Whereas the Lord Was There

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Ezekiel 35:10

Edom’s princes saw the whole country left desolate, and counted upon its easy conquest; but there was one great difficulty in their way-quite unknown to them-‘The Lord was there‘; and in His presence lay the special security of the chosen land. Whatever may be the machinations and devices of the enemies of God’s people, there is still the same effectual barrier to thwart their design. The saints are God’s heritage, and He is in the midst of them, and will protect His own. What comfort this assurance yields us in our troubles and spiritual conflicts! We are constantly opposed, and yet perpetually preserved! How often Satan shoots his arrows against our faith, but our faith defies the power of hell’s fiery darts; they are not only turned aside, but they are quenched upon its shield, for ‘the Lord is there.’ Our good works are the subjects of Satan’s attacks. A saint never yet had a virtue or a grace which was not the target for hellish bullets: whether it was hope bright and sparkling, or love warm and fervent, or patience all-enduring, or zeal flaming like coals of fire, the old enemy of everything that is good has tried to destroy it. The only reason why anything virtuous or lovely survives in us is this, ‘the Lord is there.’

If the Lord be with us through life, we need not fear for our dying confidence; for when we come to die, we shall find that ‘the Lord is there‘; where the billows are most tempestuous, and the water is most chill, we shall feel the bottom, and know that it is good: our feet shall stand upon the Rock of Ages when time is passing away. Beloved, from the first of a Christian’s life to the last, the only reason why he does not perish is because ‘the Lord is there.’ When the God of everlasting love shall change and leave His elect to perish, then may the Church of God be destroyed; but not till then, because it is written, JEHOVAH SHAMMAH, ‘The Lord is there.’

2.17p

Weekly Links (4/20/2012)

See the man at midnight [described in Luke 11:5-8].  Imitate that man.  Act it all alone at midnight.  Hear his loud cry, and cry it after him.  He needed three loaves.  What is your need?  Name it.  Name it out loud.  Let your own ears hear it. . . . The shameful things you have to ask for.  The disgraceful, the incredible things you have to admit and confess.  The life you have lived.  The way you have spent your days and nights.  And what all that has brought you to.  It kills you to have to say such things even with your door shut.  Yes, but better say all these things in closets than have them all proclaimed from the housetops of the day of judgment.  Knock, man!  Knock for the love of God!  Knock as they knock to get into heaven after the door is shut!  Knock, as they knock to get out of hell! (Alexander Whyte, “The Man Who Knocked At Midnight,” in Lord, Teach Us To Pray (New York, n.d.), pages 174-176; HT Ray Ortlund)

by Richard Shin

Happy Friday! We’re back with a great set of links.

  • Many would say Romans is their favorite book from the Bible. Desiring God attempts to summarize this fantastic epistle with 45 Tweets.
  • Kevin DeYoung shares an article on the implications of theistic evolution.
  • I appreciate this post by Chuck Swindoll very much. He encourages the servant that God will not forget his work, whether it be someone behind the scenes or the senior pastor of a church.
  • You know the article’s a hit when it’s posted four times. Team Pyro has an article on modesty of dress that’s done just that.
  • Jim Stitzinger from The Cripplegate shares an article on five common ways we can misdiagnose our struggles, repackaging sinfulness into holiness.
  • Do you remember when Esau plotted against Jacob, how Esau wanted to kill Jacob for stealing his birthright (Gen 27:41-45)? So you can imagine the shock when the next time we see Esau, it’s with Esau weeping for joy for seeing his brother again (Gen. 33:4). Well, Ray Ortlund pens an article on the ministry of reconciliation that each Christian has.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone. God bless!

Coram Deo

LBC Weekly SPARK – April 19, 2012

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. This past Sunday, we heard a message from James 1:21 about the importance of receiving the implanted Word. This is what will help produce spiritual growth and ensure the ongoing process of sanctification in your life. So the obvious question of application is: Are you taking in God’s Word? We hear so many messages about the practical importance of Scripture intake, and all true believers will attest to the necessity of being in God’s Word. It really comes down to being disciplined in this. It is about loving the Lord and praising Him for His revelation, receiving it with meekness, and learning to apply its principles. Like I mentioned on Sunday, we can all appreciate the simplicity of James’ message. Consider this an encouragement to be in the Word today, and to persevere in it for the rest of the week, month, and year.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are this week’s ministry opportunities:

  1. MISSION BOWL PEP RALLY. Instead of our regularly scheduled Friday night Bible studies, this week we will be having our annual Mission Bowl Pep Rally to cheer on our ladies’ flag football team. Everyone is encouraged to come out to support the team and join in the festivities! Families, please bring the kids! Everything will begin at 6:00 PM at the church on Friday evening.
  2. MISSION BOWL TOURNAMENT. The ladies have been preparing long and hard and the tournament is finally upon us. The tournament will begin on Saturday, April 21, at 12:30 PM at UCSD’s Muir Field. This is a great way to meet other believers in our community and fellowship together. Come cheer on our gals!
  3. MEMBERS MEETING. Don’t forget that there is a members meeting this Sunday, April 22, from 4:45-8:30 PM, at the church. All members are highly encouraged to come. As always, dinner will be served.
  4. WOMEN’S MINISTRY SEMINAR. The women’s ministry will be hosting a seminar on the works of the Holy Spirit on Satuday, April 28, from 9:00 AM-12:30 PM, at the church. There is no cost to attend, but you need to RSVP with Christine Cho to reserve your spot (christinescho@gmail.com). All ladies, high school age and up, are invited to attend.
  5. BAPTISM. There will be a baptism class on Tuesday, April 24, at 7:00 PM, at the church. If you have not yet been baptized as a believer in obedience to God’s command, please come out to the class. The baptism service will be on Sunday, April 29, at 5:00 PM (please note the time change!). (Editor’s Note: we recently updated the Baptism Hub Post).
  6. ANNIVERSARY BANQUET. The annual banquet will be on Sunday, May 6, at 5:00 PM, at the church. Come out as we celebrate 13 years of God’s faithfulness and focus on our annual theme: Dying to Know Him. The cost is only $25/adult and $15/child (ages 4-12). The dress this year is casual. Sign up with Johnny Kim this weekend!
  7. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL. VBS will be from June 25-29, from 9:00 AM-5:00 PM each day. More information is forthcoming, but please mark your calendars! We are still in need of volunteers for staff, so please contact Josh Liu or Abram Kim for more information.
  8. GRACE LIFE WEEKENDER. The Grace Life family ministry will be having its very first weekender on July 6-8! This will be a conference style event with meetings at the church. The theme is: “The Lord of the Rings: Marriage to the Glory of God.” The speakers are Dr. Robert and Mary Somerville of The Master’s College. The cost is only $80/person ($160/couple), and includes two meals. Childcare will be provided! You can reserve your spot with Pastor Patrick. Invite your friends!
  9. SISTER CONNECTION. The women of the church will be taking part in Sister Connection once again! College Life sisters will either be paired up with a Single Life or Grace Life sister to get to know each other better and spend some quality time together. If you are interested in participating, please email sisterconnection@gmail.com. You can also sign up with Christine Cho, Janet Shih, or Deborah Wong. The last day to signup is April 29.
  10. LOCAL OUTREACH. Please do not forget about the regular opportunities you have to share the gospel in our community. The Pacific Beach ministry to the homeless occurs every other Sunday, from about 3:00-6:00 PM. We also have a ministry that visits a local convalescent home. Contact Joyce Kang (joycekang84@gmail.com) or Hanka Rodgers (hanka.rodgers@gmail.com) about the PB Homeless Ministry, and Teddy Yu (yu.teddy@gmail.com) about the convalescent home ministry.
  11. BEACON. Helpful articles are provided each week to stimulate godly thinking and growth. Check out the Beacon today (www.lighthousebc.com/beacon)!

EV & Your Degree – Introduction

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

When the issue of evangelism comes up at our church, typically it relates to the setting of a university campus, and the participants involved are typically both students: usually a believer and an unbeliever. The interest often arises from either a discouraging incident when that young believer gets flooded with questions by the unbeliever, or when there seems to be a disinterest in the things of God when conversing with that non-Christian. Many stories can be told by Christian collegians about the time they sought to reach out to another student with the Gospel, only to be shut down by simple assertions of superiority, or a sudden high (and often arbitrary) standard of proof. This may come up when students devote specific time on the campus walking around and engaging other students concerning truth and spiritual issues. Other times may include an informal Bible study reading through one of the Gospels, or discussing a book about the fundamental truths of Christianity.

College is filled with opportunities for students of Christ, who for a brief period of time are university students, to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord to those who are perishing. There are stories that can be told where a Christian, who knows their Bible, boldly sets forth the claims of Christ and draw people to see the glory of God in their witness of how He can change a wicked heart.

