Educate For Life with Kevin Conover

If you are familiar with the New Testament or church history, you know that Christians have been persecuted for their faith in many times and places.  Starting with the murder of Stephen soon after the resurrection, countless followers of Jesus have been tortured and killed for spreading the gospel and refusing to give up their faith.  But did you know that there are more Christians facing harsh persecution right now than at any other point in history?  This week Kevin’s guest is Todd Nettleton, the Director of Media and Public Relations for Voice of the Martyrs.  This organization exists to raise awareness and provide aid for persecuted Christians around the world.

Voice of the Martyrs was founded by Romanian Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in 1967, after he was finally released from a 14-year stay in a communist prison.  What crime did he commit to deserve such a sentence?  He refused to surrender control of his church’s teachings to the communist government, and said that his first loyalty would always be to Christ.  Wurmbrand was able to survive his horrific experience and use it to glorify God, writing about it in his book Tortured for Christ (which is available for free through Voice of the Martyrs).  Many more Christians are going through similar experiences right now, and their stories need to be heard.  Todd shares a few such stories, and also explains what VOM is doing to help persecuted Christians and spread the gospel in places where it needs to be heard the most.  He also talks about what those of us who live in safety can do to help our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ.

To learn more about Voice of the Martyrs visit Persecution.com, where you can subscribe to their newsletter about the state of the persecuted church worldwide.  You can also listen to their radio show at VOMRadio.net.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” —2 Corinthians 4:17-18

This episode first aired on October 4th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

Kevin recently moderated a debate between Jeff Archer (president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego) and Dr. Andy McIntosh that focused on the question: Can an atheistic worldview make sense of reality?  In the previous episode he talked to Jeff Archer about why he thinks the answer is yes; this time he talks to Dr. Andy McIntosh about why it is most definitely a “no.” Eric Hovind of Creation Today is also present to weigh in on some of the issues.

Kevin, Andy, and Eric discuss why it is impossible for the universe as we know it to exist without God.  They respond to a variety of arguments that atheists commonly use, including (but not limited to): life could increase in complexity without breaking down because the earth is an open system with energy coming in; the existence of intelligence doesn’t require God, because humans are just a complex AI; crystals are an example of a natural increase of complexity apart from intelligence; and lastly, creationists aren’t real scientists because they never make any scientific predictions that lead to valuable research or discovery.  Listen to the full episode to hear why each of these assertions is incorrect, as well as other evidence that supports theism and refutes atheism.

You can learn more about Dr. Andy McIntosh at AndyMcIntosh.org and TruthAndScience.org.  Eric and his work with Creation Today can be found at CreationToday.org and Youtube.com/user/CreationToday.

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” —Romans 1:20

This episode first aired on September 27th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

Whether they know it or not, every person possesses a worldview.  This is a set of broad principles that guides their perception of reality, informing them of what exists and what doesn’t, what is possible and what is not.  As human knowledge has advanced over the past few centuries, so has the idea that observational science can explain the whole of reality, physical stuff is all there is, and there is no spiritual realm.  This philosophical naturalism is a key component of atheism, a denial of the existence of any sort of god.

But does this view do an adequate job of explaining the whole of human knowledge and experience?  On September 29th, Kevin is moderating a debate between a Christian (Dr. Andy McIntosh) and an atheist (Jeff Archer) on whether an atheistic worldview can make sense of reality. In the weeks preceding the debate, he is interviewing each participant in turn about why they hold the position they do. In this first of the two interviews, he speaks with Jeff Archer about why he believes atheism explains all of reality without any need to refer to the supernatural.  They discuss topics such as whether religion is necessary for moral living, and whether the complexity of life suggests intelligent design.

Jeff archer is the long-standing president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego, author of multiple books, and an experienced public debater.  You can learn more about him and the Atheist Coalition by visiting  AtheistCoalition.org.

“And the Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ ‘A plumb line,’ I replied. Then the Lord said, ‘Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel…'” Amos 7:8

This episode first aired on September 20th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

Kevin speaks once again with Dr. David Levy, neurosurgeon and author of Gray Matter.  This week Dr. Levy shares more of his professional and personal insights into the human brain, taking a deeper look at some of the mind’s quirks and how to stay mentally healthy.

