Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Augustine

by Kevin Au

Few figures stand taller among even the most prominent men in the halls of church history than Augustine. The man’s influence emerges from a time even when world history threatens to drown it out with the momentous fall of the Roman Empire. His writings and teachings have shaped history to an unimaginable extent. Before Luther, before Zwingli, before Calvin, Augustine’s influence predates and sets a foundation for them all. The impact of the reformers and men after the 5th century all owe something to this man’s testimony and work, as his work has oft shaped the thoughts and works of later theologians.

Augustine lived in the tumultuous time in the dying days of the Roman Empire. Born in Thagaste, North Africa in 354 to a middle income farming family, he was bred to pursue worldly pursuits by cultivating his talents as an orator and teacher. His father was an unbeliever, but his mother exemplified a woman of prayer, with her well-documented persistence in praying for her worldly son.

His mother’s prayers would prove fruitful, but not without much persistence, as Augustine did not come to faith until relatively late and after much inner struggle and turmoil. By his own confession, Augustine was a man inflamed with the pleasures of this world and ignorant of the pleasures in heaven. He took a mistress in his youth and had a son by her at the age of 16. After his childhood he took off for Carthage to study and soon after began teaching. Eventually, his teaching took him to Rome and Milan, where he encountered the philosophy of the Manicheists which taught perversions of true Christian doctrine. Augustine was heavily influenced by these worldly philosophies, but later in his life, he became dissatisfied with them as he found them unfulfilling. He encountered Bishop Ambrose in Milan, and after his re-exposure to true Christianity turned away from the worldly philosophies and began to pursue the truth and stop running away from God. He soon came to conversion in Milan.

Augustine, a new man, stripped of the traces of his old life as he parted ways with his mistress and lost his son, would soon receive his ordination as priest and became the bishop of Hippo, a region in Northern Africa. It was here where he began the work that would define his life. It was during this time that Augustine wrote Confessions. He also wrote The City of God, a work written in response to the sacking of Rome, addressing politics and society from a Christian standpoint. He also completed a host of other major works during this time, contributing much of early Christian thought and doctrine.

Many have posited as to why Augustine is such an influential figure in Church history. Much it owes to his place in history, politically and ecclesiastically. With the exception of the Apostles themselves, his work came much earlier than anyone comparable to his stature in church history, so his influence is immeasurable. He also came at a crucial turning point as the world turned over into the medieval ages, also near the beginning of the established Roman Catholic Church, which ironically hails him as a prominent figure in Catholicism as well. Some point to the humanity and breadth of his appeal as the reason for his influence. The details of Augustine’s coming to faith are well known through his most famous work Confessions, a theological yet personal autobiography of his journey wrestling with truth and philosophy, experience and God.

The genuine humanity that readers can see in his Confessions, theologically and personally tells the story of every believer and their struggles with the truth. The philosophical struggles appeal to the intellectual, the earthly passions appeal to even the least of men. The story of a man running from God is one that we all share.

The greatest reason, theories and propositions aside, lies simply in the fact that he had a voice. He did not keep the thoughts and truths in his brilliant mind to himself. He stood against the heresies of his day, and behind it was a man who could not deny that he had been saved from the pitfall of early desires, transformed into a heavenly minded man, who lived and loved God.

The Power of Encouragement

by Pastor John Kim

Hebrews 10:24-25 gives a very clear directive that we are not to forsake the gathering together of the fellowship of believers. It is the habit of some to minimize the importance of the corporate nature of the church as embodied in the local church assembly and the consequences are telling. One of the most practical ways in which a healthy church shows itself to be honoring to Christ is by how active the ministry of encouragement is taking place. While it is to be very much a part of characteristic of a genuine Christian to be an encourager, it is all too often something that is missing and instead replaced with a critical and discouraging spirit. It is amazing how some people in the church don’t even think twice when they send sarcastic words that can rip into a person’s soul and drop them to their knees in tears. There are others who are always quick to point out something negative about a person’s actions, no matter how hard they have tried in other respects to do their best. It is like the child who brings home a report card that has all A’s and one B+ and the parents can only notice the B+ and not say anything about the areas that someone has done well. This is just wrong and sinful and it must stop.

I have to say that at a personal level, I have gone through seasons where there has been much encouragement and other times when the criticisms and discouragements seemed to never end. There were times when people were just downright mean and unloving and they didn’t seem to even care that their words and how they said them were just crushing. Now there are some who are maybe more thick-skinned than others and so they don’t seem to care when people treat them badly. But there are others who are more sensitive and while it is a struggle not to simply cave in to fear of man, there is still a human reality factor that makes it difficult to deal with and those who are the “stronger” in this area don’t give any real consideration to the “weakness” of others.

