Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

College Life Class of 2018

by Josh Liu

I want to highlight the LBCSD members in College Life that are graduating this academic year. This is an opportunity to testify to God’s work in their lives. There is so much to be said about each student’s experience and encouragement to the church family that cannot be captured in this brief note. Yet I hope it encourages you and moves you toward glorifying God. Please take a moment to pray for them and look for opportunities to encourage them as they transition out of college.

ABE, BA, Sociology

It has truly been a joy to be part of College Life for the past three years. I am beyond thankful for the faithful preaching of God’s Word. Coming into College Life unsure of the gospel truth, the weekly hearing of the truth helped me to come to a biblical understanding of the gospel. God used it to rescue me from my sin and my self-righteousness. Even more so, God used the faithful teaching to conform me into the image of Christ. Shepherds, small group leaders, and peers have been so gracious to show me the Word, to help me put off the ways of sin, and to instead pursue holiness. Praise God for the work he has done in my heart through the Word! I am also exceedingly thankful for the Christ-centered relationships I was able to develop. We were able to eat carne asada fries together, to rejoice and weep together, and to pursue Christ together. It has always been such a blessing to serve alongside one another in campus EV, prayer, and class events. All of those are sweet memories that I will cherish as college wraps up. Again, I praise God for graciously granting me these relationships where we can strive side by side for the faith of the gospel. I will certainly miss College Life, as it has made a significant impact on my life. And for that, praise Him forevermore!

ALYSSA, BS, Child and Family Development

My time at Lighthouse has been nothing less than sanctifying and encouraging. I just wanted to say thank you to those who took the time to get to know me and invest in my life, for ministering and encouraging me to cultivate a deeper relationship with God and for pointing me back to Him when I lost sight of His loving kindness. I pray that this church body will continue to grow in their servant heartedness, welcoming and loving attitudes to all those who walk come through its doors, and give Him the glory and praise always. It’s been an amazing 4 years and I’m excited to see what more He’s got in store for LBC!

ANISHA, BS, Kinesiology

Hi church, praise God for leading me to Lighthouse Bible Church! God has softened my heart over the years and I have learned to call LBC my home. I am grateful for the community, teaching, love, and the bond that we all have in Christ. God has been working in my life and growing me in various ways. He is constantly reminding me of what it means to truly follow Christ and to cultivate a life full of prayer, thankfulness, and teachability. Thank you for taking me in, encouraging me, and loving on me!

CAVAN, BS, Business Administration

I just want to thank Lighthouse and the church family for creating such a loving and fun environment where I could grow with all of you. Genuinely appreciate the care and Christlike love this church body provides and will forever be grateful. Lighthouse has shown me what it’s like to be involved with the church body and serving one another whether it’s having one on one’s, hangouts/fellowshipping or serving in a ministry. “But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body but that the members may have the same care for one another.” (1 Corinthians 12:24-25).

DANIELLE, BS, Molecular Biology

I honestly could not describe all that Lighthouse and specifically the people in College Life have encouraged me. When I first came to San Diego as a freshman I didn’t know anyone and was afraid of how college would change me. I am so thankful to say that my experiences in college have indeed changed me, but all for the better as the church challenged me to grow in grace and maturity. Through all the joys and pains of life these past few years, my mentors and peers in College Life were right there beside me to serve, encourage, and rebuke me as necessary for my sanctification. I love each and every one of my faithful brothers and sisters at Lighthouse more than I could possibly express, and I pray that we will continue to grow alongside one another as in Colossians 3:12-17.

HANNAH, BS, Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Hi Church! As I reflect on the past few years, I want to express my gratitude, love, and encouragement for you and for the ways God has used you mightily in my life. When I first attended Lighthouse, I remember being blown away by the love this church had for Christ. I met people who listened to sermons in their spare time– people who wanted to listen to sermons in their spare time. And I met parents whose love for God had grown over the years, and not faded, parents who shared the gospel with their children and were still active in the life of the church. I remember the church’s exclamations of joy and excitement when newly engaged and expecting couples were announced, and being amazed that everyone in the church seemed to know these couples and even care for them. I remember thinking that the sweet relationship between the Lighthouse Alliance so reflected the love between churches in the New Testament in a way I believed was no longer possible. And love for God overflowed into a love for others, of which I was an undeserving recipient. Throughout the years, the faithful preaching of God’s Word every week has pierced, convicted, challenged, and changed my heart. It has revealed to me all the areas of my life that I fail to submit to my King, the Creator of all things, the Righteous Judge, and the merciful Father who demands my everything. It reminds me of how small I am in light of who He is, and how my sin is ever before Him. It has encouraged me to live with conduct becoming of one redeemed, and to make the gospel the center of my pursuits. Your love, Church, has been an instrument that God has used mightily in my life. It has been a continual reminder of God’s grace to me, that He would even provide brothers and sisters who would strive alongside me. It is my hope that this brief description of how God has used this ministry and this church in my life would stimulate all of you to persevere, renew faith that God can use broken tools powerfully, and stir you to cling even tighter to Him amidst trials, knowing that He is the greatest treasure worth living for and that He walks with you. And I encourage you not to lose your first love, your love for Christ, “for from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).

