Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Single Life Update

by Brenda Hom

After almost two years, Single Life has concluded our study in the book of Colossians. Pastor Patrick’s last message from Colossians described “Team Paul”, which consisted of eight of Paul’s companions in ministry. From Paul’s final greetings in chapter 4 of Colossians, we see that “Team Paul” consisted of beloved brothers, faithful ministers and fellow servants in the Lord (Colossians 4:7). I am amazed at how much God has taught us through studying the life of Paul and his ministry. Thank you, Pastor Patrick, for faithfully walking us through the book of Colossians every Wednesday night.

The next topic we looked at after Colossians was on the topic of pride. In the Old Testament we see the Hebrew word “gobah”, which can be translated into “haughtiness”. Also in Isaiah 9:9 and Psalm 31:18, we see another word for pride “gaavah”, which means “swelling”. In the New Testament, Pastor Patrick gave many more biblical examples where pride is mentioned. One example is in Mark 7:22, where pride, or “huperephania” is when you are holding yourself above other people, trying to make yourself look bigger and better.

The topic of pride hit home for many of the singles, especially in our stage of life. I was reminded that Jesus Christ did not choose me to represent Him because I am wonderful, skilled or smart. “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God…so that it is written, ’Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Corinthians 1:27-31) Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)

We learned that every sin is ultimately rooted in pride. Pride can be expressed through self-exaltation, when we believe that we are the source of our own accomplishments, or even the benefactor of what we think we deserve in this life. Self-pity is also a form of pride, because you are still consumed with thoughts of yourself. While it has been really challenging listening to messages on the topic of pride, I am grateful that Pastor Patrick has taken the time to help the Singles examine our own hearts and thoughts with Scripture. Even questions such as “Why are they getting married and I am not?”, or “Why am I still working at this job?” reveal a sinful pride in my own heart.

At Singles’ bible study, we were able to look at and examine different manifestations of pride through selected Scriptures. Some reflecting questions to ask yourself are “Can you be happy for others when they are recognized or receive something that you want?” and “How often do you question God about your life?” Manifestations of pride can be very subtle in your heart. For example, a lack of biblical prayer in your life and a lack of gratitude towards God is a form of pride. More practically, do you voice your preferences or opinions when not asked? Are you impatient or irritable with others? Do you get annoyed easily? Ask yourself these questions and you will feel small and worthless compared to God ‘s perfect glory. You will see that you deserve death as a punishment for your wretched sins.

However, God in His greatness and mercy did not leave us to die in our sins. We as Christians are dependent on Him to deliver us from our sin of pride. God has given us help to move away from pride and move towards humility. He even commands it in Scripture to “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10) How do we as believers pursue humility? Pastor Patrick shares with us some ways that Christians can pursue and cultivate humility.

  1. PRAY that God would help you move away from pride and towards humility.
  2. READ the book of Psalms or any of the Old Testament prophets. A really great Psalm to read and meditate on is Psalm 139.
  3. STUDY the life of Jesus Christ because His life is an example of perfect humility. Once you study the life of Jesus, you will come to understand what sin is and learn to hate it.
  4. GET accountability. Ask others if you come across proud in any way.
  5. WORSHIP God all the time. Practically, fill your mind and thoughts of God.
  6. PRACTICE the “one anothers” by focusing on other people. How can you be a blessing to others? Do you live a “one another” life?
  7. WORK to put off pride and put on humility in your thought life, your speech, and with your deeds. (1 Peter 2:1)

With this in-depth study of pride and humility, we can take heart that there is hope in Jesus Christ to change wretched prideful sinners into humble God-fearing men and women who desire to magnify God and make Him big.

He Did It With All His Heart And Prospered

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Chronicles 31:21

This is no unusual occurrence; it is the general rule of the moral universe that those men prosper who do their work with all their hearts, while those are almost certain to fail who go to their labour leaving half their hearts behind them. God does not give harvests to idle men except harvests of thistles, nor is He pleased to send wealth to those who will not dig in the field to find its hid treasure. It is universally confessed that if a man would prosper, he must be diligent in business. It is the same in religion as it is in other things. If you would prosper in your work for Jesus, let it be heart work, and let it be done with all your heart. Put as much force, energy, heartiness, and earnestness into religion as ever you do into business, for it deserves far more.

The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities, but He does not encourage our idleness; He loves active believers. Who are the most useful men in the Christian church? The men who do what they undertake for God with all their hearts. Who are the most successful Sabbath-school teachers? The most talented? No; the most zealous; the men whose hearts are on fire, those are the men who see their Lord riding forth prosperously in the majesty of His salvation.

