Weekly Links (1/29/2016)

“Note that Jesus did not expose the rich young ruler’s pretensions to holiness by disputing his claim to sinless perfection.  Instead he tested his love for God.  Was God first in his life, or was something else?  By instructing the man to give away his possessions Jesus was not saying that we can win our way to heaven simply by giving away our wealth.  The requirement for salvation is faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.  The rich ruler was willing to keep some of the commandments but he refused to surrender his standard of living for the glory of God.  One writer says “for this man to choose insolvency for the sake of joining Jesus’ movement was to choose a kind of social death”.  What do you suppose Jesus would tell you or me to give up for the kingdom of God?  Jesus would tell us to give up anything that we love more than we love Him.” (Dr. James Benecke)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Another week has flown by, but the links keep on coming! Without further ado, here they are!

  • If you have ever wondered how to explain to someone, whether a co-worker or a kid, why we shouldn’t take the Lord’s name in vain, Philip Graham Ryken gives a thorough and clear answer.
  • Matt Smethurst explains three ways to share the gospel this week, which if you haven’t done, can always begin today! Pastor Clint Archer also lays out three different things to pray for in sharing your faith in Christ as you proclaim Him.
  • Grace to You blog continues their series on Christian cliches by addressing the phrases ‘travelling mercies‘ and ‘backsliding.’
  • How would you respond to someone you love if they broke your trust? You may need to look at how Jesus treated Judas in order to see how you should be with your betrayer.
  • If you had to choose between a knowledgeable, but immature believer, or a mature but simple believer, which would you choose? Kevin DeYoung gives his answer, but also explains why neither is sufficient.
  • Randy Alcorn gives a plea for Christians to raise the bar in their book-reading. I think all lovers of books would give a hearty ‘Amen!’ Brother, sister, if you don’t like to read, please read and heed Alcorn’s advice.
  • Michael Kruger continues to deal with common objections to the faith, this time answering someone who believes Christians didn’t accept Jesus was God until much later. Don’t get caught without an answer to this one.
  • Would you believe that married couples have contributed to an increase in singleness? It depends on how the marrieds speak of their spouses, especially in the presence of a single. Katie Van Dyke provides some corrective wisdom for married couples in how they can help with the singleness epidemic, primarily by enjoying our marriage to God’s glory.
  • For the sake of fairness, Ken Samples deflates 7 common myths about old-earth creationism that we should be mindful of, especially if we are seekers of truth, and want to represent our brothers in Christ accurately.

That’s all for this week! Don’t forget that we’re on break for affinity groups, and have flocks instead. Members, don’t forget we have members meeting Sunday night. For the rest of you, see you all Sunday morning!

Soli Deo Gloria

Be Killing Sin, Or It Will be Killing You

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:12-13)

by Josh Liu

Are you living according to the flesh? Or, are you putting it to death? This is the difference between life and death.

The Apostle Paul uses the word “flesh” in a variety of ways. He has used it to mean the physical body (cf. 1 Cor. 15:39; Rom. 2:28); all of humanity (cf. 1 Cor. 1:29; Gal. 2:16); in reference to heritage (cf. Rom. 4:1); to contrast with the spiritual (Gal. 4:23; Rom. 9:8); and to encapsulate evil, corrupt, fallen nature of unregenerate man (cf. Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:3).

In the context of Romans 8:13, Paul is speaking of the sinful flesh as that which encompasses unregenerate man–all that opposes the Holy Spirit. He warns that those living according to the flesh must die. In other words, those who engage in habitual ongoing unrepented sin, characterized by a life consistent of an unregenerate person, a life without faith and submission to Christ as Lord and Savior, will die. Paul is not describing the loss of salvation or even threatening believers. He is simply stating that those who do not have (and, as a result, walk by) the Holy Spirit will die (the second death in hell; cf. Rev. 20:14)–the life of unconfessed and unrepented sin identifies an unregenerate person. This is not to say that salvation or eternal life can be earned by obedience; or, a genuinely saved person can never sin. Rather, disobedience–a life opposed to the Holy Spirit, a fleshly life–is characteristic of one who is spiritually dead, and one who will (certainly, in the future) experience eternal death. By contrast, a truly regenerate person will be characterized by obedience–a life opposed to the sinful flesh. So, Paul goes on and teaches that a life that puts to death all that is reminiscent of the life before regeneration is characteristic of one who is spiritually alive, and one who will experience eternal life (cf. John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:50-57; Rev. 2:7, 11). In preaching on Romans 8:13, John Piper offers a helpful summary:

If you are living according to the flesh – if you are not making war on the flesh, and not making a practice out of killing sin in your life, then there is no compelling reason for thinking that you are united to Christ by faith or that you are therefore justified. In other words, putting to death the deeds of the body is not the way we get justified, it’s one of the ways God shows that we are justified. And so Paul commands us to do it – be killing sin – because if we don’t – if we don’t make war on the flesh and put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit – if growth in grace and holiness mean nothing to us – then we show that we are probably false in our profession of faith, and that our church membership is a sham and our baptism is a fraud, and we are probably not Christians after all and never were. (“How to Kill Sin, Part 1”)

When the Apostle Paul says “putting to death the deeds of the body,” he is saying kill, destroy, slaughter, put an end to any sign of life, mortify, totally obliterate any deed, thought, attitude, speech that stems from the remaining sin principle in believers. Do not nurture, engage in, or practice sin. Kill it. John Owen says, “…the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business, all their days, to mortify the indwelling power of sin….Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin, or it will be killing you” (The Mortification of Sin, 25-26).

Fellow children of God, you cannot afford to be passive about sin. You have an enemy who opposes you, like a roaring lion seeking to devour his prey; you are surrounded by the world, whose tide is always seeking to sweep you away; you have the flesh within you, which is always seeking to deceive you with its sinful passions and lusts.

Yet take hope. Victory is won through Christ’s death and resurrection! The Holy Spirit has been given, empowering believers to overcome sin.

Sin is more evil than we realize, for we forget how holy God is. Our consciences are prone to excuse actions, attitudes, words, and thoughts that are abominations before God. The purpose of this article has been to exhort you to actively confront sin. Jerry Bridges’ book, Respectable Sins, helpful exposes sins that many believers are guilty of nurturing, of neglecting to mortify. Below is a list of sins that Bridges addresses, with my personal annotations. Look through the list and prayerfully examine yourself.

Ungodliness

  • Living one’s everyday life with little/no thought of God, God’s will, God’s glory, or dependence on God. God is essentially irrelevant to your life. Cf. Col. 2:33-34.
  • Check: How are you actively developing a more intimate relationship with God?

Anxiety & Frustration

  • Anxiety = distrust of God’s providence; usually involves fear and contributes to sinful actions, thoughts, attitudes. Frustration = attitude built upon sinful expectations that are not met; involves anger. Cf. Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6-8; 1 Peter 5:7.
  • Check: Do you tend to become anxious or frustrated when things don’t go as you planned? (My plans vs. God’s apparent plans).

Discontentment

  • Sinful discontentment is a response to unwanted circumstances (e.g. unfulfilling job, singleness, health, friends, appearance). Cf. Job 1:21.
  • Check: Can you genuinely say, “Lord, I am willing to: Receive what You give, Lack what You withhold, Relinquish what You take.” What is your attitude toward your circumstances? Do you submit, accept, and embrace it?

Thanklessness

  • A heart of thanklessness does not treasure God (Who is the greatest possession) and does not recognized all that He has abundantly provided. (Cf. Luke 17:11-19; Deut. 8:11-14; Rom. 1:21; Eph. 1:3ff). It is against God’s will (Cf. Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:18).
  • Check: What is the content or direction of your thanks in prayer? Is it centered on who God is and what He has done in salvation history?

Pride

  • Subtle areas of pride: – Moral self-righteousness (cf. Luke 18:11), Correct doctrine (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1), Pride of achievement (i.e. desire for recognition), Independent spirit (resistance to authority & unteachability).
  • Check: Are you easily offended? Are you quick to defend yourself? Do you humbly honor others’ interests before your own?

Selfishness

  • Common areas of selfishness: Interests, Time, Money. One can selfishly guard time, and selfishly impose on others’ time. Cf. Phil. 2:4; 1 John 3:17; James 2:14.
  • Check: Examine your conversations: how much time is spent talking about your interests vs. asking about the other person?

