Teaching in Sparklers as a Parent

by Grace Lee

Teaching on any subject is eye-opening and educational in the preparation and presentation, but when it happens to be the Word of God to a group that includes your own children, a huge measure of humility and conviction is definitely part of the process.

When Jin and I prayerfully joined the Sparklers’ staff last year, we didn’t realize the extent of how challenged and blessed we’d be through our involvement. We had always appreciated the staff – all of children’s staff for that matter – but our admiration and appreciation grew in such a deeper level as we ourselves had to prepare lessons (currently through the Old Testament) and get a whole behind-the-scenes look of what happens each Sunday to have God’s Word taught to these impressionable children.

We were asked as staff to listen and respond to two sermons on teaching Sunday school preschoolers from Children Desiring God at the end of last year: Preschool Teaching by Connie Oman and Preschool Lesson Preparation & Training by Connie Oman and Holly Urbanski. Two things struck my heart from listening to these sermons:

  1. The hearts of preschoolers are fertile, and the window of opportunity for a child’s salvation gets smaller as they get older, so the best teachers should be teaching preschool. –Gulp- This added such weight to the responsibility and significance of communicating God’s Word to the Sparklers.
  2. Connie Oman’s own teaching was dotted throughout with tears as she spoke of the gospel. Her love for Christ was so evident, and this really challenged me – my prayer became that I wouldn’t be just relaying Bible stories or truths to give information to the kids, but that I’d be speaking from the heart of the great and loving God whom I know and serve.

Anyone who works with preschoolers can tell you that they are impressionable, energetic, curious, and just downright adorable (most of the time). It’s been such a privilege to serve in Sparklers and see the children as they engage with biblical truths and interact with one another. It’s impossible to walk out of that room without having cracked a smile or laughed.

I Am Poured Out Like Water…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 22:14

Did earth or heaven ever behold a sadder spectacle of woe! In soul and body, our Lord felt Himself to be weak as water poured upon the ground. The placing of the cross in its socket had shaken Him with great violence, had strained all the ligaments, pained every nerve, and more or less dislocated all His bones. Burdened with His own weight, the august sufferer felt the strain increasing every moment of those six long hours. His sense of faintness and general weakness were overpowering; while to His own consciousness He became nothing but a mass of misery and swooning sickness. When Daniel saw the great vision, he thus describes his sensations, ‘There remained no strength in me, for my vigour was turned into corruption, and I retained no strength:’ how much more faint must have been our greater Prophet when He saw the dread vision of the wrath of God, and felt it in His own soul! To us, sensations such as our Lord endured would have been insupportable, and kind unconsciousness would have come to our rescue; but in His case, He was wounded, and felt the sword; He drained the cup and tasted everydrop.

‘O King of Grief! (a title strange, yet true
To Thee of all kings only due)
O King of Wounds! how shall I grieve for Thee,
Who in all grief preventest me!’

As we kneel before our now ascended Saviour’s throne, let us remember well the way by which He prepared it as a throne of grace for us; let us in spirit drink of His cup, that we may be strengthened for our hour of heaviness whenever it may come. In His natural body every member suffered, and so must it be in the spiritual; but as out of all His griefs and woes His body came forth uninjured to glory and power, even so shall His mystical body come through the furnace with not so much as the smell of fire upon it.

4.11a

Weekly Links (8/15/2014)

“Pastors are there for their people. They are in the midst of all of their parishioners’ emotional strains and successes. This is the best thing pastors can do. Nothing I say from here on will diminish that role. Pastors as apologists have the best apologetic in their very presence, and that is a unique privilege (Ravi Zacharias, Is Your Church Ready? Motivating Leaders to Live an Apologetic Life)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s been awhile, and although we may have missed some really exciting stuff, here are this week’s links!

