by Pastor Patrick Cho
Voddie Baucham is not a name that too many are familiar with. He delivered a message at the 2006 Desiring God National Conference that I have recommended to many people. It’s entitled, “The Supremacy of Christ and Truth in a Postmodern World,” and it is well worth your time. You can download it and listen to it here.
by Pastor Patrick Cho
I’m not entirely sure if everyone from Lighthouse is aware of this, but during the second service a group of people meet upstairs for an informal time of discussion about Pastor John’s sermons. No, this isn’t a time to analyze every little theological detail from the sermon and evaluate his delivery. It is more a time devoted to thinking through practical application of God’s Word. This past Sunday, we had a particularly interesting discussion over John’s message on being a slave for Christ.
It’s unfortunate if you missed out on this time because John preached a message that is very counterintuitive for our age and culture. One statement from the message that particular raised some eyebrows was that John mentioned that people do not have inalienable rights. I think this caused a little bit of confusion because John was not speaking about the rights we exercise in relation to one another. The point he was trying to convey was that no person has an absolute inalienable right that even God is subject to respect. Any rights and freedoms that people enjoy are always in every case limited by the sovereignty and will of God.
In no way was John saying that he is against the Declaration of Independence or Constitution. John is not an anarchist. John and I both understand that these founding documents were written with biblical principles in mind. For instance, when the Bible teaches that murder is wrong because all men have been created in the image of God (Gen. 9:6), we understand that God is essentially teaching that people have the “right to life.” However, when in the sovereignty of God He determines that a person’s time has come to die, no man can appeal to God that he has a right to life that even God is subject to respect.
That being said, there still is something to be said about freedoms that all believers should understand. We need to be careful about what we say we deserve. Kyle Grindley mentioned this during the discussion and it is related to the whole idea of personal rights and freedoms. Too often we face difficult people, circumstances, and challenges and think to ourselves, “Why is this happening? I deserve better. What about my rights?” Such is unbiblical thinking because the Bible is clear we deserve much worse. Any sinner before a holy God deserves immediate, eternal, divine punishment. To think we deserve anything better is entirely arrogant and cheapens the grace of God in salvation. This is the basis behind John’s statement that the only right that people truly have is the right to die.
Though God has granted certain inalienable rights for humans to enjoy (understanding that they are only inalienable insofar as God has granted them by his grace), we must constantly be reminded that we never receive these rights because we are deserving of them. These rights must be understood in light of who God is and what He requires of us. Perhaps this is the reason why through time the definition of our rights has changed so much. As this country has moved farther and farther away from God and His Word, the Constitution has become more and more ambiguous and open to interpretation. Certainly, the Constitution was written with biblical principles in mind, but it is no longer interpreted with those same biblical principles.
by Pastor John Kim
In the past several years since I first presented the proverb of “Life is not about you!”, it has been brought to my attention by a number of people how many companies are really unashamedly using the slogan of “It’s all about you!” as a way to appeal to people’s base desires and how to fulfill them. I appreciate the flyers and brochures that people have brought and the collection continues to grow.
Sadly, it is no different in the Christian world as churches and Christian organizations and schools peddle the same line in hopes of drawing attention to their cause. But the heart of this methodological approach for advertising is nothing different from the beginning. The appeal to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life has the inherent message of “Life is all about you” and has been the slogan of the world system since the fall.
For the month of September, I will be preaching on the doctrine of self-denial as the characterization of the Christian way life and I would like to challenge you all to really examine your hearts and see if you are truly following Jesus. Was it not Christ Himself who said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” As I have been searching the Scriptures, I can’t help but notice that the Christian life is truly a repudiation of the “It’s all about me” worldview and that we must really dedicate our lives in light of the grace and mercy of God to offer them as living and holy sacrifices to God that are acceptable to God first and foremost. If the whole of our lives is to be offered up to God as worship, there really can be no other gods before Him and that includes ourselves.
