Web Ministry Update

by Kyle Grindley

The web team is working on a few tweaks to the web site. You may have already noticed that we added pictures to the member directory. We have a few other surprises in store over the next few months. We are considering an event bulletin board so members can share activities with each other. We are going to give the main site a face lift, making it easier for visitors and members to find relevant information about the church. We will make it a little more dynamic so it can highlight new sermons, events etc. We are also working on a new media section that will make it easier to access older content. There may be a few other surprises, but they are a little farther away.

If your ministry has specific web needs let us know (web@lighthousebc.com), that’s what we are here for. If you would like to post events, lessons or memory verse songs we would be happy to help, we are even getting better at helping the more we do it. We are also open to suggestions for any features you think would be useful. If web team is something you think you would be interested in let us know. It is a fairly flexible ministry where you take on projects as you have time.

Living Theology #36 – Baptism In and Filling With the Holy Spirit

by Garrett Glende

The exact nature of the work of the Holy Spirit is a controversial topic, even among otherwise likeminded believers. Many of the great teachers we hear from at conferences and listen to online differ when it comes to defining what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is and how one is filled with the Spirit. Therefore, we must be all the more discerning when we search the Scriptures to see what God has declared to us concerning this topic. We will see that what the Bible says about being filled with the Spirit may be different from many of the popular contemporary views, yet it is an issue that we must take seriously, for it profoundly impacts our growth as Christians.

The first issue that comes up in the chapter is what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. A key text in determining the meaning of this phrase is found in 1 Corinthians 12:13, where Paul writes, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – Jews or Greeks, slaves or free – and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” The greater context of the verse concerns the unity of the body and the diversity of spiritual gifts. Even though the body has many different members that play various roles in building it up, it is still one unified body. Paul makes this point clear so as to not elevate any one gift over another. The same Spirit has baptized us all into the unified church of Christ. The inference here is that baptism in the Spirit takes place at the point of conversion and is an event that ushers in the believer’s being united to the body. Those in the more charismatic camps, particularly Pentecostals, will claim that baptism in the Spirit is something that happens after a person is saved and can be repeated at various points throughout an individual’s life. Apparently, this is something that must be prayed for fervently and will lead to greater sanctification and effectiveness in ministry. This baptism will most likely occur during an emotional experience, and the individual’s feelings are the ultimate authority. After all, you can’t argue with someone’s experience, right? I don’t mean to form a caricature of all Charismatics, as I do believe that many have truly examined the Scriptures and come to this conclusion. However, I do not believe that the Bible paints the same kind of picture of what it means to be baptized in the Spirit.

It would seem natural at this point to discuss the spiritual gifts, specifically the miraculous sign gifts, but those will be addressed in a later chapter, so there is no need for the topic to be brought up here. Instead, we’ll focus on how a believer can be filled with the Holy Spirit. The primary text to turn to here is Ephesians 5:18, where Paul tells believers not to “get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” We see here that it is a command, and the Greek suggests that it is to be continually ongoing. It could read, “Be continually filled with the Spirit.” The result of obedience to this command is that they would be “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord” (verse 19). The cross-reference for this verse is found in Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” We see that having the word of Christ dwell deeply in the believer results in the same thing as being filled with the Spirit. Thus, in order to obey the command to be filled with the Spirit we must continually hide the truths of God’s word in our hearts. The effects of having rich, meaningful times in God’s word are clear when we come to church on Sundays. For the congregation, a week full of prayer and meditation on the Word leads to a worshipful, focused time of singing and listening during the service. For the preacher, having the word of Christ dwell richly in Him throughout the week leads to empowerment and conviction when preaching. This is what a Spirit-filled life should look like. We don’t need to be searching for a special experience that will further our giftedness, but rather digging deep into God’s word so that it would overflow into our daily lives. Then the fruit of the Spirit will be exhibited to the rest of the world so that souls might be saved for Christ. So the next time we feel the need for the Spirit’s power, may we all turn to the reliable and life-giving source of God’s word.