Anger

  • Anger = intense discontentment; hatred/murder from the heart. It is never right to be angry with God. Cf. Matt. 5:22; James 4:1-2; Eph. 4:26.
  • David Powlison: “I want my way and not God’s, and because I can’t have my way, I rage.”
  • Check: How often do you choose to respond with anger, rather than overlook or presume the best about another?

Weeds of Anger (Long term results of nurtured anger)

  • Resentment = anger held onto
  • Bitterness = ongoing animosity
  • Enmity/hostility = openly expressed bitterness
  • Grudge = hatred; taking revenge
  • Strife = open conflict/turmoil
  • Anger is never static; it will grow and feed the above sins
  • Check: Do you nurture anger, not allowing it to die out? Do you seek to love and honor others in your own thought life?

Worldliness

  • Worldliness = being attached to, engrossed in, pursuing for refuge, satisfaction, or ultimate value, or preoccupied with things of this temporal life. Cf. 1 John 2:15-16; Col 3:2; 1 Cor. 7:31b.
  • Check: Do you pursue looking like the surrounding culture?

Lack of Self-Control

  • Lack of self-control = indulging in desires, cravings, impulses, emotions, passions such that they control us, instead of controlling those desires. Common areas: Eating and drinking, Temper (cf. Prov. 14:17; 26:32), Personal finances. Cf. Prov. 25:28.
  • Check: Do you live as you please without any regard to God and others? Do you depend on the Holy Spirit for control?

Impatience & Irritability

  • Impatience = strong annoyance at (usually) unintentional faults/failures of others. Cf. 1 Cor. 13:4a. Irritability = frequency of impatience. When you are the object of impatience, respond like Christ (1 Pet. 2:23), or consider confronting (Matt. 7:5; 8:15)
  • Check: Does it seem like people are “walking on eggshells” around you?

Judgmentalism

  • Includes presumption on a person’s heart motives. Occurs when preference/opinion is elevated to absolute truth. Cf. Rom. 14:1ff.
  • Check: Are you known for a critical spirit? Do you respond with giving the benefit of the doubt? Do you seek to understand/ask questions first or jump to conclusions?

Envy, Jealousy, and Related Sins

  • Envy = resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another. Envy often leads to covetousness. We often envy those we are closely identified with (peers) and in areas we value most.
  • Jealousy = intolerance of rivalry. Results in unloving competitiveness and desires to control. Cf. Acts 5:17-18; 13:44-45.
  • Check: Do you tend to focus on self when others succeed?

Sins of the Tongue

  • Gossip, slander, critical speech, lie, critical speech. Cf. Eph. 4:29.
  • Check: Do you actively encourage others?

Let us confront sin as an act of worship and love for our Lord and Savior, who paid the penalty for our sin and liberated us from its dominion to be slaves of righteousness. The war is won, but there is a war nonetheless, and God has sounded forth the rallying cry. Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.

Short on Love?

by Pastor Mark Chin

One of the inevitabilities in life is to be in a place where we feel short on love – either we don’t have enough love for the difficult people in our lives or we ourselves feel we are not being loved enough.

Sooner or later we discover the truth that human love – our love and that of others – is inadequate to address our hurts and needs. This is just as true in marriage as it is in ministry or the work place.

The frequent human response is to withdraw and create distance between ourselves and others – or to be discontent, discouraged, or angry.

Luke 22:14-23 subtly points out the heart of the problem. Our hearts and lives, and the hearts and lives of those around us (that’s all of us), are sinful and selfish by nature – and the love that comes from our hearts is sinful and self-serving by nature. If this were not the case – we would not need a Passover lamb – a perfect substitute and savior to die for our sins.

Until we come to grips with this – we will always struggle with discouragement and discontent – for our love and the love of others will never be enough to cover our unloving attitudes and behavior or the unloving attitude and behavior of those around us – be it our husbands, wives, children, co-workers, or fellow church members.

What’s the remedy? Luke 22:14-23 points out that our cups must be filled with the contents of Christ’s cup – it must be filled with the new wine of the new covenant – His life and His love. We need a good and perfect love from above – and we cannot give what we don’t have.

The good news is that Christ has the love we need to cover – not just our sins but the sins of those in our lives. He deeply desires and is able to give His life and His love to us in abundance. However – our cups will not be filled by Christ if we are not with Him or if we do not empty our cups of the dirty old wine that presently fills it. By faith – we must be emptied and we must go to the Savior to be filled.

