by Pastor Patrick Cho

On a couple of the trips when we were in Argentina we had the joy of serving alongside our friend Israel Contreras. Israel worked with Eduardo Buldain’s church planting ministry and helped us as our head interpreter. One thing that stood out about Israel was his attitude during times of hardship. Whenever things didn’t go according to plan or whenever our team was hit with trials, Israel would say, “This is not a problem. It is an opportunity to grow.” I always appreciated this outlook towards trouble because it is consistent with a biblical worldview. He trusted in God’s sovereignty and could take joy even in the midst of trials.

James 1:2-4 is a familiar passage for most believers. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” For many in the church, 2009 has already gotten off to a difficult start. Our members are facing trials of various kinds. The literal idea behind the word “various” in this passage is that the trials have a variety of colors. This is one of those comforting truths in the Bible. It doesn’t matter what shade of trial you might be facing, whether you are undergoing an intense time of suffering or some lighter but still troubling times, God still cares. God understands that there are varying degrees of hardship and He gives grace to endure every level.

James tells us in light of these sufferings to “count it all joy.” This is a command from Scripture, and so we must be obedient to it. But like with all commands in Scripture, this one is able to be disobeyed. When suffering enters our lives, the call from God is to consider it all joy. This is not joy mixed with complaint or grief. It is complete. All we are to feel is joy because God is behind the circumstances in our lives. So often we fail in this because of the sinfulness of our hearts. We doubt what God can do through trials. We focus more on the circumstances than on God who is sovereign behind them. Sometimes we are even tempted to blame God and complain to Him when we encounter trials.

The reason why trials are helpful from James’s perspective is that the trials lead to greater growth in faith. The testing of our faith produces steadfastness or endurance. This word has the idea of undergoing hardship and being able to stand up under it. God tests our faith so that we can be better at standing in our faith. This is particularly relevant to me as a new parent. Sometimes baby Eden is sitting up on the bed and we see her losing her balance. Inevitably, we know she is going to fall because she doesn’t possess the strength yet to hold up her heavy head! However, we also know that as she grows she will develop the strength she needs. She’ll slowly learn from all the falling over that she needs to keep herself propped up. Our trials teach us in the same way. At first, we may not be good at trusting the Lord through our difficult circumstances. God’s solution is not to remove trials from our lives but to introduce new ones so that we will better learn to stand.

Ultimately, these trials are what lead to our completion or perfection in the faith. Of course this doesn’t mean that we will no longer sin or fail. Until we die or Christ comes again sin will always be a struggle for us and we will constantly be in the fight for faith. But James says through our patient endurance through trials we will be led to greater completion. Small trials will be less and less of a hindrance for us because we will have learned from experience that God is good and sovereign behind them. Eventually we will learn to endure greater and greater trials because of the grace of God. This testing is meant for our good and God uses our troubles to bring us to great maturity in the faith.

We should thus take hope that God is working in our lives. When we encounter various trials, we can be sure that God is active behind the scenes. In some ways, we should be more concerned if everything is going well. Take some time to consider how God is growing your faith. How is He introducing the kinds of trials into your life that will cause you to lean on Him in a greater way? And how are you responding to those trials? Are you seeking to honor Him through your response or are you simply complaining because times are not easy and comfortable? Thankfully, James gives us a better perspective to see that God is faithful even in the times that might cause us to doubt Him the most.

by Pastor John Kim

As 2009 is our ten year anniversary, I think it is only appropriate to take a little stroll down memory lane as well as look forward with anticipation to how God will lead and direct us in the future. It was in the spring of 1998 that we started meeting as three families, praying that God would be gracious to us as we started preparations for what would become Lighthouse Bible Church. Even the name was a bit of an adventure to come up with as we started off with Morningstar Bible
Church, only to find out that “Morningstar” was the name of a pretty large Charismatic organization that we probably didn’t want to be associated with by others. We then tried Cornerstone Bible Church, only to find out that there were alreadyquite a few of them. So we decided on Lighthouse Bible Church. That summer found us starting a Bible study with about 15 people or so meeting at the home of Peter and Jinny Lim. Those were wonderful days as everybody was excited and enthusiastic about the possibilities for the future. Even though we had humble beginnings and even humbler resources, at least from a human vantage point, we had the hopes of our great God doing above and beyond what we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20-21). If this was going to be Christ’s church, then only with Christ being the head as well as the provider would our dream of a church-plant be realized.

