God’s Infinite Wisdom

by Elder Mike Chon

As a physical therapist I have come across many people that are regarded as brilliant in their respective specialties. Whether they are doctors, chiropractors, or other physical therapists there has always been a handful of individuals whom the rest of their colleagues respect for their wisdom and forward thinking that continues to change health care. In one respect I can appreciate the hard work and diligence that these individuals have devoted to their particular area of expertise in an effort to improve the livelihood of the patients that come to them. But at the same time I cannot get over the fact that no matter how innovative they are or how much effort they may devote to medicine or therapy, one thing no one can change is the fact that every person in this world will one day die.

No matter how brilliant a doctor might be, they cannot change the fact that the human race is infected with sin and the consequence of that is death. There is no cure, there is no surgery, there is no pill, there is no therapy that can remove sin and the inevitable consequence of death. This is where we see the infinite wisdom of God, who before the foundation of the world decided on how man can be made righteous before God. The only way was for Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God, to have to die on behalf of sinners. The one that knew no sin had to become sin on our behalf. There is no human mind that could have ever thought of such an answer to the problem of sin that inflicts every individual in this world and thereby having an answer to the problem of death. There is no other way that man could save themselves, but only could be saved by the blood of Christ. As I meet patient after patient complain about all their pain and physical ailments, I am reminded of the effects of sin each and every day. I am reminded that pain is the grace of God that allows us to feel the effects of sin and to help us realize the need for our Savior. It reminds me that for those that do not know Christ that this world with all its pain will be the only heaven that they will ever know. It reminds me to never forget the infinite wisdom of God in saving sinful men through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

For those that continue to mock the foolishness of the gospel need to point their finger back at themselves. The wisdom of man will one day show itself for the foolishness it truly is. I can appreciate the great minds that God has given to this world, but I can’t help but feel compassion to those that do not know Christ. In all their efforts to make this world a better place and to seek the applause of men they will not be any closer to an answer to sin or death than they were when they first began. In this world they were esteemed, but in the world to come they will be made fools for rejecting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Father, I Have Sinned

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 15:18

It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has for ever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where they can be condemned, but are once for all accepted in the Beloved; but having become children, and offending as children, ought they not every day to go before their heavenly Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their iniquity in that character? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring children to make a confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly father. We daily offend, and ought not to rest without daily pardon.

For, supposing that my trespasses against my Father are not at once taken to Him to be washed away by the cleansing power of the Lord Jesus, what will be the consequence? If I have not sought forgiveness and been washed from these offences against my Father, I shall feel at a distance from Him; I shall doubt His love to me; I shall tremble at Him; I shall be afraid to pray to Him: I shall grow like the prodigal, who, although still a child, was yet far off from his father. But if, with a child’s sorrow at offending so gracious and loving a Parent, I go to Him and tell Him all, and rest not till I realize that I am forgiven, then I shall feel a holy love to my Father, and shall go through my Christian career, not only as saved, but as one enjoying present peace in God through Jesus Christ my Lord. There is a wide distinction between confessing sin as a culprit, and confessing sin as a child. The Father’s bosom is the place for penitent confessions. We have been cleansed once for all, but our feet still need to be washed from the defilement of our daily walk as children of God.

2.18p

Weekly Links (5/4/2012)

Application is answering two questions. So what? And now what? (David Veerman, as quoted in Murray, How Sermons Work)

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome to another edition of the Weekly Links. As it’s a new month, there are some new resources available, and this gives me a chance to update you on some others that have been made available since the last time we got together.

That’s it for now!  See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

 

Lessons from Sparklers Ministry

by Caroline Shin

  • Obey the first time. 
  • Be kind to everyone. 
  • Do your best work. 
  • Have fun!

These are our four rules that the Sparklers and staffers go over every Sunday. We (staffers) remind the preschool children that it’s important that they follow these rules every week. It’s humbling when I have to talk to address a sparkler’s sin if he/she is not obeying for the 7th time or is shoving another child away from them. It reminds me that I am no better. I look at my own life and have to ask myself,

  • How long does it take me to obey one of God’s commands? [Usually a long time] 
  • Am I impartial in the way I love people, or am I showing favoritism and only showing kindness to those that are easy to love? [No. I definitely show favoritism] 
  • Am I doing things with excellence unto the Lord? [So many things are done without a heart that desires to honor God] 
  • Do I enjoy and praise God for the blessings and grace He showers me with? [No. I complain an awful lot]

The staffers and I teach these rules to the Sparklers because we want them to learn that everything that we do is to glorify God. God’s been using these rules to teach me to apply them to myself as well. As a fairly recent full time employee, I am tested everyday to follow through with obeying God the first time, show kindness to everyone, do my best work, and to have fun at work. I’m in the Sparklers ministry not because I need to tell the children about morality or what’s right from wrong. I’m challenged to faithfully teach them the Bible and to be there to lead by example. It’s definitely not an easy thing to do. I fail in my flesh daily, but it allows me to be fully depend on the Lord for strength and to show grace to the Sparklers.

