Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

What Are You Hoping For this Christmas?

by Pastor Mark Chin

During the past several Christmas seasons, Lexus has run their aptly named Lexus’ December to Remember commercials – with the tag line, if you’re going to wish, wish big. These commercials open with parents coaching young children, as their proxies, to ask Santa for their very big wish – their big hope for Christmas. The commercials then cut to an ecstatic family, opening their front door Christmas morning to a fat new Lexus wrapped in a red bow, sitting in their driveway. What the marketers for Lexus are well aware of, based on no shortage of research, is that in a consumer society, images of shiny new luxury items wrapped in a bow magically appearing on our doorstep presses big buttons for most of us. Honestly, how many of us find ourselves getting excited or dreaming about waking up Christmas morning to find someone else’s old run down car in our driveway – with or without a big red bow?

Lexus, like many things in our world – be it our education, jobs, relationships, or politicians, is selling us on a piece of the American Dream, something most Americans are enamored with – the hope of something new, something better, something improved, something superior. Who doesn’t prefer the new model, with all its upgrades, free of all the problems of the tired old model? Sadly, however, what is true of our cars is also true of our jobs, our relationships, our spouses, our churches, our talents, our abilities, our achievements and, quite frankly, most of the things we frequently place our hopes in.

What is new quickly becomes old. The new car becomes the old car with all its expenses and repairs. The amazing new job becomes the old job with its familiar challenges. The new relationship becomes the old relationship where new conflicts become old conflicts, and the exciting new church becomes the boring old church struggling with the same old issues. And so our hearts drift from one thing to the next, searching for the next new thing, looking for the next new breath of hope, often overlooking an even sadder truth. All these new things may enable us to forget about the sin and sadness of our world for a minute or a moment – but they can’t make it go away. The truth of the matter is that the hope these things offer is temporary & limited – something we all know deep down inside. Many of these things fit the category of what God, through Jeremiah, referred to as broken cisterns in contrast to Him, the fountain of living waters.

As we come to God’s Word, specifically His accounts of the advent – the arrival, the coming, and the presence – of His Son Jesus Christ found in Matthew and Luke’s Gospel, God Himself offers us a hope that far exceeds the hopes of many of things we hope for at Christmas. It is a hope that is quite literally, out of this world – a hope that sustains the child of God in the darkest of times, even when friends, jobs, pastors, spouses, churches, and everything else in this world comes up short. It is the hope of new life in His Son Jesus Christ. Unlike a Lexus or a job, this new life never gets old. The best this world can offer is a new lifestyle. What God offers to all sinners in and through His Son, Jesus Christ, is a new life – one that transforms us completely from the inside out, beginning with our sinful hearts. And unlike Lexus, He doesn’t charge a dime for it because in love He has picked up the tab at great cost to Himself. This is not only the testimony of the Christmas story – this is the testimony of the entirety of Jesus ministry here on earth. To the woman at the well, Jesus in John 4:13,14 says, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In John 10:10 Jesus says, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” And to Martha in John 11:25,26, He says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

The Apostle Paul believed this – and hoped in it with the entirety of his life. It is this hope that sustained him through shipwreck, beatings, prison, rejection, and the betrayal of many professing believers. It is a hope that became a reality for Paul with the new birth that Paul himself had experienced first hand on the road to Damascus. When Paul declared in 2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” he was not merely affirming a theological truth promised throughout the Scriptures, he was affirming a biblical truth that he was living first hand by faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. In Christ, Paul received not only the forgiveness of His sin, he received a new heart and a new life that was no longer bound by sin or the things of this world. Paul’s hope – his certain expectation that all things would work together for good – was anchored in the reality of who Jesus is and who Paul was in Christ. Christ’s very real presence in Paul’s life, by faith, gave Paul God’s living and eternal hope – the hope of new life in Christ. What are you hoping for this Christmas?