Ten years have now come and gone and we find ourselves in quite a different state from 1998. We have moved to a new facility, so for our newer members, the new site is their only point of reference. Out of our original 17 charter members, 11 still remain but we have almost 200 additional members at the church who have committed themselves to support what Lighthouse represents. We have a lot of babies in the nursery—around 20 with more to come. We have a large contingent of single adults who probably comprise the largest group at our church. We started a campus Bible study at UCSD and are in the process of reaching out to SDSU and other campuses. We have two ongoing international partnerships in the Czech Republic and Argentina that have brought tremendous joy as we have been able to grow a relationship with the churches in Ostrava and Tucuman. We have also gone through many difficulties and trials. The past couple of years have brought waves of grief that I had never experienced before and have reminded me of my utter dependence on God’s mercies. The conflicts and the breakdowns within various relationships have shown me that without God’s love, we are doomed to dissolution. Even with a commitment to strong doctrine, hard work, and perseverance through hardships, without a fervent and passionate love for God and people, it is all for nothing (Revelation 2:1-7, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

So the Passion Statement has become all the more precious to me (Matthew 22:37-40). It must be the driving force behind our Mission Statement—to make disciples of Christ. Disciple-making is hard work and it is often discouraging and frustrating because it involves people in need of change helping people in need of change, and both are going to be challenged with human frailties as well as the sin of our selfishness blinding us to our need to grow spiritually. So we must be constantly reminded of the love of God in Christ through the cross. The love of God is what needs to be the foundation as well as the empowering source to love others. The Mission can only happen with the Passion. Without the Passion, the Mission simply becomes a task that will ultimately fail because it will be devoid of a heart.

The Vision Statement is to plant churches. We have talked about it. We have prayed about it. Now it’s time to actually act upon it. As was announced this past members meeting, it is our hope to plant a church in the San Jose area by the summer of 2010. It is exciting yet sobering. The pursuit of this endeavor will reveal our church for what kind of heart we have as well as what kind of resolve we will have to be true to our Passion and Mission Statements. But there is something different this time from ten years ago. Ten years ago we had no supporting church. We had very little financial and material resources. We have very few people and a lot of opposition even within the San Diego church community. The odds were daunting and the chances of succeeding were slim. But by God’s grace and power, He has brought us to where we are now. He has indeed done above and beyond what we could ever ask or think. But He is not finished. The work of the kingdom is not going to be
finished until all is fulfilled within God’s redemptive plan. So as followers of Christ, if we are going to be the living sacrifices of Romans 12:1, if we are going to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness as Matthew 6:33 states, if we are going to have the love of Christ control us so that we no longer live for ourselves but for the One who died and rose again on our behalf as 2 Corinthians 5:15 so clearly calls for, it behooves us to no longer be passive or apathetic to what the MVP of LBC represents. I charge you as the congregation of Lighthouse Bible Church—rise up and fulfill your calling! Make the most of your time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16) and offer up everything you do, even your eating and drinking to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We do not have time to waste so don’t waste your life away with the pursuits of worldly gain. Take all that God has given you and be a good steward and if God has blessed you, do good works that would magnify His name (1 Timothy 6:17-19) and have an eternal perspective. Don’t lay up treasures here on earth but invest them for God’s heavenly purposes (Matthew 6:19-21).

Let’s, above all, be in prayer for our church. Please pray Ephesians 3:14-21 and Philippians 1:9-11. Read those passages and write them down somewhere so that you can be reminded to pray often. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Pray that we be faithful to be a solid sending church. Pray that we would be hopeful as a church-planting church. We need everyone at Lighthouse to step it up and fulfill their calling as members. Love Christ with all your heart, soul, and mind and let that love manifest itself in expanding ways to the point where we share that love with places that are in need of gospel-preaching churches that will shine the love and truth of Christ brightly.

Praise God for ten years of His faithful and sovereign care. Let’s press forward by the grace of God.

by Pastor JR Cuevas

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

~2 Timothy 2:1-3

I recall once reading the words of a man who said that at the heart of Christian ministry is the ministry of discipleship. In fact, he argued that calling oneself a Christian is synonymous to saying that one is a disciple maker. As a youth pastor and one who strives for the ministry of the church, I could not agree more strongly.

