Timmmaaay!!

Just to give my readers a little taste what it is like to me at work. The first thing I need to tell my readers that I am teased relentlessly because I am a “Mac-guy” in a Windows/Mac hostile company. I can take it, especially when my co-workers and our customer’s computers are plagued with viruses and spyware! Of course, I never rub it in. LOL

The second thing my readers needs to know that a few years back (1999-2000, I think) South Park introduced a new character Timmy. The character is a cripple kid in a wheel chair and the only thing he says is “TIMMMAAAY!” Keep in mind that being politically correct is NOT in South Park’s vocabulary.

Most of my co-workers are fans of South Park, and every since the character Timmy was introduce my co-worker started to address me not as Tim but as TIMMMMMAAAY!!! Every time my co-workers walk by my desk I hear TIMMMMMAAAY!! I walk in to the office I hear TIMMMAAAY!!, and many times in unison.

I guess it is all right. It doesn’t bother me because I know it is a sign of affection.

Timotheus
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Or should I say Timmmaaaay!!!

PS-- Don't worry I will have more entries on Reformed Theology soon!

Riddleblog: One More Time--Islam Is No Religion of Peace

One More Time--Islam Is No Religion of Peace

Kim Riddlebarger has written a nice piece on his blog titled, One More Time--Islam Is No Religion of Peace. I recommend that everyone who reads this entry on my blog will also click the link and read the entry on Kim’s blog. This entry is good because Mr. Riddlebarger explains that Islam is NO religion of peace much better than I did on one of my recent post A Concern I have about Islam.

As many of my reader will know, Kim Riddlebarger (he is a guy) is the pastor of Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, California, and co-host of the White Horse Inn, which should be on the listening diet of all Reformed Christians. Riddlebarger is also the author of two books and the one I read is great, A Case for Amillennialism – Understanding the End Times, and the other The Man of Sin: Uncovering the Truth About the Antichrist which is on my reading list.

Timotheus
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Mac Parody

WARNING: To my readers that has a “sissified” version of Christianity, and you people know who you are, I recommend that you do not watch this very funny video clip if you are easily offended with “bluelaw” language.




This funny video clip that makes me laugh. As one who knows Macs, most of the stuff he says about the Mac is made up, but it is still funny. Just let you know that I can take it when people make fun of the Mac.

Timotheus
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Allergic To Chick Flicks

To all you women readers out there I need to warn you that this blogger is ALLERGIC TO CHICK FLICKS. Even minimal exposure to chick flicks can result in a severe allergic reaction.

Here are the warning signs of those allergic to chick flicks: staring blankly, bored senseless, irritable, fidgety, or falling asleep.

If your man is showing any of these symptoms, move the man away from the chick flick. Do not bother him about not liking your movies. For faster recovery show the man a movie that depicts violence, kick-ass fights, explosions, weapons, fast cars, blood, or nude women.

Prevention is always the best medicine but in the interest in getting chicks we men will often make theses sacrifices and see a chick flick with you.

This has been a Medical Alert to all you chicks out there. Even a Reformed Christian man like me has testosterone pumping in my veins and we crave manly movies like a James Bond or Tombstone.

And you can’t fool us. We know if a movie stars Sandra Bullock, or has more than one female in the movie talking a lot, or there are very few men in the audience we know that we are going to be torture with a CHICK FLICK.

Timotheus
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Hilasterion - An Important Biblical Word

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. " (Romans 3:23-25a - ESV)

The idea that God is angry with us and for good reason is an idea that is very repugnant to fallen humanity. Sadly it is also repugnant to many of us in today’s so-called Christian churches. We forget that the most important attribute of God is that he is holy. His holiness is what he demands from us, and since no one is able to obtain holiness God is justifiably angry with us. I think this concept is the first step in truly understanding the gospel. The question is “how do I turn God’s anger away from me?” The word is hilasterion. This is a crucial word that we in evangelicalism have forgotten. This is the word that the Apostle Paul uses in Romans 3:25 when he writes about how God’s anger has been turned aside because of Christ. This is the heart of the Gospel in which many of us in the Christian community are blatantly in denial.

Sadly, hilasterion has been translated as propitiation in only about HALF of the English Bible translations on the market today. One the reason why I favor the English Standard Version is because hilasterion has been properly translated as propitiation. Propitiation is one of the most important concepts in Christian theology. We should be more diligent in study this very important biblical word. It is Paul’s main point his letter to the Romans and for some reason many English Bibles don’t want to deal with this concept. I suspect one of the reasons for this is because more liberal scholars on some of these translation committees don’t want to deal with the issue of God’s wrath. Most of the Bible translations often translate propitiation as atoning sacrifice, but that misses the point! It is not just atonement; it is the turning of God’s just wrath away from us. This is what Christ did when he went to the cross.

God’s just anger was turned away from us because Christ’s holiness bore God’s wrath because of our sins on our behalf. The good news is even better because Christ’s perfect obedience has been imputed to us so that we in Christ are now blameless before a holy God. It is such a simple concept. Many in the American paganized churches are unwilling grasped the simplicity of the gospel because they want to get the concept of God’s wrath off the radar scope. Lots of churches are in denial when it comes to our sinful condition.

The concept of propitiation is foreign to many churches in this country (and around the world). Today churches are filled with leaders (not going to name names) and members that are basically denying the concept of us as sinners worthy of God’s wrath and the need to have his wrath turned away from us. If your concept of Christianity is something other than hilasterion that the apostle Paul spells out in Romans 3 your faith is pagan!

