Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Your Heavenly Father

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Matthew 6:26

God’s people are doubly His children, they are His offspring by creation, and they are His sons by adoption in Christ. Hence they are privileged to call Him, ‘Our Father which art in heaven.’

Father! Oh, what precious word is that. Here is authority: ‘If I be a Father, where is mine honour?’ If ye be sons, where is your obedience? Here is affection mingled with authority; an authority which does not provoke rebellion; an obedience demanded which is most cheerfully rendered-which would not be withheld even if it might. The obedience which God’s children yield to Him must be loving obedience. Do not go about the service of God as slaves to their taskmaster’s toil, but run in the way of His commands because it is your Father’s way. Yield your bodies as instruments of righteousness, because righteousness is your Father’s will, and His will should be the will of His child.

Father!-Here is a kingly attribute so sweetly veiled in love, that the King’s crown is forgotten in the King’s face, and His sceptre becomes, not a rod of iron, but a silver sceptre of mercy-the sceptre indeed seems to be forgotten in the tender hand of Him who wields it. Father!-Here is honour and love. How great is a Father’s love to his children! That which friendship cannot do, and mere benevolence will not attempt, a father’s heart and hand must do for his sons. They are his offspring, he must bless them; they are his children, he must show himself strong in their defence. If an earthly father watches over his children with unceasing love and care, how much more does our heavenly Father?

Abba, Father! He who can say this, hath uttered better music than cherubim or seraphim can reach. There is heaven in the depth of that word-Father! There is all I can ask; all my necessities can demand; all my wishes can desire. I have all in all to all eternity when I can say, ‘Father.’

1.26a

Weekly Links (4/29/2011)

At our last ‘summit’ I noted in passing that Paul’s central concern theologically is ‘salvation in Christ’. But this is a phrase that needs unpacking. First, the supposition of ‘salvation in Christ’ is the triadic nature of God, since it is predicated on the love of God the Father, is effected through the death and resurrection of Christ the Son, and is made effective through the Spirit of God who is also the Spirit of the Son. Second, the goal of salvation is not simply the saving of individuals and fitting them for heaven, as it were, but the creation of a people for God’s name, reconstituted by a new covenant. Third, the framework of God’s ‘salvation in Christ’ is thoroughly eschatological, meaning that Christ’s death and resurrection and the gift of the Spirit mark the turning of the ages, whereby God has set in motion the new creation, in which all things eventually will be made new. Fourth, the means of ‘salvation in Christ’ is Christ’s death on the cross and his subsequent  resurrection in which death itself has been defeated. (Gordon Fee, “Paul and the Metaphors for Salvation: Some Reflections on Pauline Soteriology”. HT: Nick Norelli)

by Stephen Rodgers

So…I have some good news, and some great news for you this week.

The good news is, that due to a computer issue involving the creation of secure passwords…and consequently being temporarily without access to anything…there is no new edition of the Weekly Links.

The great news is, that if you haven’t had a chance yet to read over the special edition of the Weekly Links that we did for Holy Week/Good Friday/Easter…this is your chance to do so.

Trust me, it’s subject matter well worth reflecting on.

Thanks for your patience!

Pro Rege

Single Life Update

by Andrea Lem

Fridays are days that I always look forward to because 1) not only does Friday mean the weekend is here, but 2) it also means that I get to fellowship with other brothers and sisters that I haven’t seen during the week. In Singles, we have the opportunity to fellowship through receiving challenging teaching and of course, through the delicious refreshments and accompanying conversations. Not to say that I don’t enjoy the refreshments and chatting with others, but at this point in Singles this year, I have grown even more appreciative for the biblically-sound teaching that we’ve been getting each week.

On Friday nights, Pastor Patrick has been going through the book of Colossians with us, dissecting each verse piece by piece with in-depth explanations. In Colossians, Paul writes to the church in Colossae to warn of heretical teaching and encourages the Colossians to stand firm in Christ and their salvation through Him. During the last couple of weeks in Singles, I’ve been particularly encouraged by Paul’s writing and his love for the church and its people. After all, if he didn’t love them, why would he even bother writing this letter to them? Reading and studying Colossians has highlighted for me Christ’s love through Paul and it challenges me to desire to love the church and its people in the same way.

