Canst Thou Bind The Sweet Influences Of Pleiades, Or Loose The Bands Of Orion?

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Job 38:31

If inclined to boast of our abilities, the grandeur of nature may soon show us how puny we are. We cannot move the least of all the twinkling stars, or quench so much as one of the beams of the morning. We speak of power, but the heavens laugh us to scorn. When the Pleiades shine forth in spring with vernal joy we cannot restrain their influences, and when Orion reigns aloft, and the year is bound in winter’s fetters, we cannot relax the icy bands. The seasons revolve according to the divine appointment, neither can the whole race of men effect a change therein. Lord, what is man?

In the spiritual, as in the natural world, man’s power is limited on all hands. When the Holy Spirit sheds abroad His delights in the soul, none can disturb; all the cunning and malice of men are ineffectual to stay the genial quickening power of the Comforter. When He deigns to visit a church and revive it, the most inveterate enemies cannot resist the good work; they may ridicule it, but they can no more restrain it than they can push back the spring when the Pleiades rule the hour. God wills it, and so it must be. On the other hand, if the Lord in sovereignty, or in justice, bind up a man so that he is in soul bondage, who can give him liberty? He alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or a people. He looses the bands of Orion, and none but He. What a blessing it is that He can do it. O that He would perform the wonder to-night. Lord, end my winter, and let my spring begin. I cannot with all my longings raise my soul out of her death and dulness, but all things are possible with Thee. I need celestial influences, the clear shinings of Thy love, the beams of Thy grace, the light of Thy countenance, these are the Pleiades to me. I suffer much from sin and temptation, these are my wintry signs, my terrible Orion. Lord, work wonders in me, and for me. Amen.

3.21p

Weekly Links (9/13/2013)

I hope what you find in yourself by daily experience, will humble you—but not discourage you.

For if our Physician is almighty—our disease cannot be desperate. Our sins are many—but His mercies are more. Our sins are great—but His righteousness is greater. When our sins prevail, remember that we have an Advocate with the Father, who is able to pity, to pardon, and to save to the uttermost!

It is better to be admiring the compassion and fullness of grace which is in our Savior—than to dwell and pore too much upon our own poverty and vileness. (John Newton)

by Richard Shin

Lots of good stuff. Go at ’em!

Have a great weekend.

Coram Deo

Amazing God

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Whenever we approach the beginning of a new year for Grace Life Family Ministry, thoughts flood my mind about the things we could cover together. There are so many issues that could be hugely beneficial for our families. Many topics have been suggested such as the importance of good communication, how to love your spouse, God-centered marriage, biblical parenting, etc. While these practical issues and more should be addressed by the church, it is important for a ministry to first consider laying down a good theological foundation to build upon. It is important to help young families understand how they ought to live, but it is also more important to explain clearly why they ought to live that way.

I have had many conversations with people about different convictions I have held and know the frustration that results when you talk to someone who is simply not thinking from the same theological framework and reference point. Try convincing someone about the sin of homosexuality when they don’t hold to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture and you will quickly learn how frustrating it can be to make a point. Even in the church, with so many who would agree that the Bible is inspired of God, and so inerrant, infallible, authoritative, and sufficient, there are still too many who don’t understand some of the more fundamental doctrines prescribed in their Bible. So in counseling I have learned over the years to keep stepping back until the basic theological framework is understood so that practical matters are addressed with greater stability.

Last year, Grace Life covered a series titled “What Do You Think?” The purpose of that study was to examine sin’s effect on the mind and how that trickles down to everyday decisions. In Christ, God has illumined our hearts and minds and made it possible for us to understand Scripture rightly. Instead of depending on intuition and worldly wisdom, we can have the mind of Christ and think God’s thoughts after Him. Through our meetings together, we looked at the importance of developing a biblical grid through which we should filter our thoughts and convictions.

This year, we will be walking through the theme “Amazing God.” That adjective is often appropriately associated with grace because of the beloved hymn, but grace is only amazing because God is amazing. The purpose of our times together will be to gain a greater biblical understanding and appreciation of the God we serve and live for and then to take those ideas and connect them to our lives in a practical way. In other words, how should we live in light of who God is? I’m super excited for Grace Life this year and hope it will be a blessing for all who come out.

