by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC Family!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #60
Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination.

Feelings are quite fickle. They come and go without warning and often times are the basis upon which we make decisions and lead to outcomes that are often regrettable. Why is this so? We have a very strong tendency to go with our emotional state and forego the idea of subjecting ourselves to “the strictest examination” because we don’t want to be bothered with truth principles. We want to satisfy our desires and cravings immediately. That’s why we are cautioned from making rash decisions that are void of careful prayer and consideration because we will start a course of action that can lead to consequences that are impossible to reverse.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his work “Spiritual Depression” warns against leading with the emotions as the basis for our decisions. Our emotions are not a reliable gauge to make wise decisions. We have to go back to the Word of God and have the truth of God by the Spirit of God transform our minds so that we could discern what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable and perfect. We need to start with the mind so that truth would provide the foundation for the proper heart motives and desires to be cultivated which would then lead to true obedience out of love for God.

Psalm 19:7-11 describes the Word of God in ways that show how relevant it is to our lives. It is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, true and righteous. It revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, and endures forever. It is to be desired more than fine gold and it is sweeter than honey. But verse 11 provides the key that helps us particularly when it comes to dealing with our feelings. God’s Word warns us and if we keep God’s Word, there is great reward. Why do we need to be warned? All too often our feelings lead us astray. We need a warning system that not only points out what is wrong with how we are living, but provides a corrective system that points us the right way.

So how are we to strictly examine ourselves when we see our feelings to be the least bit out of order or whether we feel uneasy inside or sense that something is wrong around us? We should examine ourselves according to God’s Word. Ask yourselves if you really have a biblical foundation for your decisions. Too many people are quick to be critical of other people’s decisions, but they fail to recognize the lack of a biblical basis for their own response. It is very ironic how those who are critical of others being unbiblical are unbiblical in the very way they go about responding to conflict and various situations. So we need to be careful in examining ourselves to see if we are consistent with what we say we believe.

We should go to the Word of God and have it be the final authority in teaching us, reproving us, correcting us, and training us so that we may be adequately equipped (2 Timothy 3:16-17), especially to deal with the turbulent and unpredictable emotions that come our way. We are not left to ourselves but we must prepare ourselves to fight the temptation of emotionalism that distracts us from being grounded in the truth. Feelings are not necessarily a bad thing in themselves, but if they lead the way, we will quickly find ourselves in places that will not be too helpful.

So consider again the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards and be resolved to deal with your life in light of God’s truth to His glory.

Until the whole world hears!
Pastor John

Announcements for this week:

• Friday Night Bible studies continue: Youth (7pm in Room 107) and Single Life (7pm in the Sanctuary). College Life has their Winter Retreat this weekend – pray for them!
• LBC Facilities Work Day. 2/27 from 9am-5pm. Come and help maintain the church facilities. We will be putting up some shelves, putting in some carpet and doing lots of painting. If you don’t know how to do some of these things, we are willing to teach you the necessary skills to help. Please talk to Thomas Fong for more details.
• Pray for Pastor Jorge’s family as they have been delayed in Buenos Aires due to some documentation issues. We hope that they will be able to depart Saturday evening and arrive this Sunday.
• Prepare your hearts for this Sunday as we go through John 9. Take time to read the whole chapter several times to become familiar with the text.
• There will be no regular Sunday School classes for the adults this Sunday due to the College Retreat. In its place we will be having a Question/Answer session in the Sanctuary. You can submit your Bible/theological questions via e-mail ahead of time to Pastor John (pastorjohnkimlbc@gmail.com) or bring them Sunday.
• The San Jose Church Plant Team will be meeting this Sunday from 3-6pm in Room 107.
• Argentina Team Reunion Potluck! This Sunday evening at 6pm, we would like all those who were a part of the Argentina missions teams (both home and away) to come and welcome Pastor Jorge’s family. We will be having a dinner potluck so please bring either main dishes, side dishes, or desserts. Drinks will already be provided. Please e-mail Pastor John to confirm that you will be coming as well as what
  you plan to bring.
• Shepherds Conference next week! If you are attending the Shepherds Conference next week, please make sure you communicate with Peter Lim to finalize travel and lodging plans.

by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC Family!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #59
Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times.

