Commentaries From an Agent of God

Like it or Not

2005-01-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

Like it or not! Yes, Bush is finally and officially President of the United States. I don’t understand why people tried to pull stunts and trash Bush right before the inauguration! We need to pull the nation together, not further apart. Both sides trashing each other is not helping at all. Our success in the next four years depends on how much we support our President. Without support—with only division—our nation is not going to be successful in our war on terrorism. We have to look to create the best ways to work together—I’m not saying lets be all “loving” and “kind” and “I’m so hurt because some guy is saying something bad about me”. I’m just saying we need not tear down each side, but instead support the president in office and work with him to get things done.

Wisdom

2005-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Wisdom doesn’t just involve what you know…wisdom involves how you live.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, complimant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy” –James 3:17

Want wisdom? Just ask. (James 1:5)

Absolute Truth

2005-01-02T19:21:00.000-05:00

That's right. I believe in absolute truth. Just because I believe If I step in front of a semi (going 75 mph) I won't get hit does not mean it won't. I can't deny the truth. It's going to hit me whether I beleive it will or not. It's the same with God--He's there whether you believe he's there or not. Just look around...Someone had to be the creator of this earth. You always assume a house had a designer. So it is with the world we live in. No house was made by chance and the earth--so much more complex--could not have been made without a designer. God.

Tolerance

2004-12-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

Many people believe that truth is relative. Everyone has their own way to heaven, and we have no right to say that they’re wrong. “It’s true because I believe it’s true” is the accepted statement of today. But I beg to differ. The Bible is not true because I believe it to be true; no, I believe the Bible is true because it is true. The Bible is true whether you choose to believe it or not. Everyone has the right to believe what he chooses to believe. However, I cannot and will not treat other beliefs as equal with The Truth. To do so would dishonor the holiness of God. Christmas is not just a “holiday”. It’s a Holy Day set apart for the One True God alone.
You can’t accept the view that many ways lead to heaven and include Christianity as one of them. John 14:6 (NKJV) says “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”We can know God only through Jesus Christ:
Romans 10:9 “If you confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”Christianity is about sin. God has set us all a standard to follow perfectly, and we’ve all been told to follow that standard, such as the Ten Commandments. And none of us can truthfully say that we have perfectly kept God’s law. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If God were to judge you by these Ten Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? And by your answer, would you go to heaven or hell? Does your answer concern you?If we’re honest with ourselves, we should all come to the same conclusion. One I came to a few years ago. Acts 3:19 “Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of God.”
Christ Said:John 7:17 NIV “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.”
John 14:21 “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Your Witness

2004-12-15T20:32:00.000-05:00

In my EC’s today, it was telling an interesting story:
A woman was accidentally rear-ended my some guy. The woman got out of the car, and, after surveying the damage, got really mad at the guy and started to yell and scream at him. When the police arrived, they found the two about to come to blows over the whole matter. After taking the report, the police officers proceeded to arrest the woman and take her to the station. When she asked why she had been arrested, the officers that had responded to the accident replied that they had seen a Christian bumper sticker on her car, and being Christians themselves, they knew no Christian would act the way she did. So they assumed that the car had been stolen.
The Dev. didn’t say if that was a true story, but it sure does have a great message. Are we Christians everywhere we go? Home, Church, store, school, with friends, with family? Or are we like that woman, with no thought of what our actions are?

I sure hope that car was stolen.

And I hope you will pray about your Christian witness, as will I.

In Christ,
Tim

Are you thankful?

2004-12-15T20:26:00.000-05:00

I was late as I sat down to eat my lunch the other day, and everyone else was already half way done. So I just dug in. As I was munching on my sandwich, my littlest brother, who’s four, asked me if I had thanked God for my food. That really hit hard. No, I answered, I thought you guys already did... But that was a bad excuse. I had been finding myself lately forgetting and asking halfway through the meal. And even then my heart wasn’t right. So I prayed to God to forgive me, and asked him to help me remember all the good things he has given me. Especially food. We take so many things for granted, and we really need to thank God every day for Family, Friends, our church, our home, and our food. Asking a blessing over the food is just one thing you can do. And God really got me good when he asked me if I had prayed and asked thanks before my meal through my brother. Don’t forget to thank God for something you have today!

In Christ,
Tim

Sold Out

2004-12-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

Doesn't it just totally annoy you when you walk up to the soda machine, you find your money, and after the machine finally accepts your bills, it tells you that the soda you want is sold out?
Well, in this articel, I want to talk about a different type of "sold out". My definition of "sold out" is, like a coke machine, when a person has totally emptied themselves and given all that they have to someone ot something.
Now, I have to bring up a question: Are you sold out to someone or something? Money, pleasure, TV, computer, or other things?
I have to wonder what would happen if we were all "sold out" to Jesus? What would happen to this earth?

