Be Worthy of God?

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As you read through the New Testament, certainly you will come across some verses that are difficult to understand, particularly in the writing of Paul. (You can breathe a great big sigh of relief since this was Peter’s assessment of Paul’s writings as well [2 Pet. 3:16]!) Every once in a while, however, you come across passages in the Bible that make you do a double take and say, “What?!” 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 is one of those passages. Paul writes, “[11] For you know how, like a father with his children, [12] we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” Yes, he said “worthy of God.” The Greek word for worthy is axiōs and is derived from the idea of balancing something in a scale. But certainly Paul isn’t telling the Thessalonians that if God were on one side of a scale, they were to live as though they could balance out the other side! Who could live up to such a demand? Borrowing from the Old Testament idea of glory (Heb. kabōd; “weightiness”), no one is heavier than God!

Interestingly, the word axiōs is used throughout Scripture and is translated in a few different ways. The first (and expected) translation of the word is “worthy.” It is this sense of the word that one would typically understand the idea of worthiness. John the Baptist said that he was not worthy even of untying Jesus’ sandal (John 1:27). The prodigal son confessed that he was no longer worthy to be called a son (Luke 15:19). In the Book of Revelation, again as one would expect, the term is used to speak of God’s worthiness of worship (Rev. 4:11; cf. 5:12 where it is used of Christ).

The second translation of the word is “deserving” and it is translated thus frequently in texts dealing with deserving judgment or punishment (cf. Luke 12:48; 23:15; Acts 23:29; Rom. 1:32). In Luke 23:41, for example, the thief on the cross confesses that, unlike Christ, they were receiving what they deserved because of their deeds. It is not exclusively used in that context, though. For instance, in Luke 10:7 when Jesus is commissioning the seventy to preach about the kingdom of God, He says that the laborer is deserving, or worthy, of his wages. Paul also argues that elders are deserving of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17).

A third use of the word is where it is translated “worthy” in the sense of comparison. In Romans 8:18, Paul writes that the sufferings of this world are not “worth comparing” with the glory to come. The fourth and final way this word is translated is the way it should be understood in 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12. It is the idea of “fitness” or “appropriateness.” In 2 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul says that he should give thanks to God for the church because it would be fitting given the way they had grown in faith and love. In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees and tells them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance (cf. Luke 3:8). The fruit would be consistent with true repentance. By the absence of fruit in the Pharisees’ lives, their lack of repentance was made evident. This was the same message of repentance that Paul preached to the Gentiles (Acts 26:20).

So, when Paul tells the Thessalonian church to live in a manner worthy of God. He is not saying that they need to balance out the scales. Praise God for that! What seems to be the best way to understand this passage is that if a person confesses that they have God in their life, there is a manner of living that is fitting with that confession. There should be a different look to that person because of the awesome fact that God is with them. This is the same idea behind Philippians 1:27 where Paul tells the church to let their manner of life be worthy of the gospel. He isn’t teaching salvation by human merit. That would go completely contradictory to his understanding that salvation is by faith alone and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9). What Paul is saying is that if a person really understands the truth of the gospel (i.e., God has opened their eyes and illumined their hearts to see) so that they are saved, there is a lifestyle that comes with that saving truth and “salvific” understanding. It affects you so that you do not continue living for the world of the things of this world.

To the people at Lighthouse, the same question should be asked of each of us: Are you walking in a manner worthy of God? Is your life fitting with the faith you profess? Are your choices in line with the truth that God has saved you by His grace? This sort of thinking and living is concomitant with Christ’s living in us (Gal. 2:20). We cannot accomplish this without His enablement. Still, we must not neglect our responsibility to walk circumspectly in this world. Paul understood this necessity to the extent that he would write it in the most provocative way: “Christian, be worthy of God.” Together, let us strive to be a church that looks different, thinks differently, speaks differently, and lives differently.

Living Theology #2 – The Canon of Scripture

by Garrett Glende

Last week we looked at the doctrine of the Bible as the very word of God. As we continue to develop a systematic theology, it is important to have a proper understanding of Bibliology. Keeping along these lines, chapter three in Grudem’s book is titled “The Canon of Scripture,” and it asks what books should be included in the Bible and which should not be. Grudem simply defines the canon as “the list of all the books that belong in the Bible.” As we will see, this question is vital to the way we live our lives, as it allows us to know exactly what is from God and what is not. If we seek to walk only according God’s will as revealed through His word, then it is important that we have a source that we can trust to be fully from God. Grudem writes:

“To add or subtract from God’s words would be to prevent God’s people from obeying him fully, for commands that were subtracted would not be known to the people, and words that were added might require extra things of the people which God had not commanded.”

