JTalkin'

Did you know that NO full length feature film has ever been done on George Washington?  WHY?  I have no idea.  However, Angel Studios is really on a roll these days.  They have produced a really good movie about the life of George Washington before the American War for Independence.  This is a pretty good movie...I would actually watch it again.  And your children (probably age 12 and up) should w...

Happy Independence Day everyone!  I hope you all have a great day celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America.  As we take stock of our great country, I thought it would be good to compare the ideas, values, and accomplishments of our founding with the stated goals of a major political party in the US today:  The Democrat (Socialist) Party.   

The aftermath of World War 2 is what we call "the Cold War"...a war between the Soviet Union and communism versus the Western nations (the US, Great Britain, etc.) and capitalism/political freedom.  The march of communism in China begins in the early 20th century and progresses into a victory for Mao Zedong in 1949.  The defeated armies of the Nationalists (under Chiang Kai-shek) flee to...

The United States dropped the atomic bomb on Japan.  Why?  What was the reasoning of the US at that time?  And what did the US do for its allies, and even its former enemies immediately after World War 2?  And how did we get such states as communist North Korea and communist China?  The answers all lie in what happened at the end of this war and its aftermath.  

By 1943 it was clear that the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) were not going to win The Second World War.  Through numerous brutal campaigns the Allies (Britain, Soviet Union, America) slowly slogged their way across Europe and the Pacific to invade the home territory of the Axis Powers and finish them off.  

World War 2 was known not only for the staggering loss of life (some 60 million people perished), but the war saw entire state governments targeting vast groups of people for extermination.  What are some of the lessons we can learn from this evil?  

You'll hear me say this many times...the way things are now, they won't be forever.  In 1941 hope looked pretty bleak for the free world.  Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo and their armies looked pretty invincible.  But things change.  And fortunately the Nazi, Fascist, and Imperialist armies were stopped cold in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific.  The war was not over by a long shot, but...

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? ...

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 3:2...

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...

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 "sancti...

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 Jes...

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. ...

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.  T...

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 ou...

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...

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...

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?