Month: August 2026

What If?

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Knowing the Truth about God’s Sovereignty

What if the myth purported by atheist around the world was in fact not a myth at all? What if the story of a creature so resplendent with beauty, so powerful in stature, so gifted in speech, became so self-possessed that he and a third of the heavenly angels rebelled against their Creator? What if there was a being known as the DayStar, Son of the Dawn?

As the story goes DayStar decided to ascend to the heavens and raise his own throne above the stars of God. He decided to sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. He said to himself, “I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!” What if the story is true?

Well, boys and girls, that would mean two things. Bad news, and good news. Let’s talk about the bad news first and get that out of the way.

Bad News

DayStar was punished for these self-aggrandizing decisions. The Creator brought him down. Literally. The Creator responded this way:

“But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble, who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?“

DayStar, Son of the Dawn, is none other than the serpent walking through the same Garden in Eden where God the Creator had placed the first couple. While he is described as a serpent which means snake to modern thinkers, the name indicates more his character than the attributes of physical appearance. We know this because only after the Creator judges the events that transpired there do we see Daystar no longer able to walk among humans but slithering along the ground forever. Once a renowned angel of light, Satan has been reduced to eat the dust of the earth which he now inhabits.

Remember what he said to the woman in the Garden? “Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Read this question filtered through a modernist lens and you hear, “What if you wouldn’t die? What if it isn’t true?”

See, this is the crux of human history in a nutshell. God’s Sovereignty is always on display all around us. The universe itself and all of nature scream at us to understand the concept of a Creator. But the LIAR, the Daystar, Son of the Dawn, Satan himself never yells. He whispers in that insipid conspiratorial tone, barely breathing into our minds, and causes us to say it with our voices, “What if…?”

In fact, this vile creature attempts to do the same thing with his own Creator that he does with us. One day he waltzes into the very throne room of heaven, him and his henchmen who followed him in rebellion against the Creator. The LORD of heaven says, “Where have you come from?”

The quick reply, “From roaming through the earth, and walking back and forth in it.” Funny isn’t it, even after being cursed to slither, he still thinks he’s walking.

The Creator wants to make a point, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one on earth like him, a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.”

Satan smirks. “You’ve placed a hedge on every side around him… you bless his work… give him everything. But what if you stretch out your hand and take it all away… surely he will curse You to Your face?

The point here is that Satan’s MO never changes. He lies. His sole purpose for existence seems to be deluding those who doubt God’s existence, while causing God’s true followers to doubt that God means what He says. The DayStar’s sole, deeply entrenched strategy is two words, “What if?”

Good News

Way back in the Garden, when God watched the events unfold between the Serpent and the First Couple, as Creator, He made good on the instructions He had given the man, Adam. However, in hindsight, given to us by the Author of Truth, we understand that God tempered his anger at their disobedience, offering Grace and Mercy in letting them live. Yet, His judgment was still brutal in that they would no longer walk and talk with their Creator in the Garden. They were cast into a world where it would become survival of the fittest. At least this is how most historians view the history of mankind. In reality, it is the story of survival of those who will continually place their trust in the Creators direction and provision for their lives.

The Old Testament becomes a historical record of God choosing individuals, then a nation to serve Him as His representatives of grace, mercy, and light. God calls Light-bearers to serve him and bless the nations. The Creator told the DayStar, “Because you have done this, cursed are you… on your belly will you go… eating dust forever… you and the woman will always be at war until… her seed crushes your head.“

Daystar thought the Creator a fool when the Bright Morning Star hung on the cross. Not to be confused with Daystar who sought to usurp God’s authority, The Bright Morning Star emptied Himself, “…, having taken the form of a servant, having been made in the likeness of men… humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Oh how the DayStar laughed in that moment. Then something changed.

Word came to DayStar of an event so shocking it wreaked terror throughout every fiber of his being. Bright Morning Star was not dead… He is ALIVE! Satan and his minions shrieked in agony at the truth of it all. The course of all human history had been reshaped by the obedience of the Bright Morning Star. Now DayStar’s destiny was determined for all eternity. Bright Morning Star had battled for the souls of mankind and became victorious through death, by coming back to life.