*It has been over a year since I last wrote on Jonathan Edwards Resolutions so I am going to do my best to finish them off (there are 70 total) before I leave. So we are picking back up with Resolution #59.

There are times when people or circumstances might provoke us to anger or just a bad mood as people can often say things or do things that are not very encouraging. Sarcastic comments, biting remarks, blatant disregard, can rile up a person quickly. As parents we can let the disobedience of our children draw us into anger. In marriage, the expectations that have gone unmet can result in disappointment that degenerates into frustration and impatience. Friends sometimes say things that completely throw you for a loop and it ruins our day. But here is where we must always remember we have a choice – we are never forced into anger or forced into a bad mood. Yes, our emotions might not always be in line with how we know we should act, but we must again remember that it is acting upon what we know to be true that we must start with the truth engaging our mind and through the power of the Holy Spirit, provide the right motives and desires that would drive our obedience before God to truly be genuine and honoring before Him. That’s why Edwards even makes the comment that while we might feel it is disadvantageous to choose to act in a “good-naturedly” way, maybe seem even imprudent, he would rather strive to FEEL and ACT in such a way at those times to manifest good nature.

A good nature can only be truly good if God is at the center of it. God is good – His goodness must be the basis for any kind of goodness that I would manifest or it would not glorify God. That’s why we must be slow to anger (James 1:19-20) because the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

We also need to remember that we can’t simply “psych” ourselves up to feel better. The only way to feel and act in a good way is to do so with the truth of God guiding us through the power of the Holy Spirit. We must submit our mind, heart, and will to the Spirit of God by being willed with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) so that our response to provocation would be an authentic Spirit-filled act that brings glory to God. It definitely is not a convenient or easy thing to do but one that would not only manifest the love of Christ (love is patient and kind – 1 Corinthians 13:4), but it would definitely defuse many a
volatile situation and bring peace.

So my prayer is this week that you would meditate on this thought and consider how you will respond differently when provoked to anger – see it as an opportunity to share the love of Christ!

Until the whole world hears!
Pastor John

Announcements for this week:

1. Friday Night Bible studies continue: Youth (7pm in Room 107), College Life at UCSD (7pm), Single Life (7pm in the sanctuary – elder Peter Lim speaking this Friday!)
2. Pray for Mike Hasegawa and Jennifer Shin as they get married this Saturday!
3. Prepare your hearts for this Sunday as we go through John 8. Take time to read the whole chapter several times to become familiar with the text.
4. Sunday School classes continue this Sunday during 2nd hour. If you have not chosen a class to attend, start this Sunday!
5. Baptism Service this Sunday (Feb 21) at 6pm. Come out and witness the testimonies of those who will be confessing their faith in Christ. It is a wonderful time to celebrate what God has done to save His people.
6. Be in prayer for Pastor Jorge, Norma, and Josue as they travel from Tucuman, Argentina to spend a few weeks with our church family starting February 26 (Friday). There will be more information given this Sunday as to how you can contribute to covering the costs for their visit as we are investing in their family to attend the Shepherds Conference as well as to minister to our church family. There will also be opportunities to host their family for meals so stay tuned!

by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC family!

I hope that you are having a wonderful week in the Lord. Were it not for the mercies of our God, we would have have no hope. But because of the cross, we have the hope that endures and gives us reason to persevere in the midst of trial and difficulty. Some people might ask, “Why do the messages sometimes at Lighthouse seem so hardcore?” It is because the truth is hardcore and even when Jesus preached it, many rejected it because it was “too difficult to accept”, just as we saw in John 6 this past Sunday. I admit that sometimes I need to watch my tone so it doesn’t mislead people into looking at me instead of the message. But I hope that despite how others might respond, even if it is not in the best way, that YOU would prayerfully respond as I have asked you to pray for both the sermon preparation, the sermon delivery, and the sermon reception. It really will depend on how you are walking in the Spirit so that you would be able to have a heart attitude that looks beyond the externals and be drawn to the truth in such a way that brings glory to God. This is my prayer for you all.

I also wanted to draw your attention to the online Beacon as articles are going up almost daily and there is such a variety of entries that will help both introduce you to the ministries of the church as well as introduce you to what people are learning. So go to http://www.lighthousebc.com/beacon/ and take a look at it regularly and be encouraged by how many are contributing to this great resource.

