Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

lt Is Better to Trust in the Lord…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 118:8

Doubtless the reader has been tried with the temptation to rely upon the things which are seen, instead of resting alone upon the invisible God. Christians often look to man for help and counsel, and mar the noble simplicity of their reliance upon their God. Does this evening’s portion meet the eye of a child of God anxious about temporals, then would we reason with him awhile.

  • You trust in Jesus, and only in Jesus, for your salvation, then why are you troubled? ‘Because of my great care.’ Is it not written, ‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord’? ‘Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication make known your wants unto God.’
  • Cannot you trust God for temporals? ‘Ah! I wish I could.’ If you cannot trust God for temporals, how dare you trust Him for spirituals? Can you trust Him for your soul’s redemption, and not rely upon Him for a few lesser mercies? Is not God enough for thy need, or is His all-sufficiency too narrow for thy wants? Dost thou want another eye beside that of Him who sees every secret thing? Is His heart faint? Is His arm weary? If so, seek another God; but if He be infinite, omnipotent, faithful, true, and all-wise, why gaddest thou abroad so much to seek another confidence? Why dost thou rake the earth to find another foundation, when this is strong enough to bear all the weight which thou canst ever build thereon?

Christian, mix not only thy wine with water, do not alloy thy gold of faith with the dross of human confidence. Wait thou only upon God, and let thine expectation be from Him. Covet not Jonah’s gourd, but rest in Jonah’s God. Let the sandy foundations of terrestrial trust be the choice of fools, but do thou, like one who foresees the storm, build for thyself an abiding place upon the Rock of Ages.

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Lumos and Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Kristen Lim

Recently I have embarked on the quest to find the perfect chocolate chip recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are a classic and have been around for quite some time now, but I was surprised to find so many variations and websites that claimed to have the BEST recipe. As I did more research about the different types of chocolate chip cookies there were, the main categories were soft, Keebler style cookies, others a crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-in-the-middle texture, and yet others with special ingredients to enhance the flavor. But all in all, the recipes were generally the same with minor adjustments of ingredient ratios, and they all produced the same end result: a chocolate chip cookie. What does all of this have to with the Lumos Youth Ministry, you may ask? Read on to find out!

I am privileged and blessed to have been shepherded by the Lumos staff since I moved to San Diego, a total of 5 years. Back then the youth group was very small with just myself and four other youth, and the staff-to-youth ratio was at one point 1:1! My memories of high school are mostly filled with the times I spent at church on Friday nights during Bible study, Sunday school, the crazy events the staff planned for us, and most importantly the biblical sermons delivered by faithful men. Since graduating from Lumos about two years ago, I joined the Lumos staff at the end of this past summer and am humbled and overjoyed to take part in continuing this ministry of passing down God’s greatness to the current youth.

Currently the youth ministry is walking through the books of 1 John and Romans on Friday nights, and during our monthly Saturday seminars we address different topics that would be helpful in their stage of life. In previous seminars we have covered worldviews, modesty, hermeneutics, and will be starting a series on the Bible. Interspersed, Lumos has Gospel nights once a quarter, retreats, game nights, and random hangouts. As the staff plans these events, we are prayerful that these activities and times of instruction would be profitable for their souls, that we would have the same mindset as Paul in Colossians 1:28, which states, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Our goal is not merely just entertainment, but to be intentional in the limited time we get to teach the youth about Christ both in our words and deeds, praying to God that He would soften their hearts to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and all the while knowing that God is the one who causes the growth and we are just called to be faithful. I hope and pray that Lumos would never deviate from this mission.

From my perspective, I’ve seen the dynamics of Lumos change over the years, from staffers joining and leaving, new youth coming and others graduating, and the logistics of how the ministry was structured based on who the leader was at that particular time. Truly, ministry is about the people and not the program. During our last staff meeting, Josh reminded us about the analogy of the trellis and the vine and how the purpose of the trellis (youth programs) was to support the vine (the youth). It didn’t matter if we had an intricate and ornate trellis if the vine was dying. Since ministry involves people, it makes sense that the details and programs could change based on the needs of the current people. That’s why it’s so imperative to be flexible and ready to make adjustments, not in theology or foundations of faith, but in how we minister to them.

