Speaking Truth to One Another

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the things that I have always been encouraged by at LBC is the members’ commitment to one another to build deep relationships and have meaningful conversations. I know this is happening because more and more new people tell me that it is one of the reasons why they want to join as members. They tell me that the conversations they have with members at LBC are spiritual. At lunch on Sundays, people are often heard talking about the Sunday sermon or what they read the past week. One time I joined a group for lunch and ironically it short-circuited these conversations because the group was sheepish about discussing the sermon with me there. But it was nice to know that they had grown accustomed to having those conversations.

I’m really appreciative of these conversations because the Bible calls us to invest in each other in this way. In Ephesians 4:15 and 4:25, Paul encourages the church to speak the truth to each other in love. There are many various applications to this command, but one way to do it is to initiate spiritual, meaningful conversations with one another. My hope is that these kinds of conversations would continue to permeate the church. It would be great if eventually these conversations would not be awkward, but that it would seem out of place if these conversations didn’t take place.

In College Life and Single Life, we occasionally have what are called RAP groups to discuss the Friday night sermons in small groups. RAP is an acronym for Reflection, Application, and Prayer. I have always enjoyed these conversations because I want to know how people think in response to the messages. In Grace Life, this is the reason why we have assigned the weekly homework, to promote spiritual discussion in the home, and help to make those interactions customary.

Colin Marshall and Tony Payne elaborate on the need of these spiritual conversations in The Trellis and the Vine. This is how we build one another up in the faith. Sunday sermons are necessary and helpful, but they are not sufficient. Using a military analogy, sermons are like spiritual bombs that minister to large groups of people at a time. They are necessary because they bring much needed instruction and understanding to the text. But the spiritual conversations that take place throughout the week are like spiritual snipers that target and minister to individuals in a personal way.

There is no way that any one pastor is going to be able to adequately minister to an entire congregation in this deeply personal way. It is going to require a commitment by the members to one another to speak truth to each other, praying for one another, encouraging one another, and building each other up in the faith. But as each member commits to doing this, the church as a whole will be strengthened. And as we have seen in the past, and hopefully will continue to see, people will be drawn to the church if its members keep speaking truth to one another in love.

Abel was a Keeper of Sheep

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Genesis 4:2

As a shepherd Abel sanctified his work to the glory of God, and offered a sacrifice of blood upon his altar, and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering. This early type of our Lord is exceedingly clear and distinct. Like the first streak of light which tinges the east at sunrise, it does not reveal everything, but it clearly manifests the great fact that the sun is coming. As we see Abel, a shepherd and yet a priest, offering a sacrifice of sweet smell unto God, we discern our Lord, who brings before His Father a sacrifice to which Jehovah ever hath respect.

Abel was hated by his brother-hated without a cause; and even so was the Saviour: the natural and carnal man hated the accepted man in whom the Spirit of grace was found, and rested not until his blood had been shed.

Abel fell, and sprinkled his altar and sacrifice with his own blood, and therein sets forth the Lord Jesus slain by the enmity of man while serving as a priest before the Lord. ‘The good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep.’ Let us weep over Him as we view Him slain by the hatred of mankind, staining the horns of His altar with His own blood. Abel’s blood speaketh. ‘The Lord said unto Cain, ‘The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground.” The blood of Jesus hath a mighty tongue, and the import of its prevailing cry is not vengeance but mercy. It is precious beyond all preciousness to stand at the altar of our good Shepherd! to see Him bleeding there as the slaughtered priest, and then to hear His blood speaking peace to all His flock, peace in our conscience, peace between Jew and Gentile, peace between man and his offended Maker, peace all down the ages of eternity for blood-washed men.

Abel is the first shepherd in order of time, but our hearts shall ever place Jesus first in order of excellence. Thou great Keeper of the sheep, we the people of Thy pasture bless Thee with our whole hearts when we see Thee slain for us.