Now this is not to say that there should not be times where sin is called out and confronted seriously. But there should always be the foundation of a genuine loving spirit that has been evidenced by an encouraging and supportive spirit that comes alongside a brother or sister and endeavors to see that person truly grow in their walk with the Lord.

Encouragement is a powerful ministry. To give affirmation, to point out something positive, to lift up the spirit in the midst of adversity can make all the difference in the world. That is why coming together as a church family is so crucial so that the ministry of encouragement can thrive. But it takes everyone making a contribution. The command is not to “be encouraged” (passive) but to encourage (active) and so we are called to actively fulfill this call to action by taking it upon ourselves to go to someone else and do the work of encouraging. Try it sometime. Look for something, even if it seems small, but try to affirm someone. Maybe it’s even just showing up. Maybe you’ve seen someone take some small steps toward growth. They are taking notes of the messages. They came out to an activity. They tried to share the gospel and even though they got shot down, they still were challenged to continue. There are so many things that we could do to affirm what is going on the lives of others if we only take the time to seek it out.

Last month Pastor Patrick wrote a similar article regarding this issue. I hope that we can really continue to consider how we might use the tongues that we have been given and let them be filled with words of encouragement that build up and not tear down.

Meditate on Ephesians 4:29. Then live it out every time you communicate – via e-mail, instant messenger, text messaging, phone, video, in person, and whatever other ways you can communicate. Christ will be honored and you will be a blessing to many.

Editor's Note: March 2008

by Steven Hong

It’s only March, but many Lighthouse members are already looking forward to the summer. That’s because Summer Missions Applications have just been turned in and the leaders are busy preparing for the annual missions trips to Argentina and the Czech Republic. In this issue of The Beacon, you will find a preview of what’s in store.

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #41

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #41
Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. (Jan. 11, 1723)

Conscious and purposeful reflection on our lives is a healthy discipline that many people probably don’t practice because it can often become either a point of constant guilt or it just doesn’t seem to be that important enough to do on a regular basis. Here Edwards makes a pretty simple point and he gives some clear markers as to what would be helpful time frames to do some evaluation and contemplation on improvement.

Daily reflection would be helpful as it gives closure to the day and a more immediate opportunity to take some time and look back at the day and consider the attitudes and actions that were committed throughout the day. We often get so busy and are so tired that we don’t make time to think about the day and it’s no wonder that we are often forgetful, not only of plans, but also of the direction of our life.

Weekly reflection helps us look back at the past seven days and to see the routines of the week and see if there is movement toward improvement in a way that shows discipline. For various things we will set aside a number of days throughout the week, for instance exercising three times a week, and as the week goes by, it is helpful to know that at the end of the week there will be a time to look back and see if there is consistent effort being put into the goals for the week that might differ from day to day.

Monthly reflection increases the time frame by seeing it as a portion of the year (1/12th) and to start looking at some significant marking posts for growth and maturing.

Yearly reflection puts the big picture in perspective as we take inventory of twelve months and see (especially if it’s our birthday) and see if there is some actual evidence that has lasted regarding the various areas of our life that we hope to improve.

This seems like an almost impossible task, but the key here is to discipline and focus as to WHY this exercise would be helpful. It seems as though Edwards really was not just about theology per se, but really about how it was changing his life to the glory of God. When you read his works that he wrote later on in his life, you can see that much of the fruit of his earlier disciplines is shown as his deep thinking and meditating on God’s truth is really presented in such a God-glorifying way that you can’t help but see a life that is truly given over to following Christ.

As I shared this past Sunday, it really is my hope as a shepherd to see you fix your eyes on Christ and run the race with endurance. It is not always easy and there are definitely times where there are challenges and even failures that can be disheartening, but that is why the grace and mercy of God gives us hope as we confess our weakness and our sinfulness and then allow the cross to do its work of pointing us to the Savior.

Don’t just look for short-term, fast-food mentality satisfaction. Let us RUN the RACE (it’s a marathon) with a persevering, enduring, unified fixing of our eyes on Christ and together as a church family we can look forward to seeing Christ be magnified in us and through us to His glory alone!