LBC Weekly SPARK – September 11, 2013

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends,

As you know, today marks the twelfth anniversary of the atrocious terrorist attacks in New York, Washington D. C., and Pennsylvania. Images are flooding the news and social media taking us back to the day when the World Trade Center went down and the Pentagon was attacked. We are reminded of the heroes of Flight 93 who saved the nation’s Capitol when their plane went down in a Pennsylvania field. This a sobering time of reflection across America as flags fly at half mast and ceremonies and vigils are held in the nation’s capital. We remember those whose lives were lost as victims and heroes, and grieve with their families and loved ones. It would be good to take some time to pray today for our nation.

In the opening verses of 1 Timothy 2, the Lord commands the church to pray for all men, but especially for our governing authorities. This is because God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Whatever our political biases, as Christians we are called to pray for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. We ought to pray that the Lord would give our governing leaders wisdom to lead this country and the resolve to stand up for what is right. But more than anything, we need to pray that the gospel would get a foothold on our society and that souls would be won for the Lord Jesus Christ, because it is only in Christ that this nation has true hope.

Sometimes the Lord uses tragedies to bring us back to our knees in prayer and dependence. He uses our hurt to remind us of our frailty and the fleetingness of life. In the infinite wisdom of God, He can take our greatest trials and turn them for our benefit according to His sovereign purposes. As we remember 9/11, let’s also remember our God who was there in New York, Washington D. C., and Pennsylvania. Let’s pray that the country would not just see this day as a reason to find strength in itself, but to look to the Lord to be its strength.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

This week’s announcements:

  1. Wednesday Night Bible Study. Tonight is the last summer Bible study for the singles and youth! We will meet at the church at 6:30 PM for dinner. Be sure to bring some cash for the bucket. After tonight, we will take a break until October.
  2. College Bible Study. College Life will meet for Bible study on Friday, September 13, at 7:00 PM.
  3. Fall Festival Planning Meeting. If you are interested in helping out with the upcoming Fall Festival, please contact Josh Liu as soon as possible (liu.joshuac@gmail.com). There is a planning meeting scheduled for this Saturday, September 14, at 10:00 AM.
  4. Flocks. Flocks will meet next week from September 18-21 in various homes throughout the community. Signups will be taken one more time this Sunday after service in the foyer. Be sure to join a flock!
  5. FITS. We will be having our last Fun in the Sun day for the summer on Sunday, September 29, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Torrey Hills Neighborhood Park. Bring $5 for food (kids 0-12 eat free!).
  6. Please pray for the children’s, youth, and college ministries as the school year gets underway once again. Pray that God would use the church to make an impact in students’ lives and that He would be glorified through these ministries.

Restoration Is Not Just For Reality Shows

by Elder Johnny Kim

Lately, there have been a number of reality shows on cable television that deal with restoration in one form or another. From houses to hand-me-downs, cars to curios, the premise of these shows is generally the same. They involve taking something that is broken, worn, useless, and of little value, and restoring it to brand-new condition to then become something useful, valuable, and highly desirable.

While these types of shows have gained in popularity with their respective fan bases, there ought to be something about the restoration theme of these shows that rings familiar with Christians most of all. After all, restoration is a major theme in the Christian life considering that once saved in Christ, our lives are to be marked by the process of sanctification. In other words, we are to continually progress towards holiness, from rebelliousness to obedience, from sinners to saints who look more like Christ each day. As Christians, we are to undergo the ultimate restoration of our hearts, minds, and entire beings.

We can find that the idea of restoration shows up all throughout the bible as well. In 2 Corinthians 13:9-11, the apostle Paul writes to the church at Corinth about how he prays for their restoration. Likewise, in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10, Paul is writing this time to the church at Thessalonica, letting them know that he is praying for their restoration and exhorts them to “aim for it”. In 1 Peter 5:10, the apostle Peter writes of suffering as a part of the restoration process for those who believe. These passages and others show that restoration is indeed very much a part of the Christian life.

Another passage in which we see the idea of restoration is in Ephesians 4:11-12, but the context of this passage sheds light on an interesting idea of restoration. The apostle Paul writes to the church at Ephesus about various spiritual gifts to be used for the purpose of “restoring the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ”. With this passage, something interesting is revealed. Paul makes a connection between the process of Christians being restored and the role that the Bible plays in that process. Specifically, we are being restored when we receive the teaching of the truths of Scripture as taught to us by pastors and teachers within the church. Hearing and understanding biblical truths are vital for our restoration. Increasing in the knowledge of Scripture is essential for us to be made complete and to be perfected in Christ.