It is for this reason that Jesus exhorts us to abide in Him – to abide in His Word – to be in prayer and to actively obey His commands by faith (John 15). It is the reason we are called to build our lives around the ministry of His Word and prayer – why we are called to follow Him 24/7.

As we follow Him – we meet the cross of loving others – which leaves us with only 3 choices: we walk away, we destroy or remove the unlovable, or we die to ourselves – become empty and allow Christ to fill us with His love and his life.

Frequently there is shortage of love in many churches because American Christians are seldom willing to follow Christ by faith to the cross of loving difficult people in our lives. We are content with the old wine that fills our cups – and simply want more of it. I’m as guilty of this as anyone.

But when we are crucified with Christ – new life and new love abounds – providing an abundance of love not just for ourselves but for those around us.

So the real question when you and I are hurting or are short of love is: have we been to the cross lately?

Joint Heirs With Christ

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Romans 8:17

The boundless realms of His Father’s universe are Christ’s by prescriptive right. As ‘heir of all things,’ He is the sole proprietor of the vast creation of God, and He has admitted us to claim the whole as ours, by virtue of that deed of joint-heir-ship which the Lord hath ratified with His chosen people. The golden streets of paradise, the pearly gates, the river of life, the transcendent bliss, and the unutterable glory, are, by our blessed Lord, made over to us for our everlasting possession. All that He has He shares with His people. The crown royal He has placed upon the head of His Church, appointing her a kingdom, and calling her sons a royal priesthood, a generation of priests and kings. He uncrowned Himself that we might have a coronation of glory; He would not sit upon His own throne until He had procured a place upon it for all who overcome by His blood.

Crown the head and the whole body shares the honour. Behold here the reward of every Christian conqueror! Christ’s throne, crown, sceptre, palace, treasure, robes, heritage, are yours. Far superior to the jealousy, selfishness, and greed, which admit of no participation of their advantages, Christ deems His happiness completed by His people sharing it. ‘The glory which thou gavest me have I given them.’ ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ The smiles of His Father are all the sweeter to Him, because His people share them. The honours of His kingdom are more pleasing, because His people appear with Him in glory. More valuable to Him are His conquests, since they have taught His people to overcome. He delights in His throne, because on it there is a place for them. He rejoices in His royal robes, since over them His skirts are spread. He delights the more in His joy, because He calls them to enter into it.

5.14a

Weekly Links (1/22/2016)

“You do not have the luxury of sitting out the battle for knowledge. No Christian can afford to be on vacation from speaking the truth in love in the strength of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:15). Eternity is too long and God’s glory too important to do Christianity on the cheap.” (Douglas Groothuis)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! I hope your weeks have been filled with time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer. Now that the week is coming to a close, I pray these links will only draw you to a closer look to His Word and a deeper trust in Him.

