LBC Weekly SPARK – June 26, 2014

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

The summer has just begun and seems like it is flying by already! I hope you are all enjoying the longer days and opportunities to fellowship together. During the summer, most of our regularly scheduled activities and Bible studies will be put on hold to give our staffs a little break. More information about this will come (if it has not already) from the various ministry coordinators. Sunday School will also be taking a break for the summer. Please take the extra time to spend with each other! What a great time to build relationships, practice the “one anothers,” and deepen the love and unity of the church. I pray that in this regard it would be a fruitful summer.

Please also remember that with the summer comes the departure of a good number of our college seniors. Please be a blessing to them as they have blessed us during their time in San Diego. We’ve already heard from several collegians in the past few Sundays, and we will be hearing from more as the weeks go on. Please pray that the Lord would continue to cause them to grow in faith and help them through their transitions.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are some opportunities for ministry…

  1. Fun in the Sun Day. This Sunday will be kicking off our annual tradition of FITS! On the last Sunday of the month, we will be heading out to one of our local parks for some food and fellowship. This Sunday, we will be joined at Torrey Hills Neighborhood Park by Redeemer’s Grace Church! Be sure to bring your sports gear and sunscreen! Bring $5 for food (kids 0-12 eat free!). FITS will run from about 11:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
  2. Czech Republic Summer Mission. Please pray for our Czech Republic team as they depart on Tuesday, July 1 to minister overseas. The Lord has once again provided a tremendous opportunity to reach unbelievers for Christ and to come alongside and support a new church plant in the city of Beroun. Please pray that He would be gracious to allow the trip to be greatly successful. Also, there is still time to support the team financially if you would like. Support letters are available in the foyer at the church building with more information.
  3. Grace Life Equipping Seminar. The Grace Life equipping seminar originally scheduled for Saturday, July 5 has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled sometime in the upcoming year.
  4. Summer Bible Study. Beginning Wednesday, July 2, we will have a special summer Bible study for our collegians and singles led by Roger Alcaraz. Bible study will begin each Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the church. Come out for a great time of equipping and midweek fellowship.

Weekly Links (6/27/2014)

“Just as the sinner’s despair of any hope from himself is the first prerequisite of a sound conversion, so the loss of all confidence in himself is the first essential in the believer’s growth in grace.” (A.W. Pink)

By Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! The productivity of believers has been enormous this week, and so, put on your seat belts, and let’s go!

  • What is the difference between the PCA and PCUSA? Joe Carter gives a comparison list that may be helpful for us to pay attention to, in case you ever wondered what the differences are (and there are many).
  • Have you ever heard Muslims claim that Muhammad is prophesied in the Bible? I remember going to an Islamic campus group my freshman year in college, and the presentation was focused solely on that. Since it was the first time I had heard about it, I have always been on the lookout for articles/debates/lectures that deal with this common claim. Here’s a lecture that gives an in-depth refutation of Muhammad prophesied in the Bible, in case you meet a Muslim, and the conversation turns this direction.
  • Single Life has just finished going over a series of messages from 1 Peter, whose main theme is suffering. If you want to reinforce what was learned, over at Desiring God, one of their writers wrote on preparing for the storms of life.
  • In this week’s Wednesday’s Word, Paul Tripp focused on one quality that the apostle Paul says helps us to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,” (Ephesians 4:1): forbearance. He has a way of getting to the heart of the matter quickly, and we are much the better for it. This is a subject that can find application today.
  • Bryan DeWire has a timely reminder that the things we say, type, or text should be done with 1 Timothy 4:12 in mind. This is the kind of reminder I need, even in commenting on the links I’ve been able to share with you. Remember that your next conversation is an opportunity to bless others, and not curse.
  • Stand to Reason highlights recent news that polyamorists (people involved in relationships of three or more) are now coming out, seeking acceptance from society. This article comes in the wake of rulings that are favoring same-sex ‘marriages.’ They link to previous posts that laid out the implications of redefining marriage away from the union of a man and a woman to an intense love and care for another, irrespective of gender.
  • Going through premarital has been both a blessing and hard work (you thought I was going to say, ”curse,” didn’t you?), and I have really enjoyed learning some marital wisdom from our pastor. In that same vein, Mark Altrogge gives four of the best pieces of marital advice he has ever heard. I think this will go a long way for what I hope to accomplish in my marriage. Bookmarking this one.
  • In light of the World Cup, Jesse Johnson finds a helpful analogy of defense and offense for how we should live as believers in this fallen world, and it doesn’t involve going for the draw.
  • Do you long to be part of a church that has a culture of evangelism in its ranks? If not, this article (http://www.9marks.org/blog/eight-longings-culture-evangelism) may whet your appetite.
  • Desiring God has a post on the history of missions and revival, from the time of Jonathan Edwards to the present, and some soul-searching questions for us to ask. This would be good for us to read and pray through.
  • Michael Kruger writes his last post reviewing Bart Ehrman’s new book How Jesus Became God–The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee, focusing on a flawed argument that many critics of Scripture use, and believers would be wise to notice and point out these things the next time we’re subjected to this.
  • How do parents begin to talk to their kids about gender in this world where gender is now seen as fluid and not fixed? This may be the earlier talk to have with your kids than what was previously the talk in generations past.