With the various restoration reality shows in mind, one can’t help but make the comparison that before being made alive in Christ and without biblical truth in our lives, we are much like the pieces of junk at the beginning of these shows that are rusted, broken, missing parts, and unable to function in any useful way. But throughout these shows, these pieces of junk are inevitably transformed by expert craftsmen who repair, rebuild, and repaint the pieces until they can be presented as brand-new and fully functional. Likewise, as we are taught the Word and as we receive it, our lives are to be transformed and restored as well. The Word reveals the sin in our lives to be removed and replaced by obedience. Where we are lacking in grace, mercy, or forgiveness, the Word shows us how we can truly exhibit complete Christian love. As we receive the preaching and teaching of the Word, we are being equipped and restored to completeness so that we might find ourselves to be functional and useful for the building up of Christ’s church.

If we proclaim that we have a high view of God’s Word, then it’s only natural that we should have a high view of the teaching of God’s Word as well. The time that we have to come together as a church body on Sunday to worship and hear God’s Word preached should be precious to us if we truly understand what we have to gain from it. No one would be satisfied to own a rusted out car that doesn’t run or to live in a dilapidated house with holes in the roof and walls. Yet our complacent attitudes at times toward Sunday worship and the preaching of God’s Word speak of nothing else but the fact that we are foolishly content to be incomplete, unfinished, and ill-equipped before the church that Christ died for. If we truly believe that our restoration as believers depends on the preaching of God’s Word, should we not find ourselves to be on time (or early), attentive, engaged, and grateful at each and every opportunity we have to receive it?

How do you see yourself in the context of your sanctification? Where are you in the process of being restored? Through faithfully hearing God’s Word preached, are you slowly being repaired and completed, looking more and more like the Christian that God desires you to be? If so, praise God and continue to faithfully serve the church as you have been equipped. On the other hand, are you maybe still a rust bucket on wheels, sitting in the driveway year after year, desperately in need of work? If so, then know that God, the ultimate “expert craftsman”, with the tools of His Word and His faithful pastors and teachers in hand, is ready to transform and restore you this Sunday. No appointment needed.

Ye Shall Be Scattered, Every Man To His Own, And Shall Leave Me Alone

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From John 16:32

Few had fellowship with the sorrows of Gethsemane. The majority of the disciples were not sufficiently advanced in grace to be admitted to behold the mysteries of ‘the agony.’ Occupied with the passover feast at their own houses, they represent the many who live upon the letter, but are mere babes as to the spirit of the gospel. To twelve, nay, to eleven only was the privilege given to enter Gethsemane and see ‘this great sight.’ Out of the eleven, eight were left at a distance; they had fellowship, but not of that intimate sort to which men greatly beloved are admitted. Only three highly favoured ones could approach the veil of our Lord’s mysterious sorrow: within that veil even these must not intrude; a stone’s-cast distance must be left between. He must tread the wine-press alone, and of the people there must be none with Him.

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, represent the few eminent, experienced saints, who may be written down as ‘Fathers;’ these having done business on great waters, can in some degree measure the huge Atlantic waves of their Redeemer’s passion. To some selected spirits it is given, for the good of others, and to strengthen them for future, special, and tremendous conflict, to enter the inner circle and hear the pleadings of the suffering High Priest; they have fellowship with Him in his sufferings, and are made conformable unto His death.

Yet even these cannot penetrate the secret places of the Saviour’s woe. ‘Thine unknown sufferings’ is the remarkable expression of the Greek liturgy: there was an inner chamber in our Master’s grief, shut out from human knowledge and fellowship. There Jesus is ‘left alone.’ Here Jesus was more than ever an ‘Unspeakable gift!’ Is not Watts right when he sings-

‘And all the unknown joys he gives,
Were bought with agonies unknown.’

3.21a

Weekly Links (9/6/2013)

“As the power elite is increasingly imposes godlessness on the general cultures, churches are more important than ever. Churches are God’s sleeper cells. Although some megachurches are prominent, most churches are pretty inconspicuous. The impact they have on the neighborhood usually eludes the apparatus of the surveillance state–leaving a moral, spiritual, and intellectual footprint rather than a digital footprint.

By the same token, Christians are God’s sleeper agents, like spies behind enemy lines. God has them embedded throughout the culture, in the public and private sector. Once, when I was at the hospital, by the bedside of an ailing relative, I got into a conversation with a nurse’s aid, who was a Christian. Not a glamorous job. But the kind of job you’d expect a Christian with a heart for service to take.

The power elite can try to stamp out the overtly public symbols of Christianity, but like a tree with a deep root system, what’s most influential about Christianity lies underground rather than above ground.” (Steve Hays, “Why Churches Matter More Than Ever”)

by Stephen Rodgers

As is our custom, it’s the first Friday of the month, so you get a post from me with links to a veritable pile of free resources so you can start your weekend right.

  • There’s a new edition of Tabletalk out for the month of September on the subject of “The 13th Century.”
  • Ligonier’s free ebook of the month is Anthony Carter’s Blood Work. You can get it in just about every format imaginable, so there’s no reason to let this great book slip past you.
  • Pairing up nicely with that, is another free offering from Ligonier: RC Sprouls series on “The Atonement of Jesus.” Ligonier has seriously given us a lot to be thankful for this month!
  • Themelios 38.2 is out, with a few articles of note and more book reviews than you can shake a stick at. I’m particularly looking forward to Ovey and Orr’s specific articles, but let me know if you think any of the others are diamonds in the rough as well.
  • The free audio book of the month from Christianaudio.com is David Wilkerson’s The Cross and the Switchblade.
  • And last but not least, Logos has not one by two free resources available right now! The first is an ESV audio Bible; the second is George Muller’s Jehovah Magnified.

That should be enough to keep you busy all weekend.  Enjoy!

Pro Rege

 

 

 

Themelios 38.2

http://christianaudio.com/the-cross-and-the-switchblade-david-wilkerson-and-john-elizabeth-sherrill-audiobook-download

https://www.logos.com/product/34146/esv-hear-the-word-audio-bible

https://www.logos.com/product/15056/jehovah-magnified-addresses

Loving Diligently

by Larry Wu

As LBC members, we are required to follow the MVP statement. Our passion statement is Matthew 22:37-40, which says, “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” The word “neighbor” in Greek means any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet. What does it mean to love your neighbor? We as Christian should be known by love, but what does this mean?

During the summer, we had the blessing as singles to spend time with collegians and youths. We also had the special privilege to listen to sermons from our singles staffers. The sermon by Kevin Tse “Loving Diligently” helped us understand what our passion statement really means. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 9:9-11). There were three points to Kevin’s sermon: 1) You must love genuinely; 2) You must love familial-ly; 3) You must love diligently.

To love genuinely is to love sincerely without hypocrisy. This means that you are not loving someone because of favoritism or expecting what they can do for you. This love means that we must self-sacrifice and put their interest above ourselves. To love familial-ly is to love between believers. This is where believers have a special relationship with each other by showing humility and grace. To love diligently is to love people you don’t socialize with. To socialize with the one that is difficult to love, one that doesn’t fit a friend mold or even totally the opposite of who you are. This love is the love Jesus showed the world, and we should strive to imitate this love to the outside world.

As we have opportunities to know other affinity groups, we should be asking ourselves: Do I only socialize with my own affinity group? Am I trying to know other affinity groups? As I deeply reflect in my soul and on the message, I am pushing myself to give that extra love to someone else that I don’t know right now or other affinity groups. As we meet difficult people to love, it is during these trials that we can find our love for God shining in the ways to love them. You will be surprised by the love you can provide and the spiritual growth you gain.

Trusting God with Finances

by Grace Alcaraz

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Matthew 6:25-26

I find myself turning to this verse so often in my 10-plus years of being a Christian because I worry so much about money.  Growing up, my parents were not rich or financially stable, so I always worried about how we would pay our household bills, my school activities, medical costs, and college applications. In college, I worried about getting my financial aid check on time to pay for tuition, rent, food, and books. When I started working my first job out of college, I started worrying about saving money for my wedding while living paycheck-to-paycheck, barely making ends meet.

God was faithful in all those stages of transition in my life. I had a roof over my head in high school with running water and electricity. I remained healthy without any major illnesses. I applied to, got into, and successfully graduated college with relative ease. I also got married last year to Roger in a beautiful wedding ceremony, a 300-person guestlist, and a free flight to honeymoon in Denmark, thanks to my work. So with all that God has abundantly provided, what else is there to be anxious about?

In my sinfulness– plenty. I am anxious about advancing my career, the rising costs of rent, paying bills, debt, the future of the Alcaraz family, retirement, the list goes on. Through my conversations with the members of the church in Argentina this July, I realized that these are concerns of people everywhere. We all at some time struggle with the feeling of not having enough, but how do the members of Iglesia Biblica Misionera in Tucuman deal with it?