--Would we be persecuted?--

Sometimes, I wonder if we're not Christlike enough, and that's why people never look at us and hate us because they know the gospel we preach. Could it be that we as a church have fallen into some type of lifestyle that is "holy", yet not too "good" that people we come into contact with have to make a choice about how they treat us. We need to "humble ourselves and pray, and seek God's face", or we're just going to become more and more like the world we live in, and not more and more like Christ.

I hope you will ask yourselves these questions, and answer here if you want.

In Christ,
Tim

Tongues

2004-12-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

The subject of tongues is not spoken much of. I've heard and read very little on the topic, so, after reading some passages of scripture in Corinthians, I decided to take on the task of a t least briefly going over the subject in a way I see will greatly benefit my readers. My knowledge of this subject is scarce, so I've turned to James Boice, a well-known commentator, for some thoughts and a starting point. In his commentary, Foundations of the Christian Faith, Boice starts of by saying, "None of the gifts [spiritual gifts] mentioned anywhere in the New Testament has been so controversial as the gift of tongues and the accompanying gift, interpretation." Some people believe the gift of tongues means to be able to speak to other people of other languages by the prompting of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-12).
But after an examination of Corinthians, that does seem to be the case. Rather, in Corinth, interpreters were needed because the listeners were not hearing in their own languages.
Others believe that the gifts are the ability to speak in "heavenly
tongues". Still others believe speaking in tongues is just a "self-induced, psychological phenomenon or the work of demons."
Here's what Paul says about tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.

1. The gift of tongues can be counterfeited
2. There are many other gifts of the Holy Spirit and the gift is tongues is just one of them. In fact, Paul minimized the gift later because it was a temptation for pride at the church of Corinth.
3. The gifts of the Spirit are for the edification and unity of the church
4. If the gifts were listed in importance the gift of tongues would be relatively low
5. The gift of tongues in "fraught" (look it up in the
dictionary) with dangers, so it must be exercised carefully.
a. Disorder
i. The gift must not cause disorder in the church
ii. Speak one at a time
iii. Only two or three must speak in tongues
iv. Don't permit them to speak if someone can't interpret
v. Paul wanted the Holy Spirit heard
b. Content less Christianity
i. He didn't want and emotional "high" to be everything
ii. Emotion must not be the basis for faith
iii. Experience must not be trusted over revelation
c. Don't forbid tongues
i. Desire prophecy
ii. Don't forbid speaking in tongues
iii. If tongues isn't your gift, do not desire it
I hope this article has helped you better understand a little about tongues. Please comment and tell me what you think or if you have further questions that I can try to answer. Also, I reccomend "Foundations of the Christian
Faith" by James Montgomery Boice.

In Christ,
Tim

How Do I Know I Am A Christian?

2004-11-24T11:45:00.000-05:00

Please Read 2nd Peter 1. What is this chapter saying? What does it mean when it says things like "And add to faith...And add to...And add to...". Start thinking on these things.
Starting in verse 5, Peter says to "[give] all diligence"[KJV] or "make every effort"[NIV]. This giving all diligence means to "work hard over a long time, attending to detail." Peter then lists seven traits a Christian should be developing. Verse 9 then makes it clear that Peter is addressing saved men, also stating that a man can "[forget] that he has been cleansed of his past sins." So this means a saved man can not, or fail to, mature after he is saved. This is disobedience to 2nd Peter 1. Not only is it dangerous, but verse 10 hints at the fact that this immaturity can be putting his calling and election in doubt. As my pastor says: "The one who fizzles at the end had a fatal flaw from the first". As Christians, we must be bearing fruit in these areas. If you have examined your life, your fruit, and have found you calling is unsure, you must begin to question your salvation. Make sure you are growing in Christlikeness and that you are on the road to heaven, not hell.

Spoken By the Sky

2004-11-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Today in my devotions, I read from my EC's (The weekend devs are really good). It started by telling the story of J.C. Savage, the inventor of the sky-writing airplanes. Since his invention, countless numbers of commercials, advertisements, and engagement proposals have been sketched across the sky.
But even before Savage was born, the skies have already been used to tell a different message. Psalm 19:1 says "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims teh work of his hands." The heavens continue to announce and proclaim the majesty of God. The message of God is clear in every place on earth.
The devotional then went on to challenge me: "Look up Christian! God has given you a message to you taday. It's spoken by the sky and it directs you to Him."

God Bless,
Tim

Perfect Ending

2004-11-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

Think about your favorite fairy tale. Okay, now here’s my question: What is the standard closing line? That’s right, “and they all lived happily ever after”. It seems like every book and movie we see or read comes out perfectly in the end. It’s just so easy to predict what’s going to happen in the end, no matter how bad the situation is at first.
Our lives certainly don’t seem that way. We never really know what tomorrow holds or what’s going to happen a year from now. Then again, we really can know the end of our “story”. If we have accepted Christ, we know that when we die, we will have eternal life. And we’ll definitely live “happily ever after”. But for those who haven’t accepted Christ into their lives, they can know their final destiny, the end of their story, is hell–definitely not a happy ending.
We really need to trust God no matter what the circumstance and we need to make sure our destiny is the right place.