In His grace,
Pastor John

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #40

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #40
Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. (Jan. 7, 1723)

1 Corinthians 10:31 calls us to live to the glory of God, even in our eating and drinking. We often think that there might be areas of our lives where God is not so interested because we think they are so mundane or maybe even think that there is no inherent spiritual value attached to them because it seems to be that way to us. But all of life is meant to be seen through the lens of how we view God and God is very much interested in even how we eat and drink.

Now there are some that take it to an extreme and create a legalistic system of dietary laws that forbids the eating of certain kinds of foods. Scripture seems pretty clear that the dietary aspect of the Mosaic law was no longer to govern their lives. God even gives an explicit statement to the apostle Peter in Acts 10:15, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”

But how are we to relate the glory of God in our eating and drinking? We must start with our hearts. Even as we eat and drink throughout the day, do we thank God for His provision? Are our prayers genuine in expressing gratitude to God? How about when we go out with others to eat a meal – do we see our selfishness guiding the decision making process as where to eat? Another thought might be as to the motivation behind eating – do we eat so as to present ourselves pleasing to man? Are we so concerned with our figure or how others perceive us that it dictates how we eat and drink? Or do we seek to win the approval of man by eating and drinking certain things that we think will show that we are worthy of their approval?

Another thought would be do you use your times of eating and drinking to promote genuine fellowship with other believers? Do you maybe take time to have lunch with an unbelieving co-worker so that you can build a relationship with him/her and share the gospel? As Mark Devers shares in his book on evangelism, he even goes back to the same places to eat, not so much because of the menu but because of the opportunity to build a relationship with people.

Edwards went as far as to watch his diet so that he would not hinder his ability to study and be sober and focused throughout the day. He ate minimally but he did eat regularly with his family and even used those times to share with his family. So even in regards to what kind of food you eat, you can see it in some measure in relation to how it affects your physical abilities. I would say that there needs to be discernment in this area as it could easily become excessive but it would still be reasonable to ask how your eating and drinking affects your physical body in relation to how you are able to do God’s work.

It’s not simply just about the material substance about food and drink that is at stake. At the end of the day, can we look back as Edwards exhorts us, and see if we have acted the best way we possibly could have in respect to eating and drinking and all that is related to those things? It would be profitable for us to examine our hearts in this matter and see if we are submitting even our eating and drinking habits to the Lordship of Christ. There is no matter too insignificant when it comes to being a follower of Christ and I would encourage you all to do some practical inventory as to your eating and drinking habits.

Have a great rest of the week!

In His grace,
Pastor John

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #39

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends from very cold Minneapolis, Minnesota!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #39
Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

Have you ever regretted doing something wrong AFTER you have already done it? We typically don’t have a problem in considering if something is “unlawful” as Edwards calls it when we examine what we have done and see clearly that the conduct or behavior or attitude that was displayed was sinful before God. But we need to be consistent in how we view these things. We need to do a better job of questioning the lawfulness of our actions and attitudes before we intend to follow through and look at it in the same way as if it was after the fact. We are often good at justifying our sins because we minimize the wrongfulness of what we do beforehand, often trying to find ways to make it really less that what it is. We then feel so guilty after the fact because deep in our hearts we knew better but instead of submitting to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, we will desensitize ourselves with fleshly feelings so as to distract ourselves or even just smother the conscience so that w e don’t feel bothered.

It would do us well to simply THINK and examine what we plan to do and see it in reflection of God’s truth. We really do need to look at the mirror of God’s Word, both before and after we do all that we do so that we can ask ourselves if we are being consistent in how we live. Now we will never be perfect of course, but the goal of our spiritual lives is to grow in consistency and maturity in Christ.

Now there might be the rare occasion that we might do something that in reflection we look back and realize that it might have been something that we should not have done but we had not given as much attention as we should have. This can honestly happen as we are all in the process of still having our hearts and minds exposed to the truth and we wrestle with ignorance in many areas of our lives. That’s why we need wisdom, so that we don’t stay the fool.

This really just takes hard work. You can’t let up. There are so many times when we feel we deserve a break and that we just can’t always be on guard for every little thing. But we must. It only takes one slip up and you could end up making a decision that you will regret for the rest of your life. Consider 1 Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

We can’t afford to be using the excuse of ignorance all the time. Let’s renew our minds with God’s truth and stay sober for the battle.

