LBC Weekly SPARK – January 10, 2015

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear Lighthouse family and friends,

I hope the new year is off to a great start for you! If you came out to the New Year’s Eve fellowship, you know that I am encouraging the church family to read through the New Testament (at least) four times in 2015. Reading plans can be found in the foyer at the church building. If you have been keeping up so far, you should be wrapping up the Book of Matthew today. Here are some observations from Matthew that I found helpful:

  • 1:1-16 – Five women are mentioned (not all by name) in the genealogy of Jesus: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.
  • 3:11-12 – John the Baptist teaches that Jesus would come to baptize with fire (v. 11), and then explains that the fire is a fire of judgment (v. 12).
  • 7:5 – It is not necessarily wrong to be worried about the speck in your brother’s eye. It is hypocrisy to ignore and not deal with first the log in your own eye.
  • 8:29 – It seems the demons understand and are afraid that there will be an appointed time for their final judgment. In other words, they know they will not win in the end.
  • 8:34 – Sometimes crowds witnessed the wonderful things Jesus could do and just wanted Him to leave. Sometimes they responded with fear and worship (9:8).
  • 13:10-17 – Jesus spoke in parables to hide the meaning of His teaching. His teaching in parables was a form of judgment for the unbelief of the Jews, not a clever means of illustrating His points.
  • 13:18-23 – All of the hearts represented in the parable of the soils heard the Word of God. The seed that fell on the good soil was the one who not only heard the Word of God but also understood it.
  • 14:23 – Even Jesus needed to get away from everyone at times to pray.
  • 17:5 – We heard these words before (cf. 3:17).
  • 20:18-19 – Several times Jesus revealed to His disciples why He was going to Jerusalem (before He arrived in Jerusalem).
  • 20:24 – James and John were not the only ones who wanted to sit next to Jesus in the kingdom.
  • 22:31-32 – Jesus bases His entire argument about the resurrection on the tense of a verb (present tense).
  • 23:13-36 – Seven times Jesus says, “Woe to you,” to the Pharisees.
  • 24:13-14 – These verses are found in the context of the Tribulation and not the church age.
  • 24:40-41 – You want to be left behind and not taken away.
  • 27:37 – There is such irony in the sign that was placed over Jesus’ head on the cross.
  • 27:43 – There are some who argue that Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God in the Gospels. The Jewish leaders certainly believed He did.

I hope you are enjoying your time in God’s Word. Whether you are following this plan or not, strive to be in the Scriptures daily this year. You will not regret it!

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some ministry opportunities and announcements:

  1. A very big CONGRATULATIONS to Johnny and Mimi Kim for the birth of their second son, Philip Isaiah! He was born on January 9, at 10:45 PM. Mom and baby are both doing well and are thankful for your prayers!
  2. Some of you may be following what has been going on with the daughter of Pastor Aaron and Tina Choi of Berean Mission Church. Their daughter’s name is Emily, and the family would greatly appreciate your prayers as Emily has been diagnosed with stage four high risk neuroblastoma. They are placing their hope and trust in the Lord but it has obviously been a very difficult time for them. Please pray for God’s grace as Emily continues to receive treatment. Pray that the Lord would strengthen Aaron, Tina, their young son Silas, and their daughter Emily through this time.
  3. Grace Life. Since Grace Life Bible study was cancelled this week, we will be meeting on Thursday, January 15. Come out as we continue to walk through Preparing for Marriage God’s Way, by Wayne Mack.
  4. Flocks. Flocks week will be on January 28-31. For more information about our regional flocks, you can check out the church website or contact Cesar Vigil-Ruiz (jn316niv@gmail.com).
  5. Members Meeting. Our next members meeting has been postponed to Sunday, February 8, at 4:45 PM. All members are highly encouraged to attend! As always, dinner will be provided.
  6. College Life Retreat. The College Life retreat is coming up on President’s Day weekend, February 13-16. This FOUR DAY retreat will focus on the theme of “True Love.” We are pleased to announce that our speaker this year is Pastor John Kim of Lighthouse Bible Church, Los Angeles! Talk to Roger Alcaraz for more information.
  7. Shepherds’ Conference. The Shepherds’ Conference this year will be on March 3-6. The focus of the conference will be on the inerrancy of Scripture. If you have registered for the conference and are planning to attend, please let Pastor Patrick know via email (pastorpatrick@gmail.com).