Now, going back to my chocolate chip cookie illustration: just as there are many different textures and variations of chocolate chip cookies, essentially they are all the same at the core. Youth group has undergone many “textures” and “variations” throughout the years, yet I’m so thankful to say that the core of the Lumos ministry has remained constant: to glorify God through teaching young men and women about our glorious savior, Jesus Christ, and to disciple them to be bright lights in this dark world. May the youth group, as well as the church body, seek to be faithful chocolate chip cookies, whether it be soft or crispy!

Have Faith in God

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

from Mark 11:22

Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag heavily. With faith I can do all things; without faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If you would find the men who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God.

Poor Little-faith could not have fought ‘Apollyon;’ it needed ‘Christian’ to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain ‘Giant Despair;’ it required ‘Great-heart’s’ arm to knock that monster down. Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, ‘It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of dangers; I am afraid to go;’ but Great-faith remembers the promise, ‘Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:’ and so she boldly ventures. Little-faith stands desponding, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:’ and she fords the stream at once.

Would you be comfortable and happy? Would you enjoy religion? Would you have the religion of cheerfulness and not that of gloom? Then ‘have faith in God.’ If you love darkness, and are satisfied to dwell in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith; but if you love the sunshine, and would sing songs of rejoicing, covet earnestly this best gift, ‘great faith.’

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LBC Weekly SPARK – February 21, 2013

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear Lighthouse family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. This email is just to remind you of some of the things that are happening in the coming weeks at LBC. As a church family, we should always look to grow together in faith encouraging one another and stimulating each other to love and good deeds. Let’s be involved in each other’s lives and share in the love of Christ.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. LKC and Grace Life. Kids’ Club and Grace Life meet again tonight at 6:30pm at the church. What a great way for the whole family to enjoy an evening of fellowship at the church!
  2. College Life Retreat. Please pray for the college ministry as they have their retreat this weekend (2/22-2/24) at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center! Their speaker is Pastor J. R. Cuevas of LBC San Jose!
  3. Lumos/Single Life Fellowship Night. The Lumos Youth Group and Single Life will be gathering together tomorrow evening (2/22) at 7:00pm at the church for some fun activities and fellowship. Singles, please sign up with Eugene Park if you would like to attend (e1park@gmail.com)!
  4. Flocks. Next week (2/27-3/2) is flocks week! All regularly scheduled Bible studies will be cancelled. For more information about regional flocks, please check out the church website.
  5. Argentina Missions Info Meeting. If you are interested to hear what is going on with our ministry with IBM Tucuman this summer, come out to the info meeting on Sunday, March 3, at 6:00pm. Bring your dinner!
  6. Shepherds’ Conference. If you are attending the upcoming Shepherds’ Conference, please contact Peter Lim ASAP if you are in need of housing (peterlim@yahoo.com).
  7. Parent/Child Dedication. Our next parent/child dedication will be on Sunday, March 10 during the morning worship service. If you would like to participate, for each child please send Pastor Patrick 1) parents’ names, 2) child’s full name, and 3) child’s birth date.
  8. LBC Los Angeles. There will be a church planting interest meeting on Sunday, March 10 at 6:00pm at the church. For more information, contact Pastor John Kim (pastorjohnkimlbc@gmail.com).
  9. Single Life Retreat. The singles ministry annual retreat will be on March 15-17. Our speaker this year is Pastor Jim Kang of LBC East Bay. The theme is “How We’re Made: Our Origin and Purpose by God’s Design.” The cost is only $135/person. Sign up with Brian Song with a $50 non-refundable deposit.
  10. Good Friday Service. On Friday, March 29, we will be having our annual Good Friday service to remember Christ’s work on the cross. Please invite your family and friends to join us for this special communion service!
  11. Resurrection Sunday Service. Sunday, March 31 is Resurrection Sunday! We will be celebrating with a special breakfast and morning service. Breakfast will begin at 7:30am! Please invite your family and friends to come hear the message of Christ!