  • Ligonier Ministries is making their book Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue by R.C. Sproul free to download for the rest of this month. You would be wise to get your (digital) hands on this book! Don’t miss the link to his video/audio series on abortion at the end. To give you a taste, Sproul addressed the issue of whether one who has had an abortion can be forgiven.
  • The Grace to You blog has begun a series addressing the many Christian clichés that pop up in discussions amongst our own. First up, “Ask Jesus into your heart.“
  • What does the term, ‘evangelical,’ mean? Greg Koukl from Stand to Reason gives a short, succinct answer.
  • Michael Kruger addresses a claim, in academic circles (and becoming more mainstream), the idea that Christianity was more diverse than what many Christians think. So much so, in fact, that to speak of early Christianity would be misleading; rather, it would be more accurate to say, ‘early Christianities.’ Don’t be surprised when you hear this at the university, and take in what Kruger writes.
  • Robert Kellemen continues his series on how to have gospel conversations by finishing his five portraits of a loving biblical counselor with the latter three portraits. Make sure you read the previous posts, as they are very helpful things to consider in counseling others.
  • It’s common to hear that idolatry only took place in the past or currently in a religious context, but it can occur in the habits that have formed in our lives. Ken Sande zeroes in on what an idolatrous habit looks like, and what the cure is.
  • How can Christians who are pro-life honor a pro-choice president? John Piper writes a helpful primer.
  • In this week’s Glory Books Women’s Hope podcast, Kim Wine, Kimberly Cummings, and Brandi Huerta provide some sound wisdom for ladies in how to pursue a holy marriage. Just so the guys don’t feel left out, Pastor Phil Wages gives a great overview of the structure and content of the Old Testament, in anticipation of the New (Testament and upcoming post). Ladies, this post is for you, as well.
  • If you wonder how you’re doing in the art of communication, Joel Beeke provides seven ways for us to grow in that area. Every Christian needs to grow in the area of talk, and hopefully, this will lead you in the right direction. Dads, this is definitely an encouragement for you to teach your children in the way they speak (and the original reason for this post).
  • Don Whitney recently came out with a book on family worship, from which Crossway posted a snippet of it: husbands, it’s time to start leading family worship. May we all, whether with or without children, take the charge humbly.
  • Here’s one to bookmark and give some time to: the 2015 Bahnsen Conference, named after presuppositional apologist Greg Bahnsen, has a number of presentations related to the issue of apologetics from a number of speakers/authors/pastors/professors. Also included is a debate about the existence and attiributes of God. I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything presented, but I am thoroughly looking forward to watching Jeff Durbin, K. Scott Oliphint, and E. Calvin Beisner’s presentation (Gordon Clark vehemently differed with Cornelius Van Til, and Bahnsen was not a fan of Clark, either).

That’s all for this week! Don’t forget to keep the youth and collegians in prayer, as they meet tonight at church for Bible study. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Growing Pains: Are We There Yet? (Part 1)

By Kristen Lim

This article is a continuation of the “Growing Pains” series, a look at various issues that new / young Christians encounter. Previous articles:

The microwave oven is one of the greatest inventions to date (slight hyperbole there). But in all seriousness, isn’t it a wonderful concept to have last night’s cold leftovers hot and ready to consume in a matter of minutes? Not to mention, people have creatively come up with ways to hack the microwave’s power, like mug cakes and quick scrambled eggs.

Why doesn’t the Christian life work like a microwave? Why can’t God make me perfect and without sin RIGHT NOW? Without even realizing it, we may have been accustomed to what I like to call “microwave-mentality:” expecting immediate results with little to no effort, and in this case in regards to spiritual maturity. We’ve lost a sense of patience, and there is a mounting panic and discomfort in waiting. In our need for speed, we want to expedite every part of our lives including sanctification, but we will soon find out that God’s plan for our growth is a gradual, life-long process.

What is biblical sanctification? Let’s look at Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi:

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;” (Ph. 2:12 emphasis added)

Paul does not say for you to work “for” your salvation; that would be salvation by works! Let’s pause and remember Scripture is clear that salvation is by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9). So what does it mean to work “out” your salvation? Paul is affirming the truth that God calls His people to holy living out of submission to our good Master and in accordance to our new identity as children of God. Our redeemed status is not conditional to whether you had a great day honoring God, or failed (again) to make time to read the Bible. Nothing can separate true Christians from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:35-39). Rest in that truth. Marinate in the extravagant grace of God. We will spend the rest of our lives discovering the breadth, length, height, and depth of the love of Christ (Eph. 3:19), and to truly comprehend that to know Christ is eternal life (John 17:3).

There is no room for dabbling in sin and cheapening the glorious grace of God to be just a free pass to “sin and repent.” Read Romans 6, my friend. Working out your salvation involves hard work of putting off the old self and putting on the new self (Eph. 4:22-24). But rest assured that it’s not in your hands to change your heart…

“For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Ph. 2:13 emphasis added)

God is the One who grows us! He gets the glory and praise for transforming us into the image of Christ. There is no room for boasting in ourselves or even in another person for causing us to grow (1 Cor. 3:6-7). You may wonder, how can God be the one doing all the work in me when it feels like I’m the one striving and laboring? We must remember that God is the giver of life and breath, and apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Your desire to even want to grow in faith is a product of God placing that desire in your heart! He gives us various “means of grace,” such as reading the Bible, prayer, fellowship, memorizing Scripture, sermons, etc. to accomplish this steady progression of maturity. Just because you don’t conquer a particular sin by memorizing a verse doesn’t mean that God has failed. He is growing you in other ways, perhaps patience and perseverance. In the mean time, God desires for you to continue to fight sin in humble obedience, trusting in His sovereign and perfect timing.