Although this article is not by any stretch of the imagination intended to be comprehensive (I encourage you to study more deeply on your own), it will be helpful to understand a small amount about how the Bible was put together and why some books were included or not. The beginning of the canon came with the writing of the Ten Commandments by God on Mount Sinai. The people understood that what they had was the word of God and they placed it in the ark of the covenant. Moses then added more books when he wrote the Pentateuch and placed them beside the ark, signifying their equal authority as God’s word. It is interesting that Moses would write that “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you” (Deut. 4:2), but then Joshua and kings and prophets after him would go on to write more and add it to the canon. Such perceived disobedience could only have taken place if they were completely sure that what they were writing was truly God’s word. These writings were added to one another up until around 435 B.C., signaling the end of that specific era in Jewish history. Many other writings were gathered that detail the events of the Jewish people during the intertestamental period, but these have been left out of the canon for various reasons. The famous church historian, Josephus, writes that “From Artaxerxes to our own times a complete history has been written, but has not been deemed worthy of equal credit with the earlier records.” Books that have been considered for canonicity have been disqualified either on historical or theological grounds. In addition to this evidence, none of the writings outside of today’s canon are found quoted in the New Testament.

The New Testament canon was assembled first by including the writings of the apostles, who were given the Holy Spirit to guide them. Jesus promised them this Helper in John 14:26, saying that “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Jesus’ words authenticate all that the apostles wrote, but there are still books in the New Testament that were not written by those to whom this promise was made. Mark, Luke/Acts, Hebrews, and Jude were all written by men other than the original twelve or Paul. These books came to be accepted because of their author’s intimacy with the other apostles (Mark with Peter, Luke with Paul, Jude with James). Hebrews is unique in that the original author is not known, but the sheer magnitude of high Christology it contains has led it to be included with the rest of the New Testament. Along with personal eyewitness testimony to the events recorded in the gospels, the New Testament’s authenticity as Scripture is self-attesting. Peter mentions that Paul’s letters are confusing, but that “the ignorant and unstable twist [them] to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:16). The Greek word for “Scriptures” is graphé, which is used fifty-one times in the New Testament, each time referencing the Old Testament. Therefore, Peter is placing Paul’s writing on the same level as the whole Old Testament. There have been many other documents claiming to be inspired by God, but these have not stood up to close scrutiny either theologically or historically. Thus, we can trust that God, in His faithfulness, has preserved His word for His people.

Considering that we know what we have in our Bible is trustworthy and is the completed word of God, how then should we respond? The nature of the closed canon has direct implications to our daily lives, especially in our post-modern culture where truth is relative and absolutes absolutely do not exist. If we claim to hold the 66 books of the Bible as the completed canon, then why do we often find ourselves looking elsewhere for guidance in our lives, letting outside sources change our perception of God? Does the canon change in response to new cultural standards? Many of us would affirm with our words its sufficiency for all things in life, but when placed under much pressure we fold to worldly ideals, adding them to our own new canon in a sense. We cannot canonize the cultural standards of our day because they are bound to change. Has God’s stance concerning men’s and women’s roles changed? Our society would surely say so. The same goes for homosexuality. What is acceptable today will be shunned tomorrow, but God’s word is unchanging. The canon is closed.

We see this most clearly in the legalism in our hearts. We add new laws to God’s word: thou shall not drink, thou shall not hold hands while dating, thou shall wear a tie on Sundays. Granted it’s not wrong to abstain from alcohol, not hold hands, or wear a tie every Sunday, but when we see others doing differently and immediately condemn them for their “sin” then we have added our own made up laws to Scripture, placing us right next to the Pharisees.

Instead of concocting our own personal canon, may we instead become intimate with what God has revealed to us, realizing that all of Scripture is Scripture. I, myself, have been personally challenged in my own treatment of the Old Testament. I cannot say that I have always acted as if it were part of God’s word. Of course I would affirm the truth with my lips, but never would I turn there for a morning devotional. This study has helped me to understand that I must know all of God’s word, not just the New Testament. In fact, the Old Testament contains many great and glorious truths about who God is and how He has shown grace and mercy to His people. May we all grow in our love for His word in its entirety.