Encouragement – Hub Post

by Stephen Rodgers

This is the hub post for Elder Mike Chon’s seven-part series on encouragement. From this page, you can easily find and refer to all posts in this series.

All posts in the Encouragement series:

Encouragement of Family (part 3)

by Elder Mike Chon

The church is much more than a group of individuals meeting together on a Sunday to sing songs, hear a sermon and spend some time together. It is more than some religious activity. The church is the family of God made up of those that Christ died for. The church is the family of God that has been adopted and made co-heirs with Christ. The church is the family of God that shares the love of God to each other and to the world. The privilege to be part of the family of God is incomprehensible but along with that privilege comes great responsibility.

The love that we have for one another is not based on whether someone is deserving of that love. The love we have for one another is based on the love of God. That God would love us to send His Son to die for us. We are to love because God loved us first. (1 John 4:10-11) On the contrary, those that do not love actually do not love God because God is love (1 John 4:8). For the believer, to love someone or not, is never the question. There is no decision to make. If you know God, and if you know the love of God, then you will love your brother. Not only will you love your brother because you know God but you will love your brother as a member of your family. Remember we have been adopted into one family. The church is the true family. We are true brothers and sisters. Our identity is with Christ and our family is the church.

The church is the testimony of the love of God. Our love for one another as family is the testimony of the reality of the love of God. Is the love of God divided? Is the church divided? Do we only love those that are easy to love? That are convenient to love? Do we only spend time with those that we consider our “friends”? Christ prayed for the church that we would be one as He is one with the Father (John 17:21-23) so that the world would know who Jesus is. That is some privilege and responsibility. Not only that but the world will know that we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). The love of the church, the family of God, reflects both the testimony of our salvation and the testimony of Jesus Himself. Do you love the church? Do you love your brother and sister? I pray that our church would not be a church of cliques or a bunch of individual families, but instead it would be a true family that experiences the love of God in every interaction with every member of our church. Who is your family? The church is.

Here is an example of what love looks like in the church. Around AD 260, a devastating plague afflicted the city of Alexandria. People were dying constantly, and the church family as well suffered great loss. But through this tragic time in history, the love the church showed for its members gives us one of the most powerful examples of true familial love that you will ever see. Dionysius, the overseer of the Christian community in the city writes:

The most, at all events, of our brethren in their exceeding love and affection for the brotherhood were unsparing of themselves and clave to one another, visiting the sick without a thought as to the danger, assiduously ministering to them, tending them in Christ, and so most gladly departed this life along with them; being infected with the disease from others, drawing upon themselves the sickness from their neighbors, and willingly taking over their pains…In this manner the best at any rate of our brethren departed this life, certain presbyters and deacons and some laity….So, too, the bodies of the saints they would take up in their open hands to their bosom, closing their eyes and shutting their mouths, carrying them on their shoulders and laying them out; they would cling to them, embrace them, bathe and adorn them with their burial clothes, and after a little while receive the same services themselves, for those that were left behind were ever following those that went before. But the conduct of the heathen was the exact opposite. Even those who were in the first stages of the disease they thrust away, and fled from their dearest. They would even cast them in the roads half-dead, and treat the unburied corpses as vile refuse. (Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 7.22)

The church is where we find our greatest encouragement from our fellow brothers and sisters. Who else except those that have been saved by grace through the work of the cross can and is able to encourage us to love God more and to help us glorify Him in all that we do.

Introduction to Baptism (part 1)

by Richard Shin

A few months ago, we looked at one of two ordinances established by Jesus: the Lord’s Supper. We approached the ordinance from a Biblical perspective, laying aside the mindless traditions that have caused us to forget the significance of the Lord’s Supper. In the coming weeks, we’re going to look at the other ordinance—namely, baptism—with the same approach and hopefully reclaim the full meaning behind the ordinance.