So prepare for the next four Sundays to really examine your life and see if the path that Christ calls us to follow is the one that you are walking. The way of the cross is not an easy path. It definitely is not the most comfortable path. But it is the path that has Jesus on it and don’t you want to be with Him every step of the way?
Like my girls when they were little and would hold my hand as we would walk around, they would have easily been lost if they had not followed daddy. Even a moment’s glance away led to them walking down another path and it really was the most frightening moment for me as a parent when I couldn’t see my child. It was also frightening for them when they realized that they were totally lost and couldn’t see their parents. But there was great comfort and relief when we would be reunited and there would be a clinging to one another as we would continue to walk forward.
To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). We must keep our eyes fixed on Christ as we follow Him daily and while there is the suffering and pain of self-denial and the way of the cross, it is outweighed by the joy and the glory that comes in being in intimate and loving communion with our Lord and Savior as we walk with Him. Don’t trade the glory of following Christ for the cheap junk of the world. While self-denial at first seems a negative thing, when we see where it places us on the path of following Christ, we actually receive more than we could ever hope for, that is, Christ Himself!!
See you Sunday!!
by Stephanie Shin
Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God (Romans 15:7).
Many members of Lighthouse may remember the first time that they attended the church. They might remember driving up to 10695 Treena St. only to see an office building where the church was supposed to be. They might remember the nervous scanning for the familiar face that had invited them to come, and the anxiety that’s common when in a new enivornment. That’s where the New Visitors Team steps in.
Stanley Park summed up the responsibilities of the NVT: “It covers a lot of ground. We cover everything from parking, to greeting at the front door, the nametags, to the New Visitors Orientation, all the way to the follow up.” The first wave of greeting starts with the people who direct traffic. When the newcomers walk through the doors of Lighthouse, they meet the members of the NVT team that pass out the bulletins; first timers are encouraged to fill out the guestbook for follow-up later on and and they also receive their nametags. Members have their own nametags that are neatly organized by affinity groups.
As part of the team that organizes the nametags in the morning, Grace Mao Wu encourages LBC, “We put them up there so people can identify you…they might not know your name! It’s for the new visitors!”
After service, newcomers are asked to walk past the double doors to the first door on the left to attend the New Visitors Orientation. So what exactly goes on behind that door? Grace Mao Wu says, “We follow up with them during the NVO and get to know them better. They get to hear the gospel presentation and the history of the church.” They also get to hear Lighthouse’s doctrine on baptism and membership as well as ministry opportunities for those eager to get plugged in. And the new visitors that stay for the whole orientation get a small gift at the end—pens with the LBC insignia.
Long after Sunday is over, our new visitors receive a follow up email or phone call from one of the members of the NVT to answer any questions. And once every two months, the NVT hosts a Meet & Greet for the more recent newcomers as a casual enivorntment to eat, talk and to get to know the pastors a little better.
All these tasks are carried out with a greater motivation in mind. “How we greet people is a testimony to how Christ changed us. We want to make sure they’re taken care of, that they’ve had a chance to hear the gospel. It’s greeting all the way to the gospel. That’s relationship building, so you can get to the deeper stuff,” says Stanley Park.
Book by Leland Ryken
Review by Stephen Hong
Does it really make a different what Bible translation you use? Differences in a few words here and there can’t be very significant as long as they all retain the same meaning, right?
According to Dr. Leland Ryken, in his book The Word of God in English, not all translations of the English Bible are created equal. In fact, many of them come from very divergent philosophies of translation. The central focus in the book is the tension between an essentially literal translation and a dynamic translation. Until the last fifty years, the overarching principle in Bible translation was to reproduce the words of the original to the words of the receptor language. At that time, Eugene Nida introduced the theory of dynamic equivalence, which, briefly summed up, is the emphasis of the reaction of the reader to the translated text, rather than the translation of the words and phrases themselves.
He outlines various fallacies of the dynamic equivalence principle, including fallacies about general translation theory, about the Bible and about the Bible’s audience. As he does so, it became increasingly clear to me how significant it is to hold to an essentially literal text.
