pulls out of his pocket a 'wish list' for his kids, having fully anticipated his cousin's generosity. To top it all off, Eddie says 'and get yourself something really niiiiccee'. The viewer can't help but chuckle at the absurdity of Eddie's proposal, panhandling a relative to purchase a Christmas gift for that relative funded by the relative but 'from' the panhandler!

I recently read a comment in a news magazine where the conservative political movement was prophetically criticised. The critic stated that the natural result of a conservative political philosophy would be selfishness. I can't help but wonder if American liberalism doesn't have the same net effect. The redistribution of wealth from the affluent to the poor isn't generosity. It's kind of like Eddie's Christmas gift to Clark, an act of liberal giving funded by someone else!

That's why the message of Christ is so powerful. Jesus came down to earth and He preached INDIVIDUAL generosity. He said 'give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you'.

He then allowed Himself to be arrested, beaten, and crucified on our behalf. Jesus lived out, by his voluntary death, what He preached, because by dying on the cross in our place, He took on the punishment that we deserve! The hound of heaven only asks that we turn our back on sin and turn our lives over to Christ.