I would also like to remind those who have signed up for the Introduction to Presuppositional Apologetics class with Stephen Rodgers to please e-mail him ASAP as Stephen will forward the materials that you will need for the class. He has written a wonderful manual that will provide a great resource for this class. As he will be away for the next two Sundays, I will be filling in for him and after the college retreat (the last weekend of February), he will be back and continuing the rest of the term. So PLEASE e-mail Stephen NOW (his email is available on the syllabus and in the members directory), and get your resources!

One more reminder to the Grace Life fellowship for the Marriage/Parenting Table Talk Sunday School class that will be starting up on March 7. I sent out an e-mail yesterday but have only heard from one person so please take a moment to respond and let me know what topics you would like to discuss during those classes.

Don’t forget the Bible studies taking place this week on Friday!

A few reminders for other events as well:

1. Membership Class this Sat/Sun – Sat from 9am-12pm at the church and Sun from 1:30-4:30pm at the church as well. Please bring a Bible, pen, and a ready heart to learn.
2. Baptism Class will be on Tuesday, Feb 16 at 7pm at the church. If you have not yet been baptized, please consider attending the class. The baptism service will be held on Sunday, Feb 21 at the church at 6pm.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Until the whole world hears,
Pastor John

by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC family!

I hope that you are having a wonderful week in the Lord and that you are growing in the grace and truth that you have been given. Just wanted to send a few reminders and updates about what is going on at Lighthouse.

1. Grace Life – Just a reminder to all the ladies that there is NO meeting tonight as it is an off week.
2. Grace Life – the activity that was originally scheduled for this Saturday at the park has been cancelled.
3. Friday Bible studies will be held this Friday. Youth at 7pm, College at 7pm at UCSD, and Singles at 7pm in the sanctuary.
4. Members Meeting this Sunday, January 31 at 4:45pm. All members are asked to attend. Dinner will be provided!
5. Single Life – MAN 2010 is coming! Sign up this weekend!
6. College Life Winter Retreat early bird signups end February 7. Signup with Randy Tsuchiyama or Ryan Short. Early bird price is $120, after February 7 it will go up to $135.
7. Super Bowl Potluck Party on Sunday, February 7 at the home of Peter and Jinny Lim. It will start at 3pm – please bring a dish to share – all are welcome, even if you are not into football.

This Sunday’s sermon will be on John chapter 5 so it you would like to start preparing to hear the message (think delicious portion of Scripture), you can start reading the whole chapter as we will be discussing the authority of Jesus.

I have been greatly encouraged to hear from many of you that you have been taking to heart the exhortation to prepare for the hearing of God’s Word as well as to pray for me in my sermon preparation. I am hopeful that you will truly grow and be challenged in your walk with God to mature and become more useful for the sake of the Kingdom. For those who were not hear to hear the messages on “How to Go to Church”, go to the website and download the two messages from January 10 and January 17.

For those who were not here this past Sunday, we went over the State of the Church address and I presented the theme for the year “Until the Whole World Hears” as we prepare for the San Jose church plant. If you were not here this past Sunday, I would encourage you to download that message as well so that you can be on the same page with everyone as we seek God’s direction and guidance in moving forward to a year that will be filled with a lot of transitions and change.

Lastly, I would like to give a plug for our online newsletter, the Beacon. The staff has been working hard to have weekly articles posted and I think it would be a great source of encouragement as well as
learning if you take advantage of it. So head over to http://www.lighthousebc.com/beacon/ and check it out!

Have a wonderful rest of the week and I look forward to seeing you all this weekend!

Until the whole world hears,
Pastor John

by Moon Choi

On January 25, 2009, Pastor John ended his sermon titled, “Make Disciples and God Plant a Church!” with a statement foreshadowing big news that would be broken at the members meeting later that evening. “It could be life altering for some,” he said before ending in prayer.

There was a lot of excitement and anticipation after the service ended. Some may have had no idea what he was talking about – others had heard things on the down low and made guesses. Whatever people’s knowledge of the situation was, they came with high energy to the members meeting, awaiting the potentially life altering announcement.

The meeting began with a very sober tone. But soon after, Pastor John made the announcement that the elders had decided during their retreat to pursue a church plant in San Jose. The announcement was met with loud cheers. A good number of members are originally from the San Jose area and some old members have moved back there but have had trouble finding a solid, Bible preaching church. “We have always considered the possibility of northern California,” Pastor John said. “But we were also considering other areas like Seattle or other major metropolitan areas.” He went on to mention that the elders felt as though it was finally time to act on our vision statement to plant churches.