The Cry of A Pastor's Heart

2004-11-18T17:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a worksheet you might want to try doing one day for QT. It's very simple, and will force you to do some study and reading. The blanks are for verse numbers, and you can even go farther by re-writing this outline. I'd like to see what you get.

Taken From 1 Thessolanians (I'll be posting specific chapter)

1. A Pastor's love

Paul made every effort to see them ___

Paul values them ___

2. A pastor's desire ___

a. Paul sent his fellow laborer ___

b. His mission is clear ___

3. A Pastor's Realization ___

a. Paul realized they were vulnerable ___

b. Trials would come ___

c. Persecution would come ___

d. Paul had suffered ___

e. Paul knew of the enemy ___

4. A Pastor's Encouragement ___

a. They were expressing love ___

b. Their transformation encouraged him ___

c. Paul celebrates that they are standing firm ___

d. They are a source for thanksgiving ___

5. A Pastor's Prayer ___

a. Growth in their faith ___

b. Paul wanted to be with them ___

c. That their love would grow ___

d. That their inner life may be strengthened ___

6. A Pastor's Appeal ___

a. Live a life pleasing to God ___

b. Obey the instructions of your Lord ___

c. Live a life in contrast to the world ___

d. Love one another ___

This was the sermon at my church sunday from Pastor Burcham.

Forever Gone

2004-11-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

Whenever we give up apart of our faith, we lose it forever.
Sheffy

In the 1800s there were once great religious gatherings called camp meetings. In these meetings hundreds of people packed themselves into a giant "preaching shed" to hear the gospel spoken. There were many saved during these meetings, and great revivals came from these meetings too. But slowly these meetings became obsolete. "Times were changing" people said.

In the New Testament, all the believers worshiped together in one spirit, they had no disagreements about their faith, and they shared their money and land. The gospel spread rapidly through the Roman world. Years and years passed, and the church became filled with men who wanted not grace through faith, but works. The church became an outward visible institution, not the universal group of believers. The church had given up that wonderful church that was united together in one accord.

There are many other examples, but one we must look at during this day and age is marriage. If the church gives up marriage between only a man and a woman, we will lose that forever. If we give up the sanctity of life, we won't ever bring it back. God never forces his will on man. He gives them a choice, and if they don't obey his will they have to go their own way. And this way cannot be the way our churches go. We must not give up what God has so graciously given to us.

Why Do I Need A King?

2004-11-05T15:23:00.000-05:00

We are in need of a king because we can't possibly rule our own lives, or anyone else's, for that matter. Without God, we wouldn’t know how to "order our life properly". In a description of Christ as our king,"Why the Bible Matters" (Ramey) brings up the well-known story of David, who is arguably the best human king who ever lived. Since he was so great, couldn’t he be a perfect king over man? Why can’t someone like David be a real King? David was a sinner, and no sinner is perfect, and an imperfect king cannot perfectly lead mankind. We need someone who is perfect to rule in our lives. And only Christ is the perfect King, who can be all-powerful, alway just, and wiser than the most intelligent man ever known. And above all, Christ has all authority to give and enforce his will. (Mark. 2:2, John 13:13-15, Eph. 2:20-22, Rev. 17:14, 19:16.)

Jude

2004-10-30T16:23:00.000-05:00

Here is some "Biblical Theology" (oooooo, ahhhhhh!! and yikes!) that I did for Bible this week. All biblical theology is is (huh?) the study of determining what the Bible teaches according to the nature of it's literature. Enjoy the notes!

Theme: Beware of False Prophets

Verses 1-2:Salutation

Verses 3-4:Beware of False Prophets
-- And contend for the faith

Verse 4:Watch out for godless men
--Men who change grace into a license for immorality
--Deny Christ as Lord
Verses 5-19:Main Body

--Godless men are grumblers
--Fault finders
--Follow evil desires
--Boastful
--Flatterers
--Selfish

Verses 5-11:Historical Events--What happens to "False prophets" or godless men
--Egypt
-- God delivered his people
--Later destroyed unbelievers
--Sodom and Gomorrah
--Perverted city
--Served as example of what happens to those heading to hell
--Cain and Abel
--Cain killed his brother
--Exiled
--Balaam
--Korah
--Two other events only recorded in Jude
Verses 12-13:Detailed description of False Prophets
More Coming Soon!

Why Do I Need A Priest?

2004-10-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

Why Do I Need A Priest?