In His grace,
Pastor John

Listening to Great Preaching

by Pastor John Kim

Having to preach every Sunday, not to mention on Fridays and other Bible studies, does not give me very many chances to visit other churches to hear other preachers. But for three Sundays, I will have had the opportunity to hear three of my favorites. As I shared in the last entry, I heard Chris Mueller preach and minister to my heart. This past Sunday, I went to Grace Community Church and heard John MacArthur preach from Luke 22. I had not been to a Sunday morning service at Grace since 1989 so it had been quite awhile. The whole service was a reminder of the great blessings I had growing up – the music, the singing, the prayer, even the announcements were all part of looking back and just thanking God for the rich foundation I was granted in my junior high, high school and college years. I got to introduce Kara to John MacArthur and it was a joy to have her sit with me in listening to my pastor.

The past few days I have been in Minneapolis (very cold!!!) where I was able to attend the Desiring God conference for pastors. It was my first time and it really was an incredible time as the theme was on the pastor as father and son. D.A. Carson, a very well-known theologian and professor from Trinity in Chicago was the main speaker along with a few other speakers but his typical thoroughness in addressing the theme was such a deep and hearty feeding of truth that I was really full after hearing him share. John Piper also shared about the legacy that his own father left him and it was really inspirational hearing him share very personally about his relationship with his father who was also a pastor. All the speakers that shared were very much in tune with the challenges and hardships that pastors face so it was with a great measure of empathy that they shared and exhorted and comforted throughout all the messages. There were some statements that were made during one of the messages that really spoke to my heart as they directly related to things that I had been going through and so God was merciful to minister to me while I’ve had some time to just receive.

This weekend I will get a chance to visit John Piper’s church and hear him preach so I’m very excited and looking forward to that as well. I will have then heard three of my favorite preachers in three weeks – what a privilege and treasure it has and will be! Then I’ll be back in the pulpit on February 17 and hopefully rejuvenated and refreshed to minister for a long stretch.

Thank you to those who have been praying for me. It has been a stretching time these past few months but God has been gracious to allow me the opportunity to get some rest and I hope that I will be able to encourage you all the more when I return.

Encouraging News

by Pastor John Kim

I had the opportunity to visit Faith Bible Church in Murrieta last Sunday where I got listen to Chris Mueller preach. I had not heard him preach in person since around 1988 when he was my college pastor, though I had listened to many of his sermons on audio. But to be able to sit as a normal, regular, church-goer and just soak in the message was like receiving a draught of cool water after being in the desert. It was such an encouragement to my heart to see the same passion yet tempered with wisdom that obviously comes with experience (something I still have much to learn about) as he preached on Deuteronomy 6 and the importance of parenting with the word of God. It was more than just the words that he spoke – it was the heart that was behind it, a heart that has gone through much heartache and sorrow but also much joy and blessing. There is much to be said about having mentors in your life that truly invest in you.

After the message, I went up Chris and he just gave me a big hug and it was like medicine. He has known of my own heartaches throughout the past but especially in the past several months, his counsel and prayers have been invaluable as I know they come from someone who has consistently invested in my life since I was in junior high. Though often times his messages were so convicting, they were never devoid of a tremendous love that he showed in a personal way, even when I was a shy, nerdy kid who never ventured to speak to someone unless spoken to first. He has gone through some tremendous heartaches in ministry as well, which all the more made his counsel more meaningful as he has faced betrayal and the destruction of relationships in ways that I couldn’t imagine. Yet he has come out of it still on fire for Christ and he and his wife Jean have been such a blessing to our family that we can’t believe God would gift us in such an incredible way.

Meeting the youth pastoral staff, Shawn and John (the high school and junior high pastors) was all the more testimony to Chris’ impact on the church ministry. Here are two lay guys who are not paid at all, yet they have given themselves so sacrificially to the youth of the church that in the past year alone, the youth ministry has doubled in size. It’s not just that the group has grown numerically. There are about 20 staff members, of which there are an astounding 6 married couples from every range, with those with teens to those who have little babies to those who just got married. Watching them serve the youth at the winter retreat was like reliving my old days at Grace Church. That’s what got me into youth ministry in the first place – having been impacted by not only the pastor but by the staff who spent time with me to help me grow in my walk with God.

It was so refreshing to be able to observe another church family that really loves Christ, loves one another, and wants to make a difference in the world. I gave them my best shots, long ones at that =). Yet the youth and even the staff responded with such heart-warming conviction.

It was truly a balm to my soul after having gone through a harrowing time the last year. To be honest, my spirit and heart were severely damaged through all that has happened in the past year and only by the grace of God am I still breathing and looking forward. My physical and emotional well-being have been battered and I’m still recovering in both ways, but God has seen fit to show mercy in allowing me some time to rest (even though I got sick) as well as to reflect on the past year.