Another thing that I’ve been encouraged by and reminded of is how central the gospel is in my life as a believer. Oftentimes, with the busyness of life and just day to day things, it’s easy to be distracted from the gospel. But from this study in Colossians, Paul is constantly pointing the Colossians back to the gospel and the truth of it. The last two sermons – “The Tremendously Awesome Salvation We Have in Christ” – were taken from Colossians 2: 11-14 have been such a blessing. Pastor Patrick exposited each of the four verses in such detail that it helped me to understand what Paul was saying even more. From verses 11-14, I was reminded that before Christ, I was dead. Completely dead. But, out of His tremendous love for me, God has forgiven me of my sins and I have been baptized and spiritually circumcised to be identified as one of his own. And I didn’t do anything to deserve this forgiveness. I was completely dead before but because of God and his love, I’ve been completely forgiven and completely alive now. This is a “basic” truth but the more I meditate on it, the more I am in awe of God.

Now, that begs the question, what does that mean for my life? It’s easy to keep this all as head knowledge as I go through each day. But from the sermons, I’ve really been challenged to seek to take this knowledge and actually apply it in my life. I’ve been reflecting and asking myself questions such as, “Who am I living for? For God? Or for me?,” “How does a gospel-centered life look everyday, all the time?,” etc. I’ve been thinking about how it affects not just the big things in life but also the little decisions and actions that I make each day. Seeking to apply these things won’t be easy as I’m sure sins will continuously be confronted. But that just drives me all the more to depend on my God and to pray for His strength and guidance, which barely touches on what the Singles’ Retreat was about (Please feel free to come talk to me or any other Single about what our retreat was about!). So, if I had to wrap everything into a sentence or two, I’d say that being a part of Singles is a tremendous blessing as I continue to learn and seek to live as a follower of Christ, who desires to glorify God through complete dependence on Him.

Peacemaker Chapter 7: Just Between the Two of You

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Editor’s Note: You can listen to the class and download the handout.

If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. (Matthew 18:15)

Coming to the 3rd G of Peacemaking — Gently Restore — we start with the issue that comes up between two people, and learning, as well as discerning, when to confront another about a sin issue.

Restoring Means More than Confronting

Looking at the above verse on its own could tempt people to think direct confrontation with another is the right way of addressing sin in another person’s life. However, upon examining the context of where this verse is found, Jesus speaks of restoring, not solely condemning, in dealing with a lost sheep and the reaction that follows once found. This is the mindset that Jesus wants us to adopt when we do confront others in sin: have the heart of a shepherd in pointing out the sin that leads them to wander away from God, and to bring them back. This is the same type of love Christ shows to each and every sinner who is brought back to God by His life, death and resurrection.
Scripture does mention direct confrontation as being necessary to address sin, but it isn’t the primary way of doing so, or even the common way of going about it:

Instead, [the Bible] calls us to use a wide spectrum of activities to minister to others, including confessing, teaching, instructing, reasoning with, showing, encouraging, correcting, warning, admonishing, or rebuking (Matt. 5:23-24; Luke 17:3; Acts 17:17; 1 Thess. 5:14; 2 Tim. 2:24; 4:2). (pp.144-5)

Instead, we need to depend on God in asking Him for wisdom for how best to approach one another and at what time is most appropriate to do so.

Sooner or Later, Face-to-Face

Some people believe it best to approach someone in private before involving other people. That might not always be the case; it might be best to bring other people into the conflict before meeting with them personally. Genesis 32-33, 50:15-16, 1 Samuel 25:18-35, 2 Samuel 14:1-23, and Acts 9:26-27 are cases in point where others are involved before a private encounter. The focus must be on meeting the needs of others:

[W]e should always show respect for the concerns, traditions, limitations, and special needs of others and ask God to show us how to communicate with them in the way that is most appropriate and helpful to them (Phil. 2:3-4). (p.147)

Generally, we want there to be genuine reconciliation to take place, and in some cases, face-to-face meetings are crucial to that end. This is shown in three ways (p.147):

  1. “Many of the passages related to restoring relationships clearly contemplate a direct conversation between the conflicting parties (see Matt. 5:23-24; 18:15; Luke 17:3).”
  2. “Scripture provides many examples of marvelous reconciliation that came about after personal meetings between people who had wronged each other, including Jacob and Esau (Genesis 33:6-12), Joseph and his brothers (45:1-5; 50:15-21), and Paul and the apostles (Acts 9:27-28).”
  3. “[T]he Bible also gives examples of disastrous results when the involvement of intermediaries allowed the parties to delay or avoid personal meetings involving genuine confession and forgiveness.”

In conflicts like that of David and Absalom or Shechem and Dinah, God wants there to be a genuine relationship that has real, personal communication (look at Exodus 33:11). This can lead to real restored relationships, and meeting one on one can help foster that.