If you are a Christian longing for a pure heart, but still find yourself struggling in the fight against sin, you are in good company. Paul honestly admits the raging war in his soul against his old, sinful way of life versus God’s way (Rom. 7:14-25). Also, find encouragement that much of Paul’s letters are filled with exhortations to struggling Christians who needed instruction to fight hard against remaining sin. If Christians back then needed to war against sin, then I do too.

Maybe you experienced a drastic change in your life when God saved you. Praise the Lord for His abounding mercies! You have the rest of your life to keep on growing in the knowledge of God and becoming more like Christ. Know that God will be faithful to complete the work He has started in you.

Maybe you feel spiritually dry and stagnant in growth, and wonder why it doesn’t feel like God is working in you anymore. But God is still working in your heart. Though it may seem slow and the fruit may not be evident right away, be patient and persevere. Know that God will be faithful to complete the work He has started in you.

It is worth mentioning that many farming analogies are used to describe the Christian life. Psalm 1 describes the one who delights in God to be a “tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season…” Matthew 7:20 reveals that you will know the type of tree it is (Christian or non-Christian) by the fruit it bears. And in Galatians 5:22-23 we find the “fruit” of the Spirit. The growth of a tree may at times seem imperceptible, but it is still growing and will flourish with fruit in its season.

A microwave is useful for many things, but not a good object on which to build an understanding of sanctification. Hopefully it’s clear that waiting on the Lord for spiritual growth is not an idle task. Rather it is a fierce dependence on God that clings to His unchanging promises, and disciplines the self to walk in obedience, knowing full well that God is the one who changes hearts.

LBCSD SPARK – January 19, 2016

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBCSD family and friends!

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord! I praise God for calling us into such a wonderful fellowship. His lovingkindness truly is everlasting. This past weekend, we were able to have another membership class and about nineteen people have expressed an interest in becoming members! It was a great time walking through the things that LBC stands for and helping these men and women learn more about the ministry here in San Diego.

One major point that was reiterated throughout the weekend was Lighthouse’s determination to uphold a high view of God, a high view of His Word, and a high view of Christ’s church. This is really what this ministry boils down to.

First, we seek to maintain a high view of God. This means that our worship is oriented around Him. Sunday mornings are a time for God’s people to come together for corporate worship and fellowship. Our greatest concern is not catering to the desires and interests of people. It isn’t about making things as comfortable and convenient as possible. It really is about worshiping God and exalting Him with our lives.

Second, we seek to maintain a high view of God’s Word. This means that we refuse to budge in our commitment to the inspiration, inerrancy, infallibility, authority, and sufficiency of the Bible. It is completely trustworthy in its parts and as a whole. As such, we are particularly committed to the expository preaching of the Word each time we come together for study.

Finally, we love the church, just as Christ loves His church! And, by the way, it’s His church. It has always been His church. So, we seek to do ministry His way, in the way He has prescribed and in the way that most greatly exalts Him. Church is God’s means of fulfilling the Great Commission (Acts 1:8). Church is God’s way of putting Christ on display for the world in that the church is the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13). Jesus loves the church (Eph. 5:25) and so should we!

It was a great reminder this weekend of these things at the membership class. We need to remember what we are committed to because these principles are constantly under attack both from within the church and from without. Set us remain steadfast in the pursuit of Him though at times it seems that everything around us is shifting.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some opportunities for ministry for your consideration!

