JTalkin'

We Americans are notorious for NOT knowing a lot about history, even the history of the not too distant past that affects us today!  We know something about World War 2 battles because of movies ("Saving Private Ryan") or because our great-grandparents were involved.  But do you know WHY it happened?  What were the events that led up to a war that killed 60 million people in six years?  Tune in and find out!

When you come to know Christ as Savior and Lord, you become part of God's forever family.  You are adopted by God.  You are His child.  And there are many wonderful truths in the New Testament associated with that new status as one of His kids.  Enjoy your blessings with God as your Father!

God is no longer your enemy, if your faith is in Jesus.  The Bible is clear that a state of hostility has existed, and continues to exist with the lost human race.  But through the death and resurrection of Christ, that hostility has been removed for everyone who takes their refuge in Christ.  

Is the grave the end, or does God have something greater in store for us in the future?  Listen in to Dr. J explain important truths from 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Thessalonians 4 about the resurrection and glorification of the believer's body.

If believers in Jesus have been justified, redeemed, and reconciled to God, is there anything else left in our future?  Yes, glorification.  Our bodies await a future resurrection in which we will be given a body just like the one the resurrected, glorified Christ has right now.  Listen in as we discuss the "redemption of our bodies" that Paul speaks of in Romans 8:23 and Philippians 3:20, 21.  

We all love stories of redemption, like "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. A man is broken, twisted, mean, greedy and in bondage to his own darkness.  But something supernatural happens and eventually this broken man is transformed and brought out of his bondage and into freedom.  This is a good picture of the redemption purchased by Christ.  Listen in as Dr. J explains this crucial Bible word!

Well "propitiation" is a word we hardly ever use in English, but it is a wonderful word!  It is used rarely in the New Testament, but once you grasp it's meaning, you will rejoice in such a strange sounding word.  Because of the death of Jesus, God's justice is satisfied, and His righteous wrath against sin is forever turned away from all who believe in Jesus.  Thank God.  

Is the Christian life just "fire insurance", or is there a true process in which God purposely makes us more like Him in this world, and prepares us for the world to come?  The Bible is pretty clear that all Christians are separated by God from this world to Himself, to be a witness in this fallen world.  And this process of separating ourselves from sin and to God is called "sanctification."  It is not an easy or fun process, but it is necessary.  

The Apostle Paul tells us throughout his epistles that we are justified (declared righteous) before God by faith in Christ alone.  But James in his epistle tells us that we are justified by faith plus works.  Is there a contradiction there?  Not at all.  Listen in as Dr. J goes through the much-debated passage in James 2 and explains what sort of justification James is talking about.  

Are all gospels the same?  Nope.  There are plenty of churches telling us that in order to meet God's entrance requirements for heaven we have to jump through all sorts of hoops and obey a multitude of rules and rituals.  What does God say in Romans chapter three?  There Paul lays out the case very clearly that guilty humans are justified/declared righteous in the sight of God by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and not by any sort of obedience to rules or rituals.  It does indeed matter to know that you have the right Gospel message.  The margin for error is zero.  

Sadly and tragically, many if not most evangelical Christians do not know the key terms of salvation used in the Bible, and what they mean.  Because they don't know these doctrines, they are susceptible to fraudulent, quack theologies.  In this series I will discuss from the Bible key doctrines such as justification, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, and in this podcast--imputation.  The Bible is clear that people don't go to heaven for lack of sincerity; they miss heaven for lack of righteousness.  And the only righteousness God accepts is His own.  Thank God, in Romans 4 the Apostle Paul explains how God imputes/credits His righteousness to all who simply come to Him by faith in Christ alone.  

Since it is the hottest news of the day, I thought I would give my thoughts and analysis of the US and Israeli attacks on the jihadists of Iran...and why this is happening...and what it might mean for some other tyrannical nations.  

I am talking to everyone out there who has started a new diet and exercise program since the New Year...and have quit.  I especially want to talk to senior citizens who are discouraged.  You can change things.  Change is not insurmountable.  You are the biggest obstacle you will ever face.  Get back in the fight, stick to your plan, and in months you will start seeing results.  You can do this.  Think about how free you will feel.  Stick to it, and you will be free. 

Several weeks I published a podcast about five things in which Italy is better than the United States.  Well, I have to be fair you know.  I do love my country, the United States, so here are five things I think we do better than Italy (and possibly most of Western Europe).  Some of it is just "tongue in cheek"; some of it is pretty serious reflection on the differences between us and our friends across the pond.  Enjoy.  But either way, I love my country America, and I love my adopted "second home", Italy.  

The media is going crazy about this 2000 mile long snow storm blanketing the United States.  It is going to be rough for many people in the Deep South, I'm sure.But are there some valuable lessons for us as the nation "hunkers down" and gets ready to be buried under a foot of snow and ice?  I think there are several valuable lessons about preparation...not only for the weekend, but also for a long time to come.    

I just came back from a ski vacation in the Italian Alps.  What a dream come true!  I have been to Italy a few times, and each time it is a beautiful experience.  Although I am very proud about the great things we have and do in America, there are a few things that Italy does much, much better than the U.S., and we could learn a thing or two from them in order to improve our lives.  