Whole-heartedness shows itself in perseverance; there may be failure at first, but the earnest worker will say, ‘It is the Lord’s work, and it must be done; my Lord has bidden me do it, and in His strength I will accomplish it.’ Christian, art thou thus ‘with all thine heart’ serving thy Master? Remember the earnestness of Jesus! Think what heart-work was His! He could say, ‘The zeal of Thine house hath eaten Me up.‘ When He sweat great drops of blood, it was no light burden He had to carry upon those blessed shoulders; and when He poured out His heart, it was no weak effort He was making for the salvation of His people. Was Jesus in earnest, and are we lukewarm?

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Weekly Links (6/21/2013)

“Modern masters of science are much impressed with the need of beginning all inquiry with a fact. The ancient masters of religion were quite equally impressed with that necessity. They began with the fact of sin—a fact as practical as potatoes. Whether or no man could be washed in miraculous waters, there was no doubt at any rate that he wanted washing. But certain religious leaders in London, not mere materialists, have begun in our day not to deny the highly disputable water, but to deny the indisputable dirt. Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved. Some followers of the Reverend R. J. Campbell, in their almost too fastidious spirituality, admit divine sinlessness, which they cannot see even in their dreams. But they essentially deny human sin, which they can see in the street. The strongest saints and the strongest sceptics alike took positive evil as the starting-point of their argument. If it be true (as it certainly is) that a man can feel exquisite happiness in skinning a cat, then the religious philosopher can only draw one of two deductions. He must either deny the existence of God, as all atheists do; or he must deny the present union between God and man, as all Christians do. The new theologians seem to think it a highly rationalistic solution to deny the cat.” (GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy)

by Stephen Rodgers

Richard is on vacation today, so I’ll be filling in for him. You know what that means? Of course you know what that means…giant pile of resources!

That’s it!

Pro Rege

FOF #10: Spiritual Gifts (Part 1)

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

There are few theological issues that have confused Christians more than the doctrine of spiritual gifts. A clear line of demarcation can be seen between the two sides of the issue. There are many good and well-intentioned churches who teach that God still bestows miraculous sign gifts upon individuals today, and many Christians practice what they perceive to be miraculous sign gifts. On the other hand, there are many Christians who understand that these miraculous sign gifts have ceased and are no longer truly practiced today. They would argue that these gifts ceased at the latest with the ministry of the Apostles.

There are several terms used to describe spiritual gifts in Scripture. All of these terms can be found in the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 12.

  • The first is “spiritual gift” (1 Cor. 12:1; Gr. pneumatikos). This expression has at its root in the word for “Spirit.” It signifies that spiritual gifts were indeed spiritual as opposed to natural. The exercise of spiritual gifts is not just enhanced natural ability.
  • The second term is “gift” (1 Cor. 12:4; Gr. charisma). This word shares the same root as “grace.” In other words, the gifts God bestows upon believers are demonstrations of His grace. No spiritual gift is earned or deserved. God gives gifts to show His kindness and grace.
  • A third term is “ministries” (1 Cor. 12:5; Gr. diakonia). This is related to the word “deacon” or “servant.” By identifying spiritual gifts as “ministries,” the Apostle Paul helps to denote their purpose. The gifts were intentionally given to believers to serve one another and edify the church (cf. 1 Cor. 12:4-7; 14:4-5, 12, 17, 26).
  • A fourth term for spiritual gifts is “activities” (1 Cor. 12:6; Gr. energēma). This is a word that connotes work. God is ultimately the one who works in and through believers, thus “energizing” their gifts.
  • A fifth term is “manifestation” (1 Cor. 12:7; Gr. phanerōsis). To manifest something is to bring it to light or reveal it. The gifts were never intended to be an end in themselves, but a means to an end. They were signs, and as signs do, they pointed to something. One of the purposes of the spiritual gifts was to authenticate the messengers of God. Jesus had ascended to the Father from the Mount of Olives, but He left His Apostles behind to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. The “signs of a true Apostle” were given to authenticate these Apostles and their message as truly of God. This is why Paul defends his apostleship by claiming his ability to perform signs of a true Apostle (2 Cor. 12:12).

There was a high frequency of spiritual, supernatural activity during the time of Moses when he spoke on behalf of the Lord. There was likewise great spiritual, supernatural activity during the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. It is no surprise that the Bible also shows heightened spiritual, supernatural, miraculous activity during the time of Christ and the Apostles. In these periods of special revelation, signs, wonders, and miracles were performed to authenticate the ones delivering God’s Word.

Be Strong In The Grace That Is In Christ Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Timothy 2:1

Christ has grace without measure in Himself, but He hath not retained it for Himself. As the reservoir empties itself into the pipes, so hath Christ emptied out His grace for His people. ‘Of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.’ He seems only to have in order to dispense to us. He stands like the fountain, always flowing, but only running in order to supply the empty pitchers and the thirsty lips which draw nigh unto it. Like a tree, He bears sweet fruit, not to hang on boughs, but to be gathered by those who need. Grace, whether its work be to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to enlighten, to quicken, or to restore, is ever to be had from Him freely and without price; nor is there one form of the work of grace which He has not bestowed upon His people.

As the blood of the body, though flowing from the heart, belongs equally to every member, so the influences of grace are the inheritance of every saint united to the Lamb; and herein there is a sweet communion between Christ and His Church, inasmuch as they both receive the same grace. Christ is the head upon which the oil is first poured; but the same oil runs to the very skirts of the garments, so that the meanest saint has an unction of the same costly moisture as that which fell upon the head. This is true communion when the sap of grace flows from the stem to the branch, and when it is perceived that the stem itself is sustained by the very nourishment which feeds the branch. As we day by day receive grace from Jesus, and more constantly recognize it as coming from Him, we shall behold Him in communion with us, and enjoy the felicity of communion with Him. Let us make daily use of our riches, and ever repair to Him as to our own Lord in covenant, taking from Him the supply of all we need with as much boldness as men take money from their own purse.

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Reflections on Lumos and the Church

by Jennifer Shih

Can you remember your teenage years? What was it like? How did you spend your time? Who did you spend most of your time with? Who made the biggest impact on you and who were your influences? Was it your parents? Maybe it was your siblings, classmates, a teacher or a youth group pastor/leader? Likely all of these people have made some impact on you, whether they had positive or negative influences. Perhaps the older people in your life made a positive impact on you because they provided you guidance and mentoring. Maybe classmates did not have the best influence on you. How did the people in your life affect and shape your identity?

Everyone has a different testimony of their teenage years. My teenage years came to an end about 10 years ago, but I can still remember the people who made a big impact on my life and why. Through middle school, it was my after school tutor who would patiently help me through Algebra in the public library. She stands out because she went beyond just helping me with homework but took an interest in mentoring and guiding me through those awkward middle school years, and this happened usually over KFC wedge fries or McDonald’s soft serve ice cream. In high school, much of my influence came from friends and my school community because they were the people who were prominent in my life. Many of those years were marked by people-pleasing, and striving to fit in and trying to be popular among my peers. Looking back, I wish that I had known Christ in my growing years or had the benefit of going to a Bible-teaching church, hearing God’s Word preached weekly. If I had been saved by the Gospel, I’m sure that I would have avoided a lot of heartache and wandering in darkness and sin.

It is a fact that young people can be easily influenced by the community and culture around them. And too often teenage years can be wasted pursuing worldly things and building an identity and foundation on superficial and fleeting things. One of biggest blessings that the youth at Lighthouse Bible Church has is the opportunity to grow up in the community of a local church, and the benefit of learning from older men and women what it means to follow Christ. Also, vice versa, one of the biggest blessings and responsibilities of the older members of the church is to walk alongside younger men and women, helping them grow in their faith and modeling for them godly character. This is the way that God has instructed the church to work together, as written in Titus 2.

Over this year, I have been really encouraged to see how the youth are really excited about Friday night Bible studies and our many youth retreats – because they get to learn from God’s Word and spend time with one another. Josh and Cesar have been leading the youth through studies on Romans and 1 John, respectively, and in small groups it’s been a really sweet time learning, growing, and praying together. The youth staff have the opportunity to meet more often with the youth, but you don’t have to be on staff to make use of the opportunity to get to know the youth. Each member of the church has the opportunity to make an impact in their life, and it can happen even over a conversation on Sunday. Keep in mind – the Lumos youth can be really energetic and excited about life or more quiet and shy – but in either case, they have an eagerness to learn and grow in their faith. If you haven’t had a chance to get to know them – I’d encourage you to stop one of them on a Sunday and ask them about their weeks, hobbies, likes, and dislikes, and what they’ve been learning. Or you can even talk about that Sunday’s sermon and share prayer requests. One of the practical goals and challenges we’ve come up with in my small group is to get to know the church better in order to practice loving the church better. So chances are, if you haven’t had the chance to introduce yourself to the youth – they might come to you on a Sunday and ask for an introduction!