There were a number of events and factors that culminated in the unanimous decision at the elders retreat. Mike Chon mentioned that while Pastor John took his leave of absence, Pastor Patrick was able to fulfill the role of senior pastor, giving him confidence in seeing him in that role indefinitely. Though you may think their discussion at the retreat was long and intense, Mike Chon said with a laugh that it was like a 20 minute discussion. Across the board, everyone had agreed that this was the proper course of action.

Even Peter Lim, the “voice of reason” among the elders, agreed. “As our church was approaching our 10 year anniversary, the elders were evaluating how well we had been doing on our MVP statement,” he said. They thought that the strongest area was the mission – making disciples with many people coming to know Christ in the past 10 years. The passion, to love God and people, was a weaker area within the church, resulting in 2009’s theme of “For the Love of Christ.” As for the vision, it had been carried out through short term missions to the Czech Republic and to Argentina which Peter said was “understandable for a church in its infancy” but said that they wanted to take a major step forward and actually plant.

Several different locations were in consideration. Pastor Patrick said that previously, they had tossed around the idea of Los Angeles, Seattle, even overseas to the Czech Republic or Argentina but that “these were just thoughts.” He had a feeling that once Pastor John came back from his leave of absence that he would want to plant a church. “By this time, I had figured it was a real possibility so I had already thought through it and prayed about it quite a bit,” he said. Then when Pastor John brought it up, they were able to talk about it. Though Pastor Patrick and Christine were willing to go, after talking to Pastor John, it just made more sense for Pastor John to go, as he was the visionary who kept moving forward and Pastor Patrick was fit to keep a programming running once it got started. “I know this is an overgeneralization, but it’s all to say that it made sense,” he said.

When Pastor John went to San Jose recently to speak at a college/singles conference, an arrangement that had been set up a year in advance, he realized that there weren’t many like-minded churches there, making it difficult for former Lighthouse members to receive the same teaching that they did in San Diego. There was a New Years potluck party with former and present Lighthouse members and people kept on asking whether they were going to plant a church in San Jose. “I could only reply that we needed to pray about it and that we were very hopefully in considering the possibility soon. I had also talked with my wife Angela as well as the kids to see if they would be supportive of the move.” This was a difficult decision, as their extended family was in San Diego, but regardless Pastor John’s family was excited.

As for the announcement of the church plant, Pastor John gave his perspective:

“I remember I was actually quite nervous as there were some other issues to address that were kind of a serious nature. But when it came time to actually share that we would plant a church, it almost became kind of like a movie scene and it felt really strange, almost a surreal kind of feeling that something very monumental was going to take place. So I gave the announcement and there were cheers from our congregation, probably the NorCal members being the most excited. But since I had kind of given a little preview in the morning service, there was actually quite a bit of anticipation and so it was really an exciting moment in our church’s history.”

Plans are moving forward. There have already been two interest meetings with more people than Pastor John had expected. Things are still in the preliminary planning stages as Pastor John has yet to become familiar with San Jose geography. During the second interest meeting on February 19, Pastor John asked a series of questions geared to get the minds focused on the purpose of the church plant. He emphasized that this church plant wasn’t an end to itself—rather, he looked to San Jose as a launching point for another church plant. He said that he didn’t want the next church plant to take 10 years. He called this a reproducing model, with a church being planted, growing as a baby would, then maturing, then reproducing. “Church planting is future-oriented with a multi-generational mindset,” he said. He pointed to Paul’s example and how missions was primarily planting churches. It’s a New Testament pattern, he said. Those who question church planting are questioning the New Testament. Before launching into his series of questions, Pastor John laid this principle down: “We’re going because we want to establish God’s redemptive plan.”

Among Pastor John’s series of questions, he asked for the number of the unsaved in San Jose. There was a silence before someone responded, “A big number.” He acknowledged that before asking if San Jose could use another church, though there were already churches there. He made it clear that it wasn’t about stealing sheep from other churches or even asking why we should plant a church if there were already churches there, he explained. As long as there are non-believers, we need to go because “there are people dying today who need to know the gospel.”

