Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Martha was Cumbered About Much Serving

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 10:40

Her fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. ‘I serve,’ should be the motto of all the princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had ‘much serving.’ We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the Master’s service. It was no fault of hers that she was busy preparing a feast for the Master. Happy Martha, to have an opportunity of entertaining so blessed a guest; and happy, too, to have the spirit to throw her whole soul so heartily into the engagement. Her fault was that she grew ‘cumbered with much serving,’ so that she forgot Him, and only remembered the service. She allowed service to override communion, and so presented one duty stained with the blood of another.

We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune. Joshua never grew weary in fighting with the Amalekites; but Moses, on the top of the mountain in prayer, needed two helpers to sustain his hands. The more spiritual the exercise, the sooner we tire in it. The choicest fruits are the hardest to rear: the most heavenly graces are the most difficult to cultivate. Beloved, while we do not neglect external things, which are good enough in themselves, we ought also to see to it that we enjoy living, personal fellowship with Jesus. See to it that sitting at the Saviour’s feet is not neglected, even though it be under the specious pretext of doing Him service. The first thing for our soul’s health, the first thing for His glory, and the first thing for our own usefulness, is to keep ourselves in perpetual communion with the Lord Jesus, and to see that the vital spirituality of our religion is maintained over and above everything else in the world.

1.24p

Weekly Links (4/8/2011)

Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to say to us, ‘I am here because of you.  It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.’  Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross.  All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary.  It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size. (John R. W. Stott, The Message of Galatians. HT: Ray Ortlund)

by Stephen Rodgers

I don’t have a ton of links for you this week; mostly I’m just clearing out a few things that I’ve been saving, and highlighting a couple of things you shouldn’t miss.  So without further ado…

  • If you recall, I mentioned last time that John Piper was going to preach/read through his classic book Desiring God.  Well, the introduction to chapters 1 and 2 is up, along with Piper’s actual message. And if that weren’t enough, here comes Curtis Allen with the Desiring God rap song. (AUDIO/VIDEO)
  • By now most of us have probably heard of Amy Chua and the “tiger mother” book. Al Mohler has an article addressing the brouhaha as well as bringing a much-needed Christian perspective to the whole thing. (WEB)
  • As a warning against pride and a reminder of the power of sin, RC Sproul has an article (excerpted from Pleasing God) on the heresy of perfectionism. (WEB)
  • I had an opportunity to talk to Pastor Patrick this week about the perception that many in the Christian community have of Calvinism and Calvinists.  So this article from Elliot Grudem (son of Wayne Grudem) on the subject was timely indeed.  And I’m not just saying that because it contains the phrase “John Frame is the Chuck Norris of Systematic Theology” (even though I would offer a hearty “amen!” in response). (WEB)

That’s it for this week.  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Peacemaker Chapter 4 – Is This Really Worth Fighting Over?

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

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

When it comes to resolving conflict, there is much advice that is offered by many guides or authorities in the field of psychology, sociology, as well as religion. There’s also the popular advice of Dear Abby in the newspaper, or that from the likes of Wayne Dyer, Dr. Phil and Oprah on TV that many have adopted in terms of a “don’t judge me” type of attitude. What the Bible teaches has been neglected, so much so that not only does the world have absolutely no idea how to resolve conflict with any semblance of dealing with the right issue, but many in the church are greatly lacking in this area as well.

In the much misinterpreted passage of Matthew 7:3-5, Jesus lays out the proper instruction on how to address conflicts two people may have with each other. Although typically used as a proof-text to shut down any attempts at confronting another person, Christ draws a line toward judgment that is premature and improper, yet it does not rule out loving correction. This involves the prior removal of the log out of our own eye before addressing the speck of another, but the speck removal of another is just as necessary. By looking through our role in whatever conflict we find ourselves in, there must be two types of fault we avoid:

  1. An overly-sensitive attitude, when you are easily offended by another person´s behavior, and
  2. Sinful behavior, which you yourself may have brought (will be covered in chapters 5 and 6).