We have a fairly clear picture of how evangelism looks in the college setting, but what does it look like post-college? Once a Christian student graduates with his or her degree, what happens now? How does one remain faithful after they move out of the university setting, and no longer have as many opportunities as seemed easier to see? Can there still be a fervor for evangelism when one joins the workforce, or is it a new period in life where sharing Christ with others becomes one of deeds more than words?

The singles ministry at our church is not a monolithic group. There are those who have continued to study for a graduate program, or for a specific career. There are also some who have begun work, whether related to their field of study or unrelated; and then, there are those who are in the process of finding work, in transition. Unlike college, not everyone is on the same four-year track, differentiated only by how far they have progressed. The age range is considerably more than four years between oldest and youngest in this group. This is a reminder for me to not be simplistic in how I want to address this issue.

However, how one evangelizes may look slightly different when it comes to the collegian and the post-collegian (or the non-collegian as the case may be). No matter the case, there are some considerations that would be helpful for us as singles to consider in proclaiming Christ. Of course, there is overlap; many principles relating to evangelism transcend the stage in life you are in. However, your affinity group does not determine the importance of evangelism nor should the message be altered to relate to whom you are sharing Christ with.

Hopefully, we can flesh some of these ideas out in the months to come. My goal is to look to the Scriptures to gain a better understanding of what it looks like to be a faithful witness when you have finished college and are still called to be an ambassador of Christ in this postmodern and ‘tolerant’ nation. I pray we all have that mindset in whatever circle we have been providentially placed in by God.

BOB – Outlines – The Pentateuch

by Stephen Rodgers

I know what you’re thinking: “Is this guy ever going to do the Prophetic Books?”

Lord willing, yes.  But not this week. Because this week, (and for the next couple weeks), we’re going to play a little game of catch-up with the BOB series. Let me explain. (“No, there is no time; let me sum up.”)

I recently fielded a question about the BOB series from a church member who wanted me to know that they felt that the BOB series had a particularly glaring deficiency, because it didn’t have a section articulating exactly what happens in each book of the Bible. I explained that wasn’t an oversight, that was deliberate. After all, the hope with BOB is that it will provide a helpful reference for books of the Bible, but it’s not intended to obviate the need to actually read them.

That being said, I do think there’s some value in having an overview of the events and/or structure of the books, so I’ve put together something that I think is interesting. I’ve taken the outlines from three different study Bibles (MSB, NET, NIV), which are published by three different publishers (Thomas Nelson, whoever publishes the NET, and Zondervan). I could be wrong, but I don’t think there’s any crossover when it comes to the scholars and writers on those content committees, so we should wind up with three uniquely sourced outlines. I’ve then laid out those outlines side-by-side, and will be releasing a new section each week until we catch up to the Prophetic books.  From that point on, I’ll include the outlines everytime we get to a new section, so that you’ll have something to refer to as you read the BOB articles. (I’ll also edit the old section articles so that people reading through this series in the future will have them from the beginning).

Now, a couple of disclaimers:

  • I really wanted to include the ESVSB outline, but since they’ve recently relocated that behind their paywall, I’m not sure of the propriety of that. My life is pretty exciting already; I don’t need to be getting C&D letters from Crossway.
  • While these are comparative outlines, they are not parallel outlines.  What’s the difference you ask? A parallel outline is where certain internal markers are used to hold the lines/rows constant with each other. That’s a really cool resource to have, but it would take more time than I have to create. If anyone really wants to give that a whirl, let me know and I’ll send you the editable files.

Alright then. For those of you who are interested, here’s the first outline for the books of the Pentateuch. I’ve also updated the original article on the Pentateuch to contain that as well.  See you next week with the History books!

FOF – Introduction

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Each week, during our Sunday School hour, one of the classes we offer at Lighthouse is Fundamentals of the Faith (FOF). This is a thirteen week study using a workbook that is published by Grace Community Church. In the class, we walk through the basics of Christianity covering topics such as “Introduction to the Bible,” “The Person of Jesus Christ,” and “The Church: Fellowship and Worship.” Unlike other Sunday School classes we offer, Fundamentals of the Faith is offered continually throughout the year except in the summer when we typically take a break from all classes.