Sparklers Update

by Danica Chu

Ever since I was in high school, God gave me a heart for kids of all ages. When I first started going to LBC, I wanted to serve in the children’s ministry because I wanted to serve in an area where I could meet families of the church. I prayed and asked God to place me where He saw fit for my life and where I would grow the most. I kept looking out for opportunities to serve, knowing that wherever I am placed, it is where God wanted me to be and that was His plan for my life. When I saw that there were opportunities available in the Sparklers’ ministry, I prayed and asked God if this was where He wanted me to be. After much praying and consideration, I went ahead and filled out the application and sent it in to Mike Hasegawa.

During the application and observation process, I noticed that whoever was in the classroom, they really took time to prepare their lessons and made sure that God’s Word was being preached every week. I noticed how all the teachers were gentle with the kids, caring for them and loving them the way God had loved the staff. One thing that really stood out to me was how the lesson was presented. At the end of each lesson, the conclusion always came back to the Gospel. Even at such a young age, the teachers were trying to instill in each Sparkler what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross, dying for their sins.

Each lesson taught is divided into three parts: the hook, the actual lesson and the conclusion. The hook is an attention getter for the kids. It usually involves one of the staff or an everyday illustration, something that they can relate to. The actual lesson is the part when the teacher teaches from a passage of Scripture. We (the Sparklers’ staff) know when we are teaching and what passage of Scripture we are teaching from. Therefore, we are able to study and prepare it in advance. This is because we want to make sure that we are handling God’s truth accurately and not adding or removing anything from it. The last part of the lesson is the conclusion. The conclusion is when the teacher tells the Sparklers’ what the main point of the lesson is, how it ties into the hook and the lesson itself and we try to present the Gospel to them as well. Usually, we try to repeat what our main point is throughout the entire lesson. I think preparing and studying for the lesson take the most time because of how much time is being spent on reading the passage, meditating on it and studying it.

Mike always told us that we should give ourselves plenty of time to study, read and meditate on it. It’s something that I have been learning and attempting to do in my own devotionals. Instead of just glancing over the passage and checking the box to show that I did my reading for the day, I learned that I need to slow down and take it all in. Read the passage slowly, make notes, question things that I don’t understand and research it. This is what God has called us to do as believers, to meditate on God’s Word and search for ways to apply it to our daily lives. I started to apply this process to my own quiet times. I’ll admit, I’m not perfect. This isn’t the easiest process for me to do. But I ask God everyday to give me the discipline to sit down and study God’s Word, the way I normally would study God’s Word to teach the lesson. This should be an integral part of our daily routine as believers, to study God’s Word, meditate on it and always refer to it.

Ever since joining Sparklers, I’ve learned a lot from just sitting in and listening to the lessons being taught. I’m always reminded of one of God’s characteristics: His humility that led Him to the cross, His continual faithfulness from the Old Testament to the New Testament and many more of His characteristics. I have learned so much from serving in the Sparklers’ Ministry, for my own spiritual growth, seeing where I fall short in my walk with God. God has been so faithful to the Sparkers’ Ministry in providing faithful men and women who have a willing heart to serve one of the youngest affinity groups at LBC. I’m excited to see where God takes the Sparklers Ministry next!

FOF #9: The Church – Fellowship and Worship

“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)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The Bible uses several different metaphors to describe the church. In 1 Corinthians 3:9-10, Paul calls the church God’s field and God’s building. In Revelation 19:7-8, the church is pictured as the bride of Christ (cf. Eph. 5:22-33). But there is one metaphor that helps illustrate the way the church functions perhaps better than any other. In Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 5:23, the church is referred to as the body of Christ, and Christ is called her head.