Church History (In 4 Minutes)

by Stephen Rodgers

So I stumbled upon this little gem over at the Biblical Christianity blog the other day. It occurred to me that a quick survey through the song would not be a bad use of time. I hope that this proves at least entertaining, but hopefully gives you a brief look at the history of Christianity for the last 2,000 years.

And yes, I’m being somewhat lazy and mostly using Wikipedia and BibleGateway for the links. If something sparks your interest, I’m sure you could do a much deeper study. I’ve also added year markers for each verse of the song…those might be a tad rough. Also, there were a few words that either I couldn’t think of an appropriate link (left blank), or I couldn’t understand the word in question (marked by a ‘?’). If you figure any of them out, let me know!

And by the way…just because something is written on Wikipedia, doesn’t make it unbiased. *winks*

[33AD – 95AD]

Pentecost, Palestine, Barbarians, Paul Gets A Sign
Neglected Widows, Martyred Stephen, Gentile vs. Jew
New Testament, Getting Tribal, Gnostic Gospels, Holy Bible
Jamnia, Revelation, Word Of God Is True

[64AD – 380AD]

Martyrs, Diocletian, Polycarp, Domitian
Church Learns, Nero Burns, Christians Underground
Chi-Rho, Basilica, Vita Evangelica
Nicea, Who Is Jesus, Christians Start To Rebound

[387AD – 735AD]

Saint Patrick, Monestaries, Visigoths Are Pretty Scary
Pope Leo, St. Jerome, Forgetting How To Read
Mohammed Writes The Koran, Convert Or Die To Islam
Hard To Cope, Where’s The Pope, Venerable Bede

[476AD – 802AD]

Dark Ages, Knights And Pages, East And West Both Split In Stages
Monks Skulls, Cathedrals, Charlemagne Starts To Reign
Methodias, Constantinople, Peasants, Clergy, Serfs, And Nobles
Augustine, Irene, Everything Goes Byzantine

[634AD – 1346AD]

Cluny, Bubonic Plague, Vikings, Saracens Invade
William Conquers, Monks Pray, And Jerusalem Gets Sacked
Flying Buttress, Saint Claire, Celibacy, Worship Mary
Knights Templar, Stained Glass, Sultan Saladin Gets Whacked

[1135AD – 1280AD]

Mendicants, Avignon, Albertus Magnus, Genghis Khan
Aquinus, Maimonides, Gentle Francis Of Assisi
Summa De Bono, Faith And Reason, Say “God Bless You” When You’re Sneezing
Just War, Crusades Galore, But Who Are We Fighting For

[1378AD – 1648AD]

Competing Popes, Not Much Hope, Joan of Arc Makes Her Mark
John Wycliff, Thomas A Kempis, Canterbury Tales
Michelangelo, Siena, Leonardo And Vienna
Reformation, Printing Press, Gutenburg Prevails

[1484AD – 1564AD]

John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli, Indulgences For The Kingly
Martin Luther Pounds The Door, “Here I Stand, I’ll Do No More”

[1510AD – 1789AD]

King James Bible, John Locke, Galileo, JS Bach
Anabaptists, Guy Fawkes, Blaise Pascal, John Knox
Puritans Preach Denial, Salem Witches Go On Trial
Enlightenment and Transcendence, We Declare Our Independence

[1714AD – Present]

Whitefield Makes Us All Awakened, Pentecostals Get Us Shaken
Darwin Teaches Evolution, Marx Preaches Revolution
Jesus Freaks, Immigration, Nuclear Annilation
Overwhelmed By Information, Who Will Save This Generation?

Update: Apparently the video originated from here. I’ve updated a couple of the lyrics and links.

Weekly Links (11/20/09)

Alright, there was quite a LOT of good stuff this week, but I think it really fits into a few convenient categories, so hopefully you won’t be too overwhelmed…

Convalescent Home Ministry

by Teddy Yu

WHAT is a convalescent home?

A question that I anticipate from many is, “What is the convalescent home ministry?” Well, in order to answer that question, let me first start with describing what a convalescent home is. A convalescent home is a residence for patients to recover from long-term illnesses or medical procedures. It is this additional level of medical care and attention that distinguishes a convalescent home from other regular nursing or assisted-living facilities. And while some of the residents of convalescent homes anticipate a return to their own homes after recovery, there are also some that remain there for the rest of their lives. So while the residents at a convalescent home may have diverse medical conditions, they all require some sort of constant medical attention.