  1. Sunday Service. This Sunday, the plan is to finish walking through Titus 3:1-2 and the duties of Christians to put our faith on display.
  2. Midweek Bible Studies. Our midweek Bible studies continue this week! Kids’ Club – 6:30 PM on Thursdays. Lumos Youth – 7:00 PM on Fridays. College Life – 7:00 PM on Fridays. Single Life – 6:30 PM on Wednesdays. Grace Life Family Ministry – 6:30 PM on Thursdays.
  3. Flocks Week. Don’t forget that flocks week is January 27-30! Next week, all our regularly scheduled midweek activities will be cancelled so that we can gather in community flock groups. For more information about flocks, please contact Cesar Vigil-Ruiz (jn316niv@gmail.com).
  4. Members Meeting. We will be having a members meeting on Sunday, January 31, at 4:30 PM. If you are a member of LBC, please make plans to attend! As always, dinner will be served.
  5. Baptism Class. Our next baptism class is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, at 7pm. If you have not yet been baptized as a believer in obedience to Christ’s command, or if you are simply interested in learning more about believer’s baptism, please make plans to come to the next baptism class.
  6. College Life Retreat. The annual College Life Retreat will be on February 12-14 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. This year, our speaker is Pastor Scott Ardavanis from Grace Church of the Valley in Kingsburg, CA. For more information or to register, please contact Pastor Josh Liu (liu.joshuac@gmail.com)!
  7. Mission Bowl. The men’s Mission Bowl flag football tournament will be on Saturday, February 6. The women’s tournament will be on Saturday, February 20. Mark your calendars! More details are forthcoming.
  8. Parent/Child Dedication. We will be having a parent/child dedication on the morning of Sunday, February 21. This is a chance for us to pray for our parents and dedicate these infants and young children to the Lord. If you would like to participate in this service, please contact Pastor Patrick for more information (pastorpatrick@gmail.com).
  9. First Aid/CPR. If you are interested in receiving training in First Aid and CPR, Randy Sarmiento will be teaching a class on Saturday, February 27, from 1:30-4:30 PM. This is for Infant/Child/Adult First Aid, CPR, and AED. The cost is $75/person. Contact Randy for more info (randy.p.sarmiento@gmail.com).
  10. The Stone and the Glory of Israel. Many of you were around when we had Dr. Greg Harris of The Master’s Seminary as our all-church retreat speaker in 2014. Dr. Harris has a new book coming out in February called The Stone and the Glory of Israel. This is a book that is focused on sharing the gospel with our Jewish friends. Because Dr. Harris loves Lighthouse, he is offering us a great deal on this book. We can have copies made available for only $5! If you are interested, please email Pastor Patrick with the number of copies you would like (pastorpatrick@gmail.com). Please submit your order by Sunday, January 31.

The Lord Has No End of Years

by Pastor Patrick Cho

As 2015 comes to a close, we get another chance to reflect on God’s inestimable goodness to us and the many blessings He has poured out upon us. Regardless of life’s circumstances, we who are in Christ have every reason to be thankful. Our attention was given to Psalm 102 at the New Year’s Eve fellowship, where the psalmist laments his suffering and exile. But even in the midst of his trouble, he remembers that God is everlasting and will remain faithful to His promises. What stands out incredibly is that the psalmist looks past merely a present deliverance of God’s people to a future, final, eschatological deliverance of Zion! He remembers the promises that the Lord’s kingdom would be established and there would be a perfected deliverance of His people. The psalmist displays remarkable faith in the covenant faithfulness of God.

We, too, have this future hope. Jesus came not to usher in His eschatological kingdom, but to open a door that had been sealed tight. As sinners, we had no reason for true hope because of our offenses against our holy and perfect God. But Jesus dealt with our sin on the cross and suffered the punishment and died the death that we deserved. He bore our guilt and took our sin upon Himself so that we would not have to bear it or suffer God’s wrath. He rose again, giving us the proof of our faith and the guarantee of our final deliverance. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father, but He has promised that He is coming again to establish His kingdom and rule, and to gather us home to Himself. Just as the psalmist trusted that the Lord would be faithful to His promises, so we should trust in the truth of God.

An interesting contrast is made in Psalm 102 as the psalmist contemplates his life. He sees that his days are fleeting, that the end of his life is near. What is a human life but a cloud of smoke or an evening shadow? It is here one day and gone the next. But God is everlasting. The psalmist’s life is measured by days, but the Lord is measured by years. “And Your years will not come to an end” (v. 27). Our God is everlasting and eternally unchanging, so what He says will come to pass. He is faithful in His promises. We have no reason to doubt regardless of our circumstances.

In light of this meditation, perhaps we can end 2015 on this note. Whatever troubles you may be facing, and however difficult the trials of life may seem, if you are a Christian, you ought to remain thankful. He is forever and He holds the future. Whatever uncertainties and anxieties you feel, there is no uncertainty with the Lord.