Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

The Dove Found No Rest For The Sole Of Her Foot

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Genesis 8:9

Reader, can you find rest apart from the ark, Christ Jesus? Then be assured that your religion is vain. Are you satisfied with anything short of a conscious knowledge of your union and interest in Christ? Then woe unto you. If you profess to be a Christian, yet find full satisfaction in worldly pleasures and pursuits, your profession is false. If your soul can stretch herself at rest, and find the bed long enough, and the coverlet broad enough to cover her in the chambers of sin, then you are a hypocrite, and far enough from any right thoughts of Christ or perception of His preciousness.

But if, on the other hand, you feel that if you could indulge in sin without punishment, yet it would be a punishment of itself; and that if you could have the whole world, and abide in it for ever, it would be quite enough misery not to be parted from it; for your God-your God-is what your soul craves after; then be of good courage, thou art a child of God. With all thy sins and imperfections, take this to thy comfort: if thy soul has no rest in sin, thou are not as the sinner is! If thou art still crying after and craving after something better, Christ has not forgotten thee, for thou hast not quite forgotten Him.

The believer cannot do without his Lord; words are inadequate to express his thoughts of Him. We cannot live on the sands of the wilderness, we want the manna which drops from on high; our skin bottles of creature confidence cannot yield us a drop of moisture, but we drink of the rock which follows us, and that rock is Christ. When you feed on Him your soul can sing, ‘He hath satisfied my mouth with good things, so that my youth is renewed like the eagle’s,’ but if you have Him not, your bursting wine vat and well-filled barn can give you no sort of satisfaction: rather lament over them in the words of wisdom, ‘Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!’

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The Reformation

by Josh Liu

Church history is one of my many weak areas that requires greater study. Beyond the rich history and heritage girding the Christian faith, the church today is blessed by the testimonies, ministries, teachings, and writings of generations of faithful saints. In particular, in 2017, the church celebrated the 500th year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, which exalted Christ’s atonement and the authority of the inspired, inerrant holy Scriptures in opposition to the corrupt doctrine and practice of the Roman Catholic Church. So, for the Fall, College Life Bible study went through a miniseries entitled “The Reformation”. After a brief history primer, we studied the five sola statements: sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus christus (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), sola fide (faith alone), and soli deo gloria (glory of God alone). The sola statements were developed over time and provide succinct summaries of the doctrines emphasized during the Reformation.

The following provides a brief overview of the miniseries:

  1. A Reformation Primer – What was the Protestant Reformation? How did it begin? What were the key issues? Many, including myself, need a brief primer to the history, events, issues, and persons related to the Reformation.
  2. Sola Scriptura Part 1 (Selected Scriptures) – Scripture alone, as the inspired Word of God, is our final and solely infallible authority for faith and practice, not the pope or church tradition. Since the beginning of time, God’s Word has been attacked. For example, contemporary practices of historical criticism deny the inerrancy, and ultimately the authority, of Scripture. God’s Word alone speaks clearly, truthfully, sufficiently, and authoritatively.
  3. Sola Scriptura Part 2 (Ps. 119:9-16) – In application of the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word, we examined the sanctifying and purifying power of Scripture. To live a pure life that glorifies God, one must live, seek, treasure, learn, declare, rejoice in, meditate on, and delight in God’s Word.
  4. Solus Christus (Selected Scriptures) – There is no mediator between God and man but Jesus Christ; any other supposed mediator (whether a priest, the pope, a saint, or Mary) must be rejected. Also, sinners are saved purely on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice; no works of penance can make a person righteous before God.
  5. Sola Gratia (Selected Scriptures) – Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear: the salvation of sinners is solely the result of God’s grace (i.e., unmerited favor). The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christ’s work on the cross introduced one into a state of grace whereby he/she would be able to perform good works that further merit grace (e.g., acts of penance). The selling of indulgences was meant to access such merit in order to lessen one’s time in purgatory. This grossly violates Scripture. Sinners—completely incapable and unwilling to turn to God—require God’s gracious intervention to save them from His wrath. The accounts of the adulterous woman, the praying tax collector, and the crucified criminal illustrate God’s grace to save.
  6. Sola Fide (Rom. 3:28) – Justification is received by faith only and not on the basis of any of our good works. God’s grace to save through the atoning sacrifice of Christ is received by faith. Faith itself does not justify, but is an instrument in receiving Christ and His righteousness. Similarly, no human deed or effort can save. Good works are done in expression of faith.
  7. Soli Deo Gloria (Rom. 11:33-36) – All glory and worship belongs only to God as the sole author and actor in salvation. His triune glory is not to be shared with saints, popes, or other church leaders. To be fair, 16th century Roman Catholic Church did not deny the importance of Scripture, faith, grace, and Christ, but the disagreement comes from the modifier “alone.” David Vandrunen says, “the fact that salvation is by faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone, without any meritorious contribution on our part, ensures that all glory is God’s and not our own.” (God’s Glory Alone, 15).