The Good NEWS is that every human being has the opportunity right now to decide which to believe. DayStar or the Bright Morning Star. DayStar is a liar, deceiver, tempter whose only message is “What if all the Morning Star says is a lie? What if the Creator is holding out on you? What if you’re really all alone in this God-less world? Trust me, I can help you navigate the pit.”

On the other hand, the Bright Morning Star’s message is always the same. “Come to me, and I will give you life.”Not a life of materialism. Not a life with no problems. Not a life with no pain or suffering. The life I offer you is peace and joy now, and eternal everlasting life in my own home… heaven.”

Atheist of note have all said they know the truth, and there is no Creator. There is no God.

What if they are all wrong?

Read the stories for yourself. Allow God the Holy Spirit to speak truth into your heart and mind as you read the words. Ponder the truths you find there. Then decide for yourself, don’t let others decide for you. Especially not the DayStar!

Go get a Bible. Do it now. Here are the locations of the stories:

  • DayStar: Isaiah 14:12-14
  • The Serpent: Genesis 3:1-7
  • Job: Job 1:6-12
  • Morning Star: Revelation 22:16; John 10:10

I am happy to chat with you offline about these truths. Just email me.

God’s Sovereignty: Control

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Knowing the Truth of God’s Sovereignty

Here is a shortlist of questions to ponder today:

  • Does God’s ability to use someone mean God approves of everything that person does?
  • Are Spiritual gifting and spiritual maturity not the same thing?
  • Can God have a purpose for a person long before that person understands or fulfills it?

No, no, and yes.

God’s using someone specific or some specific action to accomplish His Sovereign Will is not tied in anyway to His blanket approval of all that person does. How do I know this? Because every human being that has ever lived or will ever live is flawed. We sin. We make mistakes. We make poor or bad choices. And while God allows us the freewill to make these choices, He does not negate or cancel the consequences of our choices. When He uses us in spite of ourselves to accomplish some portion of His will either for us, for someone else, or for the world, this demonstrates God’s sovereignty to control the events directly related to His will on earth.

Spiritual gifts and spiritual maturity are definitely not the same thing. Just a quick read of the letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians should help us see this. In reality spiritual maturity is directly related to how closely aligned our will is to God’s will. Spiritual gifts is a whole other discussion. People often think gifts of the Holy Spirit relate only to vocational choices like preaching, teaching, singing, playing musical instruments etc. However, as it relates to the correlation of spiritual gifts to spiritual maturity, I would turn your attention to Paul’s list in Galatians.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  ~Galatians 5:22-23

When the Holy Spirit of God transforms a human heart to exhibit all of these attributes of God into an individual life, then spiritual maturity is the by-product of that transformation.

And finally…

There is a little pamphlet that I used in college as a tool to have spiritual discussions with my classmates. It began with “God loves you, and has a wonderful plan for your life…”

The truth of God’s Sovereignty is that not one single person alive now, has ever lived, or will live, is on the planet by a random act of procreation. God has placed you here for a reason. We often don’t even get to know what the reason is. Sometimes we do. Most often we don’t. However, there are things we can know about the “why are we here question” though. The first is that you are here as a creation of God, to know Him and His great love for you. Exhibited in God the Son’s coming to reveal God the Father’s nature to humanity, the Son gave His own life, so that we might not just know who God is, but actually become part of His family forever.

The Control aspect of God’s Sovereignty is that He creates every human with the capacity to know Him, choose Him, love Him and serve Him. The Freewill aspect is that He doesn’t force you to choose Him or His will for you. Understanding this also brings spiritual maturity or spiritual immaturity. For those who are transformed by God the Holy Spirit when they accept Jesus the Son as their Savior, a lifetime of learning, growing, trusting and serving can take place. For those who shake their fist at God’s love and refuse His mercy, grace, and love often spend a large portion of their existence continually asking a “why” question that can only be answered, “Because He chose you, but you didn’t choose Him.”

If you want to know more about how to say yes to God’s mercy, grace, and love, I would like it if you would email me, and we can chat offline about these truths.

September 14, 2026 DEADLINE!!!

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

QR Code to Reach Your Congressman

I went to the dermatologist today and discovered something very disconcerting. There is a new proposed Medicare rule before Congress which would penalize doctors for performing necessary procedures on the same day as an office visit or exam. This ruling sets a precedent which could then be applied to all doctors not just dermatologists.