That’s all for this week! Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday for corporate worship of our Lord and FITS!

Soli Deo Gloria

Loving Strangers, Loving Christ

by Roger Alcaraz

Something I love about my wife is how kind she is to all people, especially strangers. When I was a sophomore in college, my family visited me and I wanted to be a good host. But rather than attempting this alone, I decided to just grab the nicest person I could find and let them do the work. That person was my good friend who is now my lovely wife, Grace. I had roommates and other nice friends who were also a joy to be around, but I wasn’t just looking for someone who loved people. My family hardly knew anyone in San Diego, so I was looking for someone who loved strangers. I knew she wouldn’t have to “warm up” to my family; she loved them the moment they met and it was obvious. As a result, when I told my mom that Grace was now my girlfriend, she was excited and knew I had made a wise choice, even after meeting only once.

Love stories aside, I believe my wife was simply modeling the love that we are all called to by God. I’m sure many of us are aware that the qualification for being a church elder is that he is hospitable, literally, “a lover of strangers.” But this requirement applies to all of us because it goes back to when God first gave his law. In Leviticus 19:18, God says, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.” It should be obvious that if our neighbor is the person we would want to seek vengeance, then our neighbor is really all people. But this is the question a lawyer had for Jesus when he asked in “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Jesus proceeds with the parable of the good Samaritan in which a Levite and a priest take precautions to avoid a fatally injured man lying helplessly on the road, but a Samaritan made sacrifices and suffered a great inconvenience to save this man and restore him to good health. Jesus never indicated any relationship between the Samaritan and the man because in Jesus’ mind, that should bear no factor in the way we love one another. I’m reminded of Matthew 25:34-35 where Jesus taught that in the final judgement, he will one day commend his elect, saying, “Come…inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” And when people ask when they did such a thing, Jesus will respond, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (v. 40). He continues to say that those who do not show love like this will go away into eternal punishment.

Clearly, loving strangers is serious in God’s eyes as it deals with the second and even the first greatest commandment. So then, why are we not more hospitable? I can’t speak for the individual, but I can say that when people walk through our church doors, they should immediately feel like the guest of honor. Instead, we often let them pass by in order to show love with those we’re more familiar with or those who are easier to love. This isn’t the way it should be but I am encouraged by all the times I see members inviting people they just met on Sunday into their homes, or spending hours listening to a stranger’s struggles. In college, the tendency can be to spend the most time with your own class and love them more than the rest. But if Christ came to divide the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14), I’m sure the wall standing between classes, schools, genders, or stages in life is in pieces now. So let us love without boundaries, and as we do, Christ will be glorified and pleased.

Common Pitfalls for Young Men: Sexual Sin

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Sadly, I don’t think it comes as any surprise that one of the most serious and widespread issues I get asked to meet up with young guys for is sexual sin. This might be as a result of compromises made in a dating relationship and an inability to keep commitments to purity. It might be because of personal struggles with online pornography. We are given many examples in Scripture of men who have failed in this area of life, and most guys understand the commonality of the problem. Whatever the context, though, most of the young men I meet with don’t seem to grasp fully the severity of their sin or its devastating consequences. Perhaps part of the reason is the commonality of the problem. Some men seem to reason, “Every guy struggles with this,” and so believe it dilutes the seriousness of the issue.

The Scriptures clearly denote the severity of sexual sin and walk through its consequences (cf. Prov. 5:1-23; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; et al.). An inability to pursue purity by the grace and power of God may lead to natural physical consequences, like sexually transmitted diseases or disappointment with one’s own wife (present or future), or it may have devastating spiritual consequences even perhaps evincing an unregenerate soul.