If Someone Has Something against You

In Matthew 5:23-24, “Jesus said to be reconciled if your brother has something against you, implying that the obligation exists whether or not you believe his complaint is legitimate.” (p.149) The most obvious reason why we are to do this is because Jesus commands us to. Also, your witness will be affected if you disobey this, not demonstrating to your nonChristian friends the power of the Gospel that you claim you believe. Having peace of mind in dealing with conflict will keep you from having doubts about your peace with God. The last reason to start this process of reconciliation is out of concern and love for your brother and his having peace with God as well. We must actively pursue peace as often as we can in dealing with misunderstandings or miscommunication (Rom. 12:18; cf. 14:13-19).

When Someone’s Sins Are Too Serious to Overlook

Luke 17:3 says, “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” Here are some cases where approaching the other personally and privately is best:

Is It Dishonoring God?

“If someone who professes to be a Christian is behaving in such a way that others are likely to think less of God, of his church, or of his Word, it may be necessary to talk with that person and urge him to change his behavior.” (p. 151)

Is It Damaging Your Relationship?

“If you are unable to forgive an offense—that is, if your feelings, thoughts, words, or actions toward another person have been altered for more than a short period of time—the offense is probably too serious to overlook.”

Is It Hurting Others?

If people are hurt directly (child abuse or drunk driving), or are being led astray by one’s behavior, in some cases where it gets Christians to take sides, it can lead to a disunity in the body and a disruption of peace that is not beneficial to the growth of others (Titus 3:10).

Is It Hurting the Offender?

“Finally, sin needs to be addressed when it is seriously harming the offender, either by direct damage (e.g., alcohol abuse) or by impairing his or her relationship with God or other people. Looking out for the well-being of other Christians, especially those in your own family or congregation, is a serious responsibility. Unfortunately, because many Christians have adopted the world’s view that everyone should be allowed to ‘do his own thing,’ some believers will do nothing, even when they see a brother or sister ensnared in serious sin.” (p. 152)

We should not be eager in showing someone their faults—that most likely means we aren’t the right people to do so. On the other side are those who refuse to ever confront anyone, citing “Do not judged, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1), completely ignoring the context of Jesus’ condemnation of hypocritical judging, but not all forms of judgment, as you read on in v.5: “you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Another idea is when someone says, “Only God can judge me.” “But God often uses another persin to speak the words that a sinner needs to hear to see the need to repent (e.g., 2 Sam. 12:1-13; 2 Tim. 2:24-26.” (p.154)

What would be helpful is understanding whether one’s offense is serious enough to confront by looking at the words “caught” (Greek prolambano) and “restore” (Greek katartizo). If he is caught in a sin while being off guard or dragging him down, go to him. If his sin is affecting his spiritual growth or becoming less useful for God, go to him. Anything less than this should probably be overlooked, while praying that God would help bring about change in their life.

Special Considerations

Going to Non-Christians

Our concern for others does not change with regards to the state of belief one may or may not have. Scripture calls us to “live at peace with everyone” (Rom. 12:18). Most of what is covered can be applied with regards to a non-Christian. This could be a way of leading someone to faith in Christ.

Going to a Person in Authority

All sin, including leaders (1 Tim. 5:19-20). Doing so in a way that respects their authority is a major help in dealing with one’s sin, and may lead to them respecting you as well.

Dealing with Abuse

This can especially happen with those in authority above you. However, if it is a verbal or even physical abuse, it may be best to consult others and get them involved in dealing with the situation. If the person claims to be a Christian, it is the responsibility of the church to help and handle the situation as best they can. This includes calling the person to repentance, as well as confession of their sin, leading to some type of counseling, and possible legal consequences that they must deal with.

Go Tentatively and Repeatedly

Until you have heard the other side from the horses’ mouth, so to speak, don’t assume the one who complains to you is automatically in the right. Help with their sin, and see how they respond. If they do not come to repent of their sin, give them time, reevaluate what you suggested, and then address them again. Do it in a way where privately it can be done, and no dissension arises within the church. If it gets past that, consider whether it really is the right course to take in confronting them.

After the Log Is Out of Your Eye

A good thing to keep in mind, in dealing with Matthew 7:3-5, is that when you confess your sins, it makes it easier and more willing for others to ask for forgiveness as well. However that is not always the case. There are four ways to do so:

  1. You may simply overlook the offense.
  2. You may build on the other’s superficial confession.
  3. You may need to talk about the other person’s sin now.
  4. You may postpone confrontation until the appropriate time.

This speck-removal not only helps us to see the other clearly, it also allows us, as we take up our daily crosses, to be reminded how wonderfully God has created us, and lets us see God clearly, primarily through His Son who had died on the cross and is alive today.