Tired of all the "woke" garbage from Disney and other studios?  You just want to take your kids and grandkids to a great film that is visually stunning, has good character development, and tells a good moral story that kids will enjoy?  Take them to see Angel Studios "David."  You will not regret it.  I was VERY impressed with not only the artistry, but how they told the basic story of David from the Bible.  Of course, they don't tell the entire story (that would entail 3 or 4 movies...and some themes are not good for children to hear/see), but what they did show was quite impressive.  If I were Disney...I would watch out for Angel Studios.  

The Breaking News is that President Trump ordered a raid into Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro.  What should we think about that?  Is it legal, illegal?  Best for the US?  What message does this send to other nation states that have issues with the US?

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be!  Many of us wistfully look back to a "golden age" in our nation's past, or our personal past, when life was "simpler", and everything was just right.  But there never has been a golden age like.  The prophet Isaiah tells us, however, that one day the perfect golden age WILL come, and through the arrival of the Messiah.  Isaiah 9:1-7 is the Christmas passage you often hear in "Handel's Messiah", and it describes who the Messiah is and what He will do when He finally returns to set up His rule on planet earth.  Christmas is just the beginning of the story!  

Do Christians legitimately believe that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14?  Doesn't "almah" just mean "young woman", and Isaiah was talking about his wife, and not the virgin Mary some 700 years later?  Dr. J takes a look at Isaiah in the original Hebrew, and in the Greek translation done by Jewish scribes 200 years before Christ (the Septuagint), and gives an answer.  And the hope that this passage brings still brings hope to people every Christmas season.  

I have heard recently statements from podcasters and "journalists" and "historians" that Hitler and the Nazis were "cool" or perhaps just misunderstand.  Winston Churchill was actually the bad guy of World War II.  Really?  Listen in to this analysis of the facts of WW2, and the jargon which passes itself off as legitimate history to uninformed people these days.  

We hear a lot these days about how awful "Western Civilization" is.  Teachers in public schools and colleges are constantly bad-mouthing Western Civilization, but of course they are using their free speech which is a concept that uniquely comes from Western Civilization.  Are there any blessings or advantages of living in a culture that values the heritage of Western Civilization?  I think so, and today's podcast goes through a few of them.  

What was it like in America on Thanksgiving 1945?  World War II had just ended, and now millions of American fighting men were coming home.  What was our society, our culture like then?  What were we as a nation thankful for?  Can we take any cues from that era and find things to be thankful for today?  

Is the popular American celebration of Thanksgiving actually a celebration about a massacre of Native Americans by the Pilgrims and Puritans?  It has become popular in the past thirty or forty years to trash America and try to show that America is actually a terrible nation founded upon slavery, slaughter, and oppression.  However, upon examination of real historical facts, it becomes clear that this is yet another myth foisted upon impressionable and uneducated people.  It is important to expose the fraud of the Leftists in our land, and see their deconstruction of American history for what it is.  Celebrate Thanksgiving, knowing that it's roots are truly in a great feast of peace, joy, and tolerance.  

If you are on a college campus or public school (high school or junior high), more than likely you are not being taught the history of Marxism (or much history of any economic theory or nation, for that matter).  So, to help out your education, here are short little bios about seven evil little monsters who thought it would be a great idea to seize total control, wipe out millions of innocent people, and usher in a brave new world.  

Since so many Americans believe that government should have the right to "soak" the "rich" (whoever has more money than we do) and then "redistribute it" to others who are deemed more worthy of that wealth that they did not earn, I thought it would be good to just ask a few questions.  Share with your socialist friends.  

The term "fascist" is bandied about quite a bit these days.  But what does the term actually mean?  Who were the fascists of the 20th century, how did they practice their ideology in their nations, and who today most closely resembles what the fascists practiced?  

We talked about godly men (something sorely lacking in our American culture these days).  What does the Bible say about godly women?  Tune in!

How can you spot a godly man?  What does it take to be a godly man?  The Bible is very clear about the characteristics that men in the ancient world, and in our world today, needed in order to build a happy and prosperous life.  

The Bible tells us that there are people who may be very intelligent, but in the end they are fools.  What makes them a fool, even though they are very intelligent and productive in several areas of their life?  And how should we deal with fools?  A few pages from the book of Proverbs will help us sort through this mess and give us a road map on how to deal with such people, and also how to avoid the things that make them foolish in God's sight.  

After watching numerous videos of Charlie Kirk debating people on college campuses, I've been thinking a great deal on what the Bible says about the differences between ignorance and foolishness, intelligence and wisdom.  Plenty of people are intelligent but not wise, and many are ignorant but not foolish.  Does the Bible shed any light on the differences between these ideas, and does it give us any guidance on the principles we can put into our lives in order to have happier and more productive lives?  

My parents were part of the "Greatest Generation"...those Americans growing up in the Great Depression and World War II.  They instilled in me several life lessons that seem to be missing in many Americans today.  Hopefully our culture is rediscovering and valuing these eternal life lessons.  I hope you enjoy listening to this episode.  

