ad Dei Gloriam Ministries
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1Peter 4:11

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OUR PURPOSE

Welcome to the ad Dei Gloriam Ministries website. “Ad Dei Gloriam”, pronounced "ahd DEH-ee (DAY) GLOH-ree-ahm" is a Latin phrase meaning “to the Glory of God”. We hope and pray that our ministry will live up to its name. Our website was created in December of 2006 in order to build up and equip Christians (including ourselves) in our daily walk. We believe the best way to accomplish this is by promoting Bible literacy through studying the Bible and Biblical Christian literature. Another primary purpose is to share with others the good news of salvation (eternal life) through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe we're living in the days prophesized by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths" (1Tim 4:3-4). It is not surprising that with Bibles being practically outlawed in our schools and other public places, that Bible illiteracy is greatly increasing. This leaves Christians vulnerable to be "tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming" Eph 4:14). We also live in a time when the Bible is being banned from schools and other public places. Opponents of Christianity are attempting to re-write history based on their own worldview, eliminating any reference to God in an attempt to legitimize their immoral lifestyles. Is it any wonder that Bible illiteracy is at a all-time high?

Therefore, our website will concentrate primarily on teaching sound conservative Biblical doctrines. The majority of my personal writings will also fall into this category. Even when writing about social, cultural, historical or ethical issues (or any other topic), I attempt to base my conclusions on Biblical principles. We will also place a major emphasis on our Christian Heritage and classical Christian literature. I think a great mistake is made by some of the modern existentialist theologians, who ignore the wisdom and knowledge that the Holy Spirit has imparted to the saints throughout history, and try to reinvent the wheel based entirely on their own experiences. Charles Spurgeon, the great preacher used to say “It seems odd that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others." A good knowledge of Christian writings throughout the history of the church will greatly supplement Bible knowledge and equip the believer to stand against those attempting to re-write history or introduce non-biblical teachings.

Another subject that we hope to cover extensively is our Hebrew Heritage. I believe we limit our understanding of Christianity without knowledge of the Jewish roots from which it began. An understanding of Hebrew and Jewish history, culture, tradition, idioms, faith and worship can often help explain difficult Bible stories. God's plan in world history still centers on Israel, His chosen people, so we should interpret current events in the Middle East based upon this plan. We dare not find ourselves on the side opposing God, whose promise to Abraham is still rings true today: "I will bless those who bless you (Israel), and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Gen 12:3)."

If you're new to our site, please visit our Site Map page for an overview of our major sections. We also welcome you to visit our What's New page for links to our latest uploads, as well as information on works in progress and other stuff that we currently have planned. We're not sure where God will eventually take this website, but we hope to be obedient to His leading. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain (Psalms 127:1). One of the methods that God uses to communicate with us is through other Christians, so we always welcome your input.

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CONTACT INFO

Email: mail@addeigloriam.org

WHAT WE BELIEVE

We generally accept the Apostles' Creed, the Westminster Confession of Faith 1647, and the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. For our specific beliefs, please see our What We Believe page.

Personal Comments from the Webmaster

Hello, my name is Royce. I live in Plano, Texas (just north of Dallas) with my wife Melody. Our sons have moved, so the only kids we have left are our pets. I was blessed with a godly mother, who carried me to church every Sunday from the time I was in diapers. Twelve years later, by the grace of God, I became a Christian. The first twenty five years of my Christian life consisted of reading the Bible on occasion. During the past fifteen years, however, I’ve been seriously studying various doctrines of the Faith. I consider myself a layman’s theologian. Many of my writings on this site come from classes I have taught, or from correspondences with various friends and colleagues (which will remain anonymous unless permission has been granted). I also maintain a full-time job (my co-workers might disagree) with an Engineering and Construction company.

I enjoy studying the giants of the faith such as St Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, the Puritan writers and others. I also enjoy reading some of the more modern authors such as AW Pink, Norman Geisler, Alfred Edersheim, Charles Spurgeon, RC Sproul, AW Tozer, Frances Schaeffer, Alister McGrath, Jim Kennedy, Erwin Lutzer, Ravi Zacharias, Tony Evans and others.

This website is basically written and maintained by myself. I sometimes use "we", "us" or "our" because I have a few friends and colleagues who contribute to the ministry and website in various ways.

Below are some FAQ’s that provide additional information on our ministry and website. Please email us with any additional questions, comments, suggestions, complaints etc.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why create another Christian website among a zillion others?
Who is your target audience?
Do you address cultural issues?
Why are some pages less "Dial-up Friendly" than others?
Why is "God" sometimes written as "G-d" on your website?
Is ADGM a non-profit organization?
Is ADGM affiliated with a church or denomination?
Is ADGM protestant?
Can I copy or link to ADGM (Copyright Policy)?
How can I support ad Dei Gloriam Ministries?
Can I submit writings for publication?
What if I don't agree with your interpretations?

Why create another Christian website among a zillion others?

Excellent question. The fact that there seems to be a zillion other Christian websites out there was one of the reasons I started this one. A few years ago, I took an assignment designing transmission and distribution facilities for an electrical power utility. This required my being in Florida for two years, returning to Texas every second or third weekend. I took a Bible and a few books, but found most of my study time involving the internet. During this time, I found a large portion of professing Christian sites to be non-biblically based. I did find some biblically sound sites, but many provided isolated information which was not well organized. Very few provided links so that I could research additional info. Therefore, I initially set out to build a web site for my own personal use, planning to link my favorite study resources and to organize my notes and writings from Bible study classes which I occasionally taught when I was home. I soon felt led to share these writings, along with other study resources with others who might be interested.