  • What does the morality of a Christian who supports the legalization of same-sex marriage (SSM) look like? According to sociologist Mark Regnerus, it isn’t that far off the national population average. In a survey conducted earlier this year, Regnerus had a number of moral statements listed, asking different groups (Christians who opposed SSM, Christians who were for, ”gay” Christians, and non-Christians) whether they agree or disagree with each statement. The results are revealing, even though Regnerus points out that he doesn’t believe supporting SSM causes you to accept the other statements in the survey. Worth looking into.
  • James White recently debated Bob Enyart on open theism. Open theism is the belief that God does not know the future, primarily because the future does not exist, and is actually learning along with us, in order to allow the free will of human beings. There’s a lot more to it than that, and even Enyart has a certain twist to it, but if you have ever encountered such a view, this would be good to watch. Dr. White is one of the few who engages in debates as a faithful representative of evangelical Christianity, and does so to purposely glorify God and edify the saints. Don’t miss out.
  • Speaking of Dr. White, with the recent surge of ISIS attacks that have been plastered all over the news, he has a helpful message that will help us communicate the love we are to have with Muslims in understanding what they believe and being clear with them about what we believe. Also, Joe Carter provides some fact-checking for ISIS and the claim that they are beheading children.
  • Ann Coulter said some controversial statements (an understatement), but this one is said at the expense of those who travel far to serve the least of these. Matt Perman and Al Mohler respond. A perfect example of Proverbs 18:17 in action.
  • J.D. Greear has a list of 26 ways to live provocatively (not dress provocatively) at work that looks very practical and doable.
  • Ben Holloway has written about a tactic Christians can use in answering objections that many don’t know about: spotting the assumption(s) behind an objection. In the same vein, Choosing Hats reminds us that the presuppositional apologetics involves two steps in defending Christianity, not one.
  • Don Whitney has written a great work on the spiritual disciplines for Christian living called Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Tim Challies recently posted a portion of the book in relation to why we must memorize Scripture, starting today. Here’s Challies review of the book, and an interview Don Whitney did on the new edition, which includes what he added.
  • With the recent passing of famous actor Robin Williams, the church has been very compassionate and helpful in pointing to resources that help us deal with loss. Desiring God has done just that with their links and recommendations on how to deal with the loss of a loved one. Nancy Guthrie has written an article in Ligonier Ministry’s Tabletalk about ministering to grieving parents.
  • Andreas and Margaret Kostenberger have five things to avoid when teaching/discussing the topic of gender from Scripture. Gain insight and heed their warnings.
  • I may be linking to this against my better judgment, but CBMW has a post commending Jane Austen’s writings to men. Let’s just say, this got me thinking (don’t expect me to devour Pride and Prejudice just yet; I’m more open to talking about it now).
  • Remembering Pastor Nigel’s message on expository listening, here’s a post that complements that message well: “Your Role in Expository Preaching”.
  • A common objection to same-sex “marriage” is expressed: “How will gay marriage impact your marriage?” Denny Burk has a good response that lays out the real issue this brings to biblical and traditional marriage. Another one has to do with the claim that the Bible does not condemn homosexual orientation, since that is not identified as sin in Scripture. Jared Moore interacts with this very oft-cited claim.
  • Here’s a question I think all of us would be the wiser for contemplating: “Do you like being alone with your thoughts?”
  • Here’s another post interviewing Mack Stiles about his new book on evangelism.

That’s all for now! Please remember to pray for the youth retreat this weekend, as well as the member’s meeting Sunday night, and also members who have been saying goodbye for various reasons. Let us continue to love one another (including before, during and after Sunday service) in the hope that many will see that we are disciples of Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

Practicing Patience

by Pastor Patrick Cho

“Patience is a virtue.” It’s one of those proverbial phrases that we all hear again and again growing up. Of course, most people understand the importance of pursuing patience, but they also know from experience how difficult it can be. Who hasn’t stood in line at the DMV or post office or been stuck in gridlock and really struggled with patience? The fact is we don’t like to wait, and perhaps even more we don’t like to be reminded to be patient! How many times were we reminded by our parents to be patient when we complained and whined? I don’t think I was ever thankful for those reminders. Now that I am a parent, though, I see the daily need to teach my children patience. And while I don’t want to minimize the need for those lessons, I have also come to find more and more through experience how much I still need to learn patience as a parent.

I suppose it is indicative of our own sinful tendencies to see fault in others without really seeing the same faults in ourselves. We’re really good at seeking to remove specks while ignoring the blatant logs in our own eyes. Any parents seeking to do their job to the glory of God knows that it requires enormous patience to raise kids. When you know that the goal is not merely behavior modification but are working to address the heart, that requires patience. When you understand that all the good parenting in the world will not accomplish any real success apart from the grace of God, that requires patience. Even though we know these things in principle, it’s obvious that we still need to be reminded from time to time because of how often we struggle with impatience.