1.20a

Weekly Links (2/4/2011)

[Shawʼs] latest play, The Showing Up of Blanco Posnet, has been forbidden by the Censor. As far as I can discover, it has been forbidden because one of the characters professes a belief in God and states his conviction that God has got him. This is wholesome; this is like one crack of thunder in a clear sky. Not so easily does the prince of this world forgive. Shawʼs religious training and instinct is not mine, but in all honest religion there is something that is hateful to the prosperous compromise of our time. You are free in our time to say that God does not exist; you are free to say that He exists and is evil; you are free to say (like poor old Renan) that He would like to exist if He could. You may talk of God as a metaphor or a mystification; you may water Him down with gallons of long words, or boil Him to the rags of metaphysics; and it is not merely that nobody punishes, but nobody protests. But if you speak of God as a fact, as a thing like a tiger, as a reason for changing oneʼs conduct, then the modern world will stop you somehow if it can. We are long past talking about whether an unbeliever should be punished for being irreverent. It is now thought irreverent to be a believer. (GK Chesterton, HT: Victor Reppert via Tim McGrew)

by Stephen Rodgers

First of all, just to let you know, I gave myself a break this week in terms of updating the Recommended Resources page.  I needed to spend some time organizing materials for future editions of the Weekly Links and Beacon-related projects.  However, if you haven’t checked out that page yet, you really should, since there is a lot of good material there.

And that brings us to the links:

  • It’s February!  And that means that a new edition of Tabletalk is out!  This month, the theme is Letters from the Abyss. Check it out! (WEB)
  • And since it’s a new month, there’s a new FREE audio book available over at christianaudio.com.  This month, it’s the highly-acclaimed Adopted for Life by Russell Moore.  (MP3)
  • Much like we did our own little “Best” of Beacon a while back, Ligonier Ministries has a list of their Top 10 Articles of 2010.  (WEB)
  • Have I ever pointed out to you that an enormous quantity of both John Frame and Vern Polythress’ work is available for free online? No?  Shame on me.  But shame on you if you don’t scoot on over there and avail yourself to their materials… (WEBSITE)
  • Here’s something for all the parents who read the blog…Rick Holland shares a few thoughts on parenting and discipleship. (WEB)
  • Over at the CRBC blog, Tom Chantry has a great article on evangelism and how it pertains to a Christian perspective on panic and “catastrophes.” (WEB)
  • And last but not least, I stumped across a couple of articles by Dane Ortlund that I thought were interesting.  In both articles, he asks 25 church leaders to answer a question in only one sentence.

See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Interview with Angela (Youth)

by Grace Wu

This week, the Youth affinity group brings us an interview with one of their members: Angela. Angela is one of the newer additions to Lumos, having come to the church by herself through the recommendation of family and friends. She is an example of the wide-reaching ministry of LBC, extending not just to college-aged or single adults searching for churches in San Diego, but also to the youth group. Though her parents are not members of LBC, she still regularly attends youth group on her own. She is originally from New York and moved to San Diego just a couple of years ago with her family. Angela is currently a senior in high school.

How long did it take you to find a church in San Diego after moving from New York?

It took about six months to a year to find a good, stable church to go to constantly.

How was the process of looking for a good, stable church to go to?

It was stressful because I kept arguing with my parents about what kind of church I wanted and what kind of church they wanted because we had different views about what church should be. It was hard for me because my church from New York was the church I grew up in. I didn’t know if I’d feel the same at a new church, so it was very stressful to find a church to settle in.

How and when did you start coming to LBC? What were you first impressions? What was it like coming to church on your own without your parents?

My brother’s friends from college heard Pastor John as a guest speaker at a retreat they went to and they knew that he was a pastor at a church in San Diego and so they told me to go to LBC. The sermons were very strong and straightforward. It was long but it was very beneficial. Coming by myself, I paid attention more. I felt more independent so I felt like I needed to listen more. I was nervous coming by myself, but I overcame that nervousness. There were a lot of friendly people and it was comforting to see that people at LBC care about their new visitors.

What made you to want to settle down at LBC?

The sermons that were presented were very helpful during the week and the people were very friendly.

Was it hard to want to stay at LBC because people are so much older than you?

No, since people here are older than me and have more experience, I think I could learn from them what they have learned.

What’s something you’ve learned since being in Lumos that has impacted you?

Taking up the cross everyday. It was my 2nd or 3rd Bible study at youth group, and I was going through some rough times, and listening to those sermons about taking up my cross and following Christ made me think if I made better Christian choices, then my life’s path will go the right way and that I wouldn’t feel so lost.