Timotheus
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A Concern I have about Islam

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18 - ESV)

I am not same page as President Bush is when it comes to statement he makes about Islam being a noble religion that was high jacked by terrorists. No Mr. President, the terrorists are practicing true Islam (read the Koran!). The non-radicals who are not practicing true Islam are less of a threat to our national security as those who practice true Islam. It is true that not all who are Islamist are terrorist but those who practice true Islam are the ones who will most likely be Islamic terrorist! On the other hand, how many of the “so-called” peaceful Islamist actually condemn the acts of terrorism around the world? I can’t name one!

I think most of us in the Reformed circles are aware of this horrible truth. Reformed Christians don’t have a relativistic worldview. Our godless culture, on the other hand, does have relativistic worldview. So if don’t believe in right and wrong what do you do? Reformed Christianity doesn’t have a view that all views are true as long as you believe it. Because of this our secular culture doesn’t have moral grounding to condemn Islam. (Note that the secular culture has no problem speaking its mind about Christianity!)

But that is not I want to write about. I want to write about the possibility that Islam is spreading in some areas of the world and that God’s church may need to brace itself for possibility of increase persecution. Many countries around the world are seeing increases in the Islamic segments of their population. I can guarantee that the results will be an increase persecution of God’s church!

Look at Europe right now. The Islamic immigrants pouring into France are Great Britain is already alarming and we are already seeing the culture influences on those countries today as we fight the war on terror. The populations in the Islamic community of those countries are also rapidly growing mainly because of birth rates higher than any other social groups in Europe. I am not advocating a crusade to fight Islam. Lot of this is the fault of the church for not being faithful and rearing children in the faith (but that is another story for another time).

I do see the Islamic problem worsening over the next few decades because of its spread into countries like France, Britain and even the United States. The churches in these countries should expect more persecution if this growth continues. They will not destroy the church because Christ said that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” his beloved church. What I am saying that God’s true church may encounter persecution in places in the world where churches have experienced very little, if any. I don’t like to see the church go through persecution; however, I do know that historically the church grows stronger and more faithful during times of persecution than during the time of no persecution. Maybe for paganized churches in the United States persecution will be good!

Timotheus
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Exploitation on an Ole Softy Like Me!

I am a softy, especially when adults use children to solicit donations. The first thing I did today on this beautiful Saturday morning is pick up some food at my local Food Lion. As I was walking into the store there were some boys from a local little league baseball team at the front. And every one of them was carrying little cans and soliciting denotations for their local team. I had to tell them that, “I am sorry but I don’t have any cash on me,” which is true.

I went in and purchase enough food to have to eat for most of the weekend. As I was getting ready to pay for the food the panel on the debit keypad asked would I like to have some “cash back?” Well being the softy that I am, I requested some cash back to give to each of the boys at the front door. I gave them each at least $1 for each of their cans. Man, this is exploitation! LOL

A word to those who use children in this way, and you know who you are, this exploitation will almost always work on a softy like me. Anytime there are children selling candy, trinkets, or just straight solicitation for donation I will cave in. Ugh! At least it is for a good cause.

Timotheus
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Yes! I use to Believe this Skubalon!

Yes! I use to believe in the secret rapture of the church. Seeing this picture brought back horrible memories. Memories I am so ashamed to admit. When I worked for the “Christian” bookstore years ago we had this picture on the wall in a nice frame. UGH! Somebody must have bought it! Can’t image anybody have this tacky picture on their wall of their house.

Timotheus

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Logos: A Great Bible Software Comes to the Mac

"And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." (John 5:37-40 - ESV)

To my readers I can tell you the best place to get some spiritual skubalon and that is to visit a local Christian bookstore. I have first-hand knowledge of theological junk that are on most Christian bookstores shelves. As most of my readers know I spent a number of my younger years working at a Christian bookstore. I thought it was bad during the mid 80’s to the mid 90’s when I was working, but today the materials on the shelves are much worse. I know I just visited one in my hometown a few weeks back. But that is another story for another time.

I do want to state that not all things in the bookstore were all bad. After all, during those years I was exposed to some books by good Reformed authors. I thank God that he used these authors to direct my path to the Reformed faith.

When Windows 95 was released to the world our bookstore started to stock Bible software. I personally was excited by this new product line. During that time most of the Bible softwares on the market were mediocre at best and most of them have made light-years improvements in their product over the years. However, one Bible software publisher products were very impressive and that was Logos. I believe, at the time, that they had the best Bible software on the market and of course they were the most expensive.

As time went by I have grown found of the Apple computers. In fact, I am planning to buy to a MacBook Pro this fall. I was excited to learn that Logos is planning to release a Mac OS X version of it Bible software this fall [click HERE]. Even the Washington Times has article by Mark Kellner on the release of this new product.

I haven’t use Bible software in years. Most the Mac versions of the Bible were disappointing. I usually rely on Biblegateway.com to do my searches of the scripture. I may consider getting this version of the Bible if it lives up to the reputation of Logos in the past and they better have an English Standard Version!

Timotheus

PS – On the side panel of my blog I even added a banner of the future product.

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Not to Forget

This is a nice piece on the comparison of the good life most of us has in this country to what the American soldier is going through now. I believe that the biggest problem with the war is that most of us this country don’t to deal the fact that the United States is at war! I myself have to constantly remind myself that we are at WAR and why we are at WAR. As we go about our daily lives it is easy to forget the war and the American soldier. I pray that this will help us to get a little perspective:

A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at, as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

You talk trash on your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgients and terrorists.

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He does not get to eat today.

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for months, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

You are angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He is told he will be held an extra 2 months.

You call your girlfriend and set a date for that night.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own government and remembers why he is fighting.

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of the men like him.
He hears the gun fire and bombs.

You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the bodies lying around him.

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does what he is told.

You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call and write home, sleep, and eat.

You crawl into your bed, with down pillows, and try to get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gun fire.

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him

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