Fight The Lord’s Battles

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

1 Samuel 18:17

The sacramental host of God’s elect is warring still on earth, Jesus Christ being the Captain of their salvation. He has said, ‘Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’ Hark to the shouts of war! Now let the people of God stand fast in their ranks, and let no man’s heart fail him. It is true that just now in England the battle is turned against us, and unless the Lord Jesus shall lift His sword, we know not what may become of the church of God in this land; but let us be of good courage, and play the man. There never was a day when Protestantism seemed to tremble more in the scales than now that a fierce effort is making to restore the Romish antichrist to his ancient seat. We greatly want a bold voice and a strong hand to preach and publish the old gospel for which martyrs bled and confessors died. The Saviour is, by His Spirit, still on earth; let this cheer us. He is ever in the midst of the fight, and therefore the battle is not doubtful. And as the conflict rages, what a sweet satisfaction it is to know that the Lord Jesus, in His office as our great Intercessor, is prevalently pleading for His people! O anxious gazer, look not so much at the battle below, for there thou shalt be enshrouded in smoke, and amazed with garments rolled in blood; but lift thine eyes yonder where the Saviour lives and pleads, for while He intercedes, the cause of God is safe. Let us fight as if it all depended upon us, but let us look up and know that all depends upon Him.

Now, by the lilies of Christian purity, and by the roses of the Saviour’s atonement, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, we charge you who are lovers of Jesus, to do valiantly in the Holy War, for truth and righteousness, for the kingdom and crown jewels of your Master. Onward! ‘for the battle is not yours but God’s.’

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Weekly Links (1/9/2015)

“Truth is so obscured nowadays and lies so well established that unless we love the truth w shall never recognize it.” (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, #739/864)

“Weaklings are those who know the truth, but maintain it only as far as it is in their interest to do so, and apart from that forsake it.” (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, #740/583)

by Stephen Rodgers

Happy Friday everyone! Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. So even though it is 2015 and we are officially living in the future, here’s another batch of free resources for you this month.

Ok, that’s our usual list of recurring resources…now on to a few of the other ones that have popped up recently:

And…that’s a wrap. Enjoy everyone, and hopefully see you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Recap and Application

by Jonathan Eng

What do the Los Angeles Lakers of 2014-2015 and the body of believers at LBCSD have in common? Both are going to experience conflict at some point, big and small. (I had to, being the Clipper fan that I am).

In Single Life, we have been going over The Peacemaker by Ken Sande. Thus far, we have completed the first section of the book which details the first of the four G’s, which is to glorify God. The foundation to which we have in glorifying God is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Having this mindset is crucial especially when in conflict because God’s reputation is at stake as well as our own witness. Having such a mindset is crucial when entering a conflict. Upon accomplishing this and remembering to glorify God amidst conflict, we are able to proceed with biblical conflict resolution and reconciliation, which leads into the second G: getting the log out of our own eyes.

One week, Single Life got to hear one of our esteemed elders, Johnny Kim, preach on the fourth chapter of The Peacemaker, entitled “Is This Really Worth Fighting Over?” The main point of this chapter focuses on overlooking minor offenses and picking out battles, especially when trying to get the log out of our own eyes. Matthew 7:3-5 says:

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.’”

Whenever we get in conflicts, our natural, sinful tendency is to focus on the wrongs committed against us. It is a “me versus them” mentality. Our pride is hurt because we have been wronged. By having this mentality, we remove God from his rightful place in our lives and elevate ourselves. We fool ourselves into thinking that we have committed no wrong when we, in our anger, sin and contribute to the conflict. Because of that, we need to get the log out of our own eyes in order to progress in biblically resolving our conflicts. In getting the log out of own eye, we as believers need to focus first on how we contribute to the conflicts we are engaged in. When we are able to do that, peacemaking truly begins.