The new rule would make it harder for doctors to treat Medicare patients promptly and effectively in the following ways:

  • Increased costs. You may be required to return for a second separate appointment just for your needed procedure, leading to additional copays and coinsurance.
  • Delayed treatment. Essential diagnoses and treatments for skin conditions, including skin cancers, would be delayed until a follow-up visit can be scheduled.
  • Inconvenience & hardship. This ruling creates an undue burden for patients, especially those with transportation challenges, who must take extra time off work, who live far away, or have mobility issues.

Your voice can protect Same-Day patient care!

You can take these actions:

  • Comment to CMS. Tell CMS that you OPPOSE the proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Rule because it could delay medically necessary procedures and require unnecessary return visits.
  • Contact YOUR Representatives. By just clicking or tapping on the QR CODE above you will be taken to the website of the American Academy of Dermatology who is helping you to fight this battle. On this page you will see links for Physicians, Staff, and Patients who want to have a voice on this matter. By clicking PATIENT, the link takes you to a page where you will be given the opportunity to send a prewritten letter to your local congressman, regardless of which state you reside in.

    In the box labeled “Message”, you can scroll to read the entire letter being sent to your congressman on your behalf. By giving your address and zip code, your Congressional representatives will receive a letter telling them you want them to vote NO – IN OPPOSITION to this ruling by Medicare.

This is an urgent matter. Congress is expected to act on this ruling in September, and the September 14th deadline is REAL. ACT today! Send your Congressman a letter that could make a difference to thousands of Medicare recipients. Do it now.

Again, this ruling sets a precedent which is be applied to all doctors without specificity to their practice, not just dermatologists alone

One last thing you can do is Get The Word OUT!!!

Share this blog post with every medicare patient you can think of. Tell your church! Tell your friends!

Thank you for your help in this matter.

Grace for Gracie

Dr. J.D. Wilkins1 Comment

If you are a Shih Tzu owner you already know certain things about the breed which I am about to share. For all others, you’re welcome.

This animal is a toy dog breed which originally came from Tibet. Favored by Chinese royalty during the Ming Dynasty the Dowager Empress Cixi bred them extensively. The dogs came to Europe in the 1920s gaining popularity in the USA during the mid-1950’s.

The Shih Tzu is often referred to as the Tibetan Lion Dog. Gracie certainly fits this monicker since she likes to lie on top of our sofa and look at at the squirrels playing on the fence outside, or the leather chair perched next to the window in our office, so she can watch for the mailman to deliver his bounty.

Gracie is a very affectionate, people-oriented dog. A great companion for my wife and I. Here are just a few of the specific unique identifiers of the breed… of which, Gracie performs well in all categories.

  • Circle spinning before lying down. It’s a DNA thing. Circle spinning can be traced back to the ancestors who would do this in the wild to flatten grass or leaves to create a comfortable sleeping spot.
  • Shih Tzu Stomp. Gracie often uses her front paws to tap or stomp when she is excited, i.e. when it is time for her walk. The stomp is amusing and seems to stem from the ancient breed signaling their presence in a non-threatening way in the imperial courts. Stomping is a playful gesture indicating our dog is happy and wants to engage with us.
  • Snorting and Grunting. The sound is not unlike a human blowing into a handkerchief or tissue. Or maybe like a short breathy sneeze. It often means “You are not paying enough attention to me!”
  • Picky Eating Habits. This one is notoriously famous about Shih Tzu’s. We have tried a variety of foods. Gracie will eat almost anything we cook for ourselves, but this is not the healthiest diet for our little dog. After much trial and error, we discovered that it has more to do with the size of the bites offered, than the food itself. Although she would definite prefer fresh carrots to anything else, we offer her a healthy portion of small breed dry kibble, which she now devours ravenously when she is hungry. Tip: many dog owners want to offer their pets doggie treats. We experimented and found that if we keep some of her food kibble in zip lock bags around the house, when she acts like she wants a treat, we give her a few nibbles of the exact same dry kibble. She’s happy and we’re happy.
  • Paw Licking. This is a habit that can be linked to allergies… but also to sheer boredom. It’s as if Gracie doesn’t want to sleep at that moment, or play, or do much of anything, so she licks her paw. Or my wife’s foot. Which my wife loves. But me, not so much. I tolerate it sometimes and offer Grace to Gracie in the form of a foot bath. Ick.
  • Sudden Bursts of Energy. These burst can best be described as the “zoomies.” Gracie will run through the house, from the bedroom to the office, around the sofa, back into the bedroom, around the dinner table, and jump up into the chair she normally sleeps in. Then look at us watching her as if to say, “What? Can’t a girl just run?”
  • Sleeping with their eyes partially open. Ok. This one I get, because for some reason I do the same thing. It can be disconcerting at times to look over at our sleeping monster and wonder if she is asleep or just staring at us out of half-closed eyes.