The Kindness And Love Of God Our Saviour

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Titus 3:4

How sweet it is to behold the Saviour communing with His own beloved people! There can be nothing more delightful than, by the Divine Spirit, to be led into this fertile field of delight. Let the mind for an instant consider the history of the Redeemer’s love, and a thousand enchanting acts of affection will suggest themselves, all of which have had for their design the weaving of the heart into Christ, and the intertwisting of the thoughts and emotions of the renewed soul with the mind of Jesus. When we meditate upon this amazing love, and behold the all-glorious Kinsman of the Church endowing her with all His ancient wealth, our souls may well faint for joy.

Who is he that can endure such a weight of love? That partial sense of it which the Holy Spirit is sometimes pleased to afford, is more than the soul can contain; how transporting must be a complete view of it! When the soul shall have understanding to discern all the Saviour’s gifts, wisdom wherewith to estimate them, and time in which to meditate upon them, such as the world to come will afford us, we shall then commune with Jesus in a nearer manner than at present. But who can imagine the sweetness of such fellowship? It must be one of the things which have not entered into the heart of man, but which God hath prepared for them that love Him. Oh, to burst open the door of our Joseph’s granaries, and see the plenty which He hath stored up for us! This will overwhelm us with love.

By faith we see, as in a glass darkly, the reflected image of His unbounded treasures, but when we shall actually see the heavenly things themselves, with our own eyes, how deep will be the stream of fellowship in which our soul shall bathe itself! Till then our loudest sonnets shall be reserved for our loving benefactor, Jesus Christ our Lord, whose love to us is wonderful, passing the love of women.

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God’s Wisdom for Parenting (Part 1)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the places in Scripture to find a wealth of helpful principles for parenting is the Proverbs. Almost every book on parenting will reference these Scriptures repeatedly because of the wisdom they contain. Besides the plethora of verses that apply to parenting indirectly, several passages address parenting specifically. As the book is generally wisdom being passed down from a father to his son, it’s not surprising that some of the key verses are about listening to the counsel of one’s parents.

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. (Proverbs 1:8-9)

This verse needs to be read and applied considering its immediate context. This is not a wholesale, unqualified command to obey anything that your parents tell you to do. I’m sure this would be a tempting verse for many parents to cite out of context. The opening verses of Proverbs speak about the value of true wisdom. Of course, true wisdom is only found in the Lord (v. 7). Solomon is imploring his son to listen to the wisdom that he is imparting because it is godly counsel and will lead to a fear and knowledge of God (Prov. 2:1-5). Especially in the opening chapters, there are multiple exhortations for his son to listen to Solomon’s counsel.

These verses are not given to emphasize Solomon’s authority as a father as much as to highlight the blessings that come with heeding godly wisdom (cf. Prov. 3:1-2). Before you as a parent expect your children to listen to your counsel, it is imperative that your children understand that your counsel is framed from the inerrant and authoritative Word of Truth. Only then will what you say prove to be that “graceful wreath” and “ornament” to help beautify your child’s life and understanding.

The Joy of Christmas

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Many people consider Christmas their favorite holiday for various reasons. For some, it provides a special occasion for family and loved ones to gather together. For others, it is a “holly jolly” time of festivity, music, and celebration. Some people simply love the excuse to splurge on gifts and good food. For the Christian, of course, Christmas has a deeper relevance. It serves as a reminder that God sent His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The significance of Christmas and the reason to celebrate center on Christ, the Son of God who took on flesh to be the Savior of the world.

Christmas, then, is really about the gospel. The Lord provided a way for sinful men to be reconciled to holy God. Through the incarnation, Jesus became like us so that He could adequately stand in our place. And still, He never relinquished His deity so that He could completely and perfectly pay for the sins of all who would believe in Him. This gospel message is the foundation for the Christian’s hope and peace. We have hope because a God who never lies has promised salvation for those who deserve condemnation and wrath. We have hope because Jesus said that the work of salvation was finished on the cross. Likewise, we have peace because having been made right with God, we no longer stand in enmity with Him. We are no longer His enemies, but by placing our faith in Christ, we are adopted into His family and brought into the glorious promises of a future inheritance.