We have to ask ourselves if something is worth fighting over and if it is an unnecessary conflict that can be avoided. No matter how small it is, it can always get bigger and worse. Proverbs 17:9 says, “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.” When we do not overlook an offense, a minor issue could easily snowball into a big problem and negatively affects not only the relationship between the parties involved, but the body as well. The apostle Paul in Colossians 3:12-13 calls for believes to wear the clothing of “kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another…” As such, we are to forgive others when we are in conflict because we ourselves are always in spiritual conflict with God when we sin. God, in his perfect grace and mercy, has overlooked our sin because he sent Christ to die on our behalf and take the punishment for our sins. When we can overlook an offense and check our ego at the door, we in turn imitate God’s mercy and hold up the reputation of the church to non-believers.

Having recapped the message from Wednesday, the hardest part for myself is checking my ego at the door whenever I am involved in conflicts. I personally tend to hold grudges and dwell on things. Resolving conflicts is usually not a problem when it is amongst believers. Where the rubber meets the road for me in this is in the work place when I am a sheep amongst wolves. I struggle with how to resolve conflicts in the work environment, which is especially hard when my coworkers and I do not share the same beliefs. As a Christian, I cannot hold non-believers to the same standard I would have for a fellow brother or sister at church. Because of that, I am still trying to navigate my way through conflict and would much rather avoid it altogether and sweep it under the rug. As I write this, I left my old job with relationships with coworkers whom I personally did not care to deal with because of my reaction to how I was treated as well as how other coworkers were treated by them. As I enter into my new job, I take with me a refreshed approach and attitude toward resolving conflicts in the work place and to know that I need to first and foremost project Christ and recognize his reputation is at stake when I do not resolve conflict in a biblical manner. If I am the source of committing a wrong against a coworker, I need to seek forgiveness from them and check my ego at the door. Even if I get persecuted for trying to pursue reconciliation, as long as I know that I am glorifying God, nothing else will matter. Ultimately, I need to take care of my own part and trust God with everything else in order to be a good witness at work and to love my unbelieving coworkers.

LBC Weekly SPARK – January 3, 2015

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear Lighthouse family and friends,

I hope you all had a safe and fun time ringing in the New Year! We had a great time at the church on New Year’s Eve, though no one made it to midnight! Maybe we’re all just getting too old? Hehe. The new year calls for adjustments to life. For example, I’m sure it will take some getting used to, but we need to remember to write “2015” instead of “2014.” This is the time of year when people are setting their minds on resolutions and goals for the upcoming year – reading their Bible, losing weight, saving money.

Whatever your resolutions, have you taken time to consider how the Lord wants you to move forward with your various enterprises? Are your resolutions in line with God’s will for your spiritual growth and well being? It’s easy to fall into the thinking of wanting to simply be a better you. But God’s will is not just self-improvement through self-projects. God’s desire is that everything we do would also have an upward focus, to do all things for His glory and honor (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). As you set your resolutions for 2015, remember to ask prayerfully, “God, is this what You desire of me?” Consider also, “Am I going about this in the way the Lord would want?” And, “Are my motives right before God?” Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.”

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some upcoming ministry opportunities!

  1. Communion Sunday. We will be taking communion together on Sunday so please come with prepared hearts. Because of the proximity to the New Year holiday, Sunday school hour will be cancelled this weekend.
  2. Members Meeting. Our next members meeting will be on Sunday, January 25, at 4:45 PM. All members are highly encouraged to attend. If you are a ministry coordinator and would like to give a ministry update, please notify Pastor Patrick.
  3. Anniversary Yearbook. Remember that we are still taking signups for our anniversary yearbook. The cost for a printed copy is $18. Please sign up with Wen Zou or online at http://bit.ly/1tFeTE7. There is also a web version available at http://lighthousebc.com/blog/2014/09/20/anniversary-book/.
  4. Grace Life. Since Pastor Patrick will be out of town this week, Grace Life will NOT be meeting on Thursday evening. Have fun with the night off! LKC will still be meeting, but we will NOT have nursery care at the church.
  5. Affinity Groups. Lumos Youth, College Life, and Single Life will all be meeting up this week. Single Life meets on Wednesday at 6:30 PM. Lumos and College Life meet on Friday at 7:00 PM. More information about our affinity groups can be found on the church website.
  6. Mommy and Me. Mommy and Me, a ministry for mothers and their children 0-4 years of age, meets on Fridays from 9:45-11:30 AM at church in Room 108. If you are a mom of a 0-4 year old and are interested in participating, please contact Jane Kim (janeminkim@gmail.com).
  7. Lumos Youth. Please pray for the youth ministry as they wrap up their retreat this weekend. Pray that it would be a great time of fellowship and growth together in Christ.