JARON, BA, Political Science

Hey church family! These last four years have by far been the best four years of my life. I had never before been so challenged and so cared for spiritually, and I have no one to thank but God who has used you to teach me so much. Thank you for constantly displaying Christ’s love in spirit and truth and for teaching me to love others in a way that is only possible through Him. Though my time in College Life and college in general is over, I am reminded that the mission is the same even though life may look a lot different and that God will remain faithful through it all. I love you all so much and words cannot express my gratitude.

JESSICA, BS, Microbiology

I’ve been encouraged by the people in the various classes in CL by their desire to glorify God and point back to Christ in all they do and make sure every hangout isn’t just for the sake of having a good time. I’ve been constantly challenged to be pushed out of my comfort zone in a good way, be it hanging out with people literally all day, meeting with people I don’t know well, addressing housing issues, and confronting the hard questions in small group. Throughout it all, God has really used my time in college to teach me to trust in Him, that He is in control in every situation. Trials really are to be considered as not curses, but as His way of bringing us closer to Him and so we can depend on Him more with each passing day.

JOE, BS, Chemical Engineering

I am happy to have spent my undergrad years at such a strong, Bible teaching church. I have been encouraged by how much people are willing to serve one another and build each other up whether that be through church ministries, small groups, or one on one meetups. I personally felt Lighthouse most affected my spiritual growth in the area of evangelism, especially through the ministry of campus EV. Throughout my time here, I have noticed an increase in boldness for sharing the gospel, love for lost souls, and wisdom in the field of apologetics. These are things that I hope and believe will remain with me in the years to come.

KAREN, BS, Developmental Psychology; Minor, Biology

Hi Church! Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the past 4 years I spent with you all. I came in just wanting a solid church, and got not only a church that is dedicated to preaching the truth, but that is also so loving, intentional, and passionate to seek Christ in everything you do. Thank you for investing in, loving on, and spurring on my class and me as we pursued wisdom, humility, and maturity in our walks. I praise God for graciously giving me a church that always challenges me to continue growing in my faith and to preach the Gospel in whatever I do. I’m truly undeserving of you all and ever thankful that God placed me in San Diego! I can’t wait to see what God has planned in this next chapter of my life, and am so happy that I will still be able to run the race alongside y’all here for at least a little while longer!

KENNY, BS, Computer Science

It has truly been a blessing being able to be a part of the Lighthouse Bible Church San Diego church family, as I have been able to learn and grow under the teaching of faithful pastors and elders who hold a high view of the word. I am grateful for those who have faithfully and selflessly poured out their love and wisdom to the church during my time here, as it has been fundamental to my spiritual growth. In particular, I would like to thank the College Life staff who have led the collegians in Christ-likeness and encouraged and counseled us to seek to glorify God through all of our actions. Although my time in San Diego is quickly coming to an end, I will continue to pray that this church continues to seek to bring glory to Christ, and hold fast to the M.V.P. Statement.

MAGGIE, BA, Computer Science

Lighthouse has been a tremendous part of my personal walk with Christ during my college years. I have made many unforgettable experiences and have met so many amazing brothers and sisters. But most importantly, I have grown in knowledge and understanding of the love that is demonstrated through the Gospel. Christ’s love clearly shines through the genuine care the leaders and staff of College Life have for us collegians.

MEGAN, BS, Cognitive Science

Hi Church, it has been such a blessing to be able to attend Lighthouse Bible Church throughout my college years. I have learned so much and grown more in love with Christ here. Thank you Lighthouse for being dedicated to exemplifying God’s love for us through teaching, fellowship, and serving. I am very thankful for the College Life ministry and all the staff who poured out their time and love to invest in us. I am also thankful for all my brothers and sisters who have come alongside me and kept me accountable in this race. Thank you for pushing me to continually strive to grow in Christ-likeness. It has been an encouragement to see how God has been growing Lighthouse and I pray that He would continue to do so. Let’s keep striving to push one another to glorify God in all that we do!