Our sin has separated us from God, who is totally perfect and holy. We are unworthy to be with God, so we must have someone who is worthy to be with God to let us communicate to God through this perfect person.

God's system of priests offering sacrifices form sin in the Old Testament is the symbolic picture of the innocent death of Christ on the cross for all mankind's sin. No amount of animal sacrifice could actually remove sin (Hosea 6:6, Hebrews 10:1-6). Since animals have no moral value to make up for moral sin, priests were just as unworthy in God's presence as the most sinful soul on the earth. They had no place being the mediator between us and God. But Jesus was the perfect priest who sacrificed His life for all human sin once and for all(Hebrews 9:24-28).

Note

2004-10-22T14:41:00.000-05:00

Okay,
I saw the green design on Jake's Website and immedietly thought that it looked kind "secret agenty". So, while I work on a new design, this is what things will probably look like. Bloggers choices are cool though!
Tim

Sharing Your Faith...With A Muslim

2004-10-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

To start this article off, I must say that I'm not an expert on this subject, only someone who feels that I should write this article and post it here. It certainly has helped me, and I hope it will do the same for my readers. I'll write some steps from "Sharing You Faith with Muslims" by Del Kingsriter followed by some of my own original comments.

#1. Commit Yourself to Prayer

Okay...Wow! That really hit hard when I first read that line. A good guilt trip once every day sure is good. It really reminded me that I've not been in prayer for Muslims, much less for those non-Christians that I know. That changed today for me and I hope it will change for you too. Be dedicated to prayer.

#2. Show Love Toward Those Who Do Not Know Jesus

The Bible tells us over and over to be witnesses to all people. We need to put our faith into practice, and in that way open doors to sharing the gospel. We also need to show love to all people...and remember that not every Muslim is a terrorist. These are real people in need of a Savior.

#3. Share Your Personal Testimony

Instead of debating over theological issues, a great way to share Christ is by your own life changing experience. I'll be posting mine on my main web site next week.

#4. Give A Reason for the Hope That Is In You

First, take a look at 1st Peter 3:15. We need to heartily study our faith, and we need to be prepared for questions about our faith. We may not know everything, but we must know our core beliefs. By studying our faith, we become more convinced of the "hope that is within us".

#5. Give the Muslim the Word of God

What better way to present the Gospel, but through the Bible. We can pray that God will speak to them through his word, and that the Holy Spirit will lead them to know Jesus.

#6. Believe God for the Outworking of the Holy Spirit in Your Life

Pray that God will let the Holy Spirit speak and work through you. What more can I say than this.

If you have a Muslim friend, please check out these sites: Islam Review and Ex-Muslim.com
Hope this helped you--Don't forget that much of this can be used to share the gospel with anyone!

In Christ,

Tim

Without the Law, Are We Innocent?

2004-10-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

In this article, I will be trying to address the question found in the title above: "Without the law, are we innocent?" I’ve been thinking upon this very subject lately, which has driven me to deeper study on the subject of the law.
To begin, I will list the commands given to us by God–Known as the Ten Commandments.
--The Ten Commandments--
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol,
3. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9, You shall not tell lies.
10. You shall not covet.
The Bible gives us these Ten Commandments and more in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. But what is we didn’t have these commands, and what if we didn’t know the law of God? Would we be innocent before God or guilty? Is it fair to go to hell without knowing the law of God?
The best place to start would be in Romans, with a quote from the Apostle Paul. In this passage, from Romans 2, Paul speaks of the righteous judgement of God on all mankind–including those who do not have the law. "All who din apart from the law, will perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law." Why is that? It doesn’t seem fair to those who don’t have the law, those "apart" from it. Paul says, "Indeed when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, even defending them."
So those who do not have the law, in a sense, really do have the law. God has created us with a conscience and a heart with the law written upon it. So, on judgement day, we are all without excuse. No one can be blameless, with or without knowledge of the law.
But we do have the law of God. I listed the Ten Commandments above for you to read. Have you kept all these commands perfectly? Reading in Matthew, rom the Sermon on the Mount, Christ goes deeper into the law, saying that these commands are more than just externally broken, but they can also be broken in our hearts. If you were to be judged by these commands, would you be innocent or guilty? Would you be going to heaven or hell? Does this concern you?

Ready For This?

2004-10-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, Day 1: So far I know no one in the universe is reading this blog, but someday someone might just stumble onto this page and be interested.
Introductions:
Name: Catspaw--Agent "007"
My Goal for this page?
Well, first of all it will be a evangelism tool.
I will ask important questions on Christianity and try to answer them. I'll be posting some good quotes and other writings from books and commentaries I like, along with some of my own original thoughts.
Also, I'd like some comments from friends on my ideas--and maybe correct me on some things.
Hopefully, it will be interesting and helpful to both me and my readers.
In Christ,
Catspaw007--