Reading Your Bible in 2015

by Stephen Rodgers

First of all, let me begin by saying that there really is nothing new under the sun, and we’ve covered this topic quite a bit in the past. I’d suggest that you briefly familiarize yourself with the following posts:

From briefly surveying my RSS feed of the fraction of the Christian blogosphere that I refer to, you might also find the following posts on Bible reading plans interesting:

(You can find all of those and more in our Recommended Resources section, linked above).

I’ve said it before,  but I’ll say it again. Bible reading plans are a lot like exercise plans: people love to talk endlessly about which one is “best.” However, the best one (in both cases) is the one you’ll actually do. So to that end, pick one and stick to it!

LBC New Year’s Eve Service!

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

It’s hard to believe we are wrapping up another year together as a church family! The Lord has once again shown us tremendous grace and kindness to walk with us faithfully and help us grow together as a church. Come celebrate this Wednesday, December 31 as we ring in the New Year! We will be having a special New Year’s Eve service beginning at 6:00 PM. We’ll start with dinner, so please bring $5/person for food (children 0-12 eat free!). At 9:00 PM, we’ll have an East Coast countdown to 2015 so that you can take the kids home for bed if necessary. After that, you are welcome to hang out at the church building until midnight! Please bring snacks to share as well as board games (be sure to label your games!).

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Weekly Links (Christmas Edition 2014)

“The absolute Truth, the one who fills all things (Eph. 1:23) condescended to a place where He would have to fill his diapers. This — to the refined and philosophical mind — was outrageous, impudent, and even blasphemous . . . The ultimate Truth suckled at His mother’s breast, had ten fingers and ten toes, which His mother counted, and He then grew a bit older and went to Nazareth High. The universal became a particular, and did so without ceasing to be a universal. The universal Truth has a hometown, and a mom, and is a scandal to the Greeks. He is also a scandal to the Kantians and the postmodernists, and all for the same reason.” (Douglas Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry)

by Stephen Rodgers

We’re actually going to be going on hiatus until early next year, but before we did that I wanted to drop a little Christmas cheer on you, Beacon-style, just as we’ve done in past years.

First off, long-time readers (and people who know how to use the search box), will recall that we’ve done special Christmas posts before.  The content therein is still as timely as ever, and I’ll highlight a few articles that you’ll find in each one:

  • 2009 (X-Mas vs. Christmas, the context of Christmas, etc.)
  • 2010 (the importance of the virgin birth, Christmas apologetics, holidays with family, Santa Claus vs. Santa Christ, etc.)
  • 2011 (Jesus’ relatives, alleged pagan elements of Christmas, what to tell kids about Santa, etc.)
  • 2012 (the date of Christmas, the star of Bethlehem, the history of Santa Claus, etc.)
  • 2013 (Christmas apologetics with particular emphasis on the virgin birth, etc.)

Seriously, if you’ve never checked those out, you really should. And there’s always Stoogle as well.

Next, on top of all of that, I’ve got some resources that I’d like to update as well.

And last but not least, here’s a handful of other Christmas-related articles that don’t have quite as much of an apologetics focus, but are still pretty great:

Well, that’s it for the annual Christmas post this year. Merry Christmas, and happy reading!