FOF is a helpful tool to get the student of the Word better acquainted with basic spiritual truths. The lessons are refreshingly biblical and practical. Even walking through the exercises, the student becomes more familiar with the Bible by answering various questions from the text of Scripture. Each lesson is also accompanied by a weekly memory verse, which the students are encouraged to memorize and internalize.

At Lighthouse, we have actually made FOF a required class for membership. Even if you have grown up in the church and these lessons are very familiar to you, we still ask that you sit in the class. There a couple reasons for this. First, we don’t want to make any assumptions about a person’s salvation or familiarity with the Bible. Many people who took this class later admitted that they didn’t know as much as they thought. We are thankful that as a result of the class, some have even been introduced to the principal doctrine of the gospel. If someone wants to gain a better understanding of the Christian faith, FOF is a great class to recommend.

Second, much of the teaching at LBC assumes the lessons of FOF. Many times when the teachers of the church walk through a particular passage, they don’t have the time to sufficiently explain some of the more basic truths. By sitting in FOF, each member is given the same foundation and can learn where Lighthouse stands on each of these core doctrines. Besides these two reasons, FOF provides a wonderful environment to get better plugged into the church, meet other believers, and get to know the teachers of the class.

Fundamentals of the Faith could even be used as a helpful discipleship tool. If you are have already completed FOF, you could walk through the class again with your discipleship group. Parents might find the class as a helpful spiritual aid to shepherd their children. Think about how profitable it would be to study these things together with your children and discuss them throughout the week.

This series will walk through the lessons of FOF but more as a supplement to the class. For you members who still need to fulfill the membership requirement, this is not a viable alternative. But as we walk through the lessons together, hopefully this series will provide key insights and useful background information to make the class even more enjoyable. If you have already finished the lessons that are covered, you’re encouraged to review each lesson before reading the supplemental article. May the Lord continue to bless His church as its members uncompromisingly and unswervingly strive to grow in their understanding of His truth!

Editor’s Note #2: April 2012

by Stephen Rodgers

I wanted to announce this last time, but it wasn’t quite ready yet.  Now that we’re really caught up, here it is.

  • Illustrations – James Shin recently joined the staff here at the Beacon, and he’s been doing some great work in illustrating the Caution series, the Gray Issues series, and the Encouragement Series (he’s still working on that one). Click through to check that out!

Also, if you haven’t read those series yet, this would be a great time to catch up.  It won’t take long, and you’ll benefit greatly.

Isaac Dwelt by the Well Lahai-roi

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Genesis 25:11

Hagar had once found deliverance there and Ishmael had drank from the water so graciously revealed by the God who liveth and seeth the sons of men; but this was a merely casual visit, such as worldlings pay to the Lord in times of need, when it serves their turn. They cry to Him in trouble, but forsake Him in prosperity. Isaac dwelt there, and made the well of the living and all-seeing God his constant source of supply. The usual tenor of a man’s life, the dwelling of his soul, is the true test of his state.

Perhaps the providential visitation experienced by Hagar struck Isaac’s mind, and led him to revere the place; its mystical name endeared it to him; his frequent musings by its brim at eventide made him familiar with the well; his meeting Rebecca there had made his spirit feel at home near the spot; but best of all, the fact that he there enjoyed fellowship with the living God, had made him select that hallowed ground for his dwelling.

Let us learn to live in the presence of the living God; let us pray the Holy Spirit that this day, and every other day, we may feel, ‘Thou God seest me.’ May the Lord Jehovah be as a well to us, delightful, comforting, unfailing, springing up unto eternal life. The bottle of the creature cracks and dries up, but the well of the Creator never fails; happy is he who dwells at the well, and so has abundant and constant supplies near at hand. The Lord has been a sure helper to others: His name is Shaddai, God All-sufficient; our hearts have often had most delightful intercourse with Him; through Him our soul has found her glorious Husband, the Lord Jesus; and in Him this day we live, and move, and have our being; let us, then, dwell in closest fellowship with Him. Glorious Lord, constrain us that we may never leave Thee, but dwell by the well of the living God.

2.17a

Weekly Links (4/12/2012)

When you are satisfied with God’s presence and approval in your life, you will no longer obsess about what everyone else thinks about you. You can quit hiding your faults and start living with authenticity, letting people see the real you — the ‘you’ with all the faults and warts — because you no longer depend on their admiration for personal fulfillment.

It is a revolutionary, liberating truth: in Christ, you have all you need for everlasting joy. His approval and presence are all that you need for life and happiness.