By the Grace of God, our site will not only offer sound teaching based upon conservative biblical principles, but will also attempt to organize the material, including links to other Christian sites, such that it can be easily navigated and understood by all levels of readers. We'll attempt to organize our content by Biblical Book, Systematically by Topic, and by Author. We're also providing a search engine, a blog and other featured sections.

Who is your target audience?

Our target audience is anyone who shares our passion of wanting to know more about the Christian Faith (this includes "heart knowledge" as well as "head knowledge"). As I mentioned above, I wanted to create a site that could be used as a study tool not only by myself, but by others on all levels. My writings do contain technical theological terms and "Christianese", but I'll always try to define these terms as we go. I think one of the highest complements a theological writer can receive is "His/Her writings are scholarly, but I can understand them without consulting a dictionary". I'm also including many articles for new Christians as well as writings from some of the giants of the faith down thru history. I would hope that everyone from non-Christians to seminary students can get something from our site.

Why are some pages less "Dial-up Friendly" than others?

We attempt to keep the great folks who connect to us via dial-up internet service providers in mind as we design our pages. Unfortunately, certain features such as our news scripts, charts, photos and art may load slowly for dial-up visitors. All of the regular contributors to our site connect via broadband, so we rely primarily on your feedback to identify slow loading pages. We have split some sections into multiple pages and offer multiple choices of resolution sizes for many photos and artwork. We're also working on some downloadable pages and will offer CD's of the website once we get more material loaded. In the meantime, please contact us and we'll be happy to email you a pdf of any page(s) that you have trouble loading.

Why is "God" sometimes written as "G-d" on your website?

I have written a longer article on this, but here's the short answer. This comes from studying the Jewish roots (or Hebrew Heritage) of Christianity for several years. For many Jews, this is as a way of showing respect and reverence, and actually being in awe of the names of G-d. Every time I write G-d with a dash, it reminds me of the holy sacredness of the Name. Some Jews; however, with the best of intentions, do this in a legalistic sense. I sometimes write G-d in my personal writings (particularly when writing on a Hebrew heritage topic) and write God when using scripture or quotes by others.

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Is ADGM a non-profit organizations?

Yes, but not officially. We have not filed for 501(c)3 non-profit status due to concerns that government regulations might limit our activities and ministry. Please see our Support Us page for more info.

Is ADGM affiliated with a church or denomination?

We attend local churches individually, but our ministry is not connected with any specific church or denomination. All Christian churches are welcome to use our bulletin board.

Is ADGM "Reformed"?

Yes, but we attempt to offer differing perspectives on debatable issues. There are certain doctrines that we consider non-debatable such as the Inerrancy of the Bible, the Trinity, Deity, Resurrection and Return of Christ, Salvation by Grace through Faith, and the Gospel message itself (see What We Believe). Personally, I consider myself a conservative reformed protestant. My best friend is Roman Catholic, and I also correspond with a few other RC's. Even though I personally disagree with some of their doctrinal interpretations, I greatly respect the RCC, particularly their stances on moral and social issues. There will be more discussions on this subject on our site.

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Can I copy or link to ADGM (Copyright Policy)?

Please do for non-profit, personal or church related use. Our intent is for our material to be used for the glory of God and we feel humbled and honored when you do so. Our only request is that you not alter the material and please give a citation to the page that you use. This includes writings by others that are in the Public Domain. We have spent many hours re-formatting, updating archaic language, adding links and "Tables of Contents" for easier navigation etc to these classic writings. If you use any material for classes, please let us know how it goes, including any suggestions for improvement. Before copying material from our guest's writings or linked sites, please consult their individual policies. Please email us if questions.

How can I support ad Dei Gloriam Ministries?

The most important thing you can do for us is pray. If the apostle Paul felt the need to constantly ask for prayer, how much more do we? You can also support us by your comments and suggestions on our website. We have never solicited monetary donations. We continue to fund the ministry from our private resources. We suggest you reserve the primary portions of your giving for your local church. We do offer resources for purchasing through our Resource Shop which benefits our ministry. Please see our Support Us page for more info.

Can I submit articles for publication?

Please do. Content must be family friendly and Biblically sound (this does not mean we have to agree with every little detail). It must not contain copyrighted material (unless you own the copyright and give us permission to use it on our site). Please contact us with any questions.

What if I don't agree with your interpretations?

The great folks in our Sunday School class don't agree with everything I say, so how can I expect you to. The truth is that we're all finite minded people trying to understand an infinite God with the help of the Holy Spirit. I believe we can be united in Christ without agreeing on the interpretation or application of every jot and tittle. As I've said before, I'm still a work in progress and have altered my beliefs on a few minor doctrines over the years. My writings are certainly not infallible. We welcome your thoughts and comments, even when you disagree with us on something. I've received some invaluable insights from folks that I've considered theologically different from myself. I've also found that most folks with whom I've disagreed were not my "enemy", but were sincerely seeking the truth, just like myself.

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