Have you ever wondered why you always feel a little better when there’s some sort of background noise, whether it’s the radio on the way to work or the TV when you’re home alone?  Have you ever felt that there must be something wrong with you, since you always dwell more on the negatives of life more than the positive?  Do you find that you are compassionate towards others when they make mistakes, yet extremely hard on yourself when you do?  If you can relate to any of these, you are certainly not alone.  Dr. Levy talks about how these and other psychological phenomena are typical of humans, yet can present serious threats to our relationships with both God and our fellow man.  He presents a plan of action to restore a proper frame of mind, by taking breaks from electronic distractions and meditating on the Word of God.  Both the Bible and modern science testify that the things we put into our brain, and the ideas to which we choose to devote precious attention, will have a tremendous impact on our psychological, spiritual, and even physical health.

To learn more about Dr. Levy, visit his website at DrDLevy.com.  You can also view these articles he wrote on why he prays with patients, and how to deal with anger towards God.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” –Romans 12:2

This episode first aired on September 13th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

The thought of “combining medicine and spirituality” may cause you to picture medieval doctors drilling holes in a patient’s skull to let the demons out, or some other barbaric practice of history.  Yet Dr. David Levy, renowned neurosurgeon and UCSD professor, has been integrating his faith into his medical practice for years with great success.  How?  By simply offering to pray with his patients before surgeries.

In this first part of a two-part series Kevin talks with Dr. Levy about his personal history, including how he entered the field of neurosurgery and what inspired him to start praying with patients.  Dr. Levy’s life has been an incredible journey, from his childhood of indifference towards God and church, to his days as an underachieving gas-station-attendant high-school student, to his becoming a highly skilled and successful (yet relationally challenged) neurosurgeon.  He describes how several extremely difficult life circumstances forced him to recognize both his inadequate definition of the meaning of life, and his inability to love others selflessly.  Fortunately, a conversation with his mother turned him towards the source of both meaning and love: Jesus Christ.  Dr. Levy shares how he got from the point of first having personal faith, to applying that faith to his profession.

To learn more about Dr. Levy and his spiritual and medical insights, visit his website at DrDLevy.com.  You can also view these articles he wrote on why he prays with patients, and how to deal with anger towards God.

This episode first aired on September 6th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

In a previous show Kevin took a look at the Bible’s perspectives on slavery, which were written between 4500 and 2000 years ago.  This time he addresses an incarnation of slavery that plagues the modern world, including our own communities and schools in the US: human trafficking.

Human trafficking can be defined as “the deprivation of a human being’s liberty for the purpose of sexual exploitation or labor exploitation.”  Traffickers identify vulnerable people and gain control of them through physical force, fraud, or psychological coercion in order to use them for profit through commercial labor or sex acts.  This ranges from forcing them to do excessive physical work for little or no pay, to making them participate in pornography or even prostitution against their will.

Kevin’s guests are Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan, and PLNU professor Dr. Jamie Gates.  Both have been involved in efforts to end human trafficking for many years: Summer through the District Attorney’s office, and Jamie through his organization Churches Against Trafficking.  They talk with Kevin about the causes of this problem, how to raise awareness and fight against it, and what warning signs to look for in order to recognize both perpetrators and victims.

To learn more about human trafficking and what you can do to stop it, visit FightHumanTraffickingSD.com and AbolishHumanTrafficking.com.  Consider getting involved in an upcoming event, such as AHT’s Break Free Run on September 12th, in order to raise awareness about this critical issue.

This episode first aired on August 30th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

Everyone’s looking for a purpose in life—and sadly, a lot of people aren’t finding one.  Is there no deeper meaning to be found, or are they just looking in the wrong places?

This week Kevin talks with several of his high school students about the question of purpose.  According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 15-34.  If life has no point, it makes sense that many would not choose to go on living.  But what is causing the young people of this nation have such an increasingly bleak outlook?  Kevin’s students weigh in on the issue, sharing their firsthand knowledge of the crisis their generation faces.

People pursue all sorts of self-centered goals as their purpose, but in the end it’s always misguided.  Odds are you won’t be able to achieve the level of money, fame and power that you desire—and even if you do, you’ll only end up feeling empty.  Actor Jim Carrey once commented, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” Three thousand years ago, King Solomon said basically the same thing: “…whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure…  Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind…” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11)

If self-gratification isn’t our purpose as humans, then what is?  The only one qualified to tell us this is the one who created us in the first place.  Fortunately, our Creator has done just that through His Word—but is this current generation willing to listen?  Who will give them the news?