To “baptize” someone in the Greek language literally means to “immerse” that person. But the Christian baptism signifies much more than the mere physical act of immersion. Much like the Lord’s Supper, we practice baptism because Christ Himself commanded it (Matt. 28:19-20). But we don’t do it merely out of duty to obey our Master; rather, we obey because we love Him (John 14:15). And as we’ll see in the coming weeks, there’s a striking parallel between both ordinances in that Christ Himself participated in both baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

At Lighthouse, each baptism candidate must take a baptism class where the candidate learns the fundamentals of baptism, such as why every Christian must be baptized and why we emphasize and practice immersion (as opposed to sprinkling). After the completion of the class and the candidate’s decision to proceed forward with the act of baptism, the candidate must share their salvation testimony. Afterward, the candidate proceeds to the baptismal tank at the front of the sanctuary where the administering pastor will provide a few words of encouragement and affirmation to the witnessing congregation. Then, the pastor will baptize—in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the candidate by fully immersing the candidate in water.

It’s no mere accident that in Matthew 28:18-20 (also part of our MVP), Christ commands us to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” It’s a package deal. Conversion and baptism are intricately linked and understood as a progression of one after the other. That is why it’s commonly understood by Baptist Christians that the first act of obedience as a new believer should be the purposeful act of baptism.

In the weeks to come, we’re going to look at baptism a little more deeply. First, we’ll look at the history of the Christian baptism, and how its significance sheds light unto Jesus’ ministry. Then, we’re going to understand how baptism was commanded in the lives of the apostles at Pentecost, and how one particular apostle—Philip—carried it out. Then we’re going to understand how baptism was taught by two very influential people in the early church: Paul and Peter. Through this, we’ll have a better understanding of how baptism serves the believer as a perpetual reminder of Christ’s finished work on the cross.

In My Flesh I Shall See God

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Job 19:26

Mark the subject of Job’s devout anticipation ‘I shall see God.’ He does not say, ‘I shall see the saints’-though doubtless that will be untold felicity-but, ‘I shall see God.’ It is not-‘I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of jasper, I shall gaze upon the crowns of gold,’ but ‘I shall see God.’ This is the sum and substance of heaven, this is the joyful hope of all believers. It is their delight to see Him now in the ordinances by faith. They love to behold Him in communion and in prayer; but there in heaven they shall have an open and unclouded vision, and thus seeing ‘Him as He is,’ shall be made completely like Him.

Likeness to God-what can we wish for more? And a sight of God-what can we desire better? Some read the passage, ‘Yet, I shall see God in my flesh,’ and find here an allusion to Christ, as the ‘Word made flesh,’ and that glorious beholding of Him which shall be the splendour of the latter days. Whether so or not it is certain that Christ shall be the object of our eternal vision; nor shall we ever want any joy beyond that of seeing Him. Think not that this will be a narrow sphere for the mind to dwell in. It is but one source of delight, but that source is infinite. All His attributes shall be subjects for contemplation, and as He is infinite under each aspect, there is no fear of exhaustion. His works, His gifts, His love to us, and His glory in all His purposes, and in all His actions, these shall make a theme which will be ever new.

The patriarch looked forward to this sight of God as a personal enjoyment. ‘Whom mine eye shall behold, and not another.’ Take realizing views of heaven’s bliss; think what it will be to you. ‘Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty.’ All earthly brightness fades and darkens as we gaze upon it, but here is a brightness which can never dim, a glory which can never fade-‘I shall see God.’

1.10p

Weekly Links (9/3/2010)

by Stephen Rodgers

Alright, it’s Friday, and that means another collection of links from around the Christian blog-o-sphere. Enjoy!