WHERE is it?

The specific convalescent home that we visit is called ‘Mission Hills Health Care Center’ and is located in the northern downtown area of San Diego in a region called Hillcrest. Nearby the convalescent home, you can find the UCSD Medical Center – Hillcrest and Scripps Mercy Hospital – Hillcrest.

HOW did the ministry begin?

The origin of the convalescent home ministry can be traced back to the Hillcrest ministry. The Hillcrest ministry consisted of a group from LBC regularly going out into the streets of Hillcrest to conduct street evangelism to the homeless. One of the homeless people that we were meeting up with regularly through the Hillcrest ministry ended up requiring medical attention at the Scripps Mercy Hospital. And when they were discharged to the ‘Mission Hills Health Care Center’, we followed them to the convalescent home and continued to visit and to minister to them. In doing so, we started building relationships with the other residents at the convalescent home and saw God provide even more opportunities for ministry. We have been regularly visiting the convalescent home ever since.

WHO do we minister to?

Some of the residents that we are currently meeting up with have been with us since the very beginning. And we have together experienced many joys and trials through the years. In one of the residents we currently meet up with, ‘George’, we’ve seen his demeanor change from frequent outbursts of anger and foul words to an outspoken desire to read and to hear the Word of God. He has even asked that we read the Bible with him in the presence of others so that they too may hear. And ‘George’ is not the only resident hungry for the Word of God. ‘Cecile’ is another resident that has been meeting up with members of our ministry to have Bible studies in the Gospel of John. But we have also witnessed some of the residents take a little more time to respond to God’s Word. ‘Rachel’ was actually one of the residents that we had been meeting up from the beginning. But after some time, she expressed that she did not want to hear about the Bible anymore and that she wanted to live her own way. However, she recently has shared with us a desire to repent and live her life pleasingly before God. These are just a small sample of the residents that we have had an opportunity to meet with regularly and either share the Gospel with again or encourage them in their walks.

WHY do we do this ministry?

It is into this environment that God has provided us an incredible opportunity to be ministers of the Gospel to the residents of the convalescent home. By any worldly opinion, there would be no reasonable explanation for well-to-do people like us to spend time with people at a convalescent home. Some may choose to endure those times for the sake of volunteer hours or as part of a job. But as Christians we have a great opportunity to willingly go and joyfully serve as witnesses of Christ to the residents and staff of the convalescent home. There are three major motivations behind our ministry:

#1: We have a Divine Joy

Our ministry at the convalescent home is motivated by so much more than simple dutiful obedience to ‘Great Commission’ to proclaim the Gospel. While we do desire to share the Gospel, we do so for the purpose that others may come to know the joy of knowing and worshipping the one, true God. We know that there can be no repentance from sin and a relationship with God unless the Gospel is preached. And so we preach and share and minister of the joyful relationship that we personally experience in Christ.

#2: We have a Divine Example

1 John 4:19 says ‘We love, because He [God] first loved us’ and it is this model of love that we practice in the convalescent home ministry. Even though the residents may have little or nothing to offer in return for our time spent with them, we are not motivated by what we can gain or receive from them. Instead our ministry to the residents is motivated by an understanding that God first loved us with an even greater selfless love. Indeed, true authentic Christ-like love can most clearly be demonstrated when it can not be reciprocated and it is not deserved. The practical implications of this understanding mean that even when we are tired and feel disheartened from seeing little fruit, we can still go and minister because of our love for these people. And by exercising this sacrificial love, we can provide a visible testimony of the love that Christ exercised in coming to die for sinful and rebellious man.

#3: We have a Divine Hope

By no means is a ministry like this without difficulty because it involves sinful people interacting with other sinful people. One aspect of this difficulty stems from the necessity to continually present the Gospel to sinners and call them to repentance. Another aspect stems from being confronted from within by our personal short-comings in our motivation for ministry and the depth of our love for others. But we can be encouraged that despite the battle with sin outside and within, that we have a divine hope for our ministry. We are reminded that it is the power of God that saves through the faithful proclamation of His Gospel and by the power of the Holy Spirit to convict sinners. This reassures us to remain faithful in clearly proclaiming the Gospel in every context and to simply trust upon Him for the results.