During the weekend retreat we spent with IBM, the schedule was very open. We had a morning sermon followed by 6 hours of free time to spend however we wanted. I wanted to know the church members better, so I spent my time talking with people. I found out one of the members, we’ll call her C, was not native Argentine, and had actually immigrated from a neighboring country about 10 years ago. I asked C a simple question, “How did you come to Argentina?” and it spiraled into a 3-hour long conversation. She told me about her family back in her hometown, how she’d been working as a nanny since age 12, and that she moved to Tucuman to take care of a family she worked with from her native country. After her move, she met her husband, J, on the job because he was a chauffeur for the family she was working for.

They eventually got married and when they were expecting their daughter, C’s trust in God’s word was put to the test. It was her husband’s conviction through Scripture that when their daughter was born, C would stop working to be a stay-at-home mom. This was a struggle for C, as she had been making her own financial decisions since she was only 12 years old. Suddenly, she felt that she needed to give up her independence and self-sufficiency. She was embarrassed to have to ask her husband for grocery money, something she never had to do before.  Her husband only made $600 a month, a low wage even by Argentina’s standards. How were they going to raise a family of 3 with $600 a month? Furthermore, she kept reasoning that with a baby on the way, she needed to make as much money as possible to be able to purchase the newest and best baby gear.

C’s job situation didn’t change, but her perspective did. Right before C and J’s daughter was born, J’s work had received a large shipment of brand-new, high-quality baby gear donated from Spain. There were durable toys, comfortable clothes, and an expensive stroller included in the shipment that C & J would never be able to afford. J was able to bring that shipment from Spain home for his baby. He didn’t have to pay anything for it or ask for it. It was all just given to them. When their daughter was born, C would run errands using the stroller, and she would get stopped in the streets by interested moms asking, “Where did you get that stroller? How much did it cost?” They were so impressed because the quality and craftsmanship was something that wasn’t found in Argentina. Her only response was that it was a gift, a very unexpected gift. The very things C was trying to work so hard for was handed to her by God’s generous provision. That’s when she first learned to trust God and His Word in her family life.

C and J’s  daughter is six years old now. Ever since C’s career shifted from taking care of other people’s homes to her own home, C told me that they have never felt that they were in want on J’s $600-a-month salary. All their needs have been met, they always have enough to eat, and they are thriving as a family desiring to please the Lord. Their daughter is an affectionate child learning from C’s example as a godly wife and mother. Currently, C is teaching her daughter about humility, specifically to not be boastful and proud when she gets better grades than her classmates.

Through my time with C, I saw so much of myself in her story. I saw how I failed to believe in God’s promises and trust in His provision. Whether its family life, my career, housing, or whatever else under the sun there is to worry about, I needed to be reminded that He has blessed me richly. He has provided me with so much already, and there is no reason to doubt that God will continue to be faithful.

Editor’s note: This is the last of a series of articles being provided by the 2013 Argentina short-term missions team announced here.

Husbands, Love Your Wives…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Ephesians 5:25

What a golden example Christ gives to His disciples! Few masters could venture to say, ‘If you would practise my teaching, imitate my life;’ but as the life of Jesus is the exact transcript of perfect virtue, He can point to Himself as the paragon of holiness, as well as the teacher of it. The Christian should take nothing short of Christ for his model. Under no circumstances ought we to be content unless we reflect the grace which was in Him. As a husband, the Christian is to look upon the portrait of Christ Jesus, and he is to paint according to that copy. The true Christian is to be such a husband as Christ was to His church. The love of a husband is special. The Lord Jesus cherishes for the church a peculiar affection, which is set upon her above the rest of mankind: ‘I pray for them, I pray not for the world.’ The elect church is the favourite of heaven, the treasure of Christ, the crown of His head, the bracelet of His arm, the breastplate of His heart, the very centre and core of His love.

  • A husband should love his wife with a constant love, for thus Jesus loves His church. He does not vary in His affection. He may change in His display of affection, but the affection itself is still the same.
  • A husband should love his wife with an enduring love, for nothing ‘shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
  • A true husband loves his wife with a hearty love, fervent and intense. It is not mere lip-service.
  • Ah! beloved, what more could Christ have done in proof of His love than He has done? Jesus has a delighted love towards His spouse: He prizes her affection, and delights in her with sweet complacence.

Believer, you wonder at Jesus’ love; you admire it-are you imitating it? In your domestic relationships is the rule and measure of your love-‘even as Christ loved the church’?

3.20p