As Christians, we need to always make the distinction that we are not just pursuing patience for patience’s sake. This is not just a self-improvement project that we will one day reflect on patting ourselves on the back with smug satisfaction. The reason we seek to grow in patience is chiefly because God wants us to. But it goes so far beyond just that! We were enslaved to our sinful ways and dead in our sins. Through faith in Jesus’ amazing and miraculous death and resurrection, God rescued us from our sin and freed us up to live for Him. He gave us new life in Christ that was particularly highlighted by the sending of His Spirit. And what is the fruit of having the Spirit’s influence in our lives? Patience (Gal. 5:22). As God has shown us such immeasurable and infinite love, what are we also to do? We are to love one another. But what does such love look like? It is patient (1 Cor. 13:4). So God expects us to be patient with others (including our children!) because that’s what He saved us to. One of the effects of saving grace in the life of a hopeless sinner, one of the miraculous changes that would take place in that sin-enslaved heart, is that it would manifest patience.

This is why is impatience dangerous. It isn’t just because it is annoying to hear people complain. It isn’t just because of the damage it might do to your reputation. Being impatient goes against the grain of what God sought to accomplish in your life by saving you. Not only that, but we would also do well to remember how the Bible repeatedly reminds us of the patience of God (cf. Rom. 9:22; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:9; et al.). If God showed us tremendous patience, one of the reasons was to serve as an example for us that we might be patient towards others. So when we are impatient, we violate what it means to represent Him in this lost and dying world.

Think about how this applies in parenting. Our children look to us as an example of how we ought to live out the Christian life. Whether they want to mimic that example is another issue, but at the very least if we say we are in Christ we ought to reflect through our lives what that means. From Scripture, one of the things that should be clearly seen in us is patience. That when we show patience towards our children especially when they sin against us, we are reflecting the patience that God showed towards us when we sinned against Him. Our demonstration of patience actually helps fortify our testimony and strengthens the opportunities to teach our children about Jesus.

Patience is a relational quality (cf. Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12). Whether we are waiting on the Lord or on others, our patience is applied with another person. As parents, most of the time our patience will be tried by our children. They will push our buttons and test our limits. We will have difficulty keeping cool in the midst of their tantrums, complaints, disappointments, and failures. This is why we need to remember that patience is more than just about keeping cool. It is rooted in the gospel. How can we pursue patience more effectively?

  1. Pray for help. Since patience is a fruit of the Spirit, it would be wise to ask the Spirit of God to help us in times of impatience and struggle. We can actually prepare ourselves for those times that we find ourselves particularly weak (for me it’s the mornings!). Oftentimes just taking that moment to calm your heart to ask the Lord’s help will get your heart in the right place to respond well to your children. I remember a friend facetiously saying, “Don’t ever pray for patience, because God will only make you wait.” I think we will find that the more the Lord helps us in this area of life, the better off we will be.
  2. Think on the Lord. Consider the amazing patience of God who put up with your sins and failures all those years before bringing you to saving faith. He patiently endured your rebellious life and self-centeredness. And even after saving you, He still has to patiently wait on your spiritual growth and development. When you struggle with patience, think on the Lord Jesus’ perfect patience to serve as an example for you (1 Tim. 1:16).
  3. Remember that different situations are going to call for different responses, but Scripture still calls us to “be patient with all” (1 Thess. 5:14). Regardless of whether our children simply require help or encouragement, or they are downright being rebellious, the situation will always demand our patience.
  4. Pray for your children. If your children ever come to saving faith in Jesus Christ, it will be because God worked in their hearts to believe. If they experience any success in developing godly character, it will ultimately be because of the Spirit’s working through His Word to cause them to grow. While we have been given the solemn responsibility to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, God is the one who will bring about the results. We need to pray that He would be gracious to help them grow into the men and women He wants them to be.
  5. Be encouraged. Remember that God never sits around idle. While you are called to wait on the Lord, He is actively working out His good, acceptable, and perfect plan in you. Whatever situation you find yourself, however difficult it might seem, God knows it better than you. He sees with a perfect perspective. When you are in a place where you are required to wait on the Lord, it is the best place you can possibly be.

A Letter from “Paradise”

by Elder Peter Lim

Greetings from paradise!

As I’m on vacation right now in Hawaii, I’m reminded of the greatness of God’s creation. As everyone in the world knows, Hawaii is a beautiful place to spend some time in. From the lush, tropical rain forests and the Na Pali coast of Kauai, to the wonder of Kilauea the volcano on the Big Island, to the Pineapple plantations, the big waves along the North Shore, the fish and landscape of Hanauma Bay and Diamondhead on Oahu, God has certainly blessed this area with may evidences of His creation.