Without a doubt this type of ministry is challenging, but it is also extremely rewarding. Above all, it is a high privilege to share the Gospel with others and to see God at work in people’s hearts. I cannot begin to describe the joy that comes from knowing that you have faithfully testified of Christ to a dying and sinful world. And this joy is all the more enhanced when you can see Christ working through you to continue to personally minister to and encourage others as they progress in their Christian walk. And through these relationships, there is the additional blessing of being continually challenged to grow in personal sanctification, knowledge of the Word, and preparedness to wield the Word to better minister to others.

It is for these reasons that we can joyfully engage in this ministry. There is a great need for people to partake in this ministry. We are looking for people passionate to share the Gospel both in speech and conduct. We also require participants to be members in good standing at LBC. And since there will be many opportunities to share the Gospel and provide biblical counsel in a variety of contexts, training will be provided for those that commit to the ministry. We schedule weekly visits primarily on Saturday afternoons or weekday nights subject to other activities in the church schedule. Each visit typically lasts around an hour and a half. The content of each visit can vary from individual visitations to group craft activities to teaching and worship times. The responsibility expected from prospective members will be to participate and have a willingness to learn and develop relationships. The required commitment will be for at least school quarter (about 4 months).

All interested members are welcome to contact me. But regardless whether you participate in the convalescent home ministry or not, I do pray that you all will strive to grow in the joy of knowing of God and testifying of His grace.

Living Theology #1 – The Word of God

by Garrett Glende

God speaks. The truth is simple, yet profound. As the almighty creator of the universe, the one who has no beginning or end, God did not need to reveal Himself. However, He has indeed spoken to His creation through various means.

There are many different ways in which God has disclosed His word to us. The Old Testament is full of God’s word going forth either by His own speech, personal address to an individual, or through a prophet of His own choosing. We see God’s word in the opening words of Scripture when God says, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3). Psalm 33:6 declares that “by the word of the Lord the heavens were made…” These passages describe God’s word of decree. God speaks and it is done. He also speaks directly to humans, which we call God’s word of personal address. God spoke personally to Adam and Eve, Moses, Abraham, and many others. Those who listened understood that these were the very words of God and that any disobedience would be to sin against Him. The prophets were also used to proclaim God’s word to the people. He used the likes of Jeremiah, Isaiah, Moses and others by putting His words in their mouths. Jeremiah tells us that “the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, ‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth’” (Jeremiah 1:9). The words spoken through the prophets were equally as authoritative as any other form of revelation.

Each of these methods gives us a glimpse of God’s will, His character, and His nature, yet they all have been perfectly expressed through Jesus Christ, the eternal Word. John speaks of Christ when he writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). He continues the first 18 verses of his gospel account with a summary of the ministry of the Logos, concluding the prologue with the words, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). The Greek term for “made him known” is where we get the word exegesis, thus we can say that Jesus has explained God. This is, of course, the purpose of God’s word being proclaimed – that He might be known.

But God no longer speaks audibly and Jesus is no longer on Earth for us to observe, so we must turn to the written word of God in order to know Him. Thankfully, men carried along by the Spirit have written down for us all that we need to know concerning these things (2 Peter 1:21). Peter calls this word even more sure than his own first hand experience with the transfigured Christ. This form of God’s word allows us to deeply study and preserve God’s word so that it can have a long lasting impact on our lives.

When we read the words of Scripture we cannot look at them as just information about God. It is true that we do find words about God in the Bible, but do we see it as the very Word of God? This will be a key distinction in our mindset as we approach our times in Scripture because it will greatly affect our response to it. An attitude that sees the Bible as an encyclopedia of sorts will undoubtedly result in intellectual stimulation, but it will not affect our emotions. A true comprehension of the doctrine of the Word of God should make our quiet times more than just an exercise of our minds, but it should rather be a time where we seek to grow closer in our relationship with the glorious God who has revealed Himself to us. Emotions should be elicited while reading Scripture because the truths it contains are not just mere facts to be known. With the help of the Holy Spirit, it illuminates our hearts so that we can see the very mind of God (1 Corinthians 2:16).

If we claim that the God revealed in Scripture is more glorious, more holy, and more satisfying than any other created thing, then why do we not treat the means by which He has made Himself known as such? Our hearts should be captivated by the truths contained in God’s Word, yet so often we are drawn to other things. We are provided with a way to know the Creator of the universe, but sometimes we would rather watch the basketball game, update our Facebook status, or get an extra hour of sleep. When we choose these things before God we put ourselves in the same crowd as Israel and its idolatry. So the next time you engage in debate with yourself over whether to read or your Bible or – insert whatever seems more important at the time here – may you be reminded that the book you have in front of you contains the very words of God and respond accordingly.