Pro Rege

For Unto Us

by Pastor Patrick Cho

One of the most familiar passages in Scripture comes from Isaiah 9:6 because of the Christmas season. The passage reads, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” This is a passage of hope reminding God’s people of the promise of a coming Savior who would rule the world. Rightly, it is inscribed on Christmas cards all over the world each year.

With the promise of a child, it has reverberations of the promise of salvation even as far back as Genesis 3:15, that the Lord would crush the head of the serpent through the seed of the woman. A child would be born. A son would be given. This Messiah, God’s anointed one who would bring salvation for His people, who would come as a child, is referred to by four distinct titles in this passage.

First, He is called “Wonderful Counselor.” John 1 refers to Jesus as the very Word of God. Throughout His ministry here on earth, He would preach with great authority such that the people were amazed at His teaching. His instruction would miraculously change hearts and transform lives. He is in this sense a wonderful counselor because He instructs His people according to the Word of truth. Even now as He sits at the right hand of God, He also intercedes for His people. He is the sympathetic High Priest that understands our hardships, trials, and pain. He has experienced the pain of life being rejected by men and suffering death on the cross. He was tempted in every way and yet without sin. Because of this, He is able to comfort us in our struggles.

The second title mentioned is “Mighty God.” Jesus took on human flesh in His incarnation but this did not mean that He was diminished at all in deity. He came with the greatness, glory, and power of God, and in no way did Christ fall short of God’s glory. In Him, we see the perfect representation of the Father. This is such an amazing truth to ponder that God took on human flesh in order to bring hope and salvation to the world.

The third title is “Everlasting Father.” This is not a confusion of the Persons of the Trinity. Kings and rulers were sometimes referred to as “fathers” of their people (cf. 2 Kings 5:13; Ps. 68:5; 103:13). But earthly kings reign for a short time and their rule comes to an end. Jesus, the King of kings, rules in heaven for all eternity, and one day will rule on His throne in the Kingdom. But as the king, this prophecy implies the care and grace with which He will reign. Jesus the King would be like a loving father condescending and caring for His subjects as His children.

The fourth title is “Prince of Peace.” Jesus has brought us peace. He is the prince of peace – the greatest bringer of peace. Peace is the Hebrew word shalom. It means more than just the absence of war and conflict. It carries the idea of completeness or wholeness. This is the great need for all men with God, but true peace can only be found in Christ. This is because of our sin which ruins our standing with God. Because He is holy and righteous, He can’t abide sin. But Jesus came to bring us into right standing with God the Father. He did this not by magically making our sin disappear, but by dealing with the consequences of our sin on the cross.

This Christmas season, we should take time to celebrate the gift of a Savior who made it possible for sinners like us have peace with God. Especially as Christians, we have the greatest reason to rejoice because God showed us grace. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God sent His Son Jesus to be our wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Prince of peace.

That Through Death He Might Destroy Him That Had The Power Of Death

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Hebrews 2:14

O child of God, death hath lost its sting, because the devil’s power over it is destroyed. Then cease to fear dying. Ask grace from God the Holy Ghost, that by an intimate knowledge and a firm belief of thy Redeemer’s death, thou mayst be strengthened for that dread hour. Living near the cross of Calvary thou mayst think of death with pleasure, and welcome it when it comes with intense delight. It is sweet to die in the Lord: it is a covenant-blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banishment, it is a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell. The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home-a moment will bring us there. The sail is spread; the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its voyage? How many wearying winds must beat upon the sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace? How long shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to that sea which knows no storm?

Listen to the answer, ‘Absent from the body, present with the Lord.’ Yon ship has just departed, but it is already at its haven. It did but spread its sail and it was there. Like that ship of old, upon the Lake of Galilee, a storm had tossed it, but Jesus said, ‘Peace, be still,’ and immediately it came to land. Think not that a long period intervenes between the instant of death and the eternity of glory. When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven. The horses of fire are not an instant on the road. Then, O child of God, what is there for thee to fear in death, seeing that through the death of thy Lord its curse and sting are destroyed? and now it is but a Jacob’s ladder whose foot is in the dark grave, but its top reaches to glory everlasting.

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