There were other questions but he prevalent theme of all of the questions and answers was trusting in God and praying desperately. Pastor John mentioned the early days of Lighthouse and said that there was a lot more prayer because everyone was desperate. There was even a fasting and prayer chain so that someone would be fasting and praying 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There was a desparate need to trust in God. Then he pointed that out that we still need to be desperate, all the time, because we are always completely dependent on God.

Toward the end of the meeting, Pastor John talked about how we can prepare for the plant. He asked the group how they could personally prepare. Response included continually growing, praying fervently, practicing evangelism, and loving the people here at Lighthouse. However, these weren’t just things for the goers to prepare for – Pastor John mentioned that the maintainers, the people who will remain at LBCSD, will also have to step it up. Peter Lim expressed this concern, “The more important question centered around the people who might be involved in actually leaving San Diego for this church plant and whether our church in San Diego would be strong enough to send out some people who were majorly involved in San Diego.” This was a point that Pastor John touched upon many times and even said that some of those who may be considering going may actually be called to be a maintainer.

We as Christians should all be striving to grow, to step it up in the local church, to be practicing a lifestyle of evangelism and simply loving others as Christ loves us. Pastor Patrick said, “Chris Mueller and I were talking at the recent college retreat about how much we would miss John. But it’s not like with other church situations where this is a bad break up. It would be wrong to even call it a split. This church planting effort would be the church working together to fulfill the Great Commission God’s way, through the vehicle of church planting. I’m excited to be a part of this and hope God will grant us success as He did when we first planted Lighthouse in San Diego.” This plant will require a high level of commitment. Pastor John firmly said at the end of the interest meeting that people will have to commit sooner or later and that the elders were looking for a group of people fully committed by this summer.

As for the actual plant itself, Pastor John is looking to early summer of 2010. He joked, saying that perhaps they will have a U-Haul at Jenna’s graduation with a banner on it that read, “Congratulations!”

PRAYER REQUESTS

It’ll only be by God’s grace that this church plant is successful. As Pastor John mentioned, we should always be in desperate prayer. This church plant is no different. Please pray for the following:

• Spiritual growth and maturity for those who go
• A willingness to be sacrificial, work to the point of exhaustion, and love God and people fervently from the heart.
• That we would establish firm convictions regarding what a church looks like according to Scripture.
• That we would all be prayerful.
• For the San Diego home base to be supportive and willing to sacrificially invest in the San Jose plant.
• That we would continue to be devoted to taking a stand on God’s word and to actively share the love of Christ.
• That we find a good site that would be centrally located in San Jose between universities and neighborhoods that would create a true sense of community.

by Pastor John Kim

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #58
Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. (May 27, and July 13, 1723)

Conversations. Talks. Social networking. “Fellowship” and “sharing” at church. Lunch time with the co-workers. Late night chats with friends. All these and more take place throughout the day with family, friends, classmates, roommates, and a host of others within our circle of relationships and there is a lot that gets communicated beyond just words. Our tone, our facial expressions, and all the other non-verbal cues that accompany our speech will often betray a message that is much more clear than the sentences we use.

The Scriptures are clear that what we say matters to God. It matters what we say and how we say it because we convey agendas to people that expose our heart intentions and judgments toward others or about others.

Ephesians 4:29 states, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” I think it is very important that we take time to see what happens during our conversations. If we were to be gauged and evaluated as to each conversation we have with people, would it show that we don’t like certain people? Do we show that we are anxious or stressed about situations? Do we get angry to the point where people have no doubt as to our emotional state because the words and expressions are so fiery that there is stream streaming out of the nostrils and ears.

Matthew 15:18-19
18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

The Scriptures show that the words that come out of our mouths are directly connected to the spiritual condition of our hearts and if our hearts are filled with a lack of love for people, anxiety, or anger, it will reveal itself through our words. Conversely, if we are walking in the Spirit, we will exhibit through our words an attitude of love, cheerfulness, and instead of being harmful, we will be a blessing. We will show grace to those who are in need of a timely word. We will be patient when someone wrongs us with an unjust accusation or a sarcastic comment. We will not allow circumstances to rob us of our joy. Sounds easy but it actually is impossible if the Holy Spirit is not empowering you from the heart. Ugly things can come out of our mouths but all that shows is the ugliness within our hearts.