Ryken does a great job of fleshing out these principles to actual translation texts. At one point, he focuses on Luke 10:42 and lists the different translations:
“Mary hath chosen the good part” (KJV)
“Mary has chosen the good part” (NASB)
“Mary has chosen the good portion” (ESV)
“Mary has chosen what is better” (TNIV/NIV)
“Mary has chosen what is best” (CEV)
“There is really only one thing worth being concerned about” (NLT)
The first three are from essentially literal texts, which aim to reproduce the original language, word for word (but adjusting syntax to modern English, which is why it is essentially literal). The second three are from dynamic equivalent texts. Notice that the second three makes the comparative element explicit, whereas the first set makes no explicit remark about Martha’s work, or leaves it implicit at best. It may well be the case that the translators of the first set agree with the second set in meaning, but the issue is that the dynamic equivalent translators, at this point, are moving beyond translation to interpreation. By doing so, it is preemptively excluding any possibility for alternative interpretations. Ryken suggests, though, that dynamic equivalent translations do serve as good commentaries or gloss texts, but are not reliable as primary translations.
Ryken, who is a professor of English at Wheaton College, served as a literary scholar on the council working on the English Standard Version several years ago. He gives a decent overview of the history of English translation, but does a more thorough job of dispelling wide-spread fallaceies, and getting into the nitty-gritty of translation principles and theories that must be considered in modern and future translations.
by Pastor Patrick Cho
Lately, Lighthouse has been hearing more and more from Pastor John and me about developing a biblical, Christian worldview. In one sense this means believers need to be able to view the world through God’s eyes. The only way to practically accomplish this is to take the claims, philosophies, and ideologies of the world and pass them through the filter of God’s Word. This is an important issue because too many Christians have not considered the ramifications of it. Understanding what the Bible says concerning our world, our jobs, our families and relationships, and ourselves is tremendously important. Too many Christians who do not give this much thought fall into reasoning like the world.
Part of the problem is that Christianity to many is still a compartmentalized portion of their lives. Even people who may be very involved in the life of the church (attending Bible studies, leading ministries, etc.), may not fully understand what being a Christian means in the workplace, culture, home, and school. While they strive to live according to biblical principles when it comes to spiritual disciplines, they do not consider what impact being a Christian has in their work, studies, and families. When it comes to “extra-religious” areas of their lives, they do not see things through God’s eyes.
This is particularly dangerous because some of the most significant decisions in life are made outside of church life. God never intended for us to compartmentalize our faith. Not having a good understanding of scriptural principles to guide someone through life is extremely detrimental leading inevitably to horrible life choices and unsound counsel. As a result, people are left to make decisions based upon what they reason is fair, right, or good. The problem is that God has not left it to us to determine that. He determines what is fair, right, and good, and we live in response to what He decrees.
This is one of the reasons why we see more and more Christians abandoning biblical principles for what is practically appealing. In evangelism, in an interest to not offend others, Christians shy away from preaching the entire gospel. The gospel becomes a conversation where everyone has a say and is partially right. In the workplace, Christians lie in interviews and on resumes. They cheat in order to gain another rung in the ladder of achievement. All the while, justification is thrown around that everybody does it (the same justification that is used when Christians download songs and software illegally, by the way).
Convictions are being replaced by compromise. Where once we would have had church members be willing to die for the sake of the gospel, we now see them watering the gospel down and making it more “user-friendly” and “culturally sensitive.” There is reluctance in standing for the truth because “the truth divides,” because it means we need to tell someone they are wrong.
Of course this is not to say that people do not matter – that we should not think about what people feel and should preach the truth regardless of an individual’s personal life circumstances. Certainly we can respond to people and meet them where they are. Jesus did! But this does not justify turning the tables on what the Bible clearly teaches is the truth. Jesus did not compromise truth in the name of love. He taught the truth in love. Understanding how truth and love come together in a practical way in everyday life situations requires a development of a strong biblical, Christian worldview. Instead of forcing to fit biblical principles into an antibiblical cultural frame, believers need to learn to stand on convictions and live lives in consistency with what they believe to heighten their testimony and prove that it is God through His Word who changes lives.
by Moon Choi
With these last words, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” Patrick Hamilton died at 24 years old and became Scotland’s first martyr for the Protestant movement.