NATHAN, BA, Urban Studies and Planning

I came to Lighthouse in Fall 2016 from recommendation from friends and family for a Church down here in San Diego and I’ve been immensely blessed in my couple years here in College Life. The biggest thing I’ve learned that has stayed in my time in College Life and College is taking God at his word in every step. That scripture is sufficient, has no errors and it is God speaking to us with every sentence and page. In so many different conversations, I’ve been directed back to the word of God and his sovereignty amidst my own shortcoming and need for growth. I can’t forget my first Friday night Bible Study where Josh preached on the Cross of Christ and as he had us open our Bibles, I knew this is the Church I wanted to stay at. My hope going forward from here for us both is to continually be guided by the scriptures and to be so anchored in our Lord for the days to come, however hard the storms may come.

NICK, BA, Communication

Thank you LBCSD for all the memories, teachings and encouragements! I have been blessed and enriched by the biblical teaching of our pastors, the servant hearts of the College Life ministry and the fellowship of so many like-minded people who share a passion for proclaiming and living out the Gospel. I’m so thankful for the intentionality and outpouring of love that I have felt throughout my college experience. I know God will continue to do amazing things through this church as he builds up disciples of Christ! Thank you to everyone who has advised, encouraged and even challenged me to live out my faith! You have all played a big role in my spiritual walk! I will cherish the numerous memories with College Life, praise team, retreats and countless hours of awesome fellowship! Thank you for all the amazing experiences and I pray you will all continue to grow in your spiritual walks!

NOAH, BS, General Biology

I have been so blessed with my time at LBC within the college life ministry. The community at Lighthouse has always gone out of its way to make me feel welcome and I have really appreciated their desire to seek and preach the truth of the gospel. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know people through random events at Lighthouse and I hope that the church will continue to reach out to others who come by LBC.

RENDALE, BS, Engineering Physics

Hello church family! These past 4 years have been the best in my life. Through this ministry I was able to come to saving faith. Through this ministry I’ve come to know what a loving church looks like. Through this ministry I’ve learned how to accurately handle the word of God and how important that is. Through this ministry I’ve learned what it really means to have the older men/women disciple the younger men/women. It was by God’s grace alone that I would be placed in San Diego for college, and by your faithfulness of proclaiming the gospel that even brought me to this church in the first place. Thank you for these years and may you continue to be a shining lighthouse of God’s truth in this dark world!

TIFFANY, BS, Child and Family Development

Hello church! I have been truly blessed by all the ways you guys have sought to encourage, serve, and shepherd me during the past four years of college. I have grown and matured so much in my faith through the strong teaching of God’s word and accountability from the members of the church. I want to thank the pastors and leaders of the church for their faithfulness in preaching and living out the gospel daily. I have been so encouraged by your genuineness and desire in seeking to love and care for one another. Thank you for pointing me back to Christ when I fall short and showing me the love and care that I do not deserve. Continue to live a life that exemplifies Christ and show Christlike love to those around you. I am excited to continue to grow and serve alongside you all this coming year as I will be sticking around San Diego for at least another year! Let’s continue to run this race together for the Glory of God!

TIMOTHY, BS, Biochemistry and Cell Biology

I thank God greatly for His grace and providence in bringing me to this church. It has been nearly three years since I first visited LBC on September 27, 2015 as a freshman in college. Back then I was unsaved and utterly lost in my sins. It is no surprise that I came out that Sunday morning not out of a love for God and a desire to worship Him, but out of a self-righteous habit of attending church service.

Ever since then, God has worked wondrously in my life through the church. Not only did He save me through the gospel, but He has been molding me into the image of Christ in several ways. First, He has regularly nourished me with the Word preached by the elders and leaders at LBC. Their faithful exposition of the Bible has caused me to mature spiritually and to more wholly fix my hope and trust upon Christ and His promises. Second, I am constantly encouraged and at the same time humbled by the Christ-likeness I see exhibited, especially in your self-sacrificial love for one another. As I have come to spend time with you, I cannot measure the amount of time, love and encouragement you have given me and other brothers and sisters. Your love, in turn, reminds me of His ultimate love for us on the cross, and spurs me to more fully obey 1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” Third, I am so thankful how the church has equipped me to live a more faithful Christian life, not only through the preached Word, but also through exposing me to the wealth of Christian literature. I am particularly grateful for having been shown how to pursue the Christian disciplines based on what Paul says: “[D]iscipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8, NASB).

I have been blessed in so many other ways than those listed above. As He is the giver of all such grace, I praise Him and give Him thanks for what He has done and promises to do, not only in my own life, but in your lives as well. May we never grow complacent but say with Paul , “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NASB).