Jonathan Edwards was resolved to walk in the Spirit and to fulfill the Word of God by submitting every conversation to the Lordship of Christ. You can see it in his writings – he was completely consumed with how the glory of God related to all things that he studied.

May the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be pleasing to our Lord and be a blessing to those around us.

In His grace,
Pastor John

by Pastor John Kim

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #57
Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin. (June 9, and July 13 1723)

When life throws us a curveball and takes our MS Outlook planned schedule and turns it all upside down, many can’t help but react with anger, frustration, anxiety, and a sense of uncertainty because it feels like we are not in control. The truth is that we really do not have much control, if any at all, over the circumstances around us, whether it be through relationships or through events. But the one thing that we do have some measure of control is how we respond to adversity and misfortune. As Jonathan Edwards points out there, his responsibility is to examine whether he has done his duty and to accept the events that come as God’s providential order. The other aspect that he is concerned about is a sinful response. Oftentimes we justify having a sinful attitude because we feel that the circumstances have caused us to have a sinful attitude, when in fact sin is always a choice. No one makes you sin, just as no one makes you angry. You have a choice to be angry. You don’t have to be angry. You can choose to be anxious. You don’t have to be anxious. This is not to say it is easy to not be anxious. It is a tremendous challenge to choose to be at peace amidst circumstances that are trying. Yet James 1:2 is very specific and clear regarding the choice we should make.

James 1:2-4 (ESV)
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It’s not IF we encounter various trials but WHEN we encounter various trials that we must consider it all joy. There is a God-ordained purpose in our trials – it is to produce endurance. Without endurance we will surely fall to temptation and struggles too easily and so we must build a sense of perseverance that only comes as we are trained or disciplined through hardships.

Our duty and responsibility is to choose to have attitudes and act out in such a way that is worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1) and particularly when we are being tested through misfortune and adversity. Just like Job, can we follow in his example in response to the tidal wave of misfortune that caused him to lose everything within a span of minutes?

Job 1:20-22 (ESV)
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” 22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

It is a tough path to walk but it is possible when we choose to rest in the sovereignty of God and trust that in His loving grace and mercy He will accomplish His good purposes that we have yet to see or understand but that our responsibility is to act in such a way that shows our reliance on His grace and to not sin or charge God with wrong when we go through difficult times.

I can tell you that this is not an easy choice to make. There have been too many occasions where I have struggled greatly with making a choice not to sin or blame God when things are not going well. Even this past week there have been tests to my faith that are difficult to swallow because they involve people and situations that are very delicate and sensitive and it seems like the outcome is going to be pain and hurt, possibly even people leaving the church. But that is where we trust in God and our duty is to respond with a loving submission that obeys the Lord in choosing to act with godly character and humility in righteousness.

Let us follow Jonathan Edwards in his resolutions to pursue holiness in every aspect of life, even in response to trials. Trials are going to come and we must be prepared with an attitude that chooses God over circumstances.

In His grace,
Pastor John

by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC family and friends,

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #56
Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

The pursuit of holiness is a relentless path in fighting sin and the propensity to be given over to our sinful desires on a daily basis. There are good days when we feel that we are disciplined for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7-8) and then there are days when it seems that we are completely given over to the dark side and we wonder if we will ever have victory over sin in our lives. Jonathan Edwards recognized early on that the battle would not be over quickly as there would be days where he would be unsuccessful but the resolve was to never give up, to never slacken the fight against sin, the fight to pursue holiness and to practice godliness.

There are days when it is tempting to look at those who are of the world and as they seem to be enjoying themselves in their self-centered pursuit of pleasure even at the cost of sin, we need to be reminded that there are many who are reveling in their lusts and indulging in sins of the flesh and eyes and pride of life (1 John 2:15-17) but it will only incur the wrath of God. There are going to be consequences for sinning willfully and recklessly against a holy God, particularly when He has shown His grace through the gift of His Son. That’s why as believers our only hope is in the cross, that Jesus took our place and that He became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone has secured our salvation through the substitutionary atonement of Christ and our righteousness is only possible because of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness on our behalf in the throne room of God. We are called to holiness but we are not left alone to pursue it. It is by the grace of God that we fight the good fight of faith and that because we love a holy, holy, holy God who calls us to be holy as He is (1 Peter 1:15-16), we seek His holiness to be displayed in our lives so that His holiness might be magnified through us to His glory.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote these words:

I am to be holy because God is holy; I am to be holy because, if I am holy, I shall thereby display the glory of God in a manner which will be well pleasing to Him.