When I first became a Christian, I saw discipleship as a strange thing. When friends would tell me that they were being “discipled” by some other older guy, I would get these strange pictures in my head of an older man reading his Bible to a younger man in the middle of some lake wearing a tunic and sandals as if to emulate scenes from Jesus’ talking to His disciples in a boat along the Sea of Galilee. The world “discipleship” conjured up all of these strange pictures consisting of nothing more than old-fashioned fishing nets. It was not until I myself began to be discipled by Peter Park that I received the true picture of what Christian discipleship truly looks like. Every week, for over a year, Peter would pick me up (either from school or home), take me out of some restaurant, sit down with me for an hour (sometimes two), and teach me how to follow Christ. He would listen to me share my greatest struggles with him, and in the most loving, caring, and sympathetic way, he would firmly admonish me and encourage me to turn from my sinful habits and instead live life in a God-honoring manner. He would get beneath the externals, and probe the desires of my heart, and work from there. Rather than simply correcting me, he would teach me from the Bible and from his own life how to practically live out my own. Peter’s discipleship relationship with me was not that of a boss lecturing his employee in a meeting, or a professor teaching his student in a classroom; it was the investment of his heart into mine, founded in a relationship based on true fellowship in Christ. I knew that when we would meet up, that I would have something new to work on and chew on for the next week. It was Peter’s investment in me that compelled me to devote my entire life endeavors to the making of disciples. Hence, a few months after we first met, I sent my application to The Master’s Seminary.

The preaching of God’s Word is the foundation of the doctrine from which the church takes root. But it is through discipleship that a church will be reproduced. When Christ discipled His apostles, He did more than preach to them; He lived with them and poured His life into theirs. Through all the time He spent with them, He imprinted His convictions and passions into their hearts, with all patience and compassion and firmness. This is the example by which the mandate to make disciples is to be accomplished. A disciple is made when an older, mature man or woman of God attaches himself to a younger, less experienced believer in order to teach him or her to walk in the manner with which Christ walked. It requires one’s time. It requires one’s energy. It requires one’s resources. It requires one’s heart. It requires one’s soul. Is this not why Paul, upon writing to the Thessalonians, expressed, “We were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives”?

This has several implications. First, discipleship implies that one must be strong in the grace of God. It is not something that one engages himself in apart from God’s power and apart from the knowledge of God’s love and mercy in his life. Second, discipleship implies that one must first be a disciple and continue to be discipled. I understand that I’m constantly in need of teaching and instruction, and have actively sought to attach myself to older men who can continue to guide and encourage me in the faith. Every Christian ought to seek discipleship from an older Christian; a refusal to do this is nothing less than pride. Third, this implies that discipleship requires a focus on teaching. Without the aspect of teaching someone how to honor God and be like Christ, discipleship would be nothing more than hanging out. It also implies that discipleship must continue on; one must disciple another with the purpose of raising up someone who will eventually be able to do the same to others.

I say this passionately in light of the up-and-coming church plant in 2010. A year-and-a-half is not a long time to prepare for such a monumental event. Since the Sunday that the plan for the church-plant to San Jose was announced, I’ve been peppered with questions dealing with the logistical aspect of things: “Who’s going? Who’s staying? JR, are you going? JR, where do you want to go?” While I understand the need to get the practical aspect of things, I’m afraid that for those who constantly ask these questions, the focus has been shifted from where God may want our minds and hearts to focus on. Instead of asking, “Should I go or should I stay?” one should be asking, “Will I be ready to go or stay?” Should one ask himself the latter, he is in good hands, for he has a tangible goal in mind: to step it up spiritually. Regardless of if you go to San Jose or stay in San Diego, one common necessity remains: faithful men and women of God who are willing to give their lives for Christ’s church. In a year and a half, we’ll need warriors to both spearhead the church plant or hold down the fort in San Diego. Both will require that the men courageously step up in leadership. Both require that the women firmly support and complement that leadership. Both need men and women of God. Both need disciples of Christ.