When I counsel young men on this issue, there are several harmful ideas that seem to recur in our conversations. These are lies that men tend to believe in regard to their struggles with lust. Here are perhaps the most common and what Scripture says in response:

  1. “I struggle most when I am alone.” This is perhaps the most common statement I hear from men about their sexual sin, and it is particular with men who fall into the temptation of online pornography. When they are tempted, some have even told themselves, “It’s ok because no one will find out.” Scripture reminds us of the truth that YOU ARE NEVER ALONE. God is ever present and always watching (Prov. 5:21; Heb. 4:12-13; 2 Pet. 3:10; Ps. 139:5-10).
  2. “I can get away with it. I’ll be able to hide it.” This reasoning is similar to the first, but it deals more specifically with the consequences of the sin. Of course, there are ways to try and cover up your tracks so as to avoid being caught by others. People try desperately to keep sin in the dark. The Bible tells us that our sin has a way of finding us out (Num. 32:23; cf. Ps. 139:11-12).
  3. “It’s not that big a deal.” As I mentioned before, since there are so many men that struggle with lust, it can be easy to treat the sin as if it wasn’t a serious problem. From my experience, I tend to watch out for men who make a habit of joking around about sexual sin. These tend to be the ones who struggle with it. Satan will always try and get you to lighten your attitude towards disobedience to God. You may even try and get others to sin as well to ease your conscience, or you may not confront sin in others because of your guilt. God’s Word says that sexual sin is extremely serious as a clear violation of God’s Law even as adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:27-30; cf. Rev. 21:8)
  4. “No one else will understand. I can’t tell anyone else.” Many of the men I have counseled have felt alone in their struggle and so have been reluctant to confess their sin to others. Confession obviously involves a sense of shame and perhaps even difficult consequences, but it is still worth it in the end. There are many who have tried to fight off lust on their own only to fail. If you don’t find help from someone, chances are you will most likely continue to practice your sin. Some people reply, “All I need is God to help me win this battle.” Of course this is true in an ultimate sense, but God has given us the church and has chosen to use others to help us fight off temptation (1 Cor. 10:13; Eccl. 4:9-10; James 5:16).
  5. “This will be the last time.” Many men fall into the lie that this last time will satisfy. The truth is that this is how we seek to justify ourselves. We aren’t concerned about how we might struggle for the next month or year. We focus on “just one more time.” Our sin will bring a certain measure of satisfaction. If it didn’t bring any satisfaction or pleasure, it wouldn’t be very tempting. You need to remind yourself that it might satisfy at first, but the satisfaction will not last. If you suck on emptiness, it only leaves you hungrier. Instead of listening to your own heart and reasoning, you need to remember the truth of God’s Word. Our hearts are deceiving at times and can lead us astray (Jer. 17:9), so Scripture reminds us that the only thing that could possibly fully satisfy is God Himself (Heb. 12:1; Jer. 2:13)
  6. “It’s not my fault.” The trend in society is to call sin anything but sin (i.e., habits, sickness, disease, genetics, traumatic childhood experiences, victimization). The Bible exhorts us to confess our sin and to be honest about it. The biblical word for “confess” literally means to say the same thing or agree. We need to agree with God’s assessment of our hearts because He knows us better than we know ourselves. Our outward sin emanates from lustful hearts, but if we confess our sin, God is faithful to forgive (Matt. 15:16-20; 1 John 1:8-10). There may be other circumstantial factors involved in why you struggle, but God will not allow these to be excuses for your sin.
  7. “It is too much to deal with. I cannot beat it.” Sadly, many men grow increasingly frustrated because they seemingly can’t win. But when it all boils down, oftentimes even their defeatist mentality is rooted in their desire to continue in sin. They think, “Well, if I can’t beat it, I might as well give in.” Some might even be tempted to go so far as even to blame God. The Bible reminds us of God’s faithfulness to help us in our temptations and trials and encourages us to keep running the race of faith with faithfulness (1 Cor. 10:13; Heb. 12:1-2). We are called not to give up, but to continue to put off sin and put on Christ because Jesus saved us and freed us from our enslavement to sin (Rom. 13:13-14; 1 Cor. 6:9-11).

Do you ever hear yourself buying into these common lies regarding sexual sin? It is vitally important that you go back to God’s Word and consider carefully what it has to say not only about your sin and its consequences, but also about the hope you have in Christ. Sexual sin can be very entangling and many men have felt completely trapped or enslaved in their sin. But in Christ we can truly have freedom and forgiveness. In light of our struggles, this is the hope we must cling to constantly.

Thy Gentleness Hath Made Me Great

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 18:35

The words are capable of being translated, ‘Thy goodness hath made me great.’ David gratefully ascribed all his greatness not to his own goodness, but the goodness of God.