Study church history! May it bring you to a deeper knowledge of and intimacy with Christ!

Editor’s Note: Josh’s observation that his knowledge of church history is relatively weak is a common one among modern-day Christians. One resource you might not be aware of is the “Church History” Sunday School series that was taught here at LBCSD a few years ago. Obligatory disclaimer: I (Stephen) taught it.

The Pursuit of Purity

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Back in 2015, the church held a men’s seminar addressing “Personal Purity in an Internet Age.” Even almost three years later, men are still helped by the recorded sessions, and in counseling I often find myself referring back to them. As I mentioned in the seminar, I firmly believe that internet pornography is one of the greatest threats to the church today. It is tearing families apart, weakening churches, crippling ministries, and destroying relationships. The Bible says that sexual sin is against one’s own body (1 Cor. 6:18), but the consequences of the sin are far more extensive.

Why is pornography specifically in focus here and not sexual sin in general? What is different about the pursuit of purity in an internet age? While the heart issues of lust and self-centeredness involved are generally the same (because there is never really anything new under the sun, cf. Ecc. 1:9), internet pornography poses a serious threat to the church, perhaps more than it has ever encountered in history. What makes it so dangerous?

First, internet pornography is private. Men and women can indulge in this sexual sin in the secrecy and convenience of locked rooms and empty homes. Those who view pornography online fully buy into the lie that they fall into this sin when they are alone because they forget they are never alone. In the context of instructing his son about sexual sin, Solomon reminds his son God is always watching (Prov. 5:21; cf. Heb. 4:13).

Second, internet pornography is accessible. When we held the seminar in 2015, we began by surveying the men in attendance about their exposure to online porn. Sadly, 100% of the men said they were exposed to sexual images online at least once in their life. I am confident this would not have been the same percentage before the age of the internet. Pornography used to be difficult to obtain, but now it is a click away.

Finally, internet pornography is free. This is perhaps one of the most dangerous aspects of its accessibility. Anyone can view pornography because it does not charge a fee. This removes any safeguard against having children view porn because they do not need to possess a credit card. How incredibly sad that it is just as easy to view porn on the internet as it is to look up your favorite recipe, see sports highlights, or read the daily news.

This is why internet pornography is so dangerous, but it is also destructive. Sexual sin is devastating to the life of the church. This might be a surprising claim because it is so often understood as a personal and private sin. Although the sin itself might be committed in private, its consequences are much more far reaching. This sin destroys and dismantles marriages (Heb. 13:4), it disqualifies leadership (1 Tim. 3:2), it defrauds others (1 Thess. 4:6), and it deters spiritual growth (1 Thess. 4:7-8).

The church knows how prevalent a problem this has become. We counsel people to help them pick up the pieces of broken relationships and to deal with the crushing guilt and shame of their sin. Of course, there is forgiveness with Christ, and with it there is hope for change. If this is an issue in your life, not only do you need to confess this sin to the Lord and turn from it, but because of the kind of stranglehold it can have on you, you need to seek help to provide necessary counsel and accountability so that you can break free from it. Every member of the church ought to consider the danger and destruction of online pornography and be aware of how much it is affecting our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Get Thee Up Into The High Mountain

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Isaiah 40:9

Our knowledge of Christ is somewhat like climbing one of our Welsh mountains. When you are at the base you see but little: the mountain itself appears to be but one-half as high as it really is. Confined in a little valley, you discover scarcely anything but the rippling brooks as they descend into the stream at the foot of the mountain. Climb the first rising knoll, and the valley lengthens and widens beneath your feet. Go higher, and you see the country for four or five miles round, and you are delighted with the widening prospect. Mount still, and the scene enlarges; till at last, when you are on the summit, and look east, west, north, and south, you see almost all England lying before you. Yonder is a forest in some distant county, perhaps two hundred miles away, and here the sea, and there a shining river and the smoking chimneys of a manufacturing town, or the masts of the ships in a busy port. All these things please and delight you, and you say, ‘I could not have imagined that so much could be seen at this elevation.’

Now, the Christian life is of the same order. When we first believe in Christ we see but little of Him. The higher we climb the more we discover of His beauties. But who has ever gained the summit? Who has known all the heights and depths of the love of Christ which passes knowledge? Paul, when grown old, sitting grey-haired, shivering in a dungeon in Rome, could say with greater emphasis than we can, ‘I know whom I have believed,’ for each experience had been like the climbing of a hill, each trial had been like ascending another summit, and his death seemed like gaining the top of the mountain, from which he could see the whole of the faithfulness and the love of Him to whom he had committed his soul. Get thee up, dear friend, into the high mountain.

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Weekly Links (3/2/2018)

by Stephen Rodgers

And…we’re back! Our hiatus lasted a little bit longer than expected, but we’re back, and we’ve got a set of links to ease you back into the realm of free stuff.

  • Talking with Your Kids about God by Natasha Crain – I don’t know this well enough to recommend it one way or the other, but it’s the free audio book of the month from christianaudio.com if you’re interested.
  • From Bondage to Liberty: The Gospel according to Moses by Anthony Selvaggio – Another resource that I’m not familiar with, but it’s there if your trying to build your Logos library.
  • Doing Theology (February 2018 Tabletalk) and Loving Our Neighbors (March 2018 Tabletalk) – R. C. Sproul may have graduated to glory, but one piece of his legacy is Tabletalk Magazine. I highly recommend it to you.

Enjoy!

Renewing Our Minds for Rejoicing, Pt. 9 – “Think Obediently”

by Pastor James Lee

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:4-9)

To think well is to think obediently, applicationally, affectionately, devotionally, however you might want to express it. Paul next commands in v.9, to “practice these things.” In other words, don’t just be hearers of the Word, but be doers of the Word. The Greek word for “practice” refers to repetition, continuous action, or habit. We might speak of a lawyer or doctor having a practice, because their profession maintains a normal routine. And Christians likewise, are called to make it their practice to lead godly, obedient lives. We can’t do that, if we don’t think well. But that also means it can’t be just head knowledge, just orthodoxy, without orthopraxy. Our hearts and lives need to be truth on fire, not on ice. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. We have to practice what we preach. We can’t just love the truth; we have do the truth in love. We have to get the log out of our own judgmental eye. The Lord explicitly commands us through Paul to “practice these things”, not just to ponder, but ponder to practice. Now I think it’s a welcome and good trend recently that people want to know why they do what they do, that they want to rightly look at heart motivations. It is necessary. But let me say this… it’s a wrong trend that our generation delays obedience by discussing and self-analyzing to no avail “why” and “when” one should obey, when the Word of God is so clear. That alone should be enough for our immediate obedience. In reality, the truth is that we haven’t really learned “these things” until we have lived them out…at home, in private, on the way to work, in the office, with our children, in our relationships and in our ministries. Dr. Bob Somerville asks practically, “Does your mind center on your problems or the goal of God’s glory?”

Finally, to think well is to think globally, responsibly, and maybe the best way of saying it…generationally. We are stewards in passing on what we’ve been given and all that we sought to take in by the practice of thinking biblically. Paul offers himself as a paradigm and model for what we should all be doing, to practice, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” He says “Follow me, imitate me, as I follow Christ”. Not that everything about Paul, of course, is perfect, but imitate everything that is true, good, pure, lovely, excellent, and worthy of God’s praise. Don’t center on what’s not there. Life is not all about you and me. We have to get over ourselves. None of us are all that. But what we have been given from God, we have to be faithful to pass it on, to live it out with humility. As Paul exhorted in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Whatever the Lord has entrusted to you, pass it on. Don’t just keep it to yourself. We have a generational responsibility! Are we seeking to be examples of genuine godliness, contentment, love, and hopeful living for others to imitate? Or, are we a critical spirit, a complainer, a malcontent, a perpetual pity-party? Do we trust God and rejoice even when life is difficult? Do we show by our faith that we believe Christ alone is fully sufficient for our lives? That Christ is enough? That in Him, we have everything, and without Him, we have nothing? Is that joy, a vivid and obvious part of our discipling of others? That we are convicted about our profound and eternal blessedness in Christ? That our real joy is not conditioned upon our circumstances, but immovably rooted in our Redeemer? So that we are willing to endure and labor as good soldiers of the One we adore? That our joy in Christ makes a concrete difference in our lives, and how we live day to day? That we are willing to suffer for His name’s sake? That we are committed to the work of missions and evangelism, the extension of His Church among all the nations? Are we sacrificial givers to the work of the gospel and His global cause? Are we a godly influence on others? Are we taking every reasonable opportunity to pass along our faith, to proclaim the good news, to understand others, to pray for others, to serve others, to open up our places and our wallets and our hearts to people without predefined limits? The word for “example” is manthano, the same root word for “disciple”. Is it that our thinking reflects a faithful discipleship to our Master and Lord Jesus Christ? Are we a model of how God takes sinful, broken, and weak people to transform and use them for His glory? Are we like Paul, shown mercy, so that others might through our witness, be shown mercy too? Are we the public display that the “God of peace” is with us promised at the end of v.9? That we don’t think there is anything remotely better than having the God of peace on our side? That the reward is the “God of peace” Himself, that He’s the treasure, rather than simply the “peace” He offers? That we love Him, cherish Him, and dwell on Him? That we want to know Him? That we are seeking to find our joy in Him, our joy…in Him…alone?

Paul urges us in v.6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” As we believe that promise, seek His face, find our strength in our weakness. Dear brothers and sisters, He will renew your joy! That joy will allow you to influence this world with His glory and His grace. That joy will make you more spiritually powerful. Your life is meaningful, Christ did die for you. You are not an accident. You have been given holy purpose, for your blessing and to bless others. As 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares for you.” Paul commands, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!” Why are we commanded to rejoice? Because we don’t always rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord, right now and always, let us rejoice!

Christmas Hiatus

by Stephen Rodgers

The staff of the Beacon ministry would like to wish you and your family a joyous Christmas. We hope you have a restful and happy time reflecting on the fact that our savior both came into this world, and will return again one day.

We’ll be taking a break for a few weeks to reorganize and make plans for next year, but we’ll be back in 2018. Until then, enjoy the break (and the archives if you just can’t bear to be separated from us for that long).

God’s Wisdom for Parenting (Part 5)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the places in Scripture to find a wealth of helpful principles for parenting is the Proverbs. Almost every book on parenting will reference these Scriptures repeatedly because of the wisdom they contain. Besides the plethora of verses that apply to parenting indirectly, several passages address parenting specifically.