The biggest thing God has taught me while serving in this ministry is to prioritize my relationship with Him. An ongoing struggle of mine is to be Martha-minded (Luke 10:38-42): focusing on the busyness of life and getting caught up with my acts of service. That’s not what pleases God. God says those who sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His teaching have chosen the good portion. The best way I can prepare and minister to these preschool children is to make sure I am prioritizing my time with the Lord through prayer and the reading of His word.

Having served in the Sparklers ministry just shy of four months, I am privileged to be with this particular age group. God doesn’t need me or my service, but it’s a tremendous blessing to 1) be with a staff of men & women who truly desire to teach God’s word and present the gospel to children, and 2) witness 3-5 year olds’ growth in their understanding of who God is and why He is worthy to be praised.

FOF #1 – Introduction to the Bible

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The Bible is God’s inspired Word. In writing to his young disciple Timothy, Paul gives one of the most important passages to gain a right understanding of the Scriptures. He writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The word is theopneustos in the Greek, which is a compound word bringing together the terms “God” and “breath.” In other words, when the Bible speaks, God speaks.

To bring the Bible to completion, God employed about 40 different human authors over a period of about 1500 years. These writers came from different parts of the world and from entirely different cultures. They wrote in three different languages – Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. But still, through the entire process, God orchestrated and superintended the work so that each author wrote exactly what God intended him to write. The Apostle Peter explained that it was the Holy Spirit who moved in these men to cause them to write God’s truth (2 Pet. 1:21). The Bible is not a collection of works from wise and learned men. It is not just a book of helpful instructions and maxims for life. It is the very Word of God.

Unfortunately, many Christians don’t hold the Bible with as much esteem as it deserves. Too many Bibles are left on shelves or in the backseat of the car throughout the week. If the Bible is indeed God’s written revelation to men, certainly those who profess to know God should be in it as much as possible.

What would God desire to communicate to His people? Through the Bible, we are given knowledge of God. We can learn who He is, what He is like, and what He desires and demands of us. We can learn what offends God and what pleases Him. Most importantly, we learn through the Scriptures how to come to know Him and place our faith in Him.

The Bible also gives us knowledge of ourselves and the world around us. We learn that we aren’t as good and godly as we’d like to think. The Bible helps us understand the depth of the wickedness of our hearts. It helps us discern that we live in a cursed world because of sin. The beauty of nature is not as beautiful as it was created to be because our sin has tainted it. In fact, all of creation groans to be redeemed and restored to its perfection (Rom. 8:19-25). Man sins against man. Hate, wars, and evil exists because of man’s disobedience to God.

The Bible reveals God’s solution to the problem of sin. Though He would have been completely just to judge the world and condemn it, God demonstrates His love by providing a way of salvation for sinful men through His Son Jesus Christ. Knowing that men were completely incapable to doing anything to get back into good standing with Him, God provided the way of salvation Himself. This salvation is entirely by grace, and not by anything we could hope to accomplish on our own. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin so that those who would believe in Him could have life.

The Bible even gives us a look at the future. It clearly teaches that this life is not the end. All men are destined to face an eternity in heaven or hell, and it all depends on their response to the person of Christ. The clock is ticking because Jesus promised He would return soon. There is a distinct urgency for men to respond to the truth of the Bible. Instead, sadly, most people choose instead to live for the temporal, fading, comparatively insignificant things of this life. It’s through the Bible that we learn that it profits a person nothing to gain the entire world while forfeiting his soul (Mark 8:36-37).

These are all truths that we could not know except that God revealed them to us in His Word. And there’s a ton more that God desires for us to know about Him, ourselves, the world around us, and the future that we can only come to know through the Bible. We need to be in it. Being in God’s Word is the only way that any believer will see growth in his or her life (1 Pet. 2:2-3). It is by receiving and abiding in the instruction of God’s Word that the church will grow together (Eph. 4:11-16).

Don’t be one of those Christians that is unfamiliar with his Bible. The first chapter of Fundamentals of the Faith gives a basic introduction of the Bible. Through the lesson, you come to know the sixty-six Books of the Bible. There are thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament. Every page of Scripture centers on the one unified theme of the Bible – the glory of God in His redemption of man through His Son Jesus Christ.