This is a fitting picture for the church because it illustrates how different people with different gifts and abilities can gather and work together in unity. Just as the human body has various members with varying functions, so the spiritual body of Christ possesses many different members with different personalities, backgrounds, skills, and interests. No two members are exactly the same, and yet with Christ as the head, all the members can work together to build up the body to maturity (Eph. 4:11-13).

Every person who trusts in Christ as their Lord and Savior is baptized in the Spirit and made a part of the body (cf. Mark 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:13). This is one of the great blessings and benefits of becoming a follower of Jesus. He not only forgives our sin, but He gives us the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us to live for His glory. The Spirit serves as our seal and guarantee that we are His and that He will come again for us (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5).

Baptism in the Spirit is not only reserved for some believers, as some churches might teach, but is an experience that is common to everyone who trusts in Christ as Lord. This is why Paul writes that we were “all” baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). The baptism of the Spirit occurs at the moment of conversion when a person is saved by God’s grace. Since all believers share in this common experience and are led by the same Spirit and trust in the same Lord, they are called together into one body (Eph. 4:4-6). This is the church – the body of Christ saved by one Lord through the one true gospel message by the work of the one Spirit in their lives.

We gather together as believers because of our common confession of faith that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and was raised again on the third day. We come to worship God together because of our common understanding that He alone is worthy of all our praise. We study the Scriptures together because we know that it gives life and reveals to us the will of God. We do this corporately because of our shared experience of God’s grace to forgive us and rescue us from the punishment of hell.

Because of these truths, there is a fitting major emphasis on unity in the New Testament. As a result of what we know about the gospel, God calls us to live at peace with one another. We are to be humble and forbearing in our dealings with each other because God has called us as one body. When we persist in our personal conflicts, we live not as though there is one God, but two – the God you serve and the God of the other person you don’t want anything to do with. We live not as though there is one gospel, but two – the gospel that saves you and the gospel that saves the person with whom you are in conflict. We live as though there are two bodies – the one you belong to and the one for your rival. While we might profess orthodoxy, when we stubbornly hate our brothers and sisters, our practice is blasphemy.

The church in Corinth was riddled with all sorts of issues. There were people abusing spiritual gifts. Some members were abusing communion and even getting drunk at their feasts. There was an incestuous relationship that even the immoral pagan citizens of Corinth frowned upon. Believers were taking each other to court in order to defraud each other. But with all these problems, isn’t it interesting that Paul opens the letter by addressing the issue of divisions and disunity? It was the first thing on his mind.

Positively, in the Book of Ephesians, the first three chapters are devoted to explaining our position in Christ. God has saved us and made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in our sins and trespasses. The last three chapters are devoted to our practice in Christ – how are we supposed to live in light of who we are in Him? Again, isn’t it interesting that the section on the Christian’s practice begins with the issue of maintaining unity in the church?

This is how important a matter the unity of the church is to God! Our conflicts and divisions are no small things in God’s sight. Since we are Christ’s representatives on earth, His name is at stake in the way we behave. Any pagan society and organization can have conflicts and divisions. It is our unity as a church body that really causes us to stand out. When people come together to worship God, who have absolutely no business congregating for any other reason, it demonstrates that God is doing something in that assembly.

There is so much emphasis in the church today on our personal walk with Jesus. We speak about a personal relationship with our personal Lord and Savior. We pursue personal growth and develop our personal disciplines. But the Bible’s overwhelming emphasis is on our corporate identity in Christ. God saved us to be a part of the body.