‘Thy providence,’ is another reading; and providence is nothing more than goodness in action. Goodness is the bud of which providence is the flower, or goodness is the seed of which providence is the harvest.

Some render it, ‘Thy help,’ which is but another word for providence; providence being the firm ally of the saints, aiding them in the service of their Lord.

Or again, ‘Thy humility hath made me great.’ ‘Thy condescension‘ may, perhaps, serve as a comprehensive reading, combining the ideas mentioned, including that of humility. It is God’s making Himself little which is the cause of our being made great. We are so little, that if God should manifest His greatness without condescension, we should be trampled under His feet; but God, who must stoop to view the skies, and bow to see what angels do, turns His eye yet lower, and looks to the lowly and contrite, and makes them great.

There are yet other readings, as for instance, the Septuagint, which reads, ‘Thy discipline‘-Thy fatherly correction-‘hath made me great;’ while the Chaldee paraphrase reads, ‘Thy word hath increased me.’ Still the idea is the same.

David ascribes all his own greatness to the condescending goodness of his Father in heaven. May this sentiment be echoed in our hearts this evening while we cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet, and cry, ‘Thy gentleness hath made me great.’ How marvellous has been our experience of God’s gentleness! How gentle have been His corrections! How gentle His forbearance! How gentle His teachings! How gentle His drawings! Meditate upon this theme, O believer. Let gratitude be awakened; let humility be deepened; let love be quickened ere thou fallest asleep to-night.

4.9p

Weekly Links (6/20/2014)

Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith (Hudson Taylor)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! There is much to get in for this week’s links, so I won’t keep you any longer. Read on!

  • As Christians, one of our disciplines involves reading Scripture on a regular basis. With the advent of the Accelerated Reading program set in schools nationwide, the Bible is claimed to be at a 10th grade reading level. With this in mind, Aimee Byrd challenges us to evaluate our comprehension of books (Scripture included) by reading above our designated reading level. We shouldn’t be believers who dislike reading. She also includes posts related to this one that gives good advice on how to plough through a book. May we all heed the need to read.
  • Tim Challies has written a nice summary of how to make a case against abortion, and what it involves, including answering a few objections. This is definitely the right place to start in understanding the issue.
  • Since the radio is a dispenser of daily doses of emotion-filled (above and beyond truth-filled) music and lyrics, Ryan Hoselton has written a case study of the difference between a popular song’s worldview (Pharrell’s song, Happy) and a biblical view of happiness. You might be in for a surprise at where the differences lie.
  • The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has introduced the opening of the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam recently, which highlights the necessity of training future pastors in providing a Christian apologetic for the second largest world religion. You can also find a link to an article Al Mohler wrote contrasting the Christian and Muslim worldview, and some quick facts on Islam. This is one to bookmark.
  • Eric Davis at The Cripplegate provides 11 lessons he’s learned since planting a church five years ago. In part two, he adds another 24 lessons. This is really good stuff, and worth spending time slowly reading through it.
  • Looking for some good reads this summer? Head over to Karen Prior’s list of classic literary works that will challenge the thinking Christian.
  • What does it look like to raise daughters in this day and age? Seems to be the same as previous generations, according to a mother of two adult daughters. I was surprisingly thankful for this article, and think you will be, too.
  • What encouragement can you give to someone in the church who is currently sick? Pastor Jeremy Walker has some wise advice that I believe the church needs to hear. If you want to spend more time reading up on this issue, I highly recommend the thoughts Brian Croft lays out in his many posts on visiting the sick. He even wrote a book about it called Visit the Sick: Ministering God’s Grace in Times of Illness.
  • Pastor Walker wrote a very succinct post on how to seek reconciliation with others, and not let things fester. Broad, but the general principles of peacemaking are laid out very nicely for us all to pay attention to.
  • Since Kevin DeYoung has come out with a new book on the sufficiency of Scripture (Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me), Westminster Bookstore had a recent book launch event, which involved two talks given by DeYoung, and two conversations with the author and other pastors and scholars. You can watch or listen to the event. Don’t pass this one up.
  • At the Gospel Coalition blog, an article was posted that tells the story of a deep friendship among two men that shows a love for one another that is reminiscent of the kind of love Scripture calls for.
  • Understanding and delving deep into the doctrine of the Trinity takes time and effort. Fred Sanders lays out some theses regarding the revelation of the Trinity in Scripture and biblical history. Very thought-provoking.

That’s all for now! Looking forward to the enjoