Monthly Archives: October 2008

The Apostle Thomas – Part 3 – Depression, Not Doubt

by Stephen Rodgers

Part 3 of 4: John 20:24-25

This is the classic passage that gave Thomas his undeserved nickname.  Even in secular circles, calling someone a “doubting Thomas” implies an unhealthy degree of skepticism and/or pessimism in the face of evidence that should result in the doubter knowing better.  And yet, if we really examine this passage, is such a moniker warranted?
First, it is interesting to note that Thomas was not with the others when Jesus first appeared to them that Sunday afternoon/evening.  Scripture does not record where he might have been, but we can safely assume that he was not off running errands or getting a haircut.  The other disciples had locked themselves into a room (probably the same room that was used for the last supper) because they feared the chief priests and the religious leaders.  They were traumatized by the death of Christ; they feared further persecution.  And in their grief and fear, they turned to one another for comfort and company.
But not Thomas.
I think that Thomas was not among the others because he simply could not bear it.  He certainly knew these men; he probably loved and trusted them.  But it wasn’t for their sakes that he had wandered the countryside for the past three years.  It wasn’t Peter that he followed.  It wasn’t Andrew that he built his life around.  It wasn’t James or John who he feared the loss of most.
This was the lowest point of Thomas’ life.  His absolute worst fear had come to pass: Jesus was gone, and he was left behind.  At least when Jesus had made that cryptic remark earlier that he “knew the way” there was the implication of an eventual reunion.  But no one comes back from death.  Right?  And so Thomas was in no mood for company, and was shunning even the companionship of his closest friends.  You know the personality type: “leave me alone,” they say.  “I just want to be by myself now,” they say.  “I don’t want to be around anyone else…they don’t understand.”  Pessimists.  Loners.  The Broken.
The disciples were not superstitious men, nor were the people of their day.  This is a common fallacy that opponents of the Gospel message often fall into.  We like to think of any people prior to color television as being superstitious, gullible, and stupid.  “Of course those idiots thought that Mary was divinely impregnated,” they scoff.  “They were too stupid to know the difference!”
Then why does it say that Joseph was of a mind to divorce her quietly?  He knew where babies came from.  He didn’t consider divine providence as a likely or even possible solution until Gabriel showed up.  And believe me, there must have been something remarkable about Gabriel’s presence, because Scripture is pretty clear on the subject of home invasion!  If someone calls my name from next to my bed one night, my first reaction in the absence of evidence attesting to their divine messenger status is to come up blasting.  It’s a win-win situation: presumably angels are immune to physical violence, and psychotic home-invaders are not.  Just like the people back then, we reach for a rational answer first.
Thomas was no different.  He knew that dead people didn’t rise again.  Well, to be more specific, he knew that dead people didn’t rise again unless Jesus told them to.  After all, he had a front row seat when Lazarus walked out of the tomb.  But this was different, Jesus Himself was dead now.  And so Thomas reasoned that they others were either deluded, or perhaps playing a cruel joke on him.
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
And so he despaired…at least until the following week.  But that’s getting ahead of the story.

This is the classic passage that gave Thomas his undeserved nickname.  Even in secular circles, calling someone a “doubting Thomas” implies an unhealthy degree of skepticism and/or pessimism in the face of evidence that should result in the doubter knowing better.  And yet, if we really examine this passage, is such a moniker warranted?

First, it is interesting to note that Thomas was not with the others when Jesus first appeared to them that Sunday afternoon/evening.  Scripture does not record where he might have been, but we can safely assume that he was not off running errands or getting a haircut.  The other disciples had locked themselves into a room (probably the same room that was used for the last supper) because they feared the chief priests and the religious leaders.  They were traumatized by the death of Christ; they feared further persecution.  And in their grief and fear, they turned to one another for comfort and company.

But not Thomas.

I think that Thomas was not among the others because he simply could not bear it.  He certainly knew these men; he probably loved and trusted them.  But it wasn’t for their sakes that he had wandered the countryside for the past three years.  It wasn’t Peter that he followed.  It wasn’t Andrew that he built his life around.  It wasn’t James or John who he feared the loss of most.

This was the lowest point of Thomas’ life.  His absolute worst fear had come to pass: Jesus was gone, and he was left behind.  At least when Jesus had made that cryptic remark earlier that he “knew the way” there was the implication of an eventual reunion.  But no one comes back from death.  Right?  And so Thomas was in no mood for company, and was shunning even the companionship of his closest friends.  You know the personality type: “leave me alone,” they say.  “I just want to be by myself now,” they say.  “I don’t want to be around anyone else…they don’t understand.”  Pessimists.  Loners.  The Broken.

The disciples were not superstitious men, nor were the people of their day.  This is a common fallacy that opponents of the Gospel message often fall into.  We like to think of any people prior to color television as being superstitious, gullible, and stupid.  “Of course those idiots thought that Mary was divinely impregnated,” they scoff.  “They were too stupid to know the difference!”

Then why does it say that Joseph was of a mind to divorce her quietly?  He knew where babies came from.  He didn’t consider divine providence as a likely or even possible solution until Gabriel showed up.  And believe me, there must have been something remarkable about Gabriel’s presence, because Scripture is pretty clear on the subject of home invasion!  If someone calls my name from next to my bed one night, my first reaction in the absence of evidence attesting to their divine messenger status is to come up blasting.  It’s a win-win situation: presumably angels are immune to physical violence, and psychotic home-invaders are not.  Just like the people back then, we reach for a rational answer first.

Thomas was no different.  He knew that dead people didn’t rise again.  Well, to be more specific, he knew that dead people didn’t rise again unless Jesus told them to.  After all, he had a front row seat when Lazarus walked out of the tomb.  But this was different, Jesus Himself was dead now.  And so Thomas reasoned that they others were either deluded, or perhaps playing a cruel joke on him.

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

And so he despaired…at least until the following week.  But that’s getting ahead of the story.

Book Review: Atheism Remix

Book by Al Mohler

Review by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Atheism typically is a topic that makes many people uncomfortable, especially upon encountering people who are apt to identify themselves as atheists. The term comes with the stigma of someone who is not afraid to battle in an intellectual argument, including those who lay claim to the name Christian. Frequent conversations that start with non-Christians and Christians can easily lead to a heated debate that never leads to clarity, and worse, never gets to the Gospel. Christians can be fearful at times to engage with an atheist who seems to be convinced in their mind that what they believe is true, and what you believe is not only false, but dumb.

Enter Atheism Remix: A Christian Confronts the New Atheists by Albert Mohler. This book originated as a series of lectures given at Dallas Theological Seminary earlier this year to address what might be seen as a new dawn for those who call themselves atheists. Interest in the news and media have given a large platform for writers to expound their own ideas about how the world came to be and why belief in God is not only irrational, but harmful. Among those addressed by Mohler are four men conveniently labeled the “Four Horsemen of the New Atheist Apocalypse”—Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. Each of these men has written works that address their atheistic views for the general public, to reach more people in their pursuit to convince the masses that atheism is the only rational view to take.

Mohler first describes how atheism developed in history, from the rise of Enlightenment thought to belief in human reason as capable of deriving knowledge without revelation, to the many skeptical views of Nietzsche, Marx, Darwin, and Freud to cast doubt upon religion in general and the Christian faith in particular. This has led to an independence of thought and “freedom” that spiraled now to the rejection of certainty in what is now known as postmodernism. The New Atheism differs from the atheism of old in that their tolerance of Christian theism has obliterated, calling Christians to leave their “nonsensical” way of life and to cease abusing their children by teaching them Christian dogma. There is a lack of respect for those with whom they differ on their belief about God. Expressing 8 different ways the New Atheism differs from the old, he then discusses a couple of varied responses Christians have had to these attacks on the Christian faith, notably that of Alistair McGrath and Alvin Plantinga, especially in response to Dawkins’ popular (and most recent) book, The God Delusion.

The analysis of each of these men’s works draws out many helpful observations, chief of which is this: their dogged persistence in naturalism as their starting presupposition. It is this sinful view of God and His Word that must be put on display as what it truly is: defiant rebellion against Our maker. Although the book weighs in at close to 100 pages, there is much to commend Dr. Mohler. He presents the main arguments from the leading atheists of today and also the responses that have been given by leading defenders of the faith, while calling us as Christians, believers in the One true God of Scripture, to be aware of the culture that we live in, where books about atheism head bestseller lists, and where many people are becoming more vocal about their views of Christ and everything He lived on earth to die for. Are we prepared to give a clear and defensible response to those who oppose the God who created them; to respond to their many attacks against God Himself and lovingly show them to be sinful creatures in need of a Savior? May we be prepared to truly give an answer to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that is within us, always with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

VBS Recap: 7 C's of History

by Steven Hong

From Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 18, Lighthouse Bible Church was transformed into a luscious jungle full of wild animals (there were some paper cut-out animals on the walls too). Lighthouse kids, along with children from the community and friends of members, were treated to an extravagant Vacation Bible School, where they learned the “7 C’s of History”: creation, corruption, catastrophe, confusion, Christ, cross, and consummation.

Approximately 25 kids attended the weeklong affair, staffed by 18 volunteer staff who made the VBS possible (not to mention the volunteers who stayed up into the early hours of the morning preparing the decorations). Some of the staff even took vacation days to volunteer from 8am to 6pm all week. Susan Kim, one of the staff members, described the typical day as “catastrophic, but no doubt fun.”

Each day would begin with a time of singing. The children were led in praise by Sam Chong. Watching the children perform one of the songs the following Sunday during the Sunday Service, it was clear that they were compelled by Sam’s infectious enthusiasm.

The rest of the day comprised of creation focused snacks (Susan recalls: “We prepared Noah’s Ark by using blue jello as water, whipped topping on top for the flood, and Skittles for the rainbow”), “Creature Feature” lessons, missions reports, Bible studies, crafts, daily field trips (to the beach, aquarium and even the Creation Museum!), topped off with action-packed games.

Pastor John led a session of a Lighthouse classic: The Screaming Game. David Jung declared Cameron Preslar “the ultimate screamer, as he not only has the pitch to show, but his facial expression doubles the effect of his screaming.”

Kids and parents seemed to have a positive response to this year’s VBS. Susan even had a parent emailing her a month later for the VBS CD, at the behest of her kids.

Eight Commandments to Survive College

by Bach Nguyen

I have been described as many different things: funny, good lucking, loyal, athletic, humble, good looking, and so on. But one characteristic that I’ve never been known for is wise. However, over the course of my four years in college, God has taught me many valuable lessons, many of which would have been especially valuable if I had known them before I entered college as a freshman. Here are eight words of wisdom to help collegians succeed and better enjoy their four years in college.

I. Thou shalt find thy church and thy campus ministry, lest you haveth not accountability. I cannot stress the importance of finding a solid church early in your college experience. You must find a church that will spur you to mature as a believer. The church is the divinely ordained setting where believers are able to gather to develop in their spirituality, serve, and acquire accountability. What is additionally beneficial are the various Christian campus ministries located on your campus. These ministries are profitable because they allow you to find brothers and sisters in the faith on your campus. Campus ministries are valuable means to gain accountability and fellowship amongst fellow peers and believers. Cesar acknowledges the benefit of campus ministries saying, “One of the benefits of being part of a campus ministry is to meet fellow Christians in your proximity and lead you towards a local church”.

II. Thou shalt meet new people and evangelize, lest you geteth no friends. Being popular in high school, I pretty much knew everyone. Captain of the Speech and Debate team, president of the Hacky Sack Club, and varsity All American Athlete in… badminton, I found myself with ample opportunity to get to know the majority of the high school students. My status as popular would instantly disappear the moment I stepped onto my college campus as I became unknown to everyone around me. What I came to learn was the importance of meeting new people and making new friends, both Christian and unbelieving. College offers a very unique experience allowing you to always meet new people every day. As believers, we are called to be the salt and light of the world, and as collegians your responsibility as a believer will be to minister to the students on your campus through the sharing of the gospel so that you can boldly proclaim that you are “not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believes” (Romans 1:16).

III. Thou shalt not date, lest you falleth into impurity. Movies and media depict college as a haven for sexual promiscuity and the overwhelming truth is that there are multiple temptations that the believer will encounter that will test their purity. Worldly thinking would have us believe in the glorification of premarital sex while completely disregarding the benefits of abstinence and purity. Everyday you will be around those of the opposite sex. You will eat together, go to class together, and even live in close proximity with each other. As a believer coming into college, you must have a firm grip on your purity. It is suggested that you abstain from a dating relationship as your first years in college will test your spirituality in greater ways than you expect and being in a dating relationship has the ability to negatively affect your spiritual growth. Kyle Grindley, a member of the LBC singles group, offers valuable advice suggesting, “Freshmen are more likely to not make the wisest decisions with regards to dating. They often seek zero accountability and little advice from older, more experienced Christians and subsequently compose poor decisions within their relationships”. Your first priority will be to set your foundation of purity and, in turn, will help your relationship in the later future.

IV. Thou shalt go to thy class, lest you faileth. I came into college saying to myself, “I went to class everyday from 8am to 2:30pm in high school, how hard can it be to go to a few one hour classes a day?” How wrong I was. No longer are the days where my dad would wake me up, help me out of my ninja turtle jammies, dress me, make me waffles, and drop me off at school. Apart from still wearing my jammies, college was entirely different. I quickly realized that there was no roll call and no sense of requirement to attend class. I had a new sense of freedom and with that freedom, who was I to choose going to class over say, going to the beach, hanging out with friends, or sleeping in? How quickly I regretted my decision to skip class when my grades dropped, placing me on Academic Probation for a quarter. Edward Yip bluntly states, “God didn’t give us disciplines so that we can slack off”. Your attendance in class is a reflection of how you glorify God through your studies. Additionally, for the most of you, it serves to honor your mother and father who financially support your academic studies. Go to class.

V. Thou shalt not play thy Xbox and Warcraft all day, lest you haveth no friends. I know it’s important for you and your guild to level up your experience points to acquire the Sword of a Thousand Truths so that you can enter the Emerald Hills to fight Borlorn, the Orclord of Morclord to save Elflan, your beloved pixel princess. But grow up. Stop wasting your life in front of that useless video game, unless you want friends named Elfton, Orctore, and Dwarfmar to replace friends who, you know, have a pulse. College isn’t meant to be wasted on purposeless hobbies. You should make the most of your time to invest in the people God has placed around you.

VI. Thou shalt not eat poorly, lest you get fat. I’m from the Bay Area and my knowledge of Mexican food was limited to chalupas and gorditas from my beloved Taco Bell. This would soon change when I entered UCSD as I was introduced to what can only be described as “food fit for kings”. No longer were the days when I yearned for, what I believed to be authentic, Mexican food from Taco Bell. Instead, it was replaced by the wonderfully delicious California Burrito and Pollo Asada fries. Better yet, they were available to me twenty-four hours of the day. But how, you ask, can such a tasty meal deem negative in any way? Not only were these foods taking a toll on my wallet, they were also taking a toll on my weight. I entered college at a healthy 135 pounds. After my first quarter in college, I blossomed to 150 pounds and after my first year in college, I ballooned to 185 pounds. I blame my fifty-pound increase on my poor eating habits. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body”. Your eating habits are a reflection of how you glorify your body. Healthy eating leads to healthy lifestyles and, in turn, aid in a healthy relationship with God.

VII. You shalt go to a gym, lest you get fatter. To many of you, the gym is very intimidating. It is full of sweaty, greasy, grunting men who wouldn’t need to be physical to hurt you but could destroy you simply with their stench. Chances are you are a small, frail, weak, incoming freshman and the closest thing to any physical activity you’ve experienced is running away from bullies stealing your lunch money. Exercise is an inexpensive and great habit to pick up in college. You’ll be in a walking distance to a gym and given ample amount of time in your schedule to find time to exercise. So, put down that Xbox controller and pick up a dumbbell, get off your bed and get on a bench press, and stop working out your mind for a bit and work out those underdeveloped biceps.

VIII. Thou shalt have fun. Finally, not to dismiss the absolute importance of going to class and studying, I do believe that college is meant to be fun and enjoyable. My four years in college were the most enjoyable years of my life. It was a great experience to be constantly around my peers, study together, fail Humanities together, and ultimately serve one another. Enjoy your years here. College grants so many new experiences. Enjoy what San Diego has to offer: the beaches, parks, museums, and sparingly, the California burritos. Your four years will be some of the most memorable years of your life. And if you’re lucky enough, you can follow Ed’s example, and make it five years.

Ushering in a New School Year

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As we gear up for another school year, it is an exciting time for the church. In just a few days, all the collegians who have been away for the summer will return and the church family will be back to its seam-busting size! All the exciting beginning of the school year events will be taking place once again. One of those activities is our Orientation Night. This year’s Orientation will be on Friday, October 3, on-campus at UCSD. This is the first real opportunity for the incoming collegians to meet the staff and get acclimated to College Life. Especially for the incoming freshmen, we know that the transition to college can be a bumpy one, so we want to help as much as we can with that transition.

At Orientation Night, we not only introduce the staff, but we also give the students a background to College Life and teach the students about the importance of church during their college years. College is a really important time in a person’s life because it may be the first time they no longer live under the roof of their parents. For the first time in their lives, they may be forced to fend for themselves and do everyday tasks on their own initiative. Some students come into college never having cooked a meal, done a load of laundry, or paid the bills! For many, it will be the first time where they wake up on Sunday morning and decide for themselves whether they will get up and go to church. This is why at Orientation Night we make it a point to focus on the topic of a commitment to the local church for the purpose of growing in godliness. We know how disastrous the consequences can be when believers do not make church a priority in their lives.

Another exciting beginning of the school year event is the College Life Luau. The Luau actually will take place the week before Orientation Night on Friday, September 26. Last year, we allowed the College Life student staff to plan and host this event for the first time, and they completely outdid themselves! It was an incredibly enjoyable event with a good handful of new collegians attending. This year, we hope to make the evening together even more enjoyable and will work to spread the word more effectively.

As for the Friday Night Searchlight Bible study, for the fall quarter, we will continue our study in the Book of Mark by examining the lives of the twelve disciples. After a week of review, we’ll pick up in Mark 2:13-19, which gives the account of the choosing of the twelve. It should be a great study as it will be an entire quarter spent on just a few verses! Hopefully we can become more intimately acquainted with the disciples to see where they have proven to be examples for us to follow and also where they made mistakes that we can learn from.

So as we usher in the new school year, the staff of College Life wants to officially welcome all the collegians back (whatever school you attend)! We hope the summer has been a time of rest and refreshing and that you are all ready to give the 2008-09 school year your best effort. Certainly, we want this year to be excellent academically for each of our students, but more importantly, we want this year to be focused and profitable spiritually. We hope to work together to be a bright shining beacon of God’s truth and love on-campus in San Diego as we spread the gospel message to the thousands of students who have yet to know about God’s grace.

The Church as the Body

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear friends and family of LBC,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord! Fall is a wonderful season for the church because ministry is in full swing and there are ample opportunities for you to fellowship with and encourage one another. As we have been learning and will continue to learn through our study in 1 Corinthians, God has called us to be a unified body made up of various members. As the members all function together exercising their spiritual gifts, the whole body is built up and works towards maturity. If the members are unwilling to participate in their ministry to one another, the body as a whole will suffer.

But Paul also reminds us that Christ is the head of the body. He is our Lord who gives us our direction, purpose, and instruction. The body should operate according to the direction of its head. In other words, failing to function together as the body of Christ has more than horizontal implications – there are also vertical implications because of the dishonor it brings to the head who is Christ. God has not left ministry to us to be performed however we like. We are the members. He is the head. This is a lesson Paul will continue to teach us as we walk through 1 Corinthians 12.

Each individual ought to consider how he/she is working towards serving the rest of the body through the exercise of his/her gifts. Are you helping the body work towards maturity in Christ? There is no place for a spectator Christian in the church. Every member is to do his/her part. I’m sure we’ll address this more in the coming weeks, but it would be good for these thoughts to be on your mind until we get there.

In His grace,
Pastor Patrick

P.S. Please continue to pray for our Pastor John as he recuperates and tends to his various health issues. Please also be in prayer for the leadership during this time.