  • Lately, in both Christian and secular circles there has been quite a bit of discussion revolving around the idea of manhood and coming of age. Mars Hill Church did a month-long series entitled the Month of Manhood which pulled together quite a bit of material on the topic.
  • Jared Wilson, pastor, blogger, and author recently wrote an article on the topic of missions. What makes it so interesting is that he identifies the region of New England as the new American missional frontier. I’ll let you read the article for yourself.
  • I’ve discussed a number of Bible study software tools here in the past, but here’s a new one for you. Crossway is rolling out the ESV Online. They have some basic tools for free, with more available for purchase.
  • Douglas Wilson, in his own inimitable style, has a bit of a different take on the proposed Muslim mosque/community center near Ground Zero. The article is absolutely worth a careful read as he handles the topic of conflicting worldviews supremely well.
  • It’s a new month, and that means new journals! The new edition of Tabletalk is out, featuring the topic of The Good, The True, The Beautiful. And the new edition of the 9Marks eJournal is out, on the subject of Hell.
  • The interview with Randy Alcorn continues with videos on the issues of a Christian approach to family planning as well as recommended reading.
  • Ok, I’ll admit that my eyebrows got stuck in my hairline when I read this, but apparently Justin Taylor has scored an interview with the Apostle Paul.
  • And here’s one for the PIT crew. Collin Hansen asked a number of theologians what is the one thing they would change about seminary. And if you were in my apologetics class, yes, that is the same Pratt.

Pro Rege

Refreshments Ministry Update

by Suzie Park

My name is Suzie Park, wife to Hwa Park and mother to Kasey, Ethan and a baby to be born in Jan 11′. I’ve been part of the refreshment ministry for 10+ years and I love being in this ministry because food is one of my passions in life. I started serving in the refreshments ministry after I met Hwa in college. I remember the first time that I visited LBC while a freshmen in college the first person that stood out to me was Hwa. At the time, I didn’t know who he was, but he stood out to me because he was serving refreshments at the end of the service and not to mention, but he was wearing the most hideous shirt! I thought it was interesting that a guy was doing refreshments for the church…usually you would think it would be a gal. The refreshments spread was a HUGE platter of Cluck U Chicken and some sides…it looked great! I was thoroughly impressed!

After getting to know Hwa for a while, we ended up dating and while we were dating I started helping out with refreshments. Needless to say I fell in love with BOTH! If there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that, I love to eat, I love to cook, and most of all I love to feed people. It’s always a blessing serving the church at various church functions. I love seeing people with happy faces and full bellies! We have a wonderful group of people that LOVE to serve the church and none of it could be done without them. Over the years the refreshments at our church has evolved and changed so much and it’s been amazing to see how God has grown this ministry. This has been a ministry that we have been serving together, with Hwa as the head and we hope for many more years to come.

More recently, with both me and Hwa having a pssion for food we’ve been trying to grow our own food and raise our own chickens for the purpose of eggs and even meat. Everytime Hwa goes out to collect chicken eggs from the chicken coop he says its “mana from heaven”. Its been a challenge to grow vegetables in dry San Diego but we’re learning some things as we go. Its been a blessing sharing what we grow with our Church family and hopefully we can continue this for many years to come. A prayer request will be for the refreshments ministry to serve sacrificially and excellently with the goal of pleasing our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are interested in joining the team we are always looking for more helpers. Please contact me at suzie4jc@yahoo.com or Hwa at hwapark@yahoo.com if you are interested. Thanks! =)

Chicken Coop

Fresh Eggs

Homegrown Veggies

Living Theology #35 – Sanctification

by Garrett Glende

A few weeks back, we looked at the doctrine of justification and saw that it is the act of God that brings sinners into right legal standing before Him. This week we come to chapter 38 in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, dealing with the issue of sanctification. The two topics are often confused, leading to serious problems in daily life and application. In order to live a gospel-motivated and cross-centered life, the differences between the two must be clear in our hearts and minds.

To begin, Grudem defines sanctification as “a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.” This definition is purposeful in differentiating sanctification from justification. Instead of a one-time action, sanctification is progressive; it is a process that flows throughout our lives. Not only a work of God, sanctification is synergistic; involving the efforts of both God and man. Rather than being declared righteous, sanctification is the path to becoming Christ-like, though never perfect. Grudem also notes that justification is the same in all Christians, while growth in holiness is experienced to different degrees.