LBC Weekly SPARK – April 26, 2011

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC Family and Friends,

I hope you all enjoyed Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday! What a great weekend it was at LBCSD! Everything was such an encouragement from the delicious breakfast to the musical performances to the children’s skit. Thanks to everyone who made the weekend so amazing! More than anything, praise God for all the new faces who came and were able to hear the gospel message. Let’s continue to pray that God would work in people’s hearts and bring them to saving faith.

There are still a lot of things going on around Lighthouse, but before we get to the announcements, I wanted to continue on in our series through The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. Chapter 4 is entitled “Is Every Christian a Vine Worker?” If the work of the vine involves proclaiming God’s truth in disciple making ministry, is this something that is only left to religious professionals? Or is this something in which every believer needs to be involved?

The authors address this question by presenting a few pointed truths. The basic premise is that the Bible does not describe different classes of disciples – those who give all to live for the Lord and do His work, and those who don’t. They write, “The call to discipleship is thus a call to confess our allegiance to Jesus in the face of a hostile world; to serve Him and His mission, whatever the cost.” This call is given to anyone who would confess Jesus as Lord.

The main passage the authors consider is Ephesians 4 where Paul instructs the church to speak truth to one another (v. 15). This is a wonderful passage to look at when considering what it means to be a part of God’s church. In vv. 11-12, Paul instructed the Ephesians that God appointed leaders in order to train believers to do the work of ministry. All believers were to be involved. It was not left to a special few. This work is what eventually brings the church to maturity and fullness in Christ (v. 13). The particular way this work needs to be done is by strengthening in faith to combat false teaching (v. 14) and speaking truth to build up the body (v. 15). As the different parts of the body are committed to this ministry to one another, the body builds itself up in love (v. 16). The authors conclude, “This can only mean that God wants all Christians to be speaking to each other regularly, urging and encouraging each other to stick with Christ.”

This does not mean that we all need to take turns preaching from the pulpit. The pulpit is not the only place that God’s truth is proclaimed. It should be proclaimed by you in many contexts to many people. It is proclaimed in evangelism as you steer everyday conversations to spiritual topics and as you help people understand their need of a Savior. It is proclaimed in the encouragement you give to each other by taking advantage of opportunities to talk about God’s Word and pray for one another. It is proclaimed in your hanging out when you make the most of the gathering by sharing with one another what you are learning from God’s Word instead of allowing the time to go by wasted on frivolous things.

Consider the implications of having an Ephesians 4 mindset. If you are not actively involved in building up others by speaking truth to one another, the church’s growth will be stunted. Most people see the relationship between pastors and “lay people” as feeders and those being fed. Their main concern each week is, “Was I fed God’s Word?” Certainly, this is a good concern because you should be receiving a healthy portion of God’s Word each week, and the ministry of the pulpit is vital and necessary. But Paul reminds us that this is not where it should end. As important as the pulpit is, it is not sufficient. Every believer needs to be proclaiming God’s truth to evangelize the lost and edify the saints. Once you have been fed God’s Word and blessed by it, you need to seek to feed others and be a blessing. Growth will not happen otherwise. As we see the fullness of Christ as our goal, let us all run hard at achieving it in His strength.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. FLOCKS. Don’t forget that this is flocks week, which means all our regularly scheduled midweek activities will be taking a break. This includes Kids’ Club, Youth, College, and Singles. Our regular Bible studies will resume next week. In order to prepare for flocks, you should complete a sermon response form. These can be downloaded from the flocks website. If you don’t have a flock and would like one, please contact Peter Lim (peterlim@yahoo.com).
  2. WOMEN’S SEMINAR. This Saturday is the women’s seminar that will be at the church from 9:00am to 12:30pm. If you are a lady, come out for this special time of teaching and fellowship. Breakfast will be served as well. Please RSVP with Christine Cho by Wednesday to reserve your spot (christinescho@gmail.com)!
  3. COMMUNION. This Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, which means we will be taking communion during our morning service. Please come having prepared your hearts for this time. In particular, if you are currently in a relational conflict with another member of the body, please make every effort to be at peace with one another in preparation for this time.
  4. ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND. This weekend marks Lighthouse Bible Church’s 12th anniversary as the church celebrated its inaugural Sunday on May 2, 1999. In honor of this special weekend, we will be having a special cake and punch reception after Sunday School. Please stick around for this time of fellowship.
  5. SISTER CONNECTION. Signups for Sister Connection will be taken for the month of May until the end of the school year. College Life sisters will either be paired up with a Single Life or Grace Life sister. If you would like to participate, please email sisterconnection@gmail.com or you can sign up after church or during affinity groups with Christine Cho/Mabel Tse (Grace Life), Andrea Lem/Jane Liou (singles) or Grace Lee/Deborah Wong (collegians). The last day to sign up is this Sunday, May 1!
  6. MEN’S BREAKFAST. Calling all men! We will be meeting once again on Saturday, May 7 from 7:00-9:00am for breakfast, fellowship, and prayer. All men are invited to attend in order to further study what the Bible says about manliness.
  7. TMS GRADUATION. As you may have heard, Pastor J. R. Cuevas of LBCSJ will be graduating from The Master’s Seminary on Sunday, May 15, at 6:00pm, at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley. We are planning on having a small party with refreshments afterwards. If you are interested in driving up to support Pastor J. R., please let Pastor Patrick know as soon as possible.
  8. LBC BANQUET AND VISION QUEST. On Sunday, May 22, we will be having our annual all-church banquet at 4:45pm, at the church. Signups are now being taken by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz on Sundays in the foyer. The cost for the banquet is only $35/adult ($100 max/family). Children 0-12 eat free! Don’t miss this annual tradition as we look back on the Lord’s faithfulness to the church this past year. We will also use this evening to recognize our high school and college graduates, so you won’t want to miss it!
  9. MEMBERSHIP CLASS. Our next membership class will be on Saturday, June 4, from 9:00am-12:00pm, and Sunday, June 5, from 1:00-4:00pm. Attendance at both classes is required. Please talk to Pastor Patrick for a membership application or for more information.
  10. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL. VBS will be from June 20-24, from 9:00am-5:00pm each day. The theme for this year is “God Always Wins!” and every year it is a very special time for our kids. Registration is currently open. Talk to Josh Liu for more information (liu.joshuac@gmail.com).
  11. SUMMER MISSIONS. Please be in prayer for our summer missions teams as we prepare to go to the Czech Republic and Argentina this summer. The dates for the Czech trip are June 26-July 16, and the dates for the Argentina trip are July 6-21. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, so please keep the teams in prayer.

Caution: Pride is More Dangerous than it Appears

by Elder Mike Chon

From the fall in the garden to today, there is one characteristic that can sum up the condition of the fallen world: pride.

From the world’s perspective, pride is looked upon as virtuous. The world teaches us that you must put yourself first before anyone else. It worships self-exaltation, self-esteem, self-satisfaction, and self-centeredness. The world practices the religion of self-worship. Of course we shouldn’t be surprised by this since the world continues to embrace what Scripture calls sin and redefine it as virtuous. They say what is good is bad, and what is bad is good.

Before we begin to point our finger at the world in disgust however, we need to be aware that we are not immune to the effects of pride in our heart. What makes pride so dangerous is that is blinds us to the reality of how sinful we really are. Pride leads us to rebel against the one true and holy God. Pride seeks to dethrone God as the absolute sovereign Lord of this world. It is no wonder that men left to their pride and self-love will never seek after God and follow Him. There are many dangers to pride, but I’d like to focus on three that can arise in a heart that allows pride to rule.

  1. Spiritual Blindness. While Scripture calls us to examine ourselves (2 Cor. 13:5), we can become blind to our own sin. This happens often when we are in a conflict or a disagreement. We become so focused on what the other person has done or said that we become blind to our own sinful heart and attitudes. Our response to conflict reveals to what extent pride has gripped our hearts. When someone has wronged us, we typically don’t respond with grief over the sin, but instead we respond sinfully because we can’t believe this person would do or say this to ME! Even though we respond with anger, hatred, gossip, and/or slander in retaliation, we are often so blinded by our own pride that we refuse to recognize our sin in the conflict. And at times we are so offended by another person that we refuse to extend forgiveness; how blind do you have to be to not see the cross of Christ in your life?
  2. Separation From Others. Pride also causes us to put people into categories or ranks. We begin to look at others and rank them in terms of their “spirituality” or “gifts.” We see ourselves as better than others and try to work our way into the company of those that we perceive to be better than us. We begin to put imaginary titles or initials after our own name, believing that somehow we are greater than someone else. And as we saw in #1, this can happen without knowing it since pride can blind us to our own sin. This manifestation of pride can be especially deadly for those of us that are older or have been believers for a longer time. We have to remember that all of us are equal in the kingdom of God. No one has greater status or a greater salvation than the person next to us. We have all been saved by grace and we are all being sanctified by grace.
  3. Self-Absorption. Pride causes our heart to turn away from serving others to serving ourselves. We begin to even do things that externally appear to be for others but ultimately are for self-exaltation and recognition. This is what I like to call the “I’ll give a gift so that I can receive one later” syndrome. We outwardly follow what God has called us to do, but it is for the glory of self and not the glory God. We begin to subvert what God meant for His own glory, and desire and seek it for our glory.