When we gather to worship on Sunday mornings, it isn’t about our personal time and experience. We sing together. We fellowship together. We pray together. We study God’s Word together. What we do, we do as a body in unity because that is what God has called us to do. It isn’t just about having an uplifting time for yourself. It is about worshiping God with one voice and one heart in the unity of the Spirit. We are there for the Lord, but we are also there for one another, to be a blessing and encouragement to our brothers and sisters through our speech and service. This is something to keep in mind the next time we gather for corporate worship. Take a moment to look around and appreciate why we are gathering and what God is doing through us.

Before Destruction the Heart of Man Is Haughty

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Proverbs 18:12

It is an old and common saying, that ‘coming events cast their shadows before them;’ the wise man teaches us that a haughty heart is the prophetic prelude of evil. Pride is as safely the sign of destruction as the change of mercury in the weather-glass is the sign of rain; and far more infallibly so than that. When men have ridden the high horse, destruction has always overtaken them.

  • Let David’s aching heart show that there is an eclipse of a man’s glory when he dotes upon his own greatness. 2 Sam. 24:10.
  • See Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty builder of Babylon, creeping on the earth, devouring grass like oxen, until his nails had grown like bird’s claws, and his hair like eagle’s feathers. Dan. 4:33.

Pride made the boaster a beast, as once before it made an angel a devil. God hates high looks, and never fails to bring them down., All the arrows of God are aimed at proud hearts.

O Christian, is thine heart haughty this evening? For pride can get into the Christian’s heart as well as into the sinner’s; it can delude him into dreaming that he is ‘rich and increased in goods, and hath need of nothing.’ Art thou glorying in thy graces or thy talents? Art thou proud of thyself, that thou hast had holy frames and sweet experiences? Mark thee, reader, there is a destruction coming to thee also. Thy flaunting poppies of self-conceit will be pulled up by the roots, thy mushroom graces will wither in the burning heat, and thy self-sufficiency shall become as straw for the dunghill. If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in deepest lowliness of spirit, God will not forget to make us smart under His rod. A destruction will come to thee, O unduly exalted believer, the destruction of thy joys and of thy comforts, though there can be no destruction of thy soul. Wherefore, ‘He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’

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Grace Life Family Ministry Update

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Grace Life took a break for the winter holidays and is now up and running again. It has been tremendously encouraging to see all the people come out to Bible study on Thursday nights. I’m sure the midweek meeting is still difficult for some of our families, but having LKC meet on the same evening makes things much more manageable. It has also been a blessing to see the families getting more involved even in little ways like bringing refreshments or helping with nursery care. All these acts of service continue to strengthen the group and make for an enjoyable time.

We are still in the middle of our series entitled “What Do You Think?” It has been a helpful series exploring a simple but biblical theology of the mind. So far, hopefully the families haven’t been too discouraged as we have almost exclusively focused on the bad news. Through our first five lessons, we have studied the creation and fall of man, as well as the consequences of sin on the mind. The Bible teaches that as sinners we are of a depraved mind and that we are completely blind to spiritual truth. Without God, we are incapable of interpreting the world around us in the right way. Sin affects our minds so that we are even oblivious to this incapacity.

God speaks particularly through Apostle Paul in Romans 1 to describe sin’s impact on the human mind. Because of our sinful minds, we suppress the truth of God even though it stares us blatantly in the face (vv. 18-20). Sin has rendered our thinking futile and foolish even though we think ourselves to be wise (v. 21-22). Sin causes us to reject the true God of the universe and to worship other lesser things instead – most of all, I should say, ourselves (v. 23-25). Because of our sinful hearts, we would rather willingly believe a lie than accept the truth of God (v. 25). Because of our hateful, sinful minds toward God, we take what God intended for our good and completely violate it and rebel against it. For instance, in our rebellion against God, we pervert the order and natural relations He ordained for us in creation. Paul teaches that this is ultimately rooted in our inherent hatred toward God. We don’t trust that God is good, nor that His plans for us are good. Our sinful minds, thus, bring forth sinful actions (v. 26-32).