It has been four days after Charlie Kirk's assassination.  I've wanted to let some time to go by to collect my thoughts.  Here's what I think about this darkly serious situation in our country, and the way forward for Christians.  

The conclusion of this series of the hard sayings of Jesus, I comment on some of the more popular verses that well meaning people use to "prove" that healing is the will of God for all Christians, or that Jesus is less than Almighty God, or that Christians should never "judge" anything.  I hope rather lengthy time on the air is helpful to you.  

Final podcast of the hard sayings of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse.  Is this tribulation something worldwide in the future, or just localized to a time of judgement long ago?  What did Jesus mean by "inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my brethren"?  Is the judgement He refers to at the end of the sermon a judgement that is of eternal conscious punishment, or something that will eventually end?  

Was Jesus talking about just some military invasion by the Romans in AD 70, or was His prophecy on the Mount of Olives about some worldwide cataclysmic series of events?  Tune in and found out!  

Jesus said a bunch of things in Matthew 24 that are controversial.  What did He mean by "He that endureth to the end shall be saved"? And what did He mean about the "kingdom rising against kingdom" being the beginnings of "birth pangs"?  What does all this have to do with Israel and the Church and the future?  Dr J takes on some of the more cryptic sayings of Jesus in this podcast and hopefully clears things up.  

Jesus speaks of a sin that He says will never be forgiven:  blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.  What is this, and is it being done today?  Is it something a Christian can do?  Why is it that this warning is never repeated again in the New Testament?  It can be a very confusing and disturbing passage, so listen in to Dr. J's take on what this saying means... and doesn't mean. Hopefully Dr. J's exegesis of the text will give you some peace of mind.  

Was Jesus mean or rude to the Gentile woman who came to Him because her daughter was demon possessed?  Why did He refuse her at first?  What did He mean by the things He was saying?  

This is the first in several episodes dealing with some of the hard sayings of Jesus.  In John 6 Jesus makes several statements about eating His flesh and drinking His blood.  What in the world is He talking about?  Is this a reference to the Lord's Supper?  Or is Jesus trying to convey something else?  

These are stories you will never find in history books, but I thought it would be good to record them.  I don't think it's right that they would be lost to the ages.  Most of them are nothing spectacular, but these were my encounters with people who sacrificed in a titanic world battle of good versus evil.  

Since we are now celebrating our nation's 250th birthday, I thought it appropriate to preserve my recollections of conversations with World War 2 vets over the past many decades.  Some of these are stories I heard in my childhood, others from as a middle-aged adult talking to people I interviewed.  I don't know if their stories were ever recorded.  So, I thought I'd give you my rendering of what they went through.  I know I have not captured even a fraction of what they experienced.  Some of these stories are about people who never saw combat; others saw it up close and personal.  I hope you enjoy this little window into the past.  

The Bible tells us about a New Covenant that God will make (and has made) with His redeemed.  What does that Covenant look like for the future of Israel, and how is the Church a part of it today?  

If the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament and the Four Gospels was primarily about a physical, literal kingdom upon the earth with a restored Israel at its center, and the earth restored to its Eden-like beginnings, then how does the Apostle Paul tell us in his epistles that we the Church are a part of this Kingdom?  Something doesn't "compute".... or does it?  

John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles all told people to get ready for something called "the Kingdom of God."  But what was it?  Some new thing starting with John the Baptist's preaching?  No.  It was predicted in the Old Testament for centuries.  Come with me for a brief journey through the Old Testament to see what God predicted for Israel and the nations, and how this fits with what Jesus and the Apostles later preached.  

As Christians we either go back to Peter and Pentecost and a program that is not for us today (and wind up in frustration and failure), or we go on to the later revelation from Paul for the Church today.  Please listen to why we need to listen to what God revealed to the Apostle Paul to the other apostles in Ephesians 3.  This revelation from Jesus Christ, contained in Paul's epistles, is our "blueprint" for the Church today.  

Why Paul?  God couldn't get it done with the 12 apostles?  Why is he the author of half the New Testament?  How is he the "missing piece of the puzzle" that explains what happened to Israel in the New Testament?  Once we see that Paul is raised up as a new apostle with a new message for a new assembly with a new destiny, a lot of the confusion in the Bible will clear up.  Listen in to this series on the unique calling and apostleship of Paul!   

I have heard a lot about the so-called "New Apostolic Reformation" and self-proclaimed apostles walking around and giving out new revelation and performing miracles.  But do they measure up to what the Bible says?  Stick around and find out from Dr. J today!

Some people think of themselves as victims, as prisoners, as hopeless waifs.  Change the metaphor in your life.  Instead of thinking of yourself as a slave or peasant or tyrant, think of yourself as a freeman.  Dr. J breaks down for us what it means to be a freeman in today's culture.  

Remember the true story of Jim Jones and how his 900 followers drank cyanide-laced grape Kool-aid?  If his followers had only seen in the Bible how to spot false prophets, they may have escaped.  The Bible gives us clear direction on how to detect these hucksters...by what they say...and by what they do.  Tune in so you can see through these counterfeits!