How is Lumos different from your old youth group?

It’s more one-on-one and very personal. My old youth group was pretty big so I couldn’t get much time with a leader. I learn more when it’s one-on-one or with fewer people.

How has senior year been?

So far, it’s been hard and very stressful. There’s been a lot of work. Even though it’s been stressful, there are times I could go out more because it’s senior year. There’s a lot more peer pressure in school because it’s my last year, I’m older, and I’m going to college so there are a lot more opportunities to be pressured.

What are your hobbies?

I love to dance, if it weren’t for dance I don’t think I’d be Angela. I usually do choreographed pieces and if I do do freestyle, I’d do hip hop dancing

Living Theology #54 – The Final Judgment and Eternal Punishment

by Garrett Glende

Upon a thorough study of the Bible, encountering various subjects and doctrines that are hard to accept is inevitable. Since a systematic theology aims to cover the Bible’s teaching on all major issues, we have already seen this play out in our walk through Wayne Grudem’s work. We’ve had to deal with such issues as the sovereignty of God in salvation and the utter depravity of man. The nature of our study is such that these issues cannot be ignored, regardless of whether or not they will make people happy inside. In order to stay faithful to Scripture we must teach all of it, for it all holds the same truthfulness and authority. I write this because we’ve come across another one of those tough issues this week. Many Christians in America today like to think of Heaven, but rarely do they ponder the reality and severity of Hell. Yet it is not something that we can ignore. John MacArthur writes that Jesus “talked more about Hell than he did about love. He said more about Hell than all the other preachers in the Bible combined. If we were to model our preaching after His, then Hell would be a major theme for all of us.” And so Hell and judgment are topics that we must discuss, and they should weigh heavily on our souls. I pray that the Holy Spirit would guide us all to a deeper understanding of these truths and that He would empower us to live changed lives in light of them.

The most logical place to start would be right where we left off last week, at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. After Satan goes to battle unsuccessfully against Christ in Revelation 20:7-10, he is thrown into the lake of fire to be punished eternally. Then, at the end of the chapter (verses 11-15), we get a glimpse of one of the most sorrowful and sobering passages in the Bible:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The setting is indeed magnificently daunting. We read John’s vision of the glorified Son of God, sitting on His rightful throne, ready to judge the world. He mentions specifically that this throne is great and white – great to show its authority, and white to illustrate its purity, holiness, and justice. There will be no mistrial in this courtroom. There are no defense attorneys and the defendants will offer no excuse. They will be shown their deeds that have been written in the books, where God has recorded every thought, action, and intention of the heart. None will meet the holy standard of God (Rom. 3:23). Those who have failed to be holy, who have not trusted in Christ’s righteousness, and who have not been written down in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternal punishment.

This is not an easy thing to say: that those who have not believed await eternal and conscious punishment. In fact, there are many today who would wish to do away with any doctrine concerning Hell. They write it off as unloving, unfair, and judgmental. However, we cannot succumb to our culture’s view of the Bible, as some have done. We must defend its truths, however harsh they may be. The Bible is unmistakably clear that those who do not bow the knee to Christ will be punished. Even the Old Testament prophet Daniel wrote that “those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2). Paul also testifies to these truths in 2 Thessalonians 1:9 when he writes, “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” Additionally of those in Hell, Revelation 14:11 says that “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night.” The strength of these verses and others is enough to dispel any sort of teaching that would advocate anything less than eternal punishment.

But still, there will be those who insist that it is unjust for a finite life of sins to incur a penalty that is eternal. In response to this, I offer Jonathon Edwards’ comments from his essay, The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners. He says it much more eloquently than I ever could.

The crime of one being despising and casting contempt on another, is proportionably more or less heinous, as he was under greater or less obligations to honour him. The fault of disobeying another is greater or less, as any one is under greater or less obligations to obey him. And therefore if there be any being that we are under infinite obligations to love, and honour, and obey, the contrary towards him must be infinitely faulty.

Our obligation to love, honour, and obey any being, is in proportion to his loveliness, honourableness, and authority…But God is a being infinitely lovely, because he hath infinite excellency and beauty…His authority over us is infinite; and the ground of his right to our obedience is infinitely strong; for he is infinitely worthy to be obeyed himself, and we have an absolute, universal, and infinite dependence upon him.

So that sin against God, being a violation of infinite obligations, must be a crime infinitely heinous, and so deserving of infinite punishment…The eternity of the punishment of ungodly men renders it infinite: and it renders it no more than infinite; and therefore renders no more than proportionable to the heinousness of what they are guilty of.

I’m tempted to rest my case here, but I’ll summarize a bit of what Edwards is getting at. He argues that the severity of our sin is relative to the degree to which we are obligated to obey – and that is an infinite obligation. Since we have failed to meet this obligation to a God who is infinitely lovely, honorable, and beautiful, or just punishment is an infinite one.

I struggle as I write these things because I know that these truths should drive me to my knees. The reality is that we all know people who are Hell bound, but has this really affected our hearts? We know that death can come at any moment and that Christ’s return is imminent. In light of this, our prayer for the lost and evangelism to unbelievers should become all the more urgent. Our hearts should echo Paul’s in Romans 9 when he says that he has “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” for the souls of his Jewish brothers. But it’s more than wanting our friends and family not to experience Hell. We should want them to experience God! We can’t just scare people away from Hell and into Heaven, but the realities of Hell should beckon Christians to take action in preaching the gospel. It should remind us of the grave penalty that we deserved to pay and the seriousness of our sin. In light of Hell, we should rejoice in the cross, for it is through the cross that we have been saved from Hell. In light of Hell, we should be motivated to live holy lives, for Hell is a reminder of how much God hates sin. This doctrine may seem far off and irrelevant, but it is very near to us and very relevant. I’ll leave us with Edwards again, and this is my prayer for all of us:

Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of Heaven, and Hell’s torments.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions (Part 4)

by Elder Mike Chon

All of us make specific decisions in life that are not explicitly spoken of in Scripture. For some, these areas of freedom that God gives us can lead to making rules and man-made laws that can in turn lead to legalism. For others, they see these areas of freedom as areas where their decision simply doesn’t matter and therefore they can do anything they want. So how do we reconcile these two views?  How do we make these decisions in regards to areas of life that are not clearly spoken of in Scripture? Questions such as…

  • Where should I go to college?
  • Which career path should I take?
  • Who should I date?
  • What should I wear?
  • Should I purchase a home?

Last time we examined some of the common mistakes that believers make in attempting to make God-honoring decisions. Today we will examine how we are to make decisions that are truly honoring to God.

We need to make sure that we are obedient when Scripture is clear on a decision in our life. We also want to make sure that we follow the principles that are clearly given to us in Scripture in how we should make decisions. In the many “gray” areas of the Christian life, those areas where Scripture does not prohibit nor command us to obey, there are many principles in Scripture which we need to consider when we make these decisions. These principles are presented in an article by Grace To You, “Decision Making to the Glory of God” which Stephen Rodgers listed on the Weekly Links (1/07/2011). Along with these principles there are other areas of our life which will require us to use wisdom in making decisions.

The beginning of any true wisdom in this world begins with a fear of God (Prov. 9:10). If you are wondering how to make a decision in your life, first you need to ask yourself if you have a relationship with God that is growing in your knowledge of who He is and of His Word. Even in Scripture there are books that we call “Wisdom Books” and in particular the book of Proverbs has much to say about wisdom and the importance of wisdom in our life (Prov. 8:12-36). As well, throughout the Scriptures we see examples of how important wisdom is in decision making. For instance, in the life of Moses, Jethro his father-in-law advises him to teach God’s statutes and laws as well as appoint leaders over groups of people so that he wouldn’t wear himself out (Exodus 18:17-23). In the life of David, we also see an example of wisdom being exercised. When David’s son, Absalom, usurped the kingdom, David gathered his loyal soldiers and wisely chose Joab, Abishai, and Ittai in command of these soldiers (2 Samuel 18:1-2). As well, David told them, “I myself will also go out with you” (2 Samuel 18:2). But instead of welcoming David to fight alongside them, they realized that putting David at risk was not a wise decision, since he was the only lawful king (2 Samuel 18:3). Even though David was courageous and selfless to want to go out in battle with his soldiers he realized that it was better to do otherwise (2 Samuel 18:4). Even Jesus calls His followers to be wise as serpents (the serpent being symbolic of wisdom and cunning in that culture) (Matthew 10:16). The apostles also command believers to use wisdom in decisions involving how we should live (Ephesians 5:15-16; Colossians 4:5).