However, the single greatest reason that pride is so dangerous is that it is not something that is easily recognized or admitted to by the believer. Who wants to admit that they are prideful? Our minds and hearts have believed the lies of this world and have not taken seriously the danger of pride in our lives.

In the next article I will examine how we can battle pride in our lives.

SC 2011 – Reflections #3

by Brian Song and Min Kim

Editor’s Note: Pastor Patrick wanted to do a series here on the Beacon that encouraged the attendees of the Shepherds Conference to share their thoughts with the church. This is the third part in that series. And if you are interesting in listening to the messages, you can download them all for free.

From an overall evaluation, what was at least one thing that was encouraging to you from the Shepherds Conference?

There’s a practice that’s apparently become commonplace and accepted at Shepherds’ Conference. It’s actually very similar to what happens before a dodge-ball match. Before every session, men line up outside the numerous locked doors along the perimeter of the main sanctuary and wait in anticipation for the doors to open (whistle blowing). As soon as the doors open, men flood in from all directions to take find and take their seats. You have your gunners who literally sprint to get the front row seats (dodge balls), while others are content just hanging out in the back. I know this is a silly analogy, but in the end, I really was encouraged to see how excited these men were to hear God’s Word being preached. It was truly an amazing experience to be worshipping together with men representing over 50 countries. (Brian Song)

I love going to the Shepherds Conference! It is my annual retreat. I am always encouraged and blessed every time I go. I love the teaching, the spiritual and physical food, the singing, the worship time, the books, and the fellowship. Every year I go, I observe, and I ask lots of questions in order to gain wise counsel from those older than me. I sometimes ask questions to random people that I meet while standing in line for books or food, or just taking a break. You meet faithful servants from all over the world. (Min Kim)

What was at least one thing from the messages that was particularly helpful or challenging for you?

It’s clear from Scripture that if we are doing the will of the Father, we will encounter and have to endure persecution. In the midst of ministry it’s easy to lose perspective and start focusing all the tasks at hand and our circumstances. When trials arise, we think that we deserve better and even wonder why there hasn’t been more fruit as a result of everything we’ve done. It’s this prideful heart that will manifest itself into a heart of discontentment. Yet, no matter how tough it gets, Godly leaders are called to be content and depend on God for strength. We need to be courageous and be an example of joy to those around us. This joy will only arise out of a spirit that is humble and is fixed on the hope of Christ, not fixed on ourselves.  One of the speakers, Nate Busenitz, reminded us that when our happiness is in the Lord, we will be better able to endure any trials in our path. So in the midst of these trials, those who have a humble heart of thankfulness to God will be able to truly say, “I can do all things through him who strengths me” (Philippians 4:13). (Brian Song)

Editor’s Note: Min skipped this question, but gave an extra-long answer to the next one.

What was at least one lesson that challenged you in regards to your service at LBC? How will you take this and apply it to ministry here in San Diego?

I was seriously blown away by all the men & women from Grace Community Church who served us over the three days. They all served us with such great joy. You could totally see it in their faces; there wasn’t a single frown to be found. It was a great encouragement to see their testimony of Jesus’ servant heart. I think with the business of ministry responsibilities, I sometimes see ministry as a task to be completed and not something I do out of joy and love. Just like Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, we are nothing if we do not serve the church body, and ultimately God, out of love. I am challenged to serve joyfully with a smile, both on my face and on my heart. (Brian Song)

There are two major things that have stood out to me over these past years of attending the Shepherds Conference. The first thing that I noticed is that these godly men that I meet have a long-term mindset. There are men who have served in the same church in the same ministry for decades. I respect these men as I have seen even in my short life time people move on from church to church or from ministry to ministry for whatever reason. These men are committed and dedicated to their ministry and their local church. That is my desire for my family and I at Lighthouse Bible Church. When Lighthouse first started, I would tell people that I want to die here. God willing I still do. Lighthouse is my home and my family. Lighthouse is the only reason I am here in San Diego. I would like to, as one elder put it, ‘just grow old together.’

The second thing I learned was how biblical everyone was. Every time I asked a question, the answer always came to me in the form of a Bible verse. These men would, as some would say, “bleed Bible.” They never offered me human wisdom but only Godly wisdom from God’s Word. I became aware that whatever question I posed, Bible verses would be quoted to me. I also began to realize that when I asked the same question to different people, I got the same answer from different people. They seemed to quote the same verses. They were very like- minded in the Scriptures. They were all thinking biblically and had a verse for everything. It is so true that ALL of Scripture is God-breathed and that ALL of it is profitable. I also noticed that these wise men never told me what to do. They just told me what it said in the Bible. That is something I was challenged with. I need to learn not to tell people what to do but direct them to His Word and pray that His Spirit move and change people’s hearts. And in order for me to do that, I need to be in the Word more, and more deeply. (Min Kim)

Do We Then Make Void the Law Through Faith?