Gracie is a dog with a large personality. But… she is stubborn to a fault. If you are thinking of getting this breed of dog for a pet, just know this, nothing happens unless they will it or choose it. Now, Shih Tzu’s can be trained to walk on a leash (which we have done), but walks can be difficult at times when Gracie decides she isn’t quite through sniffing that mailbox, and doesn’t want to leave yet. It would be easy to get angry at this stubborn animal, then she looks up as if to say, “Well, I’m waiting, aren’t you ready to go yet?”

When we brought Gracie home to our house from the breeder, she was wearing a cute little Christmas outfit, and had this Christmas Cane stuffed toy in her mouth. We nicknamed the cane “baby”, so even now when she carries this around in her mouth looking for another place to bury it, we ask her, “Gracie, you got your baby?” She stops, looks at us, as if to say, “Don’t bother me. And look away, I’m hiding this. Pay no attention over here. Nothing to see here.”

All these little idiosyncrasies can be annoying at times. But it is so easy to offer Grace to Gracie, for she has stolen our hearts. She is a gift from God to us. Just like the free gift of Grace.

Am I Really Free?

Dr. J.D. WilkinsLeave a comment

Knowing the Truth of God’s Sovereignty

I was having a conversation this week with a friend about God’s Sovereignty. The idea in question was “Do I choose Jesus, or does Jesus choose me?” These are exactly the kind of questions which tickle my mind with excitement. Here’s my short, one-word answer. “Yes”. The Scripture to support this answer is Ephesians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”

The wording of this verse is extremely rich with nuance which some eyes never see. People just read the words. But look closely at verse 3. There we find:

  • the Blessed ONE which is God the Father
  • who is also the ONE which sends the blessings
  • then the blessed ones, all Christ-followers
  • the blessings, all things spiritual
  • the location of the blessing, heaven
  • and the Agent of the blessing, Jesus the LORD

Wow! All that in one verse. Talk about word-smithing, the apostle Paul knew how to communicate! But a true Christ-follower needs to nail down all this information solidly in their hearts and minds for verse 4 to have full impact.

God created mankind with freewill, beginning with Adam and Eve. God the Father, the Creator, gave the first couple only one command. HE told them not to eat the fruit of a certain tree in the Garden (was it really an apple? how do you know?) God the Father expected them to choose to obey Him. He also told them what would happen if they didn’t. “…for on the day that you eat it you will certainly die.” There was a blessing in obedience, and a curse associated with choosing to disobey. But both of the first humans had the free will to choose.

Did that change when they left the Garden?

No. Here are just a few verses to demonstrate God the Father continues giving people a choice to serve Him, or serve themselves.

Deuteronomy 30:19 (Moses speaking for God to the Israelites)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have placed before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants…

Joshua 24:15 (at the end of his life)
If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Matthew 23:37 (implies the people in Jerusalem had a choice)
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings… and you were unwilling.

Acts 4:11-12 (Peter talking to the people in Jerusalem at Pentecost 50 days later)
He is the STONE which was rejected by you, the Builders, but which became the Chief Cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.

YES! You really are free… to CHOOSE for Yourself

However, you should also know, the choice you make comes with ramifications. Making the wrong choice doesn’t free you from the unexpected consequences or the unintended results of your own choice. While making the right choice brings ultimate freedom which Jesus defined this way.

John 8:31-32
So, Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

So… does God choose us, or do we choose God?

Yes! From eternity past God has intended all along to give you the choice to believe in Him and become part of God’s family right here, and right now. The added benefit being eternal life and never being separated from God again. He chooses you! Now it’s up to you.

If you choose to believe in the claims of Jesus… that He gave His life for yours so that you could say yes to God’s grace, then you can become a part of God’s family today! He’s made His choice, now it’s up to you!

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about how to choose God, send me an email and we can chat privately about it. I’d love to hear from you!