Thus, as young men and women, we ought to dedicate our lives to disciple-making. It will be crucial in the next year and a half that each and every one of us devote our lives to both discipleship and being discipled. We need to start asking, “Am I living life today the way Christ Himself would live it, and am I dedicated today to the things that Christ would dedicate Himself to?” If you’re not, attach yourself to an older Christian and beg him or her to teach you how. If you are, attach yourself to a younger Christian and strive to teach him or her how. I am confident that if we all do this for the next year while relying on the strength provided by God’s grace, we will be better equipped to take the next step.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

It’s finally happening! After ten years of ministering in San Diego, Lighthouse is going to act on its Vision Statement and plant a church in the San Jose area. Even while typing these words, it seems a bit surreal. Most of the members at Lighthouse probably remember the spiel from their membership interview about how one day John would go up to the pulpit and announce that we are going to plant a church in some Podunk city in Oklahoma (not that Oklahoma is a bad place to live!).

But the day has come. The location is not Podunk, but San Jose, and the goal is summer of 2010. Make no mistake! This is going to require a lot of hard work and diligent planning if we are going to be able to get a team up to San Jose by then. When Lighthouse first began about ten years ago, there was an exciting buzz in the air. Everyone came out to everything. People were excited to be together and to be a part of the ministry. We knew that one day some of that would fade and that the “honeymoon” phase would eventually come to an end, but it was still exciting to be a part of that time. There was an intense commitment and consistency on the part of each member. If this church plant is going to succeed, it will require similar commitment and consistency on the part of all the members.

One of the most encouraging things about this new direction is the response we received from the members. There was a feeling of genuine excitement at the members meeting on Sunday. A few came and communicated their support afterwards and I appreciated their kind words. Most who talked to me promised that they would pray for me and the leadership. I appreciated that as well. Now is the time to make good on those promises. A year from now, hopefully we can all say that we have faithfully prayed for Lighthouse. We’re going to have to pray.

We’re also going to have to rethink our lives. For many, this will be a time of thoughtful reevaluation. Do you live your life as if it is the Lord’s or do you manage your life as if you are in control? Are you holding on to what you have loosely or is your life in San Diego so precious to you that you would be unwilling to go anywhere else the Lord would lead? Of course, we can’t have everyone go. Knowing that I am now preparing to be the new senior pastor at Lighthouse, I can confidently say, “You better not all go!” =) But we are going to need some to go. We are going to want families to go. That is going to require a bit of faith and may prove to be quite challenging for some.

This is an exciting time for the church, but it is a time when we particularly need to lean on the Lord for His guidance and strength. People may tell us we’re crazy (that’s what they said ten years ago), but we are determined to believe that God can do seemingly impossible things through us if we allow Him to. Honestly, I’m excited for the next church plant. Perhaps it’ll be in three years. Maybe it’ll be in five. But now that the ball is rolling for Lighthouse Bible Church of San Jose, there’s no telling where the Lord might have us plant next. The Vision of LBC doesn’t end with LBC San Jose. I’m confident this is just the beginning. We just need the members to be onboard. We need to constantly ask ourselves, “Do we really believe in the MVP of LBC?” enough to act on it.

by Pastor John Kim

James 1:2 has long been instilled in my head and heart as a verse to keep in mind, particularly when things get difficult. But it is not easy to actually apply as the reality of life often overshadows the truth of God’s Word and it is easy to dismiss Scripture as impractical. But I am thankful that despite how I might feel about this, the truthfulness and the trustworthiness of the Scriptures remains constant due to the fact that God’s Word is inextricably tied to God’s character and nature.

But to consider it all joy when various trials are encountered – this is something easy to tell someone else but it is a whole other story when it comes to me. Next to the spiritual battles that have been waged over the years, the next most challenging thing has been the trials of my physical health. The past few weeks were indeed filled with some minor issues, a bad cough, a cold (it is the cold season), and an allergic reaction to my blood pressure medication that caused me to go visit the hospital. This past week I was introduced to a pain that I had not had before, that of diverticulitis. At first my doctor thought it might be appendicitis and I was bracing myself for surgery. While I understand it to be a common procedure that many undergo, nothing seems to be common to me. But after a battery of tests, I was finally diagnosed and was given a number of medications to take, which my wife Angela promptly took care of getting for me. By the evening time after having taken the first dose of the antibiotics, I started to get an allergic reaction and I knew that it had to be because of the medications. So off I went back to the hospital and was given additional medication as well as a switch on the antibiotics. So here I am in bed now not being able to do much since I end up getting drowsy from both the painkillers (I was in a lot of pain in my lower abdomen due to the inflammation in my colon as well as my lower back) and the antihistimine (for the allergic reaction). I have anti-nausea medication to combat the nausea that comes from the other medications. I see why pharmicists have a job now – they need to know how everything works together. So now I understand why doctors keep asking if you allergic to medications – it is not helpful to take medications that cause your body to do crazy things. So I am thankful to be alive because I know it is only by the mercies of God that I am.