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Romans 3:31

When the believer is adopted into the Lord’s family, his relationship to old Adam and the law ceases at once; but then he is under a new rule, and a new covenant. Believer, you are God’s child; it is your first duty to obey your heavenly Father. A servile spirit you have nothing to do with: you are not a slave, but a child; and now, inasmuch as you are a beloved child, you are bound to obey your Father’s faintest wish, the least intimation of His will. Does He bid you fulfil a sacred ordinance? It is at your peril that you neglect it, for you will be disobeying your Father. Does He command you to seek the image of Jesus? It is not your joy to do so? Does Jesus tell you, ‘Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’? Then not because the law commands, but because your Saviour enjoins, you will labour to be perfect in holiness. Does He bid his saints love one another? Do it, not because the law says, ‘Love thy neighbour,’ but because Jesus says, ‘If ye love Me, keep My commandments;’ and this is the commandment that He has given unto you, ‘that ye love one another.’ Are you told to distribute to the poor? Do it, not because charity is a burden which you dare not shirk, but because Jesus teaches, ‘Give to him that asketh of thee.’ Does the Word say, ‘Love God with all your heart’? Look at the commandment and reply, ‘Ah! commandment, Christ hath fulfilled thee already-I have no need, therefore, to fulfill thee for my salvation, but I rejoice to yield obedience to thee because God is my Father now and He has a claim upon me, which I would not dispute.’ May the Holy Ghost make your heart obedient to the constraining power of Christ’s love, that your prayer may be, ‘Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight.’ Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin.

1.26p

Weekly Links (4/22/2011) (Good Friday/Easter Edition)

The chief impression that a study of the atonement leaves with us is that of the many-sidedness of Christ’s work for men.  When he died for us on the cross, he did something so infinitely wonderful that it is impossible to comprehend it in its fullness.  However man’s need be understood, that need is fully and abundantly met in Christ.  The New Testament writers are like men who ransack their vocabulary to find words which will bring out some small fraction of the mighty thing that God has done for us.  And yet, though it is so complex and so difficult, it may be put very simply: ‘the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (Gal. 2:20). (Leon Morris, The Cross in the New Testament. HT: Ray Ortlund)

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome to a Good Friday/Easter edition of the Weekly Links!  My intention is to point out a number of resources that can help you have a greater understanding and appreciation for the events and circumstances surrounding Holy Week, Good Friday, the crucifixion, Easter, and the Resurrection.  So let’s get to it!

  • First up, if you’re looking for an overview of the entire Holy Week, Justin Taylor did a rather extensive series on the subject.  And over at the 22 Words blog, Abraham Piper has a visual representation for those of you who are more visually-oriented. (WEB)
  • On top of that, Ligonier Ministries put together a great list of resources for people who want to study the implications of Holy Week. (WEB)
  • That brings us to Erik Reymond, who has some devotional thoughts on why “Good Friday” is so good. (WEB)
  • The Pyromaniacs each contributed their own thoughtful response to the question, “What does the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ mean to me?”  They aren’t long responses, so be sure you don’t miss out on what Phil Johnson, Dan Phillips, and Frank Turk each had to say. (WEB)
  • Al Mohler has a great article on how the cross and the resurrection are at the center of the Christian faith. (WEB)
  • And this is probably the third or fourth time I’ve posted this, but since we’ve gotten to the resurrection, this video featuring a sermon excerpt from Matt Chandler regarding a post-resurrection appearance of Christ gets me every time. (VIDEO)
  • And if you want to approach the subject from a more apologetics-oriented angle…
    • Michael C. Patton has put together an article entitled A Short Defense of the Resurrection of Christ. It serves as a good introduction to the subject. (WEB)
    • In similar fashion, Justin Holcomb has a 3-part series (at the time I write this), on Defending and Proving the Resurrection over at the Resurgence. (WEB)
    • A lot of unbelievers object to the resurrection on the basis of a lot of bad arguments. Over at the Tekton Ticker blog, JP Holding identifies a number of those arguments…and then explodes them. (WEB)
    • One often-raised objection to the resurrection is that the 4 accounts in the Gospels cannot be harmonized.  Over at Triablogue, Rhology shows that’s not the case. (WEB)
    • And speaking of Triablogue…if you really want to get into some of the issues surrounding Easter, those fine folks have put together collections of articles that deal with just that issue…from 2009, 2010, and 2011. To say that Steve Hays and Co. are “prolific” is a bit of an understatement! (WEB)

Well, that’s it for now folks.  Don’t forget that we have Good Friday service tonight at 6:30pm.  See you there!