Born in 1504, Hamilton came from an extremely privileged family. Through his family’s influence, Hamilton was appointed to an Augustinian monastery at the age of 13. Rather than staying in Scotland, he left to study at the University of Paris. It was there that Hamilton encountered Luther’s theology based off of Scripture and Erasmus’s writings and his publication of the Greek New Testament. After earning a Master’s Degree from Paris, Hamilton set out to the Louvain in Belgium which was renown for the study of Greek, Hebrew and Latin.
After his studies in Paris, the 19 year old Hamilton went to St. Andrews University as a graduate student and a teacher. St. Andrews at the time was the Roman Catholic stronghold, “the very Vatican of the church of Scotland” (Tjernagel, 2). Hamilton never stood out as sympathetic to the reformation as he followed all the typical rituals of worship.
In 1525, warning signs of the Reformation in Scotland could be seen. The government took quick action to ban the possession of any reformation literature and decreed warnings about the heresies that would inevitably reach the students at St. Andrews University. With his continental education and his knowledge of reformation theology, Hamilton “was now conclusively brought…to accept the theological and spiritual reform of Luther in preference to the moral and disciplinary reform of his former master, Erasmus” (Tjernagel, 3).
In 1527, Hamilton decided to study Lutheran theology himself and set out for Wittenberg, Germany. Hamilton was able to hear Luther and other religious leaders preach. On top of that, “he found the monasteries deserted, priests married, and the people singing Christian hymns.” (Tjernagel, 3) To add to his already impressive academic resume, that year, Hamilton was in the first class of the University of Marburg. In his class were the English reformers William Tyndale and John Frith. Hamilton, at this time wrote what came to be known as “Patrick’s Places,” a series of textbook exercises which simply pointed to the gospel.
After a term at Marburg, Hamilton, now 23 years old, felt equipped to evangelize at home. He first converted the members of his family. Then he preached to the surrounding towns and countryside, even to the neighboring parish.
As Hamilton was tirelessly preaching the gospel, the Archbishop, Beaton, became aware of his activities. Beaton was in a bind as Hamilton was preaching heresy but was also from an influential family. Beaton bided his time, letting Hamilton continue preaching so that future charges could be indicted. Though pitted against the Hamilton family’s reputation, Beaton decided that Hamilton was to be put to death. Hamilton’s brother, Sir James Hamilton, came to know about his brother’s situation and mustered up a defensive force for his brother. He did not arrive in time. Hamilton, with thorough knowledge of his plight, came to the cathedral to be interrogated. He stood firm in his convictions. Beaton soon learned of Sir James Hamilton’s plans and had Patrick Hamilton kidnapped in the night. He accelerated Hamilton’s trial and had him successfully charged for heresy. That winter morning, Patrick Hamilton was burned from noon until six.
Hamilton was not the only one to fall as a martyr on Beaton’s watch. Eighteen years after his death, George Wishart was also burned. An outraged public violently protested and Beaton was also killed. During the course of his ministry, Wishart encountered a young man, John Knox, who would later become a French galley slave, then a pastor in England and chaplain to the young Kind Edward VI.
Hamilton’s life is remarkable in his pursuit of the knowledge of Scripture. He spent eleven years developing an esteemed academic career in four different countries, seeking to know the pure Word of God. His courage in light of his immediate plight is remarkably mature for someone of his age but one cannot help but realize that it is only natural that after becoming intimately acquainted with the Word, that he would not tremble before man but fearlessly serve his Lord Jesus Christ. (Tjernagel, Neelak S. Patrick Hamilton: Precursor of the Reformation in Scotland. Diss.)
by Jennifer Shin
How did they meet?
Kent and Romi were first introduced to each other at a BBQ that a mutual friend (Kent’s co-worker at his previous company and a fellow member at the church Romi attended prior to coming to LBC) was hosting. Romi stated that she and Kent didn’t get to talk because the guys went outside to play poker while the ladies stayed inside the house.
Romi enjoys watching and playing tennis so Kent bought tickets to the Acura Classic Cup for the week after the BBQ and invited her to go with him. There, they were able to get to know each other. The two dated for about six months and were married another six months later on July 29, 2005.
Challenges as a Married Couple
Even during the few years that they’ve been married, both Kent and Romi agree that one of the challenges they constantly face is communication.
Another challenge that they face together is being purposeful in growing spiritually and taking concrete steps in respect to that.
“It goes beyond doing disciplines,” Kent said.
Blessings as a Married Couple
Kent replied that though he knew Romi to be a strong Christian, it’s been a blessing for him to watch her grow.
Romi said that it’s a blessing to have a partner who knows your flaws but still loves and accepts you. She said that it’s not about trying to change the other person. Rather, there is someone who is coaching and encouraging you. She said that it’s a blessing to be with each other. They pray that they can encourage and bless others at church and their family members, placing their focus on others and not on themselves.
Fun Facts
Quirks that they notice about each other:
Romi – Kent takes longer than her to get ready; spontaneous dancing and puts on dancing shows
Kent – Everything always has to be put in Ziplocs.
Favorite Foods
Romi – Seafood, Gummy Bears
Kent – PB on Toast, Ice Cream
Favorite Verses
Kent – 1 Corinthians 10:31
Romi – Philippians 3:8
One Word That Describes the Other Person
Kent about Romi – Giving
Romi about Kent – Trustworthy
by Kevin Au
So I’m sure most people already know you are a college student at UCSD. What are you studying?
My major officially is Molecular Bio, but I’m following the track for Human Bio. I initially came in as Bioengineering. It was one of those subjects that I really liked in high school, and I figured, since I was coming to UCSD, I might as well do Bio. I made the switch to Human Biology because I know that being in Bio E wouldn’t really help my GPA, might as well just do Human Bio because it’s more applicable in going to Med School anyways.
Has Med School always been your ambition?
Always? No, I’m still not really completely sure. There are a lot of things you can do with a degree in medicine, and considering other fields like business or law, I felt like I would be less in a position of moral compromise with medicine…Plus, I have Asian parents, you know?
Yeah, I figured…Any siblings?
Yeah, I have 2 brothers. One, my older brother is 3 years older in Med School on the East Coast. My younger brother is going into his second year at UC Davis.
Ah, I see. So where are you from?
Its kinda complicated. I was born in New Jersey, then moved to Taiwan when I was five, then back to New Jersey when I was twelve, then back to Taiwan. I finished my junior and senior years of high school in San Jose, and came to San Diego for college.
Wow, so is Taiwanese your first language?
I actually don’t know Taiwanese. My first languages were concurrently Mandarin and English. I also have more recently been learning Japanese. Taking a class helps. I would really like to study abroad in Japan, but I just don’t really have the time. It wouldn’t help me fulfill my major, it wouldn’t help my grades; it would be just for language.
I think you should go. Anyways, what about your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?
Well, back when I had a life….Video games, anime, manga, board games. I still keep up with manga, I don’t play video games because I don’t have a TV, anime takes too much time. I stopped mostly because I need to study.
So how has God been teaching you lately?
I have been learning much in terms of trusting God with my future, and having faith that God is in control. I had always known it in my head, but as things have gotten difficult, it has really forced me to re-evaluate what I stand for. He was able to strengthen me in terms of my place in His plan. Different circumstances and books have taught me and stressed the importance of humility, godly character, and God-centered focus.
Awesome. So how did you end up here at Lighthouse anyways?