I’ll leave you with Spurgeon’s exhortation: “Drink of the unadulterated milk of the word of God, and not of the skim milk, or the milk and water of man’s word.”

Cut Off Your Hand

by Elder Peter Lim

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time. That’s right. It’s time to cut off your hand. To poke out your eye. Of course I don’t mean literally.

Matthew 5:29-30 says “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”

This passage is not teaching that we should literally dismember ourselves. Even if we did, it wouldn’t cure us of our sin since this solution doesn’t deal with the heart. But it is making a point that we need to take drastic measures to prune sinful behavior from our lives. Have you been struggling with the same sins for years and years? Have you made the same resolutions to not sin the same sin over and over again? Notice that this passage doesn’t say to cut off someone else’s hand if it causes them to sin. This hatred of sin is motivated by one’s own desire to deal with one’s own sin, not a desire to remove someone else’s speck.

What does this mean practically? Here are some suggestions. If your computer causes you to sin, get rid of it. Literally. Or only allow yourself to use a computer for particular purposes that you predefine as being legit. Are you tempted by your TV? Get rid of it. Or at least set some limits for yourself and ask someone to keep you accountable to them. It could be as simple as limiting the hours, particular programs, or only watching pre-recorded content on your DVR.

Getting someone to keep you accountable may be a little humbling because you’d be admitting that you have struggles in a particular area. Really, is eating humble pie so bad? Confess your proud hearts and take some bold steps to address your weaknesses. This isn’t legalism. This is a sincere desire to honor God. Remember that He is as concerned with holiness as he ever was in the Old Testament since He never changes. As we ask God to change our hearts so that our actions are more consistent with His character, we will become more useful instruments for Him to use to minister to others.

Weekly Links (11/13/09)

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome to the first post of Weekly Links, an ongoing series where I’ll be sharing some of the links that caught my attention during the week. My hope is that the articles and posts would be timely, encouraging, and hopefully expose you to so great Christian resources in the process. So without further ado, (or as Pastor John would say, “Since this post is not about you…”), let’s get to it:

Pro Rege

Weekly Links (11/12/09)

by Stephen Rodgers

Welcome to the first post of Weekly Links, an ongoing series where I’ll be sharing some of the links that caught my attention during the week. My hope is that the articles and posts would be timely, encouraging, and hopefully expose you to so great Christian resources in the process. So without further ado, (or as Pastor John would say, “Since this post is not about you…”), let’s get to it:

Pro Rege

Thanks To God

by Pastor John Kim

2 Thessalonians 1:3
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

If there is anything that I hope to see as a pastor, it would be exactly what Paul shares to the Thessalonian church in this verse. I want more than anything for every brother and sister at Lighthouse Bible Church to be growing abundantly in your faith in Christ as well as to be increasing in your love for one another. Thanks be to God that I see both taking place in the life of our church.

There are a few things that I would like to share with our church family. First, I am learning to be more thankful to God for you. Being the senior pastor often exposes me to more of the problematic side of church life and it doesn’t take too much to get discouraged or a bit darkened in my view towards people, especially as I have to confront or take part in dealing with conflicts or other unpleasant circumstances. These situations frequently narrow my perspective toward a very negative outlook and so it is no surprise that I find myself either discouraged or even depressed.

But God is good to show me that there are also positive things going on in the life of the church and it really does show itself in those who are growing spiritually and those who exhibit genuine love for one another. So instead of focusing on those who aren’t growing or those who aren’t loving, I have become more conscious of those who are and I am incredibly blessed to see what God is doing.

As Paul shares in this verse, I ought to give thanks to God because it is the right thing to do. Now this is not merely an issue of duty or obligation, though it obviously has some aspect of that. It is right to do because it is the most God-honoring thing to do that also brings the greatest blessings. For when I am thankful, I have a greater sense of seeing the hand of God at work rather than just focusing on the immediacy of the circumstances around me. That’s why I can even experience joy in the midst of trials (James 1:2) because the focus is not so much on the trials as it is on the purpose for which God is building my character. I have to admit that it is not necessarily so easy to do. But when I do give thanks out of heart that truly is thankful to God, I realize that there is so much that I can be thankful about because there is so much to be thankful about who God is and what He has designed for me.