Praise God for Lighthouse Bible Church and the work He is doing in the life of the church!

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Honor Of Motherhood: Application For Guys

by Elder Johnny Kim

This past Mother’s Day, Pastor Patrick preached a fitting sermon entitled, “The Honor of Motherhood” (you can listen to it here). On a day when Mother’s are honored for a whole host of reasons, the Mother’s Day sermon pointed us to what God’s Word has to say about women and the honor that comes to them for pursuing Godly motherhood just as He intended. For all the current mothers, mothers-to-be, and aspiring mothers listening to the sermon, it was no doubt both encouraging and challenging to hear, and will certainly continue to be a challenge as they seek to apply the truths they heard into their lives.

Now for the guys who were listening, the Mother’s Day sermon may have presented a different sort of challenge. Aside from the blessing and enlightenment that comes from hearing any of God’s Word preached, some of the guys might have been wondering about the implications of such a sermon for our own lives. Is there any practical application that a guy can live out in light of a sermon about motherhood? What does this type of sermon specifically mean for guys in terms of how we might need to change? What follows are but a couple points of application that I would encourage all guys to consider in response to the truth about the honor of motherhood.

Application 1: Pursue the Woman Who Pursues Motherhood

For those guys who are not-yet-married, the Mother’s Day sermon provides us with a picture of the type of woman we ought to pursue for marriage. We ought to pursue a woman who in her own life pursues the high calling of motherhood. While the ungodly man might pursue a woman primarily for her academic degrees, career accolades, and other accomplishments out in the world, we ought to value in women the same things that God values in them. After all, He is the one who created them, redeemed them, and gave them purpose according to His perfect plan. If God values motherhood, as is evidenced by the fact that He would use it as a means to restore and bless women (1 Timothy 2:15), then us guys ought to value it as well in our potential spouses. We should desire to marry a woman who exhibits a high view of motherhood and has every intention of being a mother, God willing. If you are a guy who routinely fails to make mention of motherhood when speaking about the important attributes of who you should choose to date or marry, this sermon should rightly elevate your view of motherhood, and you should recognize just how beautiful it is when a woman seeks after and fulfills that role. In the end, if we guys are truly seeking in our own lives to give God the most glory and to be obedient to His Word, then we shouldn’t be able to help but be genuinely attracted to a fellow sister-in-Christ who desires the same for her own life, especially when it comes to a desire for Godly motherhood.

Application 2: Make Decisions That Will Support a Woman’s Desire for Motherhood

Men are called to love and lead their wives out of a desire for their wives to be without sin and to mirror Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27). Husbands have a responsibility to ensure that their wives are living in obedience to God and His Word and living in a way that pleases and glorifies Him. In other words, husbands need to love and lead their wives toward what is their highest calling in the Lord: motherhood. From listening to the Mother’s Day sermon, we can understand that it can sometimes be a challenge for women to maintain a biblical view of motherhood and to strive for it in a God-honoring way. Externally, women face the pressures and influences of a worldly society and worldly thinking that would denigrate motherhood, while at the same time, internally facing the reality of their sinful nature with its selfishness, pride, and worldliness offering up every reason to put off motherhood. The last thing that our wives need is for us husbands to lead them into situations that might make it more difficult for them to pursue motherhood. Husbands, should you lead your family toward the purchase of a new home that can only be paid for with two incomes, leaving your wife with little time for motherhood? Husbands, should you consider accepting a less-than desirable job if it means a more stable income with health benefits for your spouse and family? Husbands, should you consider ditching your dreams of a Ph.D. or medical school so that you can start working now and your wife can start pursuing motherhood now? These are but a few examples of decisions husbands can make that will be either hurtful or helpful to our wives and their pursuit of motherhood.

There are plenty of other points of application that guys can make in response to the Mother’s Day sermon, but the thing to realize is this: the issue of the honor of motherhood is not only an issue solely for women to be concerned with, but one that concerns us guys and implicates us as well. If we truly desire to glorify God and to live out His truth in our own lives, then a high view of His Word should also lead us to a high view of motherhood. As guys, let us continually affirm our fellow sisters-in-Christ; in turn, having a high view of them as they strive for the honor of motherhood.