Define the Issues

There are two types of conflict:

  1. Material, which deal with property, money, rights and responsibilities, and is resolved through cooperative negotiation
  2. Personal, which deal with what goes on inside or between people, and is resolved through confession, loving correction, and forgiveness.

In real life, each type of conflict rarely occurs without the other. If a material conflict arises, it´s usually resolved when the personal issue is dealt with. When such is the case, the objective is to address what the primary material issue is and then get at the primary heart issue. The first question that will diagnose how to go about this is to ask, “Is this really worth fighting over?” When thinking about the conflicts you go through, the majority of them may be in the realm of “not worth fighting over,” and should be settled or simply let go as quickly as possible.

Overlook Minor Offenses

“In many situations, the best way to resolve a conflict is simply to overlook the personal offenses of others” (p.82), which is how God sees it:

Proverbs 19:11 – Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

Proverbs 17:14 – The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so quit before the quarrel breaks out.

1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Ephesians 4:2 – [W]ith all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.

Colossians 3:13 – [B]earing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving one another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Just as God has forgiven us of sin, we should do the same, and see God’s model as one to follow. When we overlook minor offenses, it shouldn’t be passive in avoiding dealing with an issue that causes you to resent or become bitter and angry, which will explode at a later time. It should rather be an active process that shows mercy to the other person who wrongs you in a way where you do not hold it against them, or let it cause you to become bitter. This is a direct result of the Gospel’s work in a person.

Check Your Attitude – and Change It

One of the reasons we sometimes find it difficult to overlook offenses is that we have an overly sensitive attitude or a tendency to dwell on what others have done. One way to guard against this problem is to check your attitude in the light of God’s Word. (p.83)

5 principles Paul lays out in Philippians 4:2-9:

  1. Rejoice in the Lord always (v.4)
  2. Let your gentleness be evident to all (v.5)
  3. Replace anxiety with prayer (v.6)
  4. See things as they really are (v.8)
  5. Practice what you learned (v.9)

Count the Cost

Another way to avoid unnecessary conflict is to consider the cost of unresolved conflict. Conflict is often much more expensive than we expect it to be. Unresolved disputes can consume large amounts of time, energy, and money, leaving you emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Worst of all, as long as a disagreement is unresolved, there is the potential for further damage to a relationship. (p.90)

What we need to do is count the cost immediately at the start of a conflict or dispute, because that is almost always the first thing that is neglected the moment we enter into one. This is why Jesus says:

Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. (Matthew 5:25-26)

What about “Rights?”

One immediate response to one who asks such a question would be, “What about God’s rights?” We sin against God on a daily basis, and if he had any right to condemn, we would already be in hell. However, what God has done in forgiving us is an act of mercy, not justice/injustice. It may be unjust to exercise your “rights”: “When exercising a right allows you to avoid a moral responsibility or to take unfair advantage of others, you have not acted justly in the eyes of God, regardless of what a court might say” (p.92). Some diagnostic questions would be helpful at this point:

  • “Will exercising my rights honor God by showing the power of the gospel in my life?”
  • “Will exercising my rights advance God’s kingdom—or will it advance only my interests at the expense of his kingdom?”
  • “Will exercising my rights benefit others?”
  • “Is exercising my rights essential for my own well-being?” (p.92)

What we need to always remember is that Jesus, the Son of God, who owns everything, did not seek to exercise His right to life for the sake of preserving His kingly status as ruler of all. He gave it up to die for a people undeserving of it, and is a perfect picture of the grace of God. Is that not our goal in conflicts? Don’t we want to show our brothers and sisters in Christ this same picture? Don’t we desire to show our unbelieving family members and friends what God’s grace looks like? My God give that desire in our hearts.

