Dr. J

Your Host – AuthorDr. jStark

   Dr. J. Stark was born to parents who had only recently given their lives to Christ, Dad at age 27 and mom much earlier but not in practice. His father stepped up to the alter, than stepped out in faith by attending Bible school at Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College. Although Drj was brought up in a strict GARB environment, he also sensed at a very young age that Christianity is Following Christ, not any denomination that has tampered with some of the Laws and requirements of Christ.

Just turned ten years old on March 14, 1957, on April 17, 1957 he asked the Holy Spirit (Christ as it was stated back then) to come into his heart. He accepted Christ on the kneeling steps of Oakwood Baptist Church in Muskegon Heights, Mi. Early elementary school was a struggle for him. A kind and alert 6th grade teacher realized he had great hearing problems and recommended an audiologist (ENT) to his parents. He was deaf in the left ear due to a severe childhood accident and it would force him to listen with a different set of ears the rest of his life. He did just that making many totally unaware of this limitation.

He served in the United States Navy. After high school he, graduated from Muskegon Community College, Empire College/New York State University, Aquinas College, Richland University (online), RCA School of electronics.

In his early days he served two complete and different blue collar trades; one as a brick mason (his father’s way of making an income for a family while in full time ministry) and one as a machinist. His father was known as the brick-laying preacher as every church he served he was behind the building of additional rooms, new sanctuaries, and remodeling existing physical plants where he lead weekly worship, prayer and bible study services for almost 40 years.

This is the backdrop to another apprenticeship served by Drj as he was at the beckoning of his father and seldom missed a church meeting or a “time on the construction line.” It was during a week of Missionary recognition meetings that Drj gave his life to Christ. His working career took many different roads. He worked his 10th, 11th, and 12th years in high school and started his masonry apprenticeship working with his father; he got his general contracting license in 1968. In his early 20’s he began a second apprenticeship as a machinist for a newspaper printing company. Eventually he was promoted to a District Management position, then became their Sales and Marketing Manager. For his last 22 years he worked in that position; 30 years total in this career.

     Wanting to test out the value of his higher-education, he began moonlight teaching at Muskegon Community College, then Baker College where he eventually became the Dean of Business Administration. He also taught at Aquinas College, and Cornerstone College in Grand Rapids.

He is published in many journals, business magazines and professional trade magazines. He also edited and contribute substantial sections to several books being worked on by fellow professors. Finally he was published by McGraw-Hill with a book titled: Marketing Decisions Made Accurate and Easy.

The amazing thing about this book is that he bases most of his marketing decision making formulas and tools upon approaches Jesus Christ used during His mission on earth. He is often heard saying, “If wanting to teach, why not do it the same way a very successful teacher called ‘The Great Teacher’ did it?” This seed stayed in his mind and when he sought ordination, he opted to go the route of unaffiliated, Christ centered, and become a life time Bible Student, thus sidestepping as many man inserted doctrine platform planks as he could.

With his marketing expertise he has consulted with and for many churches, economic development teams, major businesses, small Entrepreneurs, and colleges. Hiring a preacher-marketing professional seemed too unreligious and earthly for some churches but then, he always asked, “what is the sign out front, the weekly bulletin, and announcements?” His answer…. “Usually poorly done attempts at marketing.” Christ was a master marketer as He knew how to address each person’s needs. He targeted individual’s, instructed them accordingly and HE still does that today.

Study, study, study, this way when one has a weak moment in life s/he can ponder on the scripture leaving no room for the earthly distractions in one’s heart. Drj likes to use one of his own thoughts when it comes to Bible study. “It is not a Sunday school lesson, the usual sermon that comes from most pulpits today, nor is it reading through the Bible in a slow or fast-paced program that makes the difference. It is intimate and deliberate moments with Bible in hand and God on one’s heart. It is not a moment of Bible devotions. It is a deliberate digestion of the Word of God.”

cropped-aha.jpgAn AHA Moment in secular/Bible history: A side note for those who struggle to figure out what day is the real Sabbath and the rest of the week, a work week. Let’s look at Drj’s day of salvation. April 17, 1957 is the 107th day of the year 1957 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 258 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday. Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 4, 1957 – a Wednesday. Both days of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar? In the Hebrew Calendar it is Nissan 16, 5717. The real question is, when were Adam and Eve created? The 1st day wasn’t called that until Genesis 1:4, but Adam was created on the sixth day. Did Adam come with a calendar that named his birthday? Since God saw that it was not good for Adam to be without a help mate and this had to take some time, what day was Eve born? All we really have is a sequence of days that are not named in scripture. Man inserted names for days and there is little evidence he used some type of Adam calendar. While walking in the Garden in the cool of the evening to commune with God, there is no suggestion days had names. The above is why it is so important to meditate upon the Word of God and not get caught up in earthly and man-made issues that has little to nothing to do with God’s plan for our life and the Father’s redemption day. We are to walk continually in fellowship and worship of God. Drj quote: “An idle mind is like a faith without works (Book of James). Expect to get a return on one’s investment equal to one’s investment. Considering inflation, an idle mind and no plan to STUDY the Word of God, one’s spiritual value is diminished to less than its original investment.” 

cropped-aha.jpgA side note for those who struggle to figure out what day is the real Sabbath and the rest of the week a work week. Let’s look at Drj’s day of salvation.

April 17, 1957 is the 107th day of the year 1957 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 258 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is April 4, 1957 – a Wednesday. Both days of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

In the Hebrew Calendar it is Nissan 16, 5717. The real question is when Adam and Eve were created what day of our defined week was it? It was a day called “the first day,” Genesis 1:4, but Adam was created on the sixth day. Did Adam come with a calendar that named each day? Since God saw that it was not good for Adam to be without a help mate, and this had to take some time, what day was Eve born? All we really have is a sequence of days and nights that are not named in scripture. Man inserted names for days and there is little evidence he used some type of Adam calendar. While walking in the Garden in the cool of the evening to commune with God, there is no suggestion days had names; just 24 hour time rotations.

The above is why it is so important to meditate upon the Word of God and not get caught up in earthly and man-made issues that has little to nothing o do with God’s plan for our life and the Father’s redemption day.

Drj quote: “An idle mind is like a faith without works. Expect to get a return on your investment equal to one’s investment. Consider inflation and one’s spiritual value can be diminished to less than the original investment.”

Quick Links to Dr.Jstark’s  articles

3 thoughts on “Dr. J”

  2. I tried about a dozen times to email a copy of your linked articles to another person.and my self.

    Your hoops and dances it put me through to try and prove I am human was insane. After a dozen or so of rejections I abandoned the idea.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Yeshua. I am sorry you tried and failed so many times to “email a copy of [my] linked articles to another person. This is something over which we have no control. It is WordPress.com who controls this; perhaps for security or safety measure I know not of. Again, I apologize for their hoops and loops.

      Dr. Jstark

      Like

      Reply ↓

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.