Pro Rege

Interview with Johnny Kim (College Life)

by Johnny Kim

Hi! My name is Johnny Kim and I have the privilege of serving as a staff member in the College Life ministry. Together with my beautiful, lovely, kind, and gentle wife Mimi (hopefully she’ll read this), we have the blessed opportunity to take part in the lives of our collegians and to witness God working in them in different ways. One side effect of serving in the College Life ministry is that it has also provided me with plenty of opportunities to think back on my own college experiences. I have found that spending time with the collegians can sometimes trigger some long lost memories from my days as an undergrad; some that I would actually prefer not to remember. One example is all the times I had to painfully endure midterms and final exams. Upon graduation, there was probably nothing that I looked forward to leaving behind more than all the tests associated with college.

For those of us out of school, academic tests are thankfully a thing of the past. Nowadays, the closest thing to academic testing we might encounter is the occasional “How Well Do You Know Me?” quiz on someone’s Facebook. However, as Christians, we know that when it comes to our faith, spiritual tests are here to stay. Likely for the rest of our lives here on earth, until we “graduate to heaven,” God will continue to test our faith through various trials and circumstances. It’s the way that He has designed for it to be and accordingly, He calls us to receive and respond to these spiritual tests in a way that is different from tests in school.

During our College Life Friday Night Bible Study, we are currently going through a study of the book of James. In his study guide, John MacArthur points out that the book of James can be broken down and seen as a series of guidelines which we can apply in our lives to test the genuineness of our faith. It’s quite fitting for us to be learning about the testing of faith in College Life since tests are never too far from the minds of our collegians. However, unlike the tests in school, tests of faith are for a greater purpose and have far more value. In particular, we learn that God uses spiritual tests in order to grow us and mature our faith. In James 1:2-4, James extols the virtues of spiritual tests and the subsequent attitude of joy that we ought to have towards them.

Whether we’re dealing with tests in school or tests of a spiritual nature, cultivating an attitude of joy in either case can be quite the challenge. However, having joy in the face of even the most difficult spiritual test is not impossible; otherwise God would not have commanded it for us! So then, what are some things we do to ensure that we face spiritual tests with a joyful attitude? Let’s take a look at how our collegians deal with tests in school to find a couple parallel, practical applications that we might be able to apply towards spiritual tests in our lives.

Do You Attend “Study Hall?”

What are your studying habits like when it comes to studying the Word? Do you set aside a specific time and place to read and study it without distractions? When it comes to preparing for a test in school, our collegians spend countless hours reading and studying their textbooks. On any given night during finals week, you can find the collegians pulling all-nighters during Study Hall at church. They sacrifice sleep and comfort to study and gain the knowledge needed to ensure success on their tests. In the same way, we ought to prepare ourselves to respond rightly to spiritual tests by equipping ourselves with knowledge from the Word that comes from studying it. With a better understanding of God’s character, His will, and His commandments, we can joyfully make the right decisions and have the right outlook on any spiritual test that comes our way. In fact, in passages such as Joshua 1:8, we’re assured that meditating on the Word day and night will lead us to success!

We All Need “Care Packages”

During finals week, the wonderful Care ministry of our church works hard to prepare care packages for the College Life ministry. Our collegians are greatly encouraged when they receive a care package and it helps them, even if in a small way, to study hard for God’s glory with the support of the church behind them. Even the most stressed out collegian will feel a little joy at receiving snacks, candy, and other treats! During the toughest of trials, we Christians also need the encouragement that comes from fellow brothers and sisters within the church family. Our hopelessness can turn into hopefulness and joy when a brother or sister is at hand to remind us of the Gospel and to pray for us to persevere through a spiritual test. On the flip side, we should also be looking to encourage others in the midst of their own spiritual tests. Whether it’s through prayer, a meal, or an encouragement slip, there is always some sort of “care package” we can give to spur them on towards joy. As 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 states, we can ultimately encourage one another with the great hope of salvation through Jesus Christ!

Spiritual tests are a part of the Christian life and we should be thankful that they are! While the rewards for passing tests in college might be good grades and a diploma, James 1:12 shows us that successfully facing spiritual tests leads us receive that which is infinitely greater. Let’s look forward to every opportunity to test and prove our faith, challenging each other to look to the Word for guidance and encouraging each other to respond with joy along the way!