A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. (Proverbs 13:1)

I am sure many people can relate to the experience I had growing up under my father’s discipline. I had a hard time listening to my dad’s instruction. I would sometimes even roll my eyes and sigh, blatantly non-verbally communicating my disinterest. Looking back I see that oftentimes when a friend or another adult mentor would give me the same advice as my dad, I would listen to it and even immediately start applying the counsel to my life. It is no wonder the Bible says so much about listening to your parents. According to Deuteronomy 21:18ff, an obstinate rebellious child was to be put to death for his sin! Proverbs 23:22 states, “Listen to your father who begot you, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”

Now that I am a parent myself, I have come to understand and appreciate how helpful my parents’ counsel was. It is eerie how I sometimes sound so much like my father. Sometimes I catch myself teaching my children the same maxims and lessons using the same words even with my dad’s broken English! There is invaluable wisdom that comes with age, and it is impossible for young children to naturally have the perspective of their parents. According to Proverbs 13:1, part of what it means to have godly wisdom is to listen to your father’s discipline.

No son likes this. No one likes being corrected. No one enjoys being told they are wrong. But the scoffer is the one who rolls his eyes, sighs, and shakes his head at his father’s words. The scoffer refuses to listen to correction, which eventually leads to his ruin. The scoffer, in his pride, assumes that he knows better than his father. There is definitely this tendency in young people to dismiss their parents’ instruction because they feel like their parents are out of touch with the world around them. It is difficult for young people to understand that “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9). The issues the world faces may be packaged differently from generation to generation, but at the heart our parents dealt with the same struggles, temptations, and evils that we face today.

My father was not perfect by any means, but I look back and see how I would have been spared significant pain and not made some of the greatest mistakes in my life if I had listened better to my father’s discipline. While I cannot change the past, I can strive to lead my children and develop the kind of relationship with them that they value their parents’ instruction and seek after their counsel. But it will be essential to remember that my children will have the same sinful tendencies the Bible warns against that I had.

Be It Known Unto Thee, O King, That We Will Not Serve Thy Gods

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Daniel 3:16, 18

The narrative of the manly courage and marvellous deliverance of the three holy children, or rather champions, is well calculated to excite in the minds of believers firmness and steadfastness in upholding the truth in the teeth of tyranny and in the very jaws of death. Let young Christians especially learn from their example, both in matters of faith in religion, and matters of uprightness in business, never to sacrifice their consciences. Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal. Be not guided by the will-o’-the-wisp of policy, but by the pole-star of divine authority. Follow the right at all hazards. When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honour to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle. See whether He will be your debtor! See if He doth not even in this life prove His word that ‘Godliness, with contentment, is great gain,’ and that they who ‘seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, shall have all these things added unto them.’ Should it happen that, in the providence of God, you are a loser by conscience, you shall find that if the Lord pays you not back in the silver of earthly prosperity, He will discharge His promise in the gold of spiritual joy. Remember that a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of that which he possesseth. To wear a guileless spirit, to have a heart void of offence, to have the favour and smile of God, is greater riches than the mines of Ophir could yield, or the traffic of Tyre could win. ‘Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and inward contention therewith.’ An ounce of heart’s-ease is worth a ton of gold.

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Yea Rather, Blessed Are They That Hear The Word Of God, And Keep It

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Luke 11:27-28

It is fondly imagined by some that it must have involved very special privileges to have been the mother of our Lord, because they supposed that she had the benefit of looking into His very heart in a way in which we cannot hope to do. There may be an appearance of plausibility in the supposition, but not much. We do not know that Mary knew more than others; what she did know she did well to lay up in her heart; but she does not appear from anything we read in the Evangelists to have been a better-instructed believer than any other of Christ’s disciples. All that she knew we also may discover. Do you wonder that we should say so? Here is a text to prove it: ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.’

Remember the Master’s words-‘Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.’ So blessedly does this Divine Revealer of secrets tell us His heart, that He keepeth back nothing which is profitable to us; His own assurance is, ‘If it were not so, I would have told you.’ Doth He not this day manifest Himself unto us as He doth not unto the world? It is even so; and therefore we will not ignorantly cry out, ‘Blessed is the womb that bare thee,’ but we will intelligently bless God that, having heard the Word and kept it, we have first of all as true a communion with the Saviour as the Virgin had, and in the second place as true an acquaintance with the secrets of His heart as she can be supposed to have obtained. Happy soul to be thus privileged!

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