So the past year has been filled with so many visits to the hospital that I feel like I am really getting to know the place well. Drawing blood is like second nature. Getting hooked up to iv’s and being subjected to swallowing all sorts of strange concoctions so that I can get scanned is old hat. But one thing I do know, I am able to truly say that it is causing me to appreciate all the more those who have suffered for the sake of Christ in ways that are unimaginable. As the end of Hebrews 11 shares, there were many who suffered horrendous deaths for the sake of Christ. If you have ever read J.C. Ryle’s work on the martyrs of the English Reformation, “Light from Old Times” or Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, you will see that today’s sufferings for those of us who live in southern California don’t even compare to those who willingly laid down their lives for the One whom they loved more than life itself. So I am thankful that my measly sufferings, as small as they might be, cause me to look forward and to press onward with endurance so as to run the race that Christ has called us to run.

At the same time I would ask for your prayers that I would be patient with the recovery time, that I would be diligent though I am dazed by the effects of all the medication I am taking, and that I would continue to experience joy in light of my Savior’s love.

Thank you for those who have been praying. I am so thankful.

by Pastor John Kim

2009 has come upon us and I am eagerly awaiting what God has in store for us. Last year was quite a challenge to say the least and it really was difficult to recover from but God has been gracious in being more than merciful and has restored my heart and hope in light of the cross of Christ and the hope of the resurrection.

This past Christmas break gave me the opportunity to minister in several places. The first was a youth retreat with Los Angeles Christian Presbyterian Church’s youth winter camp at Big Bear. I had done an evangelism training seminar for them during the summer so it was an opportunity to follow up with them and I had a great time challenging them to be unifed in Christ. It snowed quite a bit as well so the retreat site was a bit slippery and I ended up having to put on chains but it was a wonderful time, especially having the opportunity to encourage the youth pastor and the Christian Education director. We had some great talks and I realized that God has been gracious to give me an opportunity to minister to other pastors and leaders who have been discouraged and downcast because of ministry.

After enjoying Christmas with both sides of the family, we drove up to San Jose for two ministry opportunities. One was with San Jose Korean Presbyterian Church where my friend is the EM pastor. I had a chance to preach at both the youth service in the morning and then the EM service in the afternoon. From there we drove over to Mount Hermon where I was the main speaker for Student for Christ, a college/singles winter conference that is held every year. I was still getting over a cold and cough that I had before the previous retreat so it was a bit challenging to speak so many times when my throat was killing me. But God again was faithful to get me through each session and I had the opportunity again to speak with other pastors who were discouraged and were in need of encouragement.

After the conference we went over to the home of Ed Yip, where we were generously and graciously treated to some Shanghainese food and then we slept over. On New Year’s Day we had a LBC fellowship over lunch and it was great to see both past and present LBC members come together and share how they were doing as well as hopes of future ministry in San Jose. We need to be in prayer for our brothers and sisters in San Jose as the church scene is tough and the adjustment for them has been challenging. We also need to pray that God would one day maybe give us opportunity to hopefully plant a church in the San Jose area as it seems that it is a place ripe for ministry to take place.

Our family drove back down on New Year’s and we then were able to have a couple of days to recover before getting back to our home base. Church this past Sunday was sweet. It was good to see people back from studying abroad as well as to just see the church family together. One exciting thing was a quick-notice meeting of dating couples and engaged couples. I hope to start a “lab” where we could really work toward providing ongoing teaching and accountability for those in relationships. Quite a few people came out so I’m excited about the future opportunities.

Babies keep coming – Hwa and Suzie Park added Ethan to the family and Jin and Grace Lee added Christian to their family. More babies are on the way so we are excited to see the church’s future take shape.

Let’s all be in prayer for our church this year. As we celebrate our 10 year anniversary, I am hopeful that God would continue to lead and direct us to move forward and fulfill the MVP statement that we have set before us. I would also encourage you to spend time reading Scripture daily. Even if it is only for a few minutes, take time to read carefully and prayerfully and meditate on it throughout the day. Treasure it and it will keep you from sin (Psalm 119:11).