Not only do Christians have profound hope and perfect peace in Christ, but we also have true joy. The dictionary would define joy as a good and happy feeling one has resulting from favorable circumstances. While this definition may be helpful, the Christian’s joy is not primarily based on circumstances. It is ultimately founded on a Person. We have joy because we have Jesus. All the benefits of our salvation that we get to enjoy are because we know Him and live for Him. Jesus is the reason for our joy.

In Luke 2:10-11, when the angel appears to a group of shepherds at night, he proclaims, “I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.” The message of joy was that a Savior was born in the city of David. Jesus came to bring joy for all people. This is one of the purposes of the gospel, to fill people who were dead in their sins and had no real reason for joy with joy inexpressible (cf. 1 Pet. 1:8).

Christians, of all people, should be joyful. We have the greatest reason to rejoice, and so we are commanded to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4). Our joy does not mean that we parade around with frivolity or are constant giddy without a care in the world. It means that we have a deep and meaningful relationship with the God of creation who saved us despite our sinfulness and rebellion against Him. Because we have this relationship, even though we might face extremely difficult trials and circumstances, we can trust in Him and rejoice in knowing that God is infinitely greater and better than we are, He knows our trouble, and He cares for us.

Beyond all this, we also need to remember the countless others around us, both loved ones and strangers, who do not know true joy because they do not know Jesus. People need to hear the message of joy and we are the ones who have been given the responsibility to tell it. The Christmas season also proves to be a unique time of the year where people tend to be more open about attending a church service and perhaps even hearing the message of the gospel. We can not only bear witness to the gospel, but also let the light of our testimony shine before men so that they can see our wonderful joy and be drawn to it.

He Humbled Himself

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Philippians 2:8

Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of heart. We need daily to learn of Him. See the Master taking a towel and washing His disciples’ feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou not humble thyself? See Him as the Servant of servants, and surely thou canst not be proud! Is not this sentence the compendium of His biography, ‘He humbled Himself’? Was He not on earth always stripping off first one robe of honour and then another, till, naked, He was fastened to the cross, and there did He not empty out His inmost self, pouring out His life-blood, giving up for all of us, till they laid Him penniless in a borrowed grave?

How low was our dear Redeemer brought! How then can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark His scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and His whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in His outward frame; hear the thrilling shriek, ‘My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?’ And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know Him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten. Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at His feet. A sense of Christ’s amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt.

May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice.

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Compassion of the Christ

by Roger Alcaraz

Not too long ago, I attended a biblical counseling conference hosted by Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). I probably wouldn’t have gone except that this year it was on the topic of emotions, and was it a blessing! I thought I might give you a taste of the conference. So this article is a reflection of some of what I learned there.

When it comes to your emotions, maybe you feel you have good control over them. Even so, I’m willing to bet you sometimes feel emotions you don’t want to. Sure, we can fake being happy, put on a smile, spend time with people, laugh at the right times, but then go home and bury our face in our pillow with tears. We can fake being at peace, speak calmly to people, show hospitality to those who have wronged us, and say we forgive them, but then pound our fists on the walls the moment no one is looking.

Even as you consider today, you can probably think of a time when you faked an emotion. When you were angry, you pretended to be peaceful. When you were anxious, you pretended to be patient. When you were sad, you pretended to be happy. Emotions are certainly hard to control, and I think if we were able to control our emotions, most of us would want to produce more joy in our lives. While joy is something we’re commanded to seek, what about purposefully engaging in a painful emotion for the sake of serving someone else?