VICTOR, BS, Computer Science

Hello church family! I’m so thankful and blessed to have been able to attend Lighthouse during these past 3 years of college, and have been encouraged by the love that everyone shows towards each other in their desire to exemplify Christ. I’m grateful for the dedication of scripture-based teaching, and have been constantly challenged through the weekly sermons at College Life as well as Sunday service. I’m glad and excited to be around at least one more year, and am thankful to be part of the church body here in San Diego.

God Left Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

2 Chronicles 32:31

Hezekiah was growing so inwardly great, and priding himself so much upon the favour of God, that self-righteousness crept in, and through his carnal security, the grace of God was for a time, in its more active operations, withdrawn. Here is quite enough to account with the Babylonians; for if the grace of God should leave the best Christian, there is enough of sin in his heart to make him the worst of transgressors. If left to yourselves, you who are warmest for Christ would cool down like Laodicea into sickening lukewarmness: you who are sound in the faith would be white with the leprosy of false doctrine; you who now walk before the Lord in excellency and integrity would reel to and fro, and stagger with a drunkenness of evil passion. Like the moon, we borrow our light; bright as we are when grace shines on us, we are darkness itself when the Sun of Righteousness withdraws Himself.

Therefore let us cry to God never to leave us. ‘Lord, take not thy Holy Spirit from us! Withdraw not from us Thine indwelling grace! Hast Thou not said, ‘I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day’? Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when in the valley, that we murmur not against Thy humbling hand; keep us when on the mountain, that we wax not giddy through being lifted up; keep us in youth, when our passions are strong; keep us in old age, when becoming conceited of our wisdom, we may therefore prove greater fools than the young and giddy; keep us when we come to die, lest, at the very last, we should deny Thee! Keep us living, keep us dying, keep us labouring, keep us suffering, keep us fighting, keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need Thee, O our God!’

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In for the Long Haul

by Brian Wong

Imagine a seed being planted in the dirt and its becoming a full-sized tree. Now think about a candle burning down or a puddle on the cement evaporating. Do you see a pattern? Each of these things takes a lengthy amount of time for the process to actually finish, and if you were to observe them real-time, the changes would be so insignificant that you wouldn’t be able to perceive them. But when you want to imagine these examples, you would see these processes as a time lapse going much faster than what it would actually be. After all, who has time to actually sit there and watch a puddle evaporate from start to finish?

Though we can visualize a seed becoming a tree within only a few seconds, it would be absurd to expect this process to actually take as short as it could in our imagination. However, is it possible that we could have this kind of expectation when it comes to spiritual matters? Understandably so, I think many of us would rather be further sanctified and have people become saved sooner rather than later. Salvation and sanctification are good things, so what’s the hold-up? But does our desire for these things to happen according to our convenient timing reflect the actual reality of our Creator’s sovereign and wise plan for our good? In order to address this, let’s look at a practice that has been vital to human civilization’s development that is still relevant today: agriculture!

Scripture makes many references and comparisons of the Christian life to agrarian concepts: evangelism is described as planting seeds, trusting Christ as following a good shepherd, faithful witnesses as laborers in a harvest, and much more. I want to particularly bring your attention to what the Bible likens to fruit. Fruit is generally used to describe sanctification and the development of the heart in a way that is pleasing to God (Luke 6:43-45, Gal. 5:22-23, Phil. 1:9-11, Col. 1:9-10). Because this comparison is frequently found throughout the New Testament, it should prompt us to look deeper into why that is the case as well as the implications behind this imagery. Though many analogies fall short of explaining the full weight or significance of spiritual matters, they are still helpful in guiding our understanding of the subject. Thus, if we take a look at the characteristics of fruit, we can glean some helpful principles and ideas of sanctification and growth as a Christian.

Before a fruit can even form, a flower must be fertilized; in order for it to be fertilized, it must be pollinated; but before pollination, the flower must already be blossomed; but in order for a flower to blossom, the tree must already be pretty mature; and to get a tree to that level of maturity, you have to…

And you get the point. Before we even get to the formation of fruit, we’re looking at years of attention, work, and patience put into nurturing the tree. Even when fruit forms, it still needs time to ripen and mature. Don’t forget that during this process, the trees are also vulnerable to poor weather conditions, diseases, and pests! However, at that point, the most that we can do is to wait for the fruit to mature. There’s no special trick or technique that people can do to speed up this maturing process; nature has to simply run its course. While one of the main elements that is needed for a tree to mature and bear fruit is time, we can also play an important role in the early development of the tree by means of proper and consistent watering, weeding, and pruning.