Thank you for your prayers and for your support. I love my church family!

by Stephen Rodgers

This is the hub post for Pastor Patrick Cho’s two-part series on spiritual disciplines. From this page, you can easily find and refer to all posts in this series.

All posts in the Getting Back to Basics series:

• Getting Back to Basics (Part 1)
• Getting Back to Basics (Part 2)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

I know it has been a long time since my last entry to the Pastor’s Corner and I apologize for that. I went back and reread what I wrote back in December and can confidently say that putting those principles into practice definitely works! I say this because at the time of writing in December, I wasn’t doing too well spiritually. Things were a bit dry and it was hard to squeeze any devotional “juice” out of my times with God. I knew I needed to get back to the basics and reestablish my love for the Lord.

I want to be careful, though, not to make it seem like putting some simple practices in your life will cure that devotional dryness. The problem is not singled out as a lack of discipline, ultimately. Added discipline can definitely aid someone who is struggling spiritually, but ultimately the problem is in the heart. You need to come to acknowledge that you are not close to God because of your sinful heart. You do not find sweet times in God’s Word because your life is full of worldly pleasures. You struggle to pray because you lack a sense of dependence on the Lord and struggle with self-sufficiency. Sin is the problem and repentance is what is necessary.

Another word of caution is to remember that this is not a battle of self-will. If I grow in the grace of our Lord and Savior, that is entirely because God is drawing me near. This is why I must always depend on the Lord. My heart is innately rebellious against God. There is no good in me, and given all the years of eternity, I would never seek Him. I want to know God because of His grace to me. I love only because He first loved me. This understanding stops me in my tracks! I haven’t done anything to deserve His grace. Had He left me to myself, I would not want to know Him. I would hate Him. This leads me to profound thankfulness. I praise my God and Savior for causing me to want to grow in grace, and I pursue Him because I joyfully desire to know the God of my salvation.

So on the one hand, it is getting back to basics and having the right disciplines in place. On the other hand, there is an underlying dependence on God to grow me and draw me nearer to Him. I am forever needy. If He were ever to release His grip and allow me to walk on my own, I would immediately fall. But with my hand securely in His, He can surely accomplish great things through me.

by Pastor Patrick Cho

With barely enough time to recover from all the turkey and stuffing from Thanksgiving, Christmas time is upon us. This is honestly one of my favorite holidays. I still remember my elementary school days driving around with my parents to look at Christmas lights. It has been and, I’m sure, will continue to be my favorite time of the year. I love the spirit of Christmas with the jolly music and gift giving. People seem to be nicer during this time of year. I was driving this past week and let someone cut in front of me and said, “I’ll let you in because it’s Christmas.”

Let’s remember, though, that Christmas is more than warm feelings and worldly kindness. It is not just about wishing everyone well and hoping for better times. Christmas is about Jesus from beginning to end. It is about the precious gift that God gave us in His Son sending Him to die on the cross for the sins of the world. So when you are hanging decorations on your tree or stringing lights on your house, you would be wise to ask yourself, “Self, why am I doing this? Is this really about Jesus?” Yes, ask yourself that. Is it about Jesus? Or is it just about getting into the “holiday spirit”?

‘Tis the season for joy! But ours in not a secular joy. As Christians, we have come to understand that true joy is only found in Christ. Without the love and grace of God demonstrated in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ, there is no true basis for joy. Our sin destroys that joy and nullifies it. Without God, all we have is despair. But with God, we have joy insurmountable! This joy is so abounding that Paul can instruct believers to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4; 1 Thess. 5:16)!

There are so many facets to the significance of Jesus’ birth. Besides the fulfilled prophecies, the genealogic line, and the miraculous virgin birth, Jesus’ birth put into motion God’s plan for redemption. Although it had been spoken of for generations, with Jesus’ arrival things were finally going to reach a culmination. So the angels spoke to the shepherds in the field, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” A Savior had been provided for the world. But this was no mere earthly prophet, priest, or king. It was God Himself in flesh—the Prophet, Priest, and King par excellence.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating the Christmas spirit and getting caught up in the joy of festivities, presents, and such. But we would be amiss to not consider at all times the basis for the holiday and the true reason that any of us have any ultimate occasion to celebrate. Once again the Lighthouse proverbial phrase rings true, “Christmas is not about you.”