This isn’t a very pleasant or optimistic picture the Apostle paints of mankind. It certainly isn’t the popular message of contemporary culture that continues to insist upon our inherent worth and inner beauty. Instead, Paul describes the human heart as wicked, depraved, lost, and desperate. He exposes the human heart for what it truly is in the eyes of God. (Praise God for His grace to save, without which we would have no hope!).

In the coming weeks, we are going to examine how through the gospel, God shines a light in our hearts and causes our blind eyes to see. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, our minds can be renewed, so that we can interpret God, the world, ourselves, and our circumstances rightly. It should be an eye-opening and helpful study filled with principles for practical application. Even though the bad news is depressingly bad, the good news that follows is gloriously good!

The Great Hope of the Christian Life

by Elder Mike Chon

On January 21, 2013 we watched the inauguration ceremony of President Obama for his second term in office. I couldn’t help but notice the faces of those that were in the audience that day. Many of them appeared to be proud and very hopeful that President Obama will be able to change the turmoil that our country has been facing in recent years. They have placed their hope in this one man who has been given the responsibility to lead our country as president. When difficult times occur in one’s life, people tend to desperately look for someone or something to find hope in. Unfortunately the search for hope usually ends up in further disappointment and discouragement. No matter what they end up placing their hope in, if it is something of this world, it will at best be  temporary.

On the contrary, the one who has placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will find their hope, not in something temporary, but instead in someone that is eternal. Scripture teaches us that in the midst of our trials and difficulties our hope is placed in the person of Jesus Christ. The Christian’s great hope in this life is that one day we will be in the presence of Christ, whether by death or when Christ returns and takes us home. In the midst of great persecution, the Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Thessalonica to encourage one another with the hope they have of one day being with Christ along with those who have already died in Christ (1 Thess. 4:13-18). He also reminds them of the great salvation they have in Christ, which brings them great hope that whether they are alive or die that they will be with Christ (1 Thess. 5:9-11).

In the midst of our own trials and difficulties we tend to run to people or things that would bring us comfort and hope. Unfortunately for many believers they never find their hope in what Christ has already accomplished nor in the fact that Christ will return to take us home. Where do you find your hope? Do you find it in a spouse, a close friend, in your children, in your career, in your academic pursuits, in food, or in yourself? None of these will ever bring you true eternal hope. Scripture clearly teaches that true hope is only found in the person of Jesus Christ. Even in the greatest of trials our hope never wavers because our hope does not rest on something that is temporal but instead our hope rests on the atoning work of the cross, the security we have in redemption, and the second coming of Christ.

Ye Must Be Born Again

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From John 3:7

Regeneration is a subject which lies at the very basis of salvation, and we should be very diligent to take heed that we really are ‘born again,’ for there are many who fancy they are, who are not. Be assured that the name of a Christian is not the nature of a Christian; and that being born in a Christian land, and being recognized as professing the Christian religion is of no avail whatever, unless there be something more added to it-the being ‘born again,’ is a matter so mysterious, that human words cannot describe it. ‘The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.’ Nevertheless, it is a change which is known and felt: known by works of holiness, and felt by a gracious experience.

This great work is supernatural. It is not an operation which a man performs for himself: a new principle is infused, which works in the heart, renews the soul, and affects the entire man. It is not a change of my name, but a renewal of my nature, so that I am not the man I used to be, but a new man in Christ Jesus. To wash and dress a corpse is a far different thing from making it alive: man can do the one, God alone can do the other. If you have then, been ‘born again,’ your acknowledgment will be, ‘O Lord Jesus, the everlasting Father, Thou art my spiritual Parent; unless Thy Spirit had breathed into me the breath of a new, holy, and spiritual life, I had been to this day ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ My heavenly life is wholly derived from Thee, to Thee I ascribe it. ‘My life is hid with Christ in God.’ It is no longer I who live, but Christ who liveth in me.’

May the Lord enable us to be well assured on this vital point, for to be unregenerate is to be unsaved, unpardoned, without God, and without hope.

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