DGJC

'In' Doctrine!

To indoctrinate is " to teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically ." This is not good. When Jesus commands us to follow him he invites us to "taste and see that the Lord is good." He also warns us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God." The Holy Spirit does not indoctrinate those that follow Jesus, but urges us to think critically the whole way.... read more.

A Brief Theology of Food and Clothing

Introduction Christ and his Scriptures set an example for us of very practical teaching. Once one has entered the world of theology, Bible college, or seminary it can be too easy for ministry to become quite cerebral. Subjects such as atonement, prophecy, and eternal decrees may keep a Bible student entranced for years. Thankfully, the Lord remembers that we are but flesh and that as much as he wants us to know him, he reminds... read more.

A Brief Theology of Houses

I was pretty mad at God. I am sure there are many who have suffered more financial difficulties and just as many who never have. However, my own family’s money problems were enough to leave a bitter taste in my mouth toward God. My mom and dad always wanted to have a nice house and financial freedom to compare with their friends and family. They bought an old farm house with the accompanying barn and... read more.

A Brief Theology of Name Calling

Last summer while struggling to connect with a group of cool and quiet 21 st Century teens I relished in a fleeting moment of fraternity with one young man in the high school Sunday school class that I taught. You see I recently turned 42 years old and it is no minor task to appear hip (or groovy or stylin’ or cool or chill or whatever) to such an audience. This particular Sunday we studied... read more.

A Brief Theology of Wine

Do you really know Jesus? 1) The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. 2) Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage. 3) When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no wine." 4) Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come." 5) His mother said to the... read more.

A Brief Theology of Work

Growing up in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Lancaster County, the general philosophy of life was often, “Work is never wrong.” A friend of mine once joked about the insanity of the German work ethic, “I caught my grandparents sweeping the forest floor one weekend, for Pete’s sake!” More recently, a friend from church commented, “Young men need work. It keeps them out of trouble.” I also agree that work is good, in fact... read more.

A Brief Theology of...Something Better Than Wine

Better Than Wine! Many unbelievers mock Christians as ignorant of the pleasures of sex simply because we strive to avoid their sexual jokes and their sexual immorality. We Christians, however, have the fullest tap into the goodness of God and his gift of sex to mankind. In fact one whole book of the Bible is dedicated to the physical love between a husband and his bride. “The Song of songs, which is Solomon's. Beloved: Let... read more.

A Look at the Body in Ephesians

Through high school I was basically a weakling. I barely tipped the scales at 140 pounds when I entered college and so I determined to do something about what I considered to be a problem. I began to lift weights and eat masses of carbs and protein with a goal to gain a muscular physical body. Though I continue to advocate exercise, I regret my excesses and wish I had instead applied this same energy... read more.

A Look at the Book of Colossians

The Christian Scripture is filled with beautiful literature. For example Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is classed by believers and unbelievers alike as one of the most glorious speeches of all time. The letter to the Romans stands as the foremost example of elegant argument while revealing grace! The gospel of John handsomely tells the story of Christ’s life from the heart of the disciple whom Jesus loved to our hearts. The book of Hebrews... read more.

A Look at the Book of Ephesians

Today we apply high school learning. In the ninth grade Mrs. M was my English teacher. She was the most frightening teacher a student could imagine. We have all met perfectionist types who demand absolute attention as well as unquestioning obedience. In a man this is militant. In a woman this was Mrs. M. I just looked at her picture again in my yearbook and chills still hit my bones. My fright was compounded because... read more.

A Look at the Book of Hebrews

A Theory The author of the book of Hebrews is unknown. Some speculate Paul, Apollos, Barnabas, Luke, or others. One might deduce from the text that the author was not an eye witness of Christ or at least not an apostle. Hebrews 2:3 (WEB) says, “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation—which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard." So we... read more.

A Look at the Book of James

Great benefit is to be had by personal study of God's Word. Recently I learned of a Christian who claimed that he no longer needed to read or turn to the Bible on a regular basis. He claimed that because of his maturity as a Christian and previous Bible knowledge that all his thoughts and actions were now automatically based on the truth every moment. God protect our brother and ourselves from this thinking! We... read more.

A Look at the Book of Philippians

The Pocket I have always enjoyed most of Jack London’s literature. I was fascinated by the Call of the Wild as a youth. I read it over and over. However, most of his world view went sailing right over my head. I have since regretted that the life of such a great writer ended in destruction due to his existential foundation. Yet, today I write about the foundation of Jesus Christ and the fruit promised... read more.

A Look at the Books of I and II Timothy

Paul’s letters to Timothy demonstrate the height of passion and purpose in Christian discipleship. Unfortunately we often pit things like love and truth, people and project, form and function, mercy and discipline, or worship and work against each other in our thoughts. This is unfortunate because God has designed beauty and strength to be both intimate and hard-working companions. Paul demonstrates both these ideals in his relationship to his young protege, Timothy. Paul reveals the... read more.

A Quintessential Defense of FREE WILL

My Position Clarified Recently while discussing the amazing grace of Christ with a number of Christian friends I have learned that many still hold the belief that God has given man a free will to either receive or reject Jesus. The belief in free will has become a palatable answer to the question of ‘how could the grace of God choose some and not others?’ Many have come to peace of mind over this difficult... read more.

Absolutely True, However...

I was raised in a dear Mennonite fellowship and the women wore a cloth covering over their hair. The church understood 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 to teach that a woman's head must be covered with a cloth to symbolize her submission to man. Tragically this teaching and other issues became a source of division, sweet fellowship was divided, and each believed as they individually chose. Why bother to raise this subject again? God has introduced me... read more.

Be Strong in Grace

Impossible Commands? God has at times through history commanded His chosen ones to do impossible things. In the book of Genesis we read that Abraham was commanded to leave his homeland and go to a place that God would show him later. In other words, "Abraham begin your trip now and I will let you know where you are going when I choose!" In the book of Exodus we read that Moses was commanded to... read more.

Beautiful Savior / Trustworthy Lord

Jesus Christ’s relationship with us has been identified by many titles within Scripture. Jesus calls himself a prophet in Mark 6:4. The writer of Hebrews identifies Jesus as our permanent priest , who offered His own blood for us, in Hebrews 7:18-28. Jesus was also revealed to be our king in John 18:33-37. In Luke 17:5-10 Jesus compares himself to a master while we are his slaves. In John 15:13-15, in Jesus’ final hours with... read more.

BODY BUILDING

Build the Body Years ago anxiety attacks and irrational sinful choices nearly took me out of the race. Yet our unchanging Christ and his unfailing grace enabled me to run again in his service, though not without difficult hurdles to overcome, also with his help. On the physical side the anxiety attacks removed sweet sleep and the anxiety medication added 50 pounds to my body. On the spiritual side God used these years to remove... read more.

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