He is the only One who should play the role of God in our lives. He has no equals, no partners, and doesn’t want to share the office of ‘God’ with anyone. (J. D. Greear, Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary)

by Richard Shin

Well, I’m back with another set of fantastic links. Here we go:

  • In case you didn’t know, the biennial Together for the Gospel conference reconvened this past week. This year’s theme was “The Underestimated Gospel.” While I’m sure all the sermons were good, I’d like to point you particularly to Matt Chandler’s (you can find the abbreviated transcript here). It’s geared towards pastors, but I think everyone can benefit from this one (as is the case for any sermon centered around Scripture).
  • Um.. this is huge. D. Martin Lloyd-Jones’ sermons are available to download for free. Right. Here. Periods. Finality. MLJ is awesome.
  • Gerald Bray has a new systematic theology book out that builds upon 1 John 4:8, that God is love. Odd? Wait until you read this.
  • For those that don’t know, I’m a big fan of golf. Ask me why and I’ll give you an earful. Jeremy Lin? Tim Tebow? Step aside. Bubba Watson is here. For those that don’t know, he is an outspoken Christian and recently won the most prestigious golf tournament on the PGA Tour–The Masters.
  • If you’ve been on the blogosphere long enough, you are no stranger to Christian liberalism. Nathan Busenitz shares the lessons he learned from studying German liberals.
  • Ray Ortlund Jr. shares an encouraging post on Psalm 31:19.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Coram Deo

Reflections on the 2012 College Life Retreat

vs.

by Nancy Rodriguez

Last year, I had the opportunity to attend to the College Life Retreat and I was once again blessed to attend to this year. I remember feeling thrilled to attend to last year’s because it was my first time attending a retreat, ever. Last year, I had so much fun with the skits that we came up with in a short amount of time and later had to perform, with the sermons, with the delicious food and in the end we had a nice treat – snow! It was my first time seeing snow fall and it was so incredibly white! Due to the snow we had our annual games indoors. This year, I was hoping it would snow again simply to avoid the outdoor games because I was a little apprehensive as to what expect. I remember someone mentioning that they used “fish guts” two years ago, and I was not looking forward for that. But if it came to that, I would have been a good sport about it, I think.

I also enjoyed how everyone was a good sport about the Blue vs. Red team competition. Everyone is so high-spirited and is ready to represent their colors but in a manner that ultimately glorifies God (nothing prideful but all for laughs and fellowship). This year I was once again placed on the blue team and I was so thankful because in all honesty, my wardrobe consists of all blue and absolutely no red.

The skits had to incorporate the theme, an object and another theme provided by the captains (who, by the way, were so incredibly encouraging). The outcome of the skits was just so creative and amazing; they never fail to amuse me. I just love how everyone is just so encouraging throughout the process and incredibly patient. I know it can be overwhelming when trying to figure out what the skit will be within your group and who is going to be doing what, but in the end everyone is just so unbelievably considerate of one another.

I was delighted to hear that this year’s theme was “The Young Adult Dilemma” because being a young adult, there are a lot of gray areas in this stage of life (e.g. job, relationships, and the roles of men and women, etc.). Some things that were taught were relatively new ideas and made me reevaluate my view of the role of men and women. I must admit that the messages were difficult to swallow because growing up to a non-Christian home, I was taught quite the contrary. I was taught to fend for myself and to be independent. But in the time that I have been attending LBC, those ideas have been fading away because the teaching there is straight from the Bible, which makes it easier to understand and abide in those roles.

But one of the things I really enjoy about retreats is that you are surrounded by believers and if at any time you have questions about the sermon, or anything else, you can easily ask someone in your small group, staff, or even the pastor teaching. My experience overall was an amazing one because God never fails to reveal to me what I have to work on. I learned so much within just three days and I love how God continues to astonish me with His word and what He has in store for us all. If anything, these sermons made me want to even further my knowledge about the role of women and the want to pursue the principles of the Titus 2 women.

It is always a joy to be surrounded with believers who absolutely love God and are ready to worship Him for an entire weekend, but it doesn’t stop there, even when we return to school, the conversations did not stop. It was just amazing to hear what everyone else gained from the retreat and how they were going to apply it to their lives. Overall living with believers has been a remarkable blessing because, being a relatively new believer, the girls have continually challenged me to be a good witness to others. Retreat for me has been a time where God reveals to me the most and a time to fellowship and get to know other collegians that I may not know.

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