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  —Matthew 6:33

This episode first aired on August 23rd, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

Jesus provided his followers with an excellent example of ministering to those who are in the greatest need of salvation: the poor, the outcasts, the orphans, the captives.  This week Kevin’s guest is Roger Ziegler, who for the last 15 years has been following Jesus’ example by taking the Gospel to R. J. Donovan Correctional Facility.  There are over 2.3 million prison inmates in the United States, and over 100 thousand in California alone.  Roger works with Pastors to Prisoners, a ministry dedicated to reaching as many of these people as possible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God has undoubtedly been working through the efforts of Pastors to Prisoners, touching the lives of more inmates every week.  In addition to Roger, Kevin talks with two men who were personally impacted by the ministry: Freddy and Ralph.  Freddy joined the LA street gang the Crips in 1973, and ran with the gang’s founder Tookie Williams.  His lifestyle of drugs and violence landed him in prison multiple times for a total of 21 years. Ralph struggled with an inescapable drug addiction for 35 years, spending 18 of them in prison.  Through Roger’s ministry, these men both found the one thing that could permanently change their lives when all else had failed: a relationship with Jesus.  Today they both act as living testimonies to the power of God, ministering to others who are just as broken as they once were.

For more information about Roger’s ministry, including opportunities to get involved, visit PastorstoPrisoners.org.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,”  —Luke 4:18

This episode first aired on August 16th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

One of the greatest objections to the existence of an all-powerful, supremely loving God is: why is there so much suffering in the world?  This is a serious question on a philosophical level, but it takes on a whole new significance when tragedy strikes close to home. How can we find meaning in suffering? Can something so negative be a blessing in any way?

This week Kevin talks to several of his own students (as well as the principal) from Christian High School, where he teaches apologetics. In particular he speaks with his former student Jason Lyon, who will soon be entering his senior year—and who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The question of suffering is no longer abstract to Jason and his friends, who must constantly face the fact that they do not know how much longer he has on this earth.

One might expect a young man in Jason’s circumstances to be racked with fear, anxiety, and maybe even hatred towards God for allowing such a thing to happen to him. As Job’s wife said when he hit rock bottom, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9) Yet Jason does not curse God; he has even called his experience a privilege. Why? Because his condition has brought him closer to God than he has ever been, and allowed him to have more of a positive spiritual impact on those around him than he ever has. Facing the mortal threat of cancer has shown Jason just how fully he needs God at every moment, and taught him to value what is really important.

Jason shares the perspective and insight that he has gained since his diagnosis, as well as the challenges he faces. His positive attitude is truly inspirational (which his friends and principal attest to), and he states that it is only possible because of his close relationship with Jesus Christ. Speaking as one with authority on the subject, Jason testifies that physical suffering, even to a great degree, is worth it if it brings a single person closer to God. Let those of us who aren’t in as difficult a situation learn from his experience, choose God above all else, and make the best use we can of the amazing gift of life God has given us!

If you would like to help Jason’s family cover his medical costs and give him the best shot possible at overcoming his illness, you can visit their GoFundMe page. Even more importantly, please support them in your prayers!

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep and death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”  — 1 Thessalonians 4:13

This episode first aired on August 9th, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/

Scientific advancement is making it harder and harder to believe in evolution.  Kevin’s guest this week is Dr. Jeffrey Tomkins, Research Associate in the field of Genetics at the Institute for Creation Research.  Dr. Tomkins is a living refutation of a common evolutionary claim, which states that the only reason anyone believes Creationism is because they were raised in it by their parents.  Dr. Tomkins was in fact indoctrinated from a young age—but into evolution, not creation.  He became a born-again Christian while in college, and realized he would have to reconcile his spiritual beliefs with his scientific ones.  After recognizing quickly that attempts to reconcile biblical teachings with evolution are futile, he read Scientific Creationism by Dr. Henry Morris and saw how well it harmonized scientific findings with the Bible.  As Dr. Tomkins continued his academic career (going on to earn a Ph.D. in genetics), everything he learned confirmed his biblical beliefs rather than contradicting them.  In 2009 he joined up with ICR, one of the world’s foremost Creationist research organizations.

Kevin and Dr. Tomkins discuss evidence from the field of genetics that supports belief in God and the Bible.  This includes “mitochondrial Eve,” the female ancestor to modern humans implied by mitochondrial DNA, who is thought to have lived only 5-7,000 years ago.  Similarly, studies of the protein-coding “exome regions” of the human genome have provided a timeframe of only about 5-10,000 years.  Ultimately, as the field of genetics advances scientists are realizing that a) the human genome is unfathomably complex, b) it is continually deteriorating rather than improving, and c) there is no possible unintelligent evolutionary mechanism that can explain its origin.  This branch of biology provides even more reason to believe that God, not evolution, is our Creator.

“The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.”  —Genesis 3:20

This episode first aired on August 2nd, 2015.

We make video lessons to raise up confident Christians: https://educateforlife.org/