I Will Take Heed To My Ways

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 39:1

Fellow-pilgrim, say not in your heart, ‘I will go hither and thither, and I shall not sin;’ for you are never so out of danger of sinning as to boast of security. The road is very miry, it will be hard to pick your path so as not to soil your garments. This is a world of pitch; you will need to watch often, if in handling it you are to keep your hands clean. There is a robber at every turn of the road to rob you of your jewels; there is a temptation in every mercy; there is a snare in every joy; and if you ever reach heaven, it will be a miracle of divine grace to be ascribed entirely to your Father’s power.

Be on your guard. When a man carries a bomb-shell in his hand, he should mind that he does not go near a candle; and you too must take care that you enter not into temptation. Even your common actions are edged tools; you must mind how you handle them. There is nothing in this world to foster a Christian’s piety, but everything to destroy it.

How anxious should you be to look up to God, that He may keep you! Your prayer should be, ‘Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe.’ Having prayed, you must also watch; guarding every thought, word, and action, with holy jealousy. Do not expose yourselves unnecessarily; but if called to exposure, if you are bidden to go where the darts are flying, never venture forth without your shield; for if once the devil finds you without your buckler, he will rejoice that his hour of triumph is come, and will soon make you fall down wounded by his arrows. Though slain you cannot be; wounded you may be. ‘Be sober; be vigilant, danger may be in an hour when all seemeth securest to thee.’

Therefore, take heed to thy ways, and watch unto prayer. No man ever fell into error through being too watchful. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our ways, so shall they always please the Lord.

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Weekly Links (6/7/2013)

“Faith is not a blind, irrational conviction. In order to believe, we must know what we believe, and the grounds on which our faith rests.” (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology)

by Stephen Rodgers

There’s some really good resources this week, so let’s skip the hype and get straight to them:

  • The June 2013 edition of Tabletalk is available from Ligonier, on the subject of “Faith and Repentence.”
  • Speaking of Ligonier, they’re giving away a couple of really great resources.  The first is Richard Phillips’ The Masculine Mandate (for Kindle or Nook). In addition to that, they’ve also made all 14 of RC Sproul’s Crucial Questions books free forever. You’re going to want all of those.
  • On top of that, the free book from Logos is CH Spurgeon’s The Saint and his Savior.
  • And in addition to all those great ebooks, the free audio book from christianaudio.com is Matt Chandler’s The Explicit Gospel.
  • And just in case you still needed content after all of that, the first No Compromise video is no longer lonely…because it has been joined by the second No Compromise video.  Want to see James White, Phil Johnson, and Carl Trueman hang out? Now you can.

Best. Month. Ever.

Pro Rege

 

Reflections from Sonlight

by Shelby Wong

June is right around the corner and we are winding down the year in Sonlight. In the blink of an eye, a whole school year in this ministry has come and gone. Through this time, I am very thankful to God for what he has taught me through the children I claim to serve.

When I first joined the Children’s Ministry, my main goal was to get kids thinking about God at an early age and to help them contemplate where their heart is behind the matter. I had just finished a year as a Teacher’s Aide at a private, Christian school and knew how much these little brains were capable of. Simply memorizing was an easy task for them. They are like sponges! They retain all sorts of information given to them. I thought it was time to take learning to the next level and start getting the kids to think about what they are learning. My goal was to get the kids to personalize what they learn. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

Even though this sounded great in theory, putting it into practice was another story. On Sundays, after serving in Children’s Ministry, I would go home thinking, “Did these guys really understand what the lesson was about? Do they see how this relates to God and to them personally? Why don’t they respond when I ask them about their sins? If we are called to minister to the lives of these children, shouldn’t I be trying to draw out the heart? Am I failing at teaching these kids?”

I was humbled to realize I was too focused on what they can show for themselves. I wanted them to be able to express where they see their sin, and what they can do to change. I was so caught up on the end result, or behavior modification, that I forgot God is the One who changes hearts in His own time. God is the One who sees to it that their hearts are changed. I am simply called to faithfully teach and support them by posing the right questions, answering their questions, and investing in their lives.

There are times, however, when we have wonderful conversations about the day’s lesson and expand it to our own lives. It is then that I get a glimpse of understanding their little souls. It is truly a blessing to serve these kids and interact with them as they teach me more than I can teach them. God doesn’t need me to be with them, and they certainly do not need me. However, He has called me to serve here and learn alongside these little souls. For this, I thank God.