So given what we know about fruit and trees, one of the biggest implications we can draw from this comparison is that sanctification is a marathon, not a sprint. We shouldn’t be expecting ourselves to grow into ripe fruit overnight, and we also shouldn’t hold that expectation on others. God has provided the means for us to grow if we are faithful in practicing them, such as spending time in the Word, in prayer, and involvement in the local church. Similarly as to how you cannot simply dump buckets of water onto a growing tree in one instance and then neglect it afterwards, we cannot only rely on dramatic changes (i.e. retreats, conferences, etc.). We must seek after daily faithfulness, understanding that God has not given us a lifetime supply of grace to portion, but we must ask for it daily (Matt. 6:9-13).

Going back to what I mentioned in the very beginning of this article, it is convenient and part of our natural inclination to want to fast-forward things that might seem mundane so that we can get straight to the results. We think that the processes of a tree growing, a candle burning, or a puddle evaporating aren’t valuable enough to pay attention to, and we’re fine with just taking a peek every now and then to see how much has changed since the last time we saw it. That’s fine and all, but beware of applying that type of thinking to spiritual matters, because God doesn’t see it that way.

If God wanted to zap our sin and our struggles with it away, he could. We’ve seen Jesus instantly wither a fig tree; so he can certainly bring forth mature fruit if he wanted to. But God gives us the comparison of living the Christian life to bearing fruit for a reason. He cares not simply for the maturity of the fruit, but for His people’s daily faithfulness in mundane things even if there might be no perceived results in their sight. We are called to walk by faith and not have our obedience dependent on what we can see around us; the aim isn’t just to bear fruit that we can point to and boast in, but to please Him who has bought us with a price (2 Cor. 5:6-9). Thus, we are to embrace this process of sanctification and diligently steward the means that God has given us to grow and obey Him, even if not much around us seems to change in the moment. Trust the process, because it’s God’s.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

This has been one of the biggest things I’ve come to learn from my first year of being on staff for the youth group. Initially, I felt like I wasn’t effective enough or mature enough to be able to lead my small group, since discussion times often consisted of one sentence answers and me trying to fill in as much of the awkward silence as possible. However, God has been gracious in using the messages to get them thinking more which manifests in what they share. I’ve learned to continue being faithful in guiding them in their understanding of the gospel week in and week out.

It reminded me of myself as a youth. Growing up, I attended youth group every Friday from 7th to 12th grade. We regularly learned about God and the Gospel through messages as well as small group with the staff members at my church. However, I wasn’t saved until late in high school. Even though it took years for me to become a Christian, my salvation would not have been possible without the willingness of the staff that walked alongside me the whole time. Similarly, it is my desire to walk alongside the youth in this way, and I’m just getting started!

A Theological Primer for Biblical Counseling: Sufficiency of Scripture

by Josh Liu

Every person (and counseling system) operates on a presupposed worldview. That set of beliefs form a system through which a person interprets his observations, thoughts, experiences, actions, feelings, past, values, problems, etc. Therefore, it is critical to establish or define the biblical counselor’s worldview—this series introduces the underlying theology that makes biblical counseling biblical.

Focusing on the fields of counseling and mental health, many cast doubts on the sufficiency of Scripture to provide understanding and true help. In particular, integrationists and/or Christian psychologists often either imply or directly state that secular theories and/or practices of psychology are necessary for counseling. In other words, it is argued that psychology offers what Scripture lacks in counseling, therapy, and help. Is Scripture insufficient to provide answers and help? We first briefly explain the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture, then apply it to the area of counseling and psychology.

Since the Word of God is divinely inspired and without error, it truly reveals God and guides man. Dr. James Mook describes the doctrine of the sufficiency of God’s Word as the following:

The Scriptures give man adequate information about the nature and will of God, and the nature of spiritual and physical realities. This assertion does not mean that God has revealed everything about Himself and everything He has created. But it does mean that God has revealed all that He deemed necessary to know about Him, His salvation, and His will for man and the rest of creation [Deut 29:29; John 20:30-31; 2 Pet 1:3-4]. [1]

Stated another way, the Westminster Confession states,

The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from scripture; unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men (1:6).

To put it succinctly, God has provided in His Word all that man needs to know, either by precept or principle. [2] While Scripture ultimately speaks about Christ and redemption (see Luke 24:27, 44), it includes all aspects of creation—history, science, health, relationships, emotions, etc. Scripture is direct revelation from God and is the authoritative source of truth (inspiration); it is completely without error (inerrant). It also provides all that man requires to know God and live for Him (sufficient). Thus, the Christian counselor is equipped by Scripture to understand man and respond to his problems; Scripture accurately and comprehensively teaches the biblical counselor about man, his problems, and the solutions. The biblical counselor (and Scripture) is not lacking such that other sources must be used (i.e., secular psychologies). John MacArthur expounds on Psalm 19:7-14, showing how “God’s Word is sufficient to meet every need of the human soul…” [3] Scripture is perfect, restoring the soul; trustworthy, imparting wisdom; right, causing joy; pure, enlightening the eyes; clean, enduring forever; true, altogether righteous.