It is part of being a good soldier for Christ, that as we seek to please our commander (2 Timothy 2:4) and there is definitely some suffering involved in the fight for holiness because we are at war. There will be days where we struggle and fail because we lose sight of our Savior, because we fail to fix our eyes on Him as we should (Hebrews 12:1-3) and sin causes us to stumble. But we should not stay down when we fall but instead get back up and keep running the race with endurance.

It starts with beginning each day committed to where we will carry out our affections or desires. Will they be given over to Christ? Or will they be given over to the flesh? John Owen wrote on how sin carries on its war by entangling our desires and drawing them away from Christ. Sin starts in the heart and we need to be interested in more than behavioral modification, we need to be more interested in heart change that then results in a transformation of our actions that align with our heart attitudes.

We also need to be concerned for the walk of our fellow brothers and sisters as they face the battle for holiness in their lives. We need to stand alongside and help them persevere by encouraging and exhorting them to keep fighting the good fight, to pick them up when they fall, and to cheer for them in their growth, no matter how small the steps might be. We are in this together and we need to really show our love for one another by helping one another as often as we have the opportunity to do so.

Though there are tough days, press on and keep fighting the good fight of faith!

Praying for you,
Pastor John

by Pastor John Kim

To the LBC family and friends!

Jonathan Edwards Resolution #55
Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. (July 8, 1723)

Remember the story “The Christmas Carol where Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future? That is the picture that comes to mind when I think of this resolution. Imagine having a chance to see what our future would be like if we continued on the present course of how we lived. For some there would be the great anticipation of seeing a seen at the throneroom of God in heaven, united with Christ face to face, to receive a glorified body that has been fully freed from the remaining vestiges of sin and to know that eternal life is to be fully enjoyed in the presence of God. What joy there would be! To no longer be held back from being able to experience full and perfect intimacy with God, completely sanctified and holy because sin has been fully eradicated so that we might receive the fullness of our salvation and be in perfect harmony with God. I look forward to such a day. All those who truly love Jesus Christ and follow Him long for such a day. It is the great and living hope that we look forward to that helps us persevere and endure through the trials and tribulations of this life. If we were to actually get a glimpse as Scrooge did, how would it affect how we lived today?

The same would go if we were to get a peek at what life would be like in hell. The Bible describes it as a place of unimaginable torment and suffering. It is to pay the full consequence for having rejected the grace of God through Jesus Christ and to have rejected His Lordship. This would be more in line with the last scene that Scrooge has with the ghost of Christmas Future. He sees his grave and sees the consequences of all this actions upon others and it brings great terror to him to the point where he just asks for a chance to change. When Scrooge wakes up, he realizes that he has been given that opportunity and you see a totally different man. Would it be the same if God were to give a glimpse of the terrors of hell to a person? I would hope it would. That’s why we must not be shy in proclaiming the realities of hell and the tragic consequences of rejected Christ because the Bible makes it very clear that hell is a very real place and will be filled with eternal torment as a just punishment for those who have rejected a holy God.

Why does Jonathan Edwards have this kind of a resolution? Because it a certain sense, it is to remind him of the clear division between how one should live if you were to truly understand the realities of heaven and hell. You can’t simply dismiss it or treat it as some kind of fairytale story. For the one who truly loves Christ and desires to follow Him, it is the reality of heaven that awaits him and the terror of hell that drives him to the Savior because the understanding of what the consequences of sin ultimately are, that is, total separation from God for eternity.

I think this is a very valid resolution for everyone to consider. As you look at how you live today, do you live in light of what you know the Scriptures to say about the happiness of heaven and the torment of hell? Does it cause you to rejoice in the life that you have been called to live, even though there is suffering and tribulation in this life, but to know that to lose our lives in this world will be worth it all because it is for Christ? Does it cause you to have a heavy heart for the lost, for those of your family and friends that do not know the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that if they were to die today that they would face eternal condemnation for their sins and that they need to hear the truth of the gospel? Do you look at this world and realize that it is not the final destination of anyone who is living – that there are only two destinations and they are heaven and hell and is it something that really is urgent to you to represent as a Christian in terms of living out a gospel-centered life? Oh that we would be more mindful of heavenly things than earthly things (Colossians 3:2). Oh that we would love Christ more than the things of this world (1 John 2:15-17). Oh that we would live in light of eternity day by day, knowing that at any point we can enter into eternity and we will have to give an account to God as to how we lived.