Our Daily Bread

by Pastor Patrick Cho

It is somewhat assumed that in order to properly gauge your spiritual health, you need to at least evaluate how your time is in God’s Word. Certainly, most Christians have been taught that reading the Bible is essential for spiritual growth. The Bible has been likened to the spiritual food we eat, and that without our daily reading we would be malnourished and unhealthy. Still, many Christians allow days, weeks, and even months to go by without spending any quality time in Scripture. They rely on the occasional Sunday sermon, Christian book, or blog to give them their boost for the week. But having a regular, daily, deliberate, disciplined time in God’s Word is becoming rarer.

Why don’t Christians read the Bible? Some may feel like it is too difficult to understand and get frustrated that much of the Bible seems irrelevant. Others might feel like the sheer length of the Bible deters them. They might argue, “I’m just not a reader.” Still others might simply be distracted by the everyday duties and busyness of life. All their responsibilities, chores, errands, appointments, and tasks crowd out all the time they might have had for God’s Word. And honestly, some might simply dismiss the Bible as boring, and so they refuse to read. Of course, none of these excuses are a good reason for not reading.

So why should you have a daily consistent time in God’s Word? There are many reasons, but here are a few.

  1. First, having a deeper understanding of the Scriptures will deepen your understanding of God. If you want to seek God, you must find Him in the Word (cf. Ps. 119:1-2). God has revealed Himself through His Word, and so we read it not only to know the Book, but also to know the God of the Book (cf. Exod. 34:6-7).
  2. Second, it is important to understand that without a growing understanding of God’s Word, spiritual growth isn’t possible. Our spiritual health is proportionate to our intake of Scripture. This growth takes place as we long for the Bible like infants longing for milk (1 Pet. 2:2). The maturity of the Christian comes from abiding in the sufficiency of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
  3. Third, being in the Word helps the believer fight against sin. The Psalmist sang, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word. . . . I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:9, 11). Remember that Jesus quoted Scripture in the wilderness when He was tempted by Satan. His familiarity with the Word helped Him in His temptation. How much more do we need to have our lives saturated with the Word of God?
  4. Fourth, taking time in the Word helps build us up in spiritual wisdom. The opposite of this is to settle with foolishness. There is great wisdom in obeying God’s commands (Job 12:13; cf. Deut. 4:6). God’s wisdom cannot be found elsewhere, and it certainly cannot be found in men (Job 28:12-28). God’s Word does not only make us wise unto salvation, but gives us wisdom for daily decisions in how we act, speak, and reason.

The month of April marks the beginning of the second quarter of 2011. For those of you who began the year with the resolution to read through the Bible, how is the reading going? Have you kept up faithfully or is there some catching up that needs to be done? As I wrote in my article back in January, don’t simply quit because you are behind. Maybe you won’t finish by the end of December, but that doesn’t mean you should abandon your reading altogether. Keep reading and develop that discipline because of the great rewards that come from consistency in God’s Word. Remember always that the soul that loves the Lord will spend consistent time in His Word.

Surely He Shall Deliver Thee from the Snare of the Fowler

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 91:3

God delivers His people from the snare of the fowler in two senses. From, and out of. First, He delivers them from the snare-does not let them enter it; and secondly, if they should be caught therein, He delivers them out of it. The first promise is the most precious to some; the second is the best to others.

‘He shall deliver thee from the snare.’ How? Trouble is often the means whereby God delivers us. God knows that our backsliding will soon end in our destruction, and He in mercy sends the rod. We say, ‘Lord, why is this?’ not knowing that our trouble has been the means of delivering us from far greater evil. Many have been thus saved from ruin by their sorrows and their crosses; these have frightened the birds from the net. At other times, God keeps His people from the snare of the fowler by giving them great spiritual strength, so that when they are tempted to do evil they say, ‘How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’

But what a blessed thing it is that if the believer shall, in an evil hour, come into the net, yet God will bring him out of it! O backslider, be cast down, but do not despair. Wanderer though thou hast been, hear what thy Redeemer saith-‘Return, O backsliding children; I will have mercy upon you.’ But you say you cannot return, for you are a captive. Then listen to the promise-‘Surely He shall deliver thee out of the snare of the fowler.’ Thou shalt yet be brought out of all evil into which thou hast fallen, and though thou shalt never cease to repent of thy ways, yet He that hath loved thee will not cast thee away; He will receive thee, and give thee joy and gladness, that the bones which He has broken may rejoice. No bird of paradise shall die in the fowler’s net.