In John 11, we have the account of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the grave. We read that Jesus is near Bethany when a man named Lazarus becomes ill. His sisters were two of Jesus’ friends, Martha and Mary. And in verse three, we read “So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” Thus, this story is ultimately about the glory of God. It then makes sense that Jesus would allow Lazarus to die: in order to show that he has power over death and, thus, bring glory to God.

But verses 5-6 have always confused me. They say, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” I was confused by one word at the start of verse 6, “So.” It could also be translated as “therefore,” connecting two idea in such a way is “this” results in “that.” What’s shocking is the two ideas being connected: Jesus’ love and Lazarus’ death. The verses could be summarized to say, “Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, therefore he let Lazarus die.” You can see why it makes no sense. Because we would expect to read, “Jesus loved them, but he let Lazarus die.” Or, “Jesus loved them, so he healed Lazarus.”

But this is the disciple, John, writing, and he’s providing a type of divine commentary to what’s happening. We might not see the connection, but God has revealed it to John and he understands it looking back on the event as he writes. I doubt he would have understood at the time, that Jesus, in waiting for Lazarus to die, was motivated by love. But as he records these events for all Christians to read forever, he lets us in on a divine mystery. So here’s the question: How could love motivate Christ to let Lazarus die and to let his sisters agonize over his death? Unless you’re able to answer this question, you’re going to have a skewed understanding of Jesus’ love in your own suffering.

Jesus’ love for them is undeniable. Even in this short account, we’re told multiple times that he loves them. But more than that, we see a demonstration of his love that, without the death, these sisters would have never been able to experience.

In verse 35, John tells us that Jesus wept, and it’s in the very next verse that the crowds proclaim, “See how much he loved him.” Soon after this, Jesus resurrects Lazarus but the crowds give no such response, not even a remark about his love. And so we see, just as the Jews did, that Christ demonstrated his love through weeping and not by resurrecting Lazarus. Isn’t it amazing to think that more love is shown through weeping than through coming in and just fixing the problem?

As soon as Jesus heard that Lazarus was nearing death, Jesus could have snapped his fingers and say, “No he isn’t!” And they all would have said, “Praise Jesus!” But they would have never known how much Jesus loved them had he not come and wept. Also, had Jesus simply healed Lazarus from the start, he would have saved himself this agony as well. But we see that Jesus’ desire to show people love is greater than his desire to save himself from pain. He’s willing to endure the more painful route, not necessarily to fix the problem, but simply to demonstrate love.

And so, as it relates to your own struggles, realize that your suffering allows Christ to demonstrate his love for you as he cares for you. You may feel distant from him because of trials. Perhaps you’re thinking, “How can God love me if I’m suffering?” But understand that it’s actually during trials that Christ is able to draw nearer than ever.

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, Jesus commanded the disciples to spread the gospel, and he gave them this promise: “And behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jesus made that promise while commissioning the disciples for a task that would end up killing them. They needed that promise. They needed the confidence to say, “No matter where I am and no matter who’s threatening to kill me, Christ is with me.”

We have a great high priest who sympathizes with our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). It’s more than just him saying, “Oh, I know how that feels.” If you’re lonely, not only does he know how that feels, but his heart weeps for you. If you suffer a severe loss, sure he knows a thing or two about loss, but he also grieves over your suffering.

There are a lot of passages that talk about how God grieves, there are even some that talk about the Holy Spirit grieving, a lot of times they’re seen grieving over sin and I believe that remains true today. God, the Holy Spirit, even Christ grieve over your sin. But when we look at Jesus’ earthly ministry, what else does he grieve over? Many times, it’s people’s pain. Jesus hates tragedy. He mourns at your loss. He grieves in your suffering. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; how much less does he take pleasure in the suffering of his children?

The heart of Christ we see in the gospels is the same heart he has for his people today. Why else give the promise to always be with us except to comfort us in our suffering? Christ wants to comfort you in your pain. When you cry out to him in all of your distress, do you really think he shakes his head and says, “Why is this person still struggling?” Or do you think he bears your pain and takes it as his own, just like he did every time he showed compassion on earth?

