Ezekiel is one of the most fascinating books of the Old Testament, its unusual language and imagery having puzzled and inspired Jewish and Christian exegetes alike. This study gives you an overview of the book as well as looking at some of its key passages. Designed as a Sunday School curriculum for sixteen or seventeen weeks, this can also be used as a small-group study guide or for personal enrichment.
Musings are non-fiction writings focusing on the interaction of the Christian faith with the world. All items are available both to read in your browser and as a PDF document. If you wish to print any one of these articles and treatises, it is better to do so using the PDF documents. WolfHawke.com recommends using Nitro Reader to view the PDF documents.
Currents and Culture
PDF Document Version (428.94 KB)As the Church faces increasing pressure to accept homosexual marriage, which she has traditionally seen as a gross sin, this brief treatise looks at the cultural reasons for the rise of the forced acceptance of homosexuality in the light of Paul's Epistle to the Romans
PDF Document Version (393.79 KB)Should people judge one another? And what exactly does it mean to "judge" another person? How does the famous passage in Matthew 7, “Do not judge, so that you won't be judged,” play into this and what is the biblical view of the whole topic? This essay explores these questions and highlights the ultimate goal of any form of speaking to one another about a sibling's failings.
Devotionals
PDF Document Version (307.47 KB)Written for Resurrection Sunday 2014, ponder the account and the meaning of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and then consider the proper response to give, whether as one who believes in the Resurrection, or as one who does not.
PDF Document Version (118.88 KB)Arising from the author's personal struggles with faith, this devotional takes a careful look at how both the Old and New Testaments define and describe faith. It also includes an excursus on the differences between Hebrew and Greek thought patterns.
PDF Document Version (317.87 KB)Fear is the one thing that weakens the strongest of human beings, making them unable to do what must be done. But there is one thing that can break fear once and for all and this is found in Isaiah 8:11-18. Learn more about this great liberator through this sermon.
PDF Document Version (260.78 KB)This sermon provides an overview of what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit, with a special emphasis on what the marks of a Spirit-filled person are.
PDF Document Version (317.05 KB)God is King of the earth. That is a given which most Christians will agree with, but what exactly does it mean, for God to be King? Here is a sermon on the idea that God is King — not like the king of a modern parliamentary monarchy, but like an ancient middle-eastern autocrat. It also takes a look at how such a view of God impacts the lives of His children.
What is good about this day
fraught with suffering and pain?
When evil darkness holds sway,
Truth is rebuffed and cruelly slain?
PDF Document Version (185 KB)How can one get to know God? The answer is surprisingly simple. Take a look at this brief treatise to find out more.
PDF Document Version (242.81 KB)How should a Christian, who is after all, primarily a citizen of heaven act in this world? Paul gives six clear, concise directives in Philippians 4:1-9.
PDF Document Version (176.15 KB)Much has been said and written about how there must be unity in the church of Jesus Christ, but especially since the Protestant Reformation, we see more division than unity. What does the Bible say about these two topics in regards to the local church? In this first part, J.M. Diener looks at what biblical unity in the local church means by studying John 17:20-23 and Ephesians 4:1-15.
PDF Document Version (371.17 KB)Much has been said and written about how there must be unity in the church of Jesus Christ, but especially since the Protestant Reformation, we see more division than unity. What does the Bible say about these two topics in regards to the local church? In this second part, J.M. Diener looks at what the Bible says about division among believers, individually anc collectively, by looking at Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Revelation 2:14-15 and Acts 15:26-41. He also discusses what makes up the core of the Gospel as the touchstone for what makes good theology.
Scholarly Papers
PDF Document Version (298.91 KB)Abstract: The greatest divisive force in Christianity are the various theological systems that exist among her adherents. An examination of the fundamental features of all theological systems that cause these divisions, “Beating the Systems” challenges the reader to hold the Bible as the greatest authority, to take a new view of their personal system and to display a biblical attitude towards those whose systems differ from theirs.
PDF Document Version (255.1 KB)Abstract: One of the most controversial parts of the Deliverance Ministries' practices is their questioning of demons to be able to receive information they believe is pertinent to casting them out. This paper takes a look at Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 8:19-20, two of the most clear passages dealing with various forms of procuring special knowledge pertaining to the spiritual world, and compares them to some of the practices of the Deliverance Ministries' primary leaders.
PDF Document Version (135.39 KB)Abstract: This paper takes a careful look at the presuppositions and hermeneutics of renowned feminist theologian Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza and then presents an Evangelical response to her writings.
PDF Document Version (246.23 KB)Abstract: A response to Kurt Woetzel's article "An Important Question for Our Times - Is Music Moral?", this is a careful look at that view as presented in his article. This looks at the topic from Biblical, linguistic, communicative, and anthropological points of view, offering an alternative solution to the dilemma using a communication model and suggesting guidelines for dealing with the situation.