However, as John Rudolph shared at the luau, we should be reminded that this is not really Paradise. It’s a fallen world. The curse upon this world goes much further than the fact that there are thorns and thistles on plants and the existing enmity between man and animals. It affects our innermost being as we have been exposed for the sinners that we are. Even right here in “paradise” there is evidence of the sinful nature of man as the military bases and the various WWII memorials (such as the Arizona memorial) attest to. There is no remedy for this by our own efforts.

As nice as it is here, I can’t wait to get to the real paradise, the one in the presence of our Lord. Meanwhile, I can sing along with the hymn that Jim Reeves wrote, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door. And I just can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

For There Stood By Me This Night The Angel Of God

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Acts 27:23

Tempest and long darkness, coupled with imminent risk of shipwreck, had brought the crew of the vessel into a sad case; one man alone among them remained perfectly calm, and by his word the rest were reassured. Paul was the only man who had heart enough to say, ‘Sirs, be of good cheer.’ There were veteran Roman legionaries on board, and brave old mariners, and yet their poor Jewish prisoner had more spirit than they all. He had a secret Friend who kept his courage up. The Lord Jesus despatched a heavenly messenger to whisper words of consolation in the ear of His faithful servant, therefore he wore a shining countenance and spake like a man at ease.

If we fear the Lord, we may look for timely interpositions when our case is at its worst. Angels are not kept from us by storms, or hindered by darkness. Seraphs think it no humiliation to visit the poorest of the heavenly family. If angel’s visits are few and far between at ordinary times, they shall be frequent in our nights of tempest and tossing. Friends may drop from us when we are under pressure, but our intercourse with the inhabitants of the angelic world shall be more abundant; and in the strength of love-words, brought to us from the throne by the way of Jacob’s ladder, we shall be strong to do exploits. Dear reader, is this an hour of distress with you? then ask for peculiar help. Jesus is the angel of the covenant, and if His presence be now earnestly sought, it will not be denied. What that presence brings in heart-cheer those remember who, like Paul, have had the angel of God standing by them in a night of storm, when anchors would no longer hold, and rocks were nigh.

‘O angel of my God, be near,
Amid the darkness hush my fear;
Loud roars the wild tempestuous sea,
Thy presence, Lord, shall comfort me.’

4.10p

Weekly Links (8/8/2014)

“I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” (CS Lewis, “God In The Dock”)

by Stephen Rodgers

And after a month-long hiatus…we’re back. Don’t worry, we’re going to ease back into the swing of things, and in keeping with the ancient pact, I’m here at the beginning of the month to bring you a list of free resources you’ll want to know about.

  • The free book from Logos this month is Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Creation and Fall.  I haven’t read it personally, so I’m just the conduit on this one. One one hand, Bonhoeffer can be a tad hit and miss. On the other hand…free book.
  • The free book this month from christianaudio.com is Anna and the King of Siam.  You probably are more familiar with the name of the play: The King and I.
  • Ok, onto more familiar territory for people. The August issue of Tabletalk is out, and it’s on the topic of The Ordinary Christian Life.
  • If you haven’t already picked up all 17 free books in RC Sproul’s “Crucial Questions” series, now is your reminder to do so. If you have already picked up all 17 free book…well, they added 3 more. And they’re free. You should get them.
  • And last but not least, RC Sproul is giving away another free book this month, and it’s the very well-reviewed Surprised by Suffering.

That’s it. I’ll be driving all over tarnation and / or California this weekend to finish up some work related to LBC’s missions works in the Czech Republic, but I’ll hopefully be back next week to pick up where we left off in June.  See you then!

Pro Rege

Single Life Ministry Update

by Elder Johnny Kim

For the last quarter of the Single Life Ministry term, we had the privilege of walking through (or more like running through!) the book of 1 Peter. The Apostle Peter wrote the epistle toward the end of his life, addressing it to the Christians who found themselves dispersed throughout the empire of Rome (1 Peter 1:1). From the beginning of his letter to the end, Peter makes it unmistakably clear that the focus and major theme of what he wanted to impart to those Christians was the idea of suffering for the sake of following Christ (1 Peter 1:6). As in any personal letter written with specific recipients and readers in mind, Peter appropriately broaches the topic of suffering, understanding that the Christians in Rome at the time were experiencing persecution at the hands to of the Roman Emperor Nero and the citizens of Rome.