By contrast, integrationists, broadly, adopt psychologies’ theories or paradigms and implement secular psychotherapy on the basis of the insufficiency of Scripture and the “scientific” claims in psychology. This results in potentially confusing and dangerous conclusions regarding the source of truth. For example, Gary Collins says, “All truth as God’s truth has equal warrant, whether truth from nature or Scripture. Therefore, the truths of psychology (general revelation) are neither contradictory nor contrary to revealed truth (special revelation) but are integrative in a harmonious whole.” [4]

Psychology may provide accurate observations about God’s creation. However, psychology is founded on an atheistic worldview. Its interpretations of its observations will be skewed. So, the Christian counselor is left with the following question: Is any scientific claim or observation from nature equal to the general revelation of God and, thus, appropriate to incorporate into counseling models? Biblical counselors would answer, “no.” General revelation is “the general (unrestricted), non-verbal disclosing of God’s existence and perfections (including His truth) to all people by means of nature, conscience, and history.” [5] For example, Psalm 19 begins with, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God…” and Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” In other words, general revelation always relates to God. Psychology is fundamentally atheistic—attempting to remove God. Moreover, psychology is not unbiased, pure, or amoral; it is observations interpreted by depraved persons (see 1 Cor 2:6-16; Acts 14:8-18). Psychology and Scripture, then, are paradigmatically opposed to one another. There are important differences between general revelation and scientific claims. Scientific claims can be accurate and significant since Scripture does not provide comprehensive information about all things. For example, Scripture records the presence of diseases (see Mat. 4:23), yet it is not a medical textbook on diseases; (medical) science can provide accurate information concerning true diseases. However, scientific claims are insufficient to position psychology as co-authoritative with Scripture in counseling. Scripture identifies man’s true problem (his spiritual condition) and provides true help. Scripture is totally sufficient to understand man and creation, God’s purposes, and man’s responsibilities.

 

[1] James Mook, “Theology 1: Section 2: Bibliology, Part 4: Revelation Distinguished from Other Doctrines,” (Lecture, The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA, Summer 2014), 79.

[2] Ernie Baker, “Introduction to Biblical Counseling,” (lecture, MABC SIP, Santa Clarita, CA, July 14, 2011).

[3] John MacArthur, “The Sufficiency of Scripture,” The Master’s Seminary Journal 15, no. 2 (Fall 2004): 165 [https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj15g.pdf].

[4] Quoted by Jeffery Forrey, “Where Do We Find Truth?” Scripture and Counseling, edited by Bob Kellemen and Jeff Forrey (Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2014), 71.

[5] James Mook, “Theology 1: Section 2: Bibliology, Part 1: General/Natural Revelation,” (Lecture, The Master’s Seminary, Sun Valley, CA, Summer 2014), 33.

Them Also Which Sleep In Jesus Will God Bring With Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

1 Thessalonians 4:14

Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. ‘Today shalt thou be with me in paradise,’ is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They ‘sleep in Jesus,’ but their souls are before the throne of God, praising Him day and night in His temple, singing hallelujahs to Him who washed them from their sins in His blood. The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass. But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is ‘rest,’ and that is the thought which the Spirit of God would convey to us. Sleep makes each night a Sabbath for the day. Sleep shuts fast the door of the soul, and bids all intruders tarry for a while, that the life within may enter its summer garden of ease. The toil-worn believer quietly sleeps, as does the weary child when it slumbers on its mother’s breast.

Oh! happy they who die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. Their quiet repose shall never be broken until God shall rouse them to give them their full reward. Guarded by angel watchers, curtained by eternal mysteries, they sleep on, the heritors of glory, till the fulness of time shall bring the fulness of redemption. What an awaking shall be theirs! They were laid in their last resting place, weary and worn, but such they shall not rise. They went to their rest with the furrowed brow, and the wasted features, but they wake up in beauty and glory. The shrivelled seed, so destitute of form and comeliness, rises from the dust a beauteous flower. The winter of the grave gives way to the spring of redemption and the summer of glory. Blessed is death, since it, through the divine power, disrobes us of this work-day garment, to clothe us with the wedding garment of incorruption. Blessed are those who ‘sleep in Jesus.’

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Weekly Links (5/4/2018)

by Stephen Rodgers

We’ll keep it short and sweet today. That being said, there appears to be some nifty stuff.