1.24a

Weekly Links (4/1/2011)

by Stephen Rodgers

My apologies to everyone, but due to getting blindsided by some personal issues, the Weekly Links for this week has been cancelled.  If all goes well, it should be back to normal next week.

In the meantime, I would recommend that you take the opportunity to check out recent church announcements, the Peacemaker series, and/or the Recommended Resources page.  I’m sure you’ll find something of value there, especially if you haven’t been able to keep up lately.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.  See you next week!

Pro Rege

LBC Weekly SPARK – March 31, 2011

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord! Thanks to everyone who prayed for me, Mike Chon, Cesar Vigil-Ruiz, and John Kim during our trip to Argentina. The time with the church in Tucuman was a tremendous blessing. On Friday evening, we had a time to fellowship with the men of the church over asado, and Pastor John taught on the topic of leadership. On Saturday evening, the entire church came together and I had the opportunity to preach on denying yourself and taking up the cross daily from Luke 9:23. On Sunday morning, we gathered for worship and John preached again on the topic of spiritual maturity. Then on Sunday evening, we had our last church meeting where I preached from Colossians 1 and reconciliation in Christ. Cesar did a tremendous job translating for us.

On Saturday afternoon, we had an opportunity to sit down for lunch with the leadership of the church and field some questions. It was exciting to see how much they have all grown and to hear the kinds of questions they were asking about ministry. It is obvious that they want to build their ministry in a God-glorifying way and to seek how to honor Him with their work. On Monday, the four of us had a chance to talk with Pastor Jorge about various issues concerning our missions philosophy and to map out a general plan for the future.

All in all, it was probably the most profitable time down in Argentina, but it was also the most exhausting. At least twice we were up past 3:00am meeting and preparing. Since most of the church members work late, the meetings generally did not begin until late in the evening. That Friday evening, we did not start eating dinner until about 10:00pm and did not finish the evening meeting until about 1:00am! Still, what an amazing time with IBM Tucuman!

When we arrived back in Buenos Aires, before leaving for home, we were also able to meet up with Eduardo and Matias Buldain. This was also a tremendously encouraging time, and we all felt as though our hearts were knit as one. We are so thankful for our brothers in Christ and are excited about what God has been doing through them in their ministry.