Fast forward to our lives today in the city of sunny San Diego and the idea of being persecuted for our faith couldn’t seem any more foreign, alien, or out of place. In fact, an honest self-assessment will inevitably reveal that we are naturally predisposed to avoiding pain and suffering in our lives. But while we might seek to dodge even discomfort in the course of our daily routine, the danger lies in the fact that this self-preserving attitude often pervades our spiritual lives. In an effort to try and avoid possible humiliation and rejection, we might find ourselves unwilling to share the Gospel message. In an effort to try and avoid possible financial insecurity and instability, we might find ourselves withholding giving to the church and giving our offering to God. In an effort to try and avoid uncertainty and inconvenience, we might not give even the slightest thought to planting a church. In an effort to try and avoid being ridiculed and despised, we might not be willing to stand up so boldly for Christ and His commands.

But for the one who seeks to genuinely follow Christ and on His terms, suffering isn’t something to be avoided, but rather is something to be expected (Matthew 10:24-28). The truth is we live in a country and society that is increasing in its secularism, growing in its hostility towards God and those who would submit to Him, and departing further and further away from Biblical principles. Enemies of the Gospel and the unbelievers around us will eventually be a cause of suffering and persecution in our lives, if not already. Furthermore, Peter reminds Christians that we live in a fallen world that is administered, occupied, and influenced by Satan and his demons who actively seek to bring about the suffering and destruction of believers (1 Peter 5:8). Suffering is a part of the Christian life, as is intended by God, and to deny that truth is to deny His plan and purposes (1 Peter 4:12-14).

The Christians in Rome who read 1 Peter firsthand faced increasing persecution that would escalate to include death by crucifixion, being torn apart by lions, and being lit on fire to serve as human lamps in Emperor Nero’s garden. While none of us undoubtedly may be able to claim the presence of such suffering in our lives, we Christians are still called to action in response to what we read in 1 Peter today. First of all, let us thank God for His grace and mercy to withhold from us suffering for at least this current moment in our lives. Then, in this current moment that we do have, let us prepare for the suffering that is to come. Let us prepare so that circumstances will one day find us ready and joyful to suffer well and suffer excellently for the sake of following Christ.

July Hiatus (2014)

by Stephen Rodgers

As we’ve done in years past, we’ll be taking a brief hiatus for the month of July. In case anyone is curious as to the reasons behind that, in no particular order they are:

  • This is a time where a number of our members who support the Beacon directly and indirectly are unavailable: many collegians are out of town, summer mission team members are out of the country, etc.
  • This is a time where we like to give our pastors, elders, and ministry coordinators a little bit of a break from writing articles. Some use it to catch up, others to get ahead, but they really do appreciate a few weeks off. And this year, some of them are also out on the mission field.
  • Last but not least, this gives us on the Beacon staff an opportunity to update, upgrade, and generally tweak some of the code under the hood, without the fear that we’ll inadvertently bring the site down and prevent you from receiving fresh content. (We just inadvertently bring down the site and prevent you from receiving any content whatsoever…just kidding…mostly).

In the meantime, I’d encourage you to take the opportunity to explore and catch up on some past articles you may have missed.  Here’s a few of my favorites:

That’s it for now. See you in August!

Pro Rege

The Place Which Is Called Calvary

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 23:33

The hill of comfort is the hill of Calvary; the house of consolation is built with the wood of the cross; the temple of heavenly blessing is founded upon the riven rock-riven by the spear which pierced His side. No scene in sacred history ever gladdens the soul like Calvary’s tragedy.

‘Is it not strange, the darkest hour
That ever dawned on sinful earth,
Should touch the heart with softer power,
For comfort, than an angel’s mirth?
That to the Cross the mourner’s eye should turn,
Sooner than where the stars of Bethlehem burn?’

Light springs from the midday-midnight of Golgotha, and every herb of the field blooms sweetly beneath the shadow of the once accursed tree. In that place of thirst, grace hath dug a fountain which ever gusheth with waters pure as crystal, each drop capable of alleviating the woes of mankind. You who have had your seasons of conflict, will confess that it was not at Olivet that you ever found comfort, not on the hill of Sinai, nor on Tabor; but Gethsemane, Gabbatha, and Golgotha have been a means of comfort to you. The bitter herbs of Gethsemane have often taken away the bitters of your life; the scourge of Gabbatha has often scourged away your cares, and the groans of Calvary yields us comfort rare and rich. We never should have known Christ’s love in all its heights and depths if He had not died; nor could we guess the Father’s deep affection if He had not given His Son to die. The common mercies we enjoy all sing of love, just as the sea-shell, when we put it to our ears, whispers of the deep sea whence it came; but if we desire to hear the ocean itself, we must not look at every-day blessings, but at the transactions of the crucifixion. He who would know love, let him retire to Calvary and see the Man of sorrows die.

4.10a