Every Christian should have a basic working knowledge of the Bible. At the very least, you should know what are the Books of the Bible in order and with correct spelling (yes, it matters)! I certainly wouldn’t want to visit a doctor who couldn’t spell influenza. I’m sure it is difficult to take a Christian seriously who doesn’t even know the simplest things about the Bible (like its contents). Besides this, every member of Lighthouse Bible Church should know about and read the “Books of the Bible” series in the Beacon. This is a helpful series to get you better acquainted with God’s Word.

Shew Me Wherefore Thou Contendest With Me

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Job 10:2

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never be discovered if it were not for thy trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too often like a glow-worm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star-not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black foils in which God doth set the jewels of His children’s graces, to make them shine the better.

It was but a little while ago that on thy knees thou wast saying, ‘Lord, I fear I have no faith: let me know that I have faith.’ Was not this really, though perhaps unconsciously, praying for trials?-for how canst thou know that thou hast faith until thy faith is exercised? Depend upon it, God often sends us trials that our graces may be discovered, and that we may be certified of their existence. Besides, it is not merely discovery, real growth in grace is the result of sanctified trials. God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service. He makes them ford through streams, and swim through rivers, and climb mountains, and walk many a long mile with heavy knapsacks of sorrow on their backs.

Well, Christian, may not this account for the troubles through which thou art passing? Is not the Lord bringing out your graces, and making them grow? Is not this the reason why He is contending with you?

‘Trials make the promise sweet;
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to His feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.’

2.18a

Weekly Links (4/27/2012)

Such is pure and genuine religion, namely, confidence in God coupled with serious fear — fear, which both includes in it willing reverence, and brings along with it such legitimate worship as is prescribed by the law. And it ought to be more carefully considered that all men promiscuously do homage to God, but very few truly reverence him. On all hands there is abundance of ostentatious ceremonies, but sincerity of heart is rare. (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion)

by Richard Shin

We have another fantastic set of articles for y’all. There’s quite a bit this time, so take a cup of Joe (or some OJ, up to you), relax, and enjoy. Be enamored with God’s grace.

  • Paul Tautges has a four-part series on choosing love over liberty here, here, here, and here. He lists eight reasons why choosing love over liberty is the better route.
  • Charles W. Colson, the famous prison minister, has gone to be with the Lord. Justin Taylor rallied several articles and videos around the blogosphere that commemorate his passing.
  • R.C. Sproul has a short but fantastic post on three simple ways to encourage your pastor. One would do well to apply these on a regular basis.
  • I’m not sure what you think of British accents, but I love them. So you can imagine how awesome it was to come across C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters being read by John Cleese. Hat tip goes to Justin Taylor.
  • Because I’ve taken a liking to Paul Tautges, he is featured again (see first bullet) with the help of Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the past who encourages us to be better listeners.
  • Jonathan Leeman shares with us the beauty of church discipline.

Have a grace-filled weekend, everyone. See you on Sunday.

Coram Deo

Signs of Spiritual Maturity #1: Introduction

by Elder Peter Lim

Growing as a Christian is one of the great joys of a Christian’s life. Understanding that we were dead in our sins in which we formerly walked, it ought to be expected that redeemed people would live differently than the world does (Eph. 2). This makes a lot of sense because we are now alive in Christ and no longer slaves to sin. Many non-Christians do not want to become a Christian because it would mean giving up the lifestyle that they want to hold on to so dearly. They understand that if they believe in Christ, their lives will change. In other words, change is expected.

In every Christian’s journey, there are certain signs or indicators by which one can measure progress in our spiritual maturity. This is important because it gives us encouragement that the Holy Spirit is working in our lives. This encouragement lets us know that despite our sinful flesh, God is at work in us (Phil. 1:6). As we grow closer to Christ, we find that more and more of our sins are exposed. Initially we may feel embarrassed or upset and we may even try to shoot the messenger by whom our sins are exposed. But those feelings should quickly turn into recognition that God is at work in our lives. If you never experience this exposure of sins, it could be that you are avoiding fellowship with brothers and sisters and are content to live the life you are living without growing. Then there is no wonder that you are not maturing in Christ. Though you ought to be teachers, are you in need of milk instead of solid food (Heb. 5:12)?

These thoughts lead to a new series that I’m starting here on the Beacon: Signs of Spiritual Maturity. It will be a many-part series on the different ways in which we can measure our progress in becoming more spiritually mature. Believe you me that I haven’t achieved some sort of plateau at which I can look back at where everyone else is. I write these things as one who is in the marathon race alongside you as a fellow runner. But as someone who is on the older end (at least at our church) I hope to encourage you to continue running by pointing out the various milestones that mark our progress together. I am confident that I will recognize even more markers as the years go by because God is the one who is causing the growth. I hope you are looking forward to reading a new article every four weeks on the different Signs of Spiritual Maturity. I know I am looking forward to writing them!