Let us continue to pray for the work in Argentina. It is still very difficult and those committed to the gospel of repentance and faith face great opposition both from outside the church and from within. What we are thankful for are these ministries that are committed to growing in their knowledge of the Word and to serving Christ with all their hearts.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. Regional Flocks. Don’t forget that our regularly scheduled weekly meetings will be on hold this week due to flocks, which meet on March 30-April 2 at various homes throughout the community. More information about flocks can be found on the church website. If you do not currently attend a flock and don’t know which one to attend, please contact Peter Lim (peterlim@yahoo.com).
  2. Men’s Breakfast. This Saturday, April 2, at 7:00am, we will be having a men’s breakfast fellowship at the church. Come out as we discuss what it means to be a man of God and enjoy a time of prayer together. Food and drinks will be provided. Please email Pastor Patrick if you plan on attending so we can prepare adequately for the morning.
  3. Communion. As this weekend is the first Sunday of the month we will be taking communion together during the worship service. Please come with your hearts prepared for this time.
  4. End Times Bible Study. Part three of our four part end times Bible study will be this Sunday evening from 6:00-8:00pm at the church. This weekend, we will be focusing on a biblical understanding of the tribulation. We will specifically address why the seven year tribulation should be understood literally and why we teach that the rapture will occur before the tribulation. The last Bible study of the series will be on Sunday, April 17.
  5. Premarital. For those involved in the premarital class, we will meet again this Tuesday evening at 7:30pm at Pastor Patrick’s home. Please come with your homework completed and discussed.
  6. Members Meeting. Our next members meeting will be on Sunday, April 10 at 4:45pm. All members are encouraged to attend. As always, dinner will be provided.
  7. Good Friday Service. On Friday, April 22, we will not be meeting in our regular Friday night Bible studies. Instead, we will have a joint service at the church to observe Good Friday. Service will begin at 6:30pm.
  8. Resurrection Sunday. On Sunday, April 24, we will be celebrating Resurrection Sunday with a special breakfast fellowship at 7:30am. Service will begin at 9:00am as usual. This is a great opportunity to invite family and friends to church to hear the message of the gospel.
  9. LBC Banquet. The annual All-Church Banquet will be on Sunday, May 22, at 4:45pm, at the church. The cost for tickets is only $35/adult (children 0-12 are free)! This is a wonderful time to reflect on the Lord’s kindness this past year to the church. Please mark your calendars!
  10. Vacation Bible School. VBS will be from June 20-24 this year, from 9:00am-5:00pm each day. Please mark your calendars! You can talk to Josh Liu or Abram Kim for more details or for registration. Also, VBS staff applications are available from Josh Liu.
  11. Argentina Missions Trip. This year’s Argentina Missions trip is tentatively scheduled for July 6-21. Each year we go to Tucuman, to work alongside Iglesia Biblica Misionera (Missionary Bible Church) for a weeklong evangelistic campaign. We will also be providing biblical training and teaching for the church in general and specialized meetings. For those who are interested in applying for the Argentina trip, applications will be available this Sunday, April 3 (due April 17). All applicants must have been members of Lighthouse in good standing for at least one year. You must also have a valid US passport that is good through at least November 2011. Whether or not you will be going to Argentina this summer, please prayerfully consider how you can help support the work we are doing down there.

Peacemaking for Families (Grace Life)

by Randy Sarmiento

Recently in GraceLife we have been going through the book Peacemaking for Families by Ken Sade and Tom Raabe. It is always great to have a tool that will point us back to God, and His will for the families.

We are a very young couple that have been married for only a little over a year, and have a 7 month-old daughter. To be honest, before this study we really did not challenge each other spiritually. Like many other Christian couples, when we got married we made the assumption that it would be at least a little bit easier to share what is in our hearts and what we are struggling with. We thought marriage would dissolve many of the communication problems that we had during dating. You know, since we are now joined together as one before God. But soon enough, the realization that “sinner plus sinner equals conflict” came. It’s not that we fight a lot or even come into conflict much, but the fact is that we do, and will get into it. Now the question being asked is, “How do we handle it?”

One thing the book reminds us is that through biblical ways to resolve conflict you can encourage your spouse and family members. In this way you can think of conflict as an opportunity to glorify God and serve others.

Another point that the book has helped us in is the realization of idols in our lives. Idols could start out to be desires for honorable and good things, but then they can turn into demands that must be met. We realized that this is something that could easily sneak up on us and cause conflict.  We know that we have to constantly examine our hearts and motives, because it may very well turn into actions and words that may not glorify God.

Consciously we needed to watch ourselves so that we may be an example to our daughter, even in her infancy. Prayerfully we hope that someday she will come to the saving knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. So we do not want our actions and words to be a hindrance to the testimony of God’s love and grace.

Personally for me, the book has reminded me that conflict tears apart relationships, and forgiveness is the restoration of a relationship made whole again.  With God and us, we were in conflict with Him due to our sin, and yet He had restored our relationship with Him by the blood of His Son. I also realized that my mentality is that if something is broken I need to fix it as fast as I possibly can. The same thing goes with problematic situations and especially when I think that someone else is clearly wrong and I am right. But after reading the first 5 chapters of the book and being pointed back to scripture, I realized and remembered that I can’t do anything apart from God, that I am not in control, and I have to first submit to God.