Some people from my home church have come to Lighthouse. When I first got here, Cindy Tsau offered to take me and some friends to visit different churches, and at the end we stuck with Lighthouse. I decided to stay because of Pastor John’s sermons. They were very different from what I’ve heard, and maybe more than anything else, my curiosity kept me coming back.
How long have you been a Christian?
I’d say I became a Christian sometime between the second half of my first year and the first half of my second year. That’s when I really came to an understanding of the gospel. I was baptized in high school, but I really want to be baptized again. I put it off for a while because I was unsure of my salvation, but after I really understood the gospel, and was assured that Jesus is Lord, things got busier, but I don’t want to put it off much longer.
Cool, so tell me something interesting or weird about yourself that not a whole lot of people know.
Umm…well, when I was in 3rd grade I was skating down a hill. I fell, face planted, and ground my teeth into the asphalt. So a portion of my front two teeth are fake (smiles).
by Grace Wu
Collegians at LBC already know how difficult it is to be a full-time student. But what about adding full-time work on top of it? Singles Ministry member Sung Bae experiences firsthand the incredible time crunch under which he orders his daily activities.
Also known as “Mr. Megabyte” around LBC for his expertise in fixing computers, Sung is originally from Torrance, CA. He graduated from UCLA in 2004 majoring in Computer Science. Currently, he works at Kyocera as a phone engineer and is also an MBA student at University of San Diego at the same time. His usual schedule starts with waking up at 9 a.m., arriving at work at 10 and getting off at 5. From work, he heads straight to USD and attends class until 9 p.m. At around 10 p.m., he finally has time to sit down and spend time with the Lord in his quiet times. At home, his time is spent usually fixing a computer, playing video games, or improving somebody’s resume.
According to his housemate Ji Lee, Sung is the “tech guy” of the Diane house. However, Sung does have other responsibilities other than fixing computers and setting up networks. As a graduate student, academics are also an important part of his schedule. Taking advantage of the late hours, Sung can also be found at his favorite study spot— on the second floor of Geisel Library at UCSD until closing time at 2 a.m.
“[The second floor is] where it’s the noisiest. Noisy environments help me concentrate and studying with other LBCers definitely keeps me going,” Sung stated.
Studying, working, classes, and everything in between—how does Sung manage it all within 24 hours?
“I don’t know how I juggle both,” Sung stated. “There are numerous days where I wake up and contemplate how I’m going to get to the end. I know without God I would fall apart.”
As someone who works and goes to school, is easy to view classes with a dreadful attitude and think of it as just another obstacle to overcome during the day after a long day of work is over. However, for Sung, it is important to keep a good attitude about class. “While I’m at work I can look forward to class. If anything, the fact that I get to listen to a good lecture keeps me going,” Sung stated. Being a student is also an opportunity to shine the light in the classroom. According to Sung, the MBA culture and environment is very focused on success and wealth. Classmates usually ask one another what field of study they want to go into, and the questions and comments that circulate are “Why do you want to do that? It doesn’t make that much money.”
“It sounds silly, but it’s hard to not be caught up in that,” Sung said. As a Christian at USD, which is a private Catholic school, Sung is the minority there with only a handful of fellow Christian classmates with him. A large portion of his classmates is either Catholic or atheist that have a mentality of pursuing wealth.
“I deal with it by choosing not to participate in those conversations. My way of shining the light at school is to uphold my integrity with my classmates. Also, knowing that I can be judged at any moment of being Christian, I have to be prepared to make the right decisions and more importantly to watch what I say.” Outside the classroom and into the church doors, Sung is in training to shine the light at LBC as well. Pastor Steve is currently coaching Sung and preparing him for teaching preschool. “As much as I like playing with kids, I want to put it to better use. Rather than chasing them in the parking lot, I want to put it into something more meaningful,” Sung said. Even though Sung’s schedule where he needs to study and work simultaneously would be considered as too busy, he does not use that as an excuse to not serve in church. It is a challenge to not complain, but he does not use those excuses to not attend church activities.
“Anyone can say that they’re busy, but just manage your time better and take responsibility,” Sung said.