Since Scripture is clear on the importance of wisdom in our life, how do we receive this wisdom so that we can make decisions with it? The simple answer to this question is that wisdom is gained from God by those who seek for it (Prov. 8:17). The only source of true wisdom is God Himself. As much as we would say that love, truth and goodness is of God, we also would proclaim that God in His nature is “wise” (Job 9:4; 12:13; Isaiah 40:28; Daniel 2:20). So if God is the only true source of all wisdom (Romans 16:27), then all wisdom must come from God alone (Proverbs 2:6). But who does God give this wisdom to? The “who” are believers that value wisdom enough to pursue it “as sliver and search for it as for hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4). The “how” involves the believer’s attitude and approach in seeking wisdom.

Our attitude must reflect the fact that no man, including ourselves, is naturally wise (Proverbs 3:7), therefore wisdom must come from another source. Since Scripture is clear that God is the source of all wisdom, our conviction must be consistent with that as well. Scripture shows us that God grants wisdom to those that manifest certain spiritual qualities, including reverence of God (Proverbs 9:10), humility (Proverbs 11:2; 15:33), being teachable (Proverbs 9:9), diligence (Proverbs 2:4-5; 8:17), and uprightness (Proverbs 2:7). As well the believer must have faith in God as the source of all wisdom (James 1:5-6).

Our approach to pursue wisdom also matters to God. God calls us to ask for wisdom (James 1:5-6) from the source of true wisdom. Since God’s Word is from God Himself, it is also a source of wisdom which God has already given to us. Therefore we must seek wisdom first and foremost from God and through His revealed Word. God has also provided another source for wisdom which are wise counselors (Proverbs 11:14; 13:20; 15:22). When seeking wisdom or counsel from someone, you should seek those that are mature and have spiritual insight to direct you to the biblical principles that may apply to your decision making. Many times, we come with preconceived conclusions or gut feelings on what we should do that we do not take the time to consider all that Scripture may say regarding our decision, therefore we should seek those that can direct us to consider different principles that may apply to our situation such as those given above from GTY as well as others that may not have been mentioned. Also, those that may have gone through a situation or experience that is similar may be a benefit as well. What you want to find out is what biblical principles did they consider that was helpful when they were making their decision. Warning: Don’t just make the same decision because someone else did in a similar situation. They could have been totally wrong no matter how much you may trust their discernment. But most likely their situation was not exactly the same as yours. Another area that you will need to consider is to get all the facts before making a decision, making a list of pros and cons, assets and liabilities connected with each option in your decision (cf. Luke 14:28-32). You want to gather all the data that you can before making a decision, for example if you desired to purchase a home, but after calculating the mortgage payments, you realize that you will be in debt every month, it probably is an unwise decision to purchase the home.

After seeking wisdom from God and His Word, asking for wisdom from wise counselors, and getting all your facts and data, what do you do next? We will conclude, hopefully, in our next article as we examine how we are to make our decision as well as how God’s sovereignty is involved in our decision making.

Then Opened He Their Understanding…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 24:45

He whom we viewed last evening as opening Scripture, we here perceive opening the understanding. In the first work He has many fellow-labourers, but in the second He stands alone; many can bring the Scriptures to the mind, but the Lord alone can prepare the mind to receive the Scriptures. Our Lord Jesus differs from all other teachers; they reach the ear, but He instructs the heart; they deal with the outward letter, but He imparts an inward taste for the truth, by which we perceive its savour and spirit. The most unlearned of men become ripe scholars in the school of grace when the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to them, and grants the divine anointing by which they are enabled to behold the invisible. Happy are we if we have had our understandings cleared and strengthened by the Master! How many men of profound learning are ignorant of eternal things! They know the killing letter of revelation, but its killing spirit they cannot discern; they have a veil upon their hearts which the eyes of carnal reason cannot penetrate.