It was only in the providence of God that He arranged for me to speak back in October for the youth retreat this past January so that it would give me an opportunity to be encouraged. While I was the one who was the speaker who was supposed to encourage the youth and staff, it was actually the youth and the staff the encouraged me abundantly more and getting to see Chris last Sunday was like whipped cream on top.

God, you are indeed good and sovereignly put all things together for good for those who love you and are called according to your purpose.

I find my rest in you.

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #38

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #38
Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord’ s day. (Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722)

There are times when we often allow our lips to speak words that really are not appropriate. The Scriptures are very pointed in addressing sins of the tongue. James 3:8 talks about how the tongue cannot be tamed, that it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. We might think that our speech is not that bad but when we are honest in evaluating ourselves, do we really speak to the glory of God with our very words? James 3:9-10 makes it clear that we can’t be double-tongued, blessing God one moment, only to curse men the next.

There are many that probably would think, “Not me! I’m not that bad in my speech.” Then let me ask you a question. Look back at the last Sunday when you were at church and ask yourself, “What did I talk about with people on the Lord’s day?” Was it ridiculous, sportive, or a matter of just laughing? At first glance this resolution seems almost legalistic. It definitely can be when it is imposed on someone else. But as you take time to inventory your words, do you seek to justify yourself by simply excusing your words as careless or “not a big deal” sort of mentality? It’s not that you can’t enjoy a laugh or talk about light-hearted topics at all. But I wonder if we were to just simply count the words that we say on any given day, be even just on a Sunday (when we supposedly are gathered for the purpose of worship and edifying one another), do we have more talk given over to things that really don’t matter?

Ephesians 4:29 talks about no unwholesome word coming out of your mouth but instead to edify and give grace through your speech. Ephesians 5:4 continues the idea with putting away of filthiness and silly talk and course jesting.

I’m not here to simply try and give you a guilt trip regarding this issue. It really is a matter of simply asking yourself, “How committed am I to seeking God’s glory in all things at all times? As most of us are given to talking a lot on a given Sunday, much less any other day, think about how you might make your words count for God’s glory.

In His grace,
Pastor John

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #37

by Pastor John Kim

Greetings to the LBC Family and Friends!!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #37
Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. (Dec. 22 and 26, 1722)

What are the last thoughts you have when you go to bed? I often am so exhausted by the time that I go to bed that I don’t even remember putting my head down. So it is all the more challenging to think how deliberate and purposeful it is that Edwards would put this resolution so as to make even his last moments of the day meaningful.

Negligence. This is not so much about what I did as much as what I didn’t do that I should have done. What I would have and could have and should have but simply didn’t. We might think we are busy but isn’t it amazing how often we find ourselves spending time on things that really are not relevant or important to what I should have accomplished for the day? Negligence is simply laziness. We easily make excuses as to why we couldn’t do things when it really is a matter of simply not wanting to do something. It’s the difference between “I can’t” versus “I won’t.”

You could call these the sins of omission. But right after this, Edwards addresses the sins of commission – “what sin I have committed.” It is something that we need to take more seriously as we are often quick to forget to address and confess our sins. Jerry Bridges, in his most recent book, “Respectable Sins”, challenges us to identify specific sins so as to address them. It is not enough to just give a sweeping attempt at confessing sin at the end of the day. We should give careful attention to evaluate our hearts and souls at the end of the day so that we could go to sleep with a clean conscience.

The last thing Edwards addresses is “wherein I have denied myself.” To follow Christ is to live a life of self-denial. When Jesus calls someone to follow Him, it is the way of the cross, the path of suffering, the road where the trials and challenges of life are embraced with joy because they draw us to desperately depend on Christ alone.

It is good to do some self-evaluation, Edwards not only did it every night, he added the extra efforts of doing it at the end of every week, every month, and every year. It is no wonder that his life was so disciplined until the end as his focus was clear and singular when it came to why he was living. He was living for the glory of God, nothing else. Christ alone was the precious pearl, which he was willing to give up all that he owned to have as His own. When you read his writings, you can’t help but see a mind that was enthralled with the majesty and sovereignty of God in relation to all matters.

I hope that this year as we celebrate “In Christ Alone” that we would really seek after this kind of mentality and heart attitude. It is humbling and self-denying in nature – we are to come meek in spirit and with a broken and contrite spirit that would then draw us to the glory of the cross, to fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith, and to run the race with endurance until the end.

In His grace,
Pastor John