  • Jonathan Edwards: America’s Genius by Christian Timothy George (free audiobook) – The free book of the month from christianaudio.com is a biography of Jonathan Edwards. This book is part of the “Trailblazers” series, which I believe are biographies from church history aimed at younger readers. That being said, it’s still 2-3 hours of material, so unless you’re already an expert on Edwards, you could probably benefit from this.
  • Four Views on the Warning Passages in Hebrews by Herbert W. Bateman IV (free Logos book) – If you’re the kind of person who collects Logos materials, then this is probably right up your alley. Otherwise…probably not so much.
  • “Hope and Disappointment” (May 2018 Tabletalk) – I’m starting to repeat myself here, but Tabletalk really is an incredible resource. If you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the time. There’s not a bad place to start.
  • 9Marks Journal – Also, it appears as if the 9Marks Journal has undergone a bit of re-branding and reorganization. If you’ve enjoyed their material in the past and haven’t taken a look lately, you might want to see what they’ve got.

That’s it! See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

A God-Honoring Hate

by Pastor Patrick Cho

When I was a young kid, I remember my teachers telling me that “hate” was a bad word. Whenever the word would slip off of my tongue, I would hear a chorus of “Oohs!” from my friends and see a bunch of pointed fingers indicating that I would soon be in trouble, even after saying something innocuous like, “I hate eggplant.” Teachers would tell me that a better term was “dislike” – I dislike eggplant.

Certainly there is a sinful type of hatred. Titus 3:3 states that before we were shown the kindness of God and His salvation, we were appropriately described as “hateful, hating one another.” This kind of hate is antithetical to the Great Commandment we are given by Christ to love one another (John 13:34). Sinful hatred is ultimately oriented around self. You hate something or someone because of how it offends or disgusts you. This is the kind of hatred we are called to put off as believers.

But there is also a kind of hatred that is encouraged in Scripture, a God-honoring hate. Perhaps this notion rubs us the wrong way as believers because Christians are supposed to be known by their love (cf. John 13:35). Obviously a God-honoring hatred is not oriented around self but is oriented around God. It hates what is sinful and offends God because it is sinful and offends God.

Have you ever considered that God is a hateful God? Deuteronomy 12:31 warns the Israelites against behaving like the surrounding idolatrous nations because the Lord hates what they do for their gods (cf. Deut. 16:22). Psalm 5:5-6 communicates this truth in stronger terms as the psalmist declares, “You hate all who do iniquity” (cf. Ps. 11:5). God indeed hates sin, but the Scriptures also testify that the sinner who persists in his sin with unrepentance is the object of God’s hatred as well. God abhors sin.

This is why the Scriptures support the idea of hating what God hates. Consider Psalm 26:5, which states, “I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked,” or Psalm 31:6, “I hate those who regard vain idols, but I trust in the LORD.” After thinking on the greatness of God’s understanding and knowledge, David concludes, “Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD?” He says he hates them with the utmost hatred (Ps. 139:21-22). The Scriptures even command “Hate evil, you who love the LORD” (Ps. 97:10).

Christians need to exercise caution because God-honoring hatred (hating what God hates because He hates it) can easily morph into sinful hatred. We are naturally inclined to orient our thinking around ourselves. It is easy to speak of our hatred of sin in a way that glorifies ourselves by highlighting our own piety. We need the Spirit’s guidance and conviction to lead our hearts to hate sin in a God-honoring way.

Of course, the Word of God also emphasizes the principle of love. We are called to love our brothers and sisters in the church (1 John 4:7). We are called to love our neighbors (Matt. 22:39). We are even called to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43). As believers in Christ, we are to be known for our love (John 13:35). How does this coincide with all these passages about hate? The difference seems to lie in one’s emphasis or focus. In as much as a person persists in unrepentant rebellion against God and is offensive to His holiness, God views that person and his sin as abhorrent. My hope and prayer, however, must be that they would turn from their sin and repent of their rebellion so that not only would they be forgiven of their sin but also no longer remain as objects of His hatred. Loving one’s enemies obviously does not mean condoning their sin. That is sin that God hates.

Why all this talk of hate? Because we realize that our struggle with sin comes down to the affections of our hearts. We love it, but we need to love the Lord. In the fight against sin, we need to cultivate a profound and overflowing love for the Lord such that there are no competing loves. But commensurate with cultivating a love for the Lord, we can also develop a healthy, biblical hatred towards our sin. Make God the object of your love, and make sin the object of your hatred. Hate the thing that seeks to destroy you, your family, and your testimony. Hate the thing that is stealing your heart away from the One you love most.

God’s Wisdom for Parenting (Part 6)

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.

Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored. (Proverbs 13:18)

Once again, the author of Proverbs returns to the theme of discipline. While this passage is not addressing parents or children specifically, its principle is surely applicable. Other proverbs focus on the folly of disregarding discipline. This verse emphasizes the consequences of turning away from it. It is important to note that the idea behind the word discipline is instruction. In this context, it is more than just corrective or punitive. As it relates to parenting, we must remember that the goal of Christian parenting is to implement discipline that is formative. We are not simply after behavioral change. We want to help our children to think with godly wisdom so that it affects their behavior.

To neglect discipline is essentially to have an unteachable heart. The word for neglect is translated from a verb that means “to let go or loose.” This is the same word used in Proverbs 1:25 where the author confronts his son for neglecting all his counsel. When godly wisdom is passed down from one generation to the next, children are warned not to let it slip through their fingers.

Instead, the one who is wise “regards reproof.” They not only hear it, but heed it and keep it. This is not just giving assent to it but also practicing what is taught because you recognize it as sound counsel. It is one thing for my child to do what I say. It is another for them to understand why it is for their good regardless of what their own heart’s desire. No one likes to be reproved or corrected, but a person recognizes it is lifegiving when they understand that it is what they need most in the moment.

It requires humility and teachability to welcome reproof and to heed it. The verse says that the one who regards it will be honored. “Honored” comes from a word that has the idea of heaviness, weightiness, or muchness. The noun form of this word is translated “glory.” There is significant substance to a person who is teachable and he is worth emulating. Parents need to help children understand the wisdom in this. The world promotes this idea that standing for yourself is what gives you substance. The Bible teaches that it actually comes from listening to wise counsel.

But Aaron’s Rod Swallowed Up Their Rods

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Exodus 7:12

This incident is an instructive emblem of the sure victory of the divine handiwork over all opposition. Whenever a divine principle is cast into the heart, though the devil may fashion a counterfeit, and produce swarms of opponents, as sure as ever God is in the work, it will swallow up all its foes. If God’s grace takes possession of a man, the world’s magicians may throw down all their rods; and every rod may be as cunning and poisonous as a serpent, but Aaron’s rod will swallow up their rods.

The sweet attractions of the cross will woo and win the man’s heart, and he who lived only for this deceitful earth will now have an eye for the upper spheres, and a wing to mount into celestial heights. When grace has won the day the worldling seeks the world to come. The same fact is to be observed in the life of the believer. What multitudes of foes has our faith had to meet! Our old sins-the devil threw them down before us, and they turned to serpents. What hosts of them! Ah, but the cross of Jesus destroys them all. Faith in Christ makes short work of all our sins. Then the devil has launched forth another host of serpents in the form of worldly trials, temptations, unbelief; but faith in Jesus is more than a match for them, and overcomes them all. The same absorbing principle shines in the faithful service of God! With an enthusiastic love for Jesus difficulties are surmounted, sacrifices become pleasures, sufferings are honours.

But if religion is thus a consuming passion in the heart, then it follows that there are many persons who profess religion but have it not; for what they have will not bear this test. Examine yourself, my reader, on this point. Aaron’s rod proved its heaven-given power. Is your religion doing so? If Christ be anything He must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be the master passions of your soul!

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Looking Unto Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Hebrews 12:2

It is ever the Holy Spirit’s work to turn our eyes away from self to Jesus; but Satan’s work is just the opposite of this, for he is constantly trying to make us regard ourselves instead of Christ. He insinuates, ‘Your sins are too great for pardon; you have no faith; you do not repent enough; you will never be able to continue to the end; you have not the joy of His children; you have such a wavering hold of Jesus.’ All these are thoughts about self, and we shall never find comfort or assurance by looking within. But the Holy Spirit turns our eyes entirely away from self: He tells us that we are nothing, but that ‘Christ is all in all.’ Remember, therefore, it is not thy hold of Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee-it is Christ; it is not even faith in Christ, though that be the instrument-it is Christ’s blood and merits; therefore, look not so much to thy hand with which thou art grasping Christ, as to Christ; look not to thy hope, but to Jesus, the source of thy hope; look not to thy faith, but to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith.

We shall never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our doings, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to the soul. If we would at once overcome Satan and have peace with God, it must be by ‘looking unto Jesus.’ Keep thine eye simply on Him; let His death, His sufferings, His merits, His glories, His intercession, be fresh upon thy mind; when thou wakest in the morning look to Him; when thou liest down at night look to Him. Oh! let not thy hopes or fears come between thee and Jesus; follow hard after Him, and He will never fail thee.

‘My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesu’s blood and righteousness:
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesu’s name.’

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