It’s no wonder that Christ said “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” It’s also no wonder that the law of Christ is summarized into one command, “Bear one another’s burdens”– because that is what Christ did and continues to do. And you’ll notice the verse doesn’t say, “Fix one another’s problems, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We’re called to bear each other’s burden.

So if this is how Jesus is, why is it that when we hear of someone’s distress and tragedy, our first thought is to try to fix the problem? I know it’s done out of a heart of love, but if you want to show love, you’re going to have to weep with them. It has to bother you as though you were the one suffering.

This isn’t to say that we don’t eventually try to speak truth into someone’s life. Romans 8:28 is a glorious verse that assures us of God’s good plan, but there’s a proper time for that. At the conference, a letter was read from a man describing how his friends tried to help during his time of suffering but often fell short. The man was heartbroken, and as he was pouring out his experience on paper, he wrote, “The next person to quote Romans 8:28, I’m gonna punch them in the stomach. And then, while the pain is still fresh, I’m going to remind them of Romans 8:28.”

It’s not about applying the most expedient solution. In fact, you shouldn’t even think about a solution until you’ve meditated on their pain, until you feel weighed down by their troubles, until they know you love them because you’re willing to suffer with them. We can learn a lot from Jesus on how we ought to love one another. But I pray if there’s one thing you remember from this article, it’s that Jesus always demonstrated his love by taking our pain upon himself, and we need to do the same.

He Makes Everything Beautiful In His Time

by Pastor James Lee

Phillips Brooks, a preacher in Boston during the 1800s, more famously known for writing the Christmas hymn “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and for personally introducing Helen Keller to both Christianity and a woman named Anne Sullivan, was well-known for his cool, calm demeanor. So it was very surprising to his friends, when one day, they found him uncharacteristically pacing up and down the floor of his church office like a caged lion. One of his concerned friends asked him, “What’s troubling you, Dr. Brooks?” He abruptly responded, “The trouble, the trouble, is that I am in a hurry, but God isn’t!” Isn’t that, if honest, how we ourselves have felt and thought many times?

One writer poignantly describes and confronts us in those moments, “There are times when we feel as if heaven’s clock is off by a few days, months, or even years. God seems to be taking His time in answering that prayer, meeting that need, changing that circumstance or bringing justice. We sit in the waiting room unattended and anxious. When we feel this way, guess whose clock needs to be reset?”

Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” And lately, as I’ve come to this present place in my own life, as I contemplate who I was before I came to Christ, as I meditate on His goodness and grace in allowing us to be a part of each other’s lives, in such a time as this, as a part of His holy and perfect purposes, I’m filled with such overwhelming thanksgiving in all who Christ is for us!

Our eternal Lord is always on time, always in control, always working even in our waiting, sitting upon His throne forever, standing beyond time, yet nevertheless, paying the closest attention to us in it, so that our lives are sovereignly and securely in His hands, as David affectionately expressed in Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hand.” So is my life, so is yours, so is His church. We believe it, but often functionally we don’t.

1. His Goodness Displayed in Our Past: Let Us See That He Has Made Everything Beautiful in His Time – What We Now Are in Christ Is Incomparably Amazing in Relation to Who We Once Were

Sitting as I read the Bible, spending time with the Lord, in a period of past pain and depression, I remember the providence of sun rays pouring through like happy lasers into my room, and a gentle breeze wafting through my window. I was pouring over His promises, remembering His faithfulness, His great salvation, yet anxious and wondering when and how God would answer my prayers and lift me out of darkness. He did, in His time, in ways that I didn’t anticipate. I’m grateful for the ways He has humbled me, and corrected me, and shaped me, and held me, and loved me. I can see what a wonderful life He has given me, an adorable wife, precious children, privileged responsibility in a precious church family. But most of all, through the perspective of the cross, that I’ve been forgiven, reconciled, adopted, saved from His wrath, and made an altogether new creation. Anything beyond my salvation is sheer grace! I am what I am by the grace of God, and by it, I can have full courage like Paul confessed in Philippians 1:20, “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” And even though there is so much to work on, lots of remaining filth in my heart, He has already done the miraculous and merciful for me, in Christ! I can’t ask for more than that, and I can’t be absolutely thrilled and joyful. God has explicitly revealed His perfect wisdom. Consider just a few examples:

  • Galatians 4:4 “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son.”
  • Ephesians 2:1-7, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

I got my own Bible, and how many people over millennia could ever claim that? And I have several! God took this shy backward Gentile kid, voted shyest student in his school, and amazingly I’m able to stand in front of more than two people and say more than a few syllables. I think about godly friends, timely interventions, answered prayers, His help in trial and temptation, sanctifying experiences, rich encouragements, people saved, and numerous places where I’ve seen the Lord do the humanly impossible. I know we’re looking forward to more as individuals and as churches, in more than one way. I know we’re looking forward to being absent from the body and present with the Lord. But there is so very much, to now see that He has already done, fulfilled, accomplished, set apart, enabled, called, preserved, used, protected, and blessed! We would and are greatly amiss to fail to acknowledge, appreciate, and announce that, to His glory!

2. God’s Goodness Displayed in Our Present: Let Us Trust He Is Making Everything Beautiful in His Time – What We Do for God in Ministry is Infinitely Inferior to What He is Doing in Us for Himself

God’s sanctifying work doesn’t always feel pleasant in the moment, but we can consider it all joy for the fruit and the result and the praise it brings in our lives and to others. God’s hand is not always apparent to our perception, so that we waver in faith. But God glorifies Himself and sovereignly draws us to Himself and causes all things to work together for good to His people. Meditate on such truths as these:

  • James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
  • Romans 5:3-5, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
  • 1 Timothy 1:16, “Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.”
  • 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Life and spiritual growth might not work according to our timing and wishes, but the One who has perfect wisdom is right now accomplishing in us over time what we could never plan or do for ourselves. We tend to see what is not happening than what is being done. The “little” things add up: character testing, faith, endurance, equipping, prayer, loving others, trusting God, our labor in the Lord, they are never in vain. He’s working now. It took Moses 40 years before God used him, really his entire lifetime. We have to be patient. We have to be faithful. We have to be thankful for what He has already done and is now doing… even if we in our finiteness and fallenness fail to presently see and understand what He’s accomplishing! To do less is to dishonor Him! Not only has He made beautiful, He is, right now, presently making beautiful!

3. God’s Goodness Displayed in Our Future: Let Us Rejoice That He Will Make Everything Beautiful in His Time – What He Is Doing in Us Today is Preparing Us for More Glorious Things Through Us Tomorrow

Dwelling on His work, His promises, and their meaning for us and others:

  • John 9:2-3, “And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
  • 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
  • Philippians 1:6, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”
  • 2 Timothy 4:6-8, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
  • Revelation 21:5, “And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.“
  • 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is.”
  • 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

God is not in a hurry, He knows what He is doing in us and for us. God is God, and we are not. He deserves our trust and requires our patience! He’s orchestrating and actively at work in our lives, regardless of whether we know how or where. When Abraham’s servant was on the road for weeks to search for Isaac’s wife, she came at the exact time he arrived at a well. When Joseph and Mary were compelled to go back to Bethlehem due to the census under Caesar Augustus, Jesus was born at the right time and right place as prophesied according to marvelously verifiable providence!

The Lord, our Lord, sovereignly has made, is making, and will surely make all things beautiful for His people in His time! May we trust in the Lord with all our heart and not lean on our own understanding, but living obediently and affectionately by faith, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

These Were Potters…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

1 Chronicles 4:23

Potters were the very highest grade of workers, but ‘the king’ needed potters, and therefore they were in royal service, although the material upon which they worked was nothing but clay. We, too, may be engaged in the most menial part of the Lord’s work, but it is a great privilege to do anything for ‘the king’; and therefore we will abide in our calling, hoping that, ‘although we have lien among the pots, yet shall we be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.’