The second lesson that I have been learning is to be specific in my thanksgiving. There are two things that Paul shares that he is thankful for and as I mentioned earlier, I am thankful for these two things as well – the growing faith and the increasing love of the members of our church.

I have been greatly encouraged as I consider throughout the church that there are those who are really growing in their faith. Starting with the children’s ministry, I am so thankful to see that the hearts and minds of our young ones are being given every opportunity to be exposed to the truth of God and be directed toward the Savior. I will hear Olivia singing songs that she has learned and she even knows at times how to appropriately engage in our sharing time as a family when we share what we have been learning at church. Alyssa continues to grow in her understanding and has been quite inquisitive about things that she is learning.

The youth ministry continues to be a bright point in the life of the church as the youth soak up what they are learning. My great hope is that they will be spiritually well prepared to face the challenges that come as they look forward to college. I believe the youth staff are doing a great job in helping nurture and cultivate the youth in their walks with God. It gives great hope looking forward to the future.

I have been very encouraged to see our collegians as this year they have been challenged to really expand their capacity for participation. The campus ministries at UCSD and SDSU are continuing to move forward and it has been encouraging to see the staff step up to provide leadership. The third hour on Sundays for a joint time of teaching and fellowship for the collegians reveals how committed some are as they are literally at church for most of the day. It has been great getting to know some of the collegians and hear how they are growing.

The Singles ministry has been enjoying a study on the person and work of the Holy Spirit on Friday nights. It has been encouraging to see the response of many who have not had much background regarding the Holy Spirit. It has actually been a great study for me as well as I had never done any kind of focused study on the Holy Spirit other than in dealing with charismatic issues.

Grace Life has just started their men’s and women’s meetings during the mid-week and it has been good to hear how many of them are actually taking sermon notes for the first time and interacting with what they are learning on Sundays as they discuss the sermon. I know that it is not easy to do this when you are busy with life and work and children and other things that seem to drain you of life energy. But it is definitely a big deal that when the father and mothers of the church are growing spiritually, the benefits will be wide spread.

This past weekend, Pastor Carl Hargrove preached several powerful messages in light of our theme for this year, “For the love of Christ.” One thing that he mentioned was something I thought was very significant, though it was just a side comment he made. It is when we become too familiar with holy things. I think this really is a big factor when it comes to how our faith is growing. If we take the things of God and do not treat them as holy but become so familiar with them to the point of breeding contempt, it should not be a surprise to see that affect our spiritual growth. I think especially of those who come to church and have a very lax attitude or a critical attitude, revealing a self-centeredness that would even demand that God Himself would orient His thoughts and plans around them. It is unfortunate but true that this happens all too often and it can happen to any of us if we lose sight of how precious and holy God is. Carl mentioned the example of how people treat sermons, how even in preaching class he would admonish the men to pay attention when the others are preaching, even if it was for an academic exercise. How often do we treat the time of preaching or teaching lightly by taking care of other business, of being too easily distracted and given over to other things when we should be focused on hearing the word of God?

It is a great challenge but one that I am sure many are up to facing because it was encouraging to hear how many of you shared what you were learning with one another, not only during the retreat but even afterward. It is encouraging even to see how people would note on their Facebook status that they had been blessed in attending the retreat. I hope that we can make it a point to really share how we are growing as often and in as many ways possible through the various relationships as well as even the various media that we have at our disposal.

Coupled with growing in our faith is the increasing of love for one another. Note what Paul writes in his greeting to the Thessalonians – “and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” He points out that “every one of you” is involved in the loving of one another. It is not only for some, or for those who find it easy to love. It should be the fact that every one of you at Lighthouse Bible church should be loving one another and increasing in that love day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year. As God has already granted us ten years as a church, I would hope that in that time the love would have increased tenfold because we have been given the opportunity to be a part of each other’s lives and though it isn’t always easy or convenient, we should see everyone and each year as an opportunity to grow in our love for one another in Christ.

This has been such an encouragement to see in many of you as I see your service of love toward one another. Whether it be through serving in the church in some capacity, writing a note of encouragement, sharing your food with someone who looks hungry on Sundays (i.e. the pastoral staff =), or even coming in after work to help fix things or catalog books, there have been so many manifestations of love and they all are quite meaningful.

I give thanks to God for so many of you who have been growing in your faith and have been increasing in your love for one another. As we approach the holiday season when things get fast and furious and people get impatient and uncooperative, let us continue to walk in faith, exercising love, looking forward with hope in knowing that Christ will complete the work that has been started in us.