As much as I would like to think that I am a strong and knowledgeable person, the more I read God’s word, the more I realize how weak I am and how much I don’t know. It’s quite humbling. I truly need to grow up and be, “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. (James 1:19)”

We all know that relationships are hard, and at times marriage can be even harder, but everyday I still thank God for the huge blessing of my wife and daughter. Once again, I am reminded of the sinner that I am, and how much I fall short of His Glory. But because of His actions of love, through His Son Jesus Christ, I am overwhelmed of the fact that I am even given the opportunity to lead and teach them. Having a family is truly grace on its own.

I look forward to the rest of the book in hopes that it will continue to be an eye-opener of how to biblically handle conflict situations.

Peacemaker Update #1

by Stephen Rodgers

Because Cesar is still on the trip to Argentina with Pastor John, Pastor Patrick, and Mike, there won’t be a new Peacemaker article for you this week.  However, I wanted to very briefly remind you of the Peacemaker-related resources that we have made available so far:

  • Previous articles in the series by both Stephen and Cesar can be found here.
  • The audio files for the Peacemaking for Families class that Pastor Patrick has been doing can be found here.  The audio files for the Peacemaker class Peter, Mike, and Stephen have been doing can be found here.
  • A series of articles and handouts illustrating and explaining the key points of the book are available for free from Peacemaker Ministries here.
  • And last but not least, the Peacemaker Ministries blog entitled Route 5:9 can be found here.

We’ll continue our series of in-depth reviews of each chapter next week.  Thanks for your patience.

Thank You Lighthouse Bible Church!

by Elder Mike Chon

I couldn’t imagine almost twelve years ago when I began attending the home bible studies that our church would be what it is today. God has definitely been faithful to shape and mold our church through all the blessings and trials that we have experienced over the years. It has been a blessing to witness God’s faithfulness in using trials to help our church grow to be more like Christ (James 1:2-4) and how many of you have endured through trials to God’s glory. As I reflected on our church, I cannot help but to give thanks to God for you all (1 Thess. 1:2-3).

There is no other place I would rather be than at Lighthouse Bible Church (San Diego or San Jose).Today so many people move around so many times because of so many reasons that it is difficult to find people and families that stay in one area for more than five years. Likewise some people may think that it doesn’t matter if you change churches multiple times as long as the sermons are good and the people are nice. The problem of this type of thinking is that the church never becomes anything more than a place where you seek to get your needs met and to grow individually (which is not a biblical concept). In addition to that, the church never becomes a family where we relate to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. That’s why I am so thankful for Lighthouse Bible Church which has become a true family over the years. We have rejoiced with those that have been blessed and grieved with those that suffer (1 Cor. 12:26). I have never experienced a church that truly cares for their brothers and sisters as our church does. We have had church members go through very difficult times and have various needs, and immediately you have come to give support and meet the needs of your fellow brother or sister. Even in my own life and the life of my family, many of you have come to help when we needed assistance and support. When you say that you will help in any way that we need, I know and trust that those words are not mere words. Our church is what it is today because of the people that have been so faithful and committed to the Word of God and to Christ’s bride, the church. I am so thankful for you and my heart rejoices and is overwhelmed by your example of love and care for one another.

I want to say thank you especially to those that have taken steps to gently confront the leaders because of your love for the church. We are definitely not above being kept accountable. Thank you for your desire to see God glorified in our lives and the church and your willingness to approach us with your concerns regarding issues in our lives as well as the ministry. I am thankful that you came with humble and gentle hearts to correct us as well as support us in the process. Those that have been faithful to carry out the peacemaker pledge with us as well as others in the church have brought great joy to our hearts since it reveals to us that your desire is first and foremost for God’s glory. It is truly a joy to serve along you as a fellow slave of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even in a church full of sinners I can honestly say that there is no other place I would rather be than at Lighthouse Bible Church. I want to thank you for being a church that loves Christ and His church. Let us continue to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14). Thank you!