The text tells us of those who dwelt among plants and hedges, having rough, rustic, hedging and ditching work to do. They may have desired to live in the city, amid its life, society, and refinement, but they kept their appointed places, for they also were doing the king’s work. The place of our habitation is fixed, and we are not to remove from it out of whim and caprice, but seek to serve the Lord in it, by being a blessing to those among whom we reside. These potters and gardeners had royal company, for they dwelt ‘with the king’ and although among hedges and plants, they dwelt with the king there. No lawful place, or gracious occupation, however mean, can debar us from communion with our divine Lord. In visiting hovels, swarming lodging-houses, workhouses, or gaols, we may go with the king. In all works of faith we may count upon Jesu’s fellowship. It is when we are in His work that we may reckon upon His smile.

Ye unknown workers who are occupied for your Lord amid the dirt and wretchedness of the lowest of the low, be of good cheer, for jewels have been found upon dunghills ere now, earthen pots have been filled with heavenly treasure, and ill weeds have been transformed into precious flowers. Dwell ye with the King for His work, and when He writes His chronicles your name shall be recorded.

6.3a

Weekly Links (12/2/2016)

by Stephen Rodgers

You and Me Forever by Francis & Lisa Chan (free audio book)

“Marriage is great, but it’s not forever. It’s until death do us part. Then come eternal rewards or regrets depending on how we spent our lives. Francis Chan joins together with his wife Lisa to address the question many couples wonder at the altar: “How do I have a healthy marriage?” Setting aside typical topics on marriage, Francis and Lisa dive into Scripture to understand what it means to have a relationship that satisfies the deepest parts of our souls.”

How to Read Proverbs by Tremper Longman III (free Logos resource)

“In How to Read Proverbs Tremper Longman provides a welcome guide to reading and studying, as well as understanding and savoring the Proverbs for all their wisdom. While many proverbs speak to us directly, we can gain much greater insight by studying the book of Proverbs as a whole, understanding its relationship to ancient non-Israelite wisdom, and listening to its conversation with the other great voices of wisdom in Scripture—Job and Ecclesiastes.”

Remembering God (free Tabletalk magazine) 

“The December issue of Tabletalk considers the biblical-theological theme of remembering God. Throughout the Bible, we are told about the dangers of forgetting God and the importance of remembering Him. The greatest threat Israel faced, for example, was often not an external one (such as the lure of Canaan) but an internal one (the people’s forgetful, disobedient, self-indulgent hearts). In times of spiritual decline, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer observed, “Satan does not fill us with hatred of God, but with the forgetfulness of God.” To counter the decay of forgetfulness, we are called to remember the past, present, and future work of God. This issue will help readers fight unbelief and cultivate faith by exploring what it means to remember God.”

A Brief Overview of Covenant Theology

by Josh Liu

Editor’s Note: There’s been a fair amount of discussion at LBC regarding Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism lately. Josh has graciously reworked a paper from his time at seminary that provides a helpful introduction, and I heartily recommend it to you.

Seriously, I know it’s long. And a PDF. Read it anyways. It’s very, very good.

If you’ll permit me one additional editorial comment: while LBC unashamedly takes the Dispensational position, we also recognize that the Covenant Theology position falls well within the boundaries of historic orthodoxy. Folks who subscribe to alternative positions (including traditional Westminster Covenant Theology, New Covenant Theology, variations of Dispensationalism, etc.) but are unwavering on the gospel are brothers and sisters in Christ. To use an actual example: if John MacArthur and RC Sproul can be best friends and golfing buddies, then we would do well to emulate both their unwavering commitment to Biblical truth and their graciousness.

But really: read Josh’s paper. He worked hard, and I may quiz you on it.