May you consider this resolution carefully as we still are at the beginning of the new year.

Grace and peace,
Pastor John

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Happy New Year to all LBC family and friends!

2009 has already been a year full of unexpected turns as I again sat in the hospital today wondering if I would have to go in to surgery. But thankfully it turned out to be a less traumatic issue and I was sent home with a list of medications to take and ordered to rest. Why does my body betray me at the time when I need it most to cooperate as I look forward with anticipation to the new year? I don’t know but God must have some interesting plans in store. But my Bible reading has been sweet, even to the point of moving me to tears (which is not something that happens often). The drama in redemptive history is greater than any man-made story and it is amazing to see how God has given us a treasure in the greatest masterpiece ever written by the greatest Author to ever breathe words. So the bedrest is allowing me to read more, something that in recent times has been severely curtailed. I am thankful.

I hope that this year will be one full of the grace and mercy of our Savior that we have not only experienced through the cross to save us from our sins but that which we experience daily in the process of sanctification so that we might strive to press forward in pursuing Jesus Christ with all our heart. The road is definitely not easy and there are struggles ahead that we would not anticipate but God has made a promise that He would always be with us and never forsake us. The love which we have received and continue to receive is unbreakable, unshakeable, unconquerable, and undeniable because it has already been proven, grounded, and manifested through John 3:16. So take hope my brothers and sisters and though Satan should buffet and trials come, we have the clear assurance that Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul!

Please be in prayer as we start off the year and get things back off the ground. Bible studies, Grace Life flocks, Sunday School classes, and many other things have already begun or will resume this weekend. Please prayerfully make every effort to fulfill Hebrews 10:24-25, for the building up of the body depends on you being there to build it up. Please pray. Pray, pray, pray! Pray that we would love God the most and pray that we would love our neighbors with that God-centered and God-entranced love, for no other love will do. Pray that the love of God would be shed abroad in the hearts and minds of everyone at our church, that our love would not grow cold like the Ephesian church in Revelation 2, which received a harsh rebuke from Christ. Pray the prayer of Ephesians 3:14–21

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

On a sidenote, many have been asking why I have switched to using the ESV version of the Bible. There is a simple reason. I would like the whole of our church to have one translation from children’s ministry to adult ministry so that we can have one common version that we can all look to and read from and study. The children’s curriculum from Desiring God is starting to transfer all their materials to the ESV version, which is much more readable than the NASB for children. I know some adults still find the NASB difficult to understand. This is not to say it is mandatory for you to go out and buy an ESV version of the Bible but if you would prayerfully consider doing so, especially those of you parents who have young children, I think it would be most helpful to have one version so that children don’t get confused when you read from your various Bibles. One place you can go to is Evangelical Bible Bookstore in North Park. Their website address is http://www.christianbookstore.net?utm_source=ebible&utm_medium=ebible&utm_campaign=ebible and their street address is as follows:

US TOLL FREE: 1-800-450-5858
3812 Grim Ave.
San Diego, CA 92104

They typically have everything 20% off retail so you get a good deal and you would also be helping support one of our local Christian bookstores which I am sure has been hit hard just like other businesses. They have always been so friendly and I know them well (having been there many times =) so please let them know that you are from Lighthouse Bible Church. If you can afford it, I would recommend getting the ESV study Bible, which recently came out. It is jampacked with study notes and helps – it’s actually pretty hefty so it would be good exercise to carry it. I know that for those of you who invested in a MacArthur study Bible are probably saying, “Don’t do this to me!” – either one is good but if you can, it would be a worthy investment. I did hear that the MacArthur Study Bible is coming out in the ESV in a year or two so if you want to wait for that, you can patiently wait. If you have any further questions regarding the change to the ESV, please feel free to talk to me or e-mail me. But I hope that you will understand that I hope to develop a greater unity and sense of togetherness from the children all the way to the older adults and what better way than to have one version which we can all use. Please pray before you react =)