Such was our case a little time ago; we who now see were once utterly blind; truth was to us as beauty in the dark, a thing unnoticed and neglected. Had it not been for the love of Jesus we should have remained to this moment in utter ignorance, for without His gracious opening of our understanding, we could no more have attained to spiritual knowledge than an infant can climb the Pyramids, or an ostrich fly up to the stars. Jesus’ College is the only one in which God’s truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what is to be believed, but Christ’s alone can show us how to believe it. Let us sit at the feet of Jesus, and by earnest prayer call in His blessed aid that our dull wits may grow brighter, and our feeble understandings may receive heavenly things.

1.19p

Weekly Links (1/28/2011)

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome back to another edition of the Weekly Links!

Now, on to the new articles and stuff!

  • I recently came across this website entitled the Ehrman Project. For those of you who don’t know, Bart Ehrman is an atheist scholar who has published a number of academic and popular books attacking the Bible and the person of Christ.  Now, a group of scholars have banded together to refute his claims.  Initially, I was pretty skeptical of the site, but it’s very well done.  (WEBSITE)
  • Jumping to a different topic, over at Triablogue, Steve Hays has one of the best overviews of death according to a Christian worldview that I’ve seen.  It’s not terribly deep, but he does a wonderful job of touching all the major issues and topics.  (WEB)
  • Need a does of Paul Tripp?  I’ve got you covered.  How about his new article entitled Spiritual Muscle Development. (WEB)
  • As Pastor Patrick shared at the members meeting, our annual missions trips are coming up.  I’d encourage you to apply, and if you do, I promise that you will learn a TON about missiology.  In the meantime, here’s a very quick intro from the Acts 29 blog entitled Why the Missional Church Isn’t Enough. (WEB)
  • Also, considering the recent focus we’ve had on reading your Bible, I thought you might enjoy this article from DG on the miracle that happens everytime you read the Word. (WEB)
  • And last but not least, John Piper is back. (WEB)

See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Sonlight (Children’s Ministry)

by Stephanie McAdams

I have had the privilege of helping the elementary children of Lighthouse participate in our annual LBC Christmas Concert for the past few years. If you have ever attended one of these concerts, you would have a hard time forgetting the youngest performers of the night. Arrayed in costumes appropriate for Luke 2:8-14 or matching scarves and jingle bell bracelets, all you may see are smiling faces and perfected hand motions (just kidding, we are thankful when they all just start and end together with no one falling off the stage!). If you are curious about what happens behind the scenes of our performances, read on!

As a Sonlight (Sunday children’s ministry) staff, we desire to use any opportunity to share God’s character and Word with these children, emphasizing Jesus Christ. Every Sunday, through messages, small group discussion times, side conversations, and even game times, we believe that the children can learn what it means to be a true Christian from what they see and hear. So planning, practicing, and performing for the concert is no different! If lengthening the Christmas Concert or seeing cute kids on stage for pure entertainment were the only reasons for the children to participate in the concert, I would hesitate to organize a performance. But every year, without fail, God has shown me that He can use this precious time to exalt and exult His precious Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Planning

As our annual Fall Festival (Halloween alternative) came to a close, I began to think of how the children could contribute to the Christmas Concert. In the past, we’ve acted biblical passages, sang songs with and without hand motions, made a video, you name it! This year, we decided to sing “Hope Has Come” by Sovereign Grace Music with hand motions. I spent some time listening to the song on repeat every day and reading the song lyrics whenever I had a moment here and there. I tried to think of hand motions that would help the kids focus on and remember the meaning of the lyrics. Ask my husband, and he’ll testify to hearing me sing and do the hand motions in the car, during dinner, while trying to go to sleep, etc…I’m sure it stuck in his head, too.

Practicing

We spent about four weeks preparing for our performance. With the help of all the staff, we devoted the last 30 minutes of each Sunday to teaching the song and hand motions through repetition. It’s truly amazing how quickly kids can pick up tunes, lyrics, and hand motions… might I say even twice as fast as us adults?! We tried to explain each line of the lyrics, explaining big words like “alleluia”, how “Christ” is synonymous with “hope”, and to also tell them how each hand motion helps us understand the words and message of the song better. My husband also taped me doing the hand motions to the song at our home, put it on Youtube (it’s not there anymore; sorry friends), and asked the parents to play it for their kids throughout the weeks to promote practice at home and hopefully discussion about the song lyrics within the families. As the performance day approached, some of the children expressed fear and other negative attitudes. This was a great opportunity to share with them multiple times that we are not performing to receive praise, glory, and attention from the audience. We want to help the audience focus on the lyrics of the song, praising Christ for coming to be our Lord and Savior!

Performing

For me, the actual performance is the least important aspect of it all. Of course I would love it if they projected their voices, got all the hand motions right, smiled with big eyes even though the bright lights were shining down on them, and caused everyone in the audience to clap along and chuckle at how cute they are… but I told them that even if they mess up really bad, it is completely okay because the most important thing is that they are thinking about the words they are singing and considering who Christ is and what He did for them. The dress rehearsal the night before the concert was (and has always been) a “controlled chaos” as the kids get to practice on stage for the first time with the homemade fleece scarves and jingle bell bracelets. But this helps the kids familiarize themselves with the stage and to not have stage fright! Then came the actual performance. With the help of the staff, we got the kids in costume, prayed for our performance, and quietly (well, as quietly as you can with over 20 jingle bells on wrists) walked on stage to perform. As usual, I squatted in front of them to help them with the hand motions in case they all forgot (who knows, it could happen). They did a great job! I couldn’t help but smile a lot as I watched them sing about Christ while praying in my heart that one day they would all come to submit their lives to Christ and truly worship Him. As soon as they finished, we went straight to our Sonlight room and had a birthday party for Jesus! One of the teachers explained why Jesus’ birthday is most important because though He is God, He chose to come down to earth as a man and die for our sins, but since He rose from the dead He still lives today!

In my opinion, the biggest challenge of this whole process is the fact that most of the children are not Christians. We do not want them to think they are just because they are singing and doing hand motions to a song about Christ. In reality, we hope that the opposite would happen- that as they listen to the song lyrics, they might consider God’s character, what sin is, how they each are slaves to sin, and why they would need hope – specifically, Christ. We also can’t force them to be joyful as they practice and perform because it must come from a heart that has been saved and loves Christ.

I’ll end with a memory following one of our Sunday practices that made me smile: After finishing practice, we let the kids just hang out and play some games while waiting for the parents. One of the kindergartners was just walking around the room, doing the hand motions and mouthing the lyrics as she observed some boys playing a ball game. This same girl later told me that she had been practicing the song in her shower. I prayed at that moment that she would one day be a true worshiper of Christ.

Living Theology #53 – The Millennium

by Garrett Glende

The book of Revelation opens with a blessing: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). Judging by the general attitude among Christians toward this book, it would seem as if they have never considered this verse. Most believers avoid the issues that Revelation addresses because they think that it’s too difficult to understand or that it doesn’t really matter what they believe about it. This is quite an unfortunate reality in the church today. However, John promises that those who read Revelation and heed its call will be blessed. It seems as if this promise has fallen on deaf ears, otherwise there would be much more teaching on the subject. Given the everyday Christian’s general ignorance of the book, it is somewhat surprising that its subject matter is also one of the most highly debated and divisive issues. When it comes to the specifics of the Millennium, or the evens described in Revelation 20, there are many differing viewpoints among evangelicals. Historically, there have been three main views on this topic: Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Amillennialism. This article will explore each of these briefly, give a defense of what I believe to be the most biblical position, and summarize the application this doctrine has for our lives.

Before we get into the different views, let’s take a look at the main text surrounding the issue. The following is from Revelation 20:1-6.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Premillennialism

Historically, premillennialists have interpreted Revelation 20 in a very straightforward fashion. Classical Premillennialism teaches that the church age will continue through the tribulation and will end when Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth. At this time, Satan will be bound and the dead in Christ will rise to reign with Him on earth. Premillennialism interprets these events as real, physical occurrences. The thousand years is interpreted as a literal one thousand years where Christ will rule physically with saints who have glorified bodies. After these 1,000 years, Satan will be released and will war against Christ and be defeated, ushering in the final judgment and the eternal state.

Another slightly different view within Premillennialism is called Dispensational Premillennialism. This interpretation suggests that there will be a hidden advent of Christ before the tribulation in order to gather up the living saints. Grudem cites that “this view is found almost exclusively among [those] who wish to maintain a clear distinction between the church and Israel.” Dispensational Premillennialism also interprets many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the nation of Israel in a literal manner.

Postmillennialism

According to the proponents of this view, “the progress of the gospel and the growth of the church will gradually increase, so that a larger and larger proportion of the world’s population will be Christians.” Because of this, the world will be run in accordance with God’s ways until a golden age is ushered in. This new period of time is what they would call the millennium, but it would not necessarily be exactly one thousand years. At the end of this peaceful age, Christ will return and believers and unbelievers will be raised, final judgment will take place, and the eternal state will occur with the new heavens and the new earth.

Historically, this view has been popular when it seems like there is a great spread of the gospel in the world and many people are coming to Christ. Indeed, this was the case during the Great Awakenings of the 1700’s, a time in which many puritans saw the great work that God was doing and then adopted a postmillennial view.

Amillennialism

The amillennial view is dubbed such because it teaches that there is no future millennium to look forward to. Instead, the scene in the beginning of Revelation 20 is the current church age. Amillennialism teaches that Satan has been bound so that the gospel is able to be preached to the nations and people can be saved. However, Christ’s reign is not on this earth, but rather in heaven. Here, all the Christians who have died are reigning with Him in spiritual bodies. Therefore, the one thousand years is not taken literally and only refers to a long period of time. At the end of this period Christ will return, judgment takes place, and the eternal state is ushered in.

Assessment

This is a difficult stand to make, as I must admit that I have not studied enough to become 100% convinced on any side. However, from what I have read in the Bible and other resources, I am led to believe that Dispensational Premillennialism is the most biblical of the views. This is mainly because I see the events described in the book of Revelation as things that have yet to come. In John’s vision of the glorified Christ, Jesus tells him to “Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this” (Rev. 1:19). This verse then serves as an outline for the rest of the book: the things that you have seen (Ch. 1), those that are (Ch 2-3), and those that are to take place after this (Ch. 4-22). Therefore, the millennium is a future event and not something that is already taking place in heaven, as the amillennial interpretation suggests.

Additionally, a strong case for a physical resurrection during the millennial kingdom can be made when we examine the Greek word anastasis, in English translated as resurrection. The amillennial position would like to interpret this to mean “die and go to be with Christ in heaven,” when in Revelation 20:5 it speaks of those who have came to life as having participated in “the first resurrection (anastasis).” This interpretation fits in with a spiritual millennial reign, but this word never carries this meaning in any other place it occurs. Throughout the New Testament anastasis always refers to a bodily resurrection, therefore it seems likely that the resurrection that Rev. 20 speaks of is also a physical one.

It is also my conviction that if one holds to a literal-historical-grammatical interpretation of Scripture, then it makes the most sense to hold to dispensational Premillennialism. I see no reason to over-spiritualize the prophecies concerning Israel in the Old Testament. I believe there is a distinction between the church and Israel and that God still has a special plan for that nation. This literal interpretation of Scripture should carry over into the book of Revelation as it is necessary, and we should take the events of chapter 20 as a continuation of the ongoing chronology.

I would like to say more on this, but it would require much more space or perhaps a whole separate article. I have by no means exhausted the arguments for any position and there is still much to be said on these issues. However, I hope to have outlined some of the main distinctives of each position so that we can have a good foundation when we think of these things. I highly encourage you to read Grudem’s chapter in Systematic Theology or any other trustworthy resource.

Application

I’d like to use this section to call to attention something that I see happen a lot (myself included) in our church. When controversial issues like eschatology are brought up, there always seems to be someone who takes a shot at an opposing view. I’m not saying that we cannot offer any sort of criticism, but I think that our judgments are often times uninformed. We dismiss an interpretation just because others who you respect seem to have done the same. I wonder if there is any real, genuine investigation going on or is it all just blind acceptance? I understand that we need to trust the leadership of the church in their instruction, but I also think that we should examine everything that we hear and come to our own conclusions about what the Bible really teaches. If we don’t do this work for ourselves, then all we can really say when questioned is that “[pastor’s name] says so.” I guess what I’m getting at is that we should all be able to defend what we believe to be the truth using the Bible as our evidence, not having to depend on the opinions of others. When this happens, the truths of Scripture come alive in our hearts and our lives are actually changed by them. This is not something that happens overnight. It takes lots of reading and studying, but I do think it’s well worth it.