The initiation of our spiritual growth begins immediately at regeneration. We see this displayed in the stark contrast Paul describes between the one who is in slavery to sin and the one who is a slave to righteousness. There is no middle ground between the two. Once someone is regenerated, they immediately lose their status of slaves to sin and begin a new life striving towards holiness. This gradual climb is something that continues until our lives on earth are through. We are constantly being renewed into the image of our Creator as we strive towards the upward call that is in Christ Jesus (Col 3:10, Phil 3:13-14). Speaking to redeemed believers, Paul also says that we “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18). This lifelong battle will finally end at death, when we will be given perfect resurrection bodies and sin will no longer remain. There will be no more growth because there will be no more room for it – no more need to fight against sin, as it will be gone forever.

Misunderstanding the way sanctification works can have profound impacts on our daily lives. One instance this can occur in is when sanctification is believed to be fully a work of God or fully a work of man. Both stances are wrong and guide us into improper living. If God is the only one behind spiritual growth, then people are bound to be lazy, just waiting around for growth to occur. However, the reality is that we can’t grow without putting in the effort in disciplines such as Bible study and prayer. On the other hand, if one relies completely on their own works, then legalism is liable to set in. Devotional times become merely intellectual studies and our spiritual lives are full of activity, but there is no true growth. Instead, we must trust first and foremost that God is the only one who can really carry us along towards holiness, while at the same time striving hard after Him. Paul prays for “the God of peace himself [to] sanctify you completely” (1 Thess. 5:23), while also encouraging believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Both are essential parts in the Christian’s sanctification and we must make every effort to understand the proper balance as we continue pursuing holy lives, all because of the gospel.

Weeds in the Garden

by Elder Peter Lim

Upon seeing the title, you may be thinking ahead that I am writing about something spiritual… as in not letting bad morals into your life that grows into something bigger which starts growing and spreading itself. Hmm, not a bad idea. Maybe in a future article. For now, I am talking about actual weeds that are growing in my back yard. And about the bathroom that needs renovation, and the carpet that needs to get shampooed, and the room that needs to be painted and organized, and the playhouse in the back yard that needs to be completed. These are possibly signs that I’ve been lazy and that I need to get my act together and finish my tasks. Or maybe they are signs that I’ve chosen to use my time doing higher priority tasks. That’s always the struggle for me. I have many hobbies and projects that I’d like to spend more time on, but I can’t get beyond the fact that by spending time doing these things, I would have to give up time serving my family, my church family, or attending church events. Unfortunately, many of us fill our lives with things that don’t have eternal value. And then we spend time and money and effort into maintaining those things that don’t have eternal value.

My goal is not to make anyone feel guilty who skipped out on a church activity or spending time with their spouse or kids but the point I’m trying to make is that we often go through life without even considering what really matters in this life. We often go on cruise control and make decisions without thinking about the values that those choices represent. Do you struggle with these sort of choices too? When you decide to forego a church activity, ministry, or spending time with family, do you do so because you’ve thought through what you are giving up? I’m only partly interested in the final decision as to what you and I choose to do. I’m mainly interested in the thought process and the heart behind the decision. Of course in the end, all things are to be done to the glory of God. This is true whether we decide to go to a church picnic or whether we decide to stay home and fix a sprinkler. I find that if it were not for my own laziness and lack of self-discipline, I would have adequate time to do all those things that I feel like I need to choose between. This humbles me and causes me to be more dependent upon Him who gives me the strength to do all things. Ultimately this causes me to want to excel still more and optimize my life as well as my lifestyle. If you struggle with living your life with excellence for the glory of God, that is a good sign that you are truly a believer. If you don’t struggle with this, you need to ask yourself whether you value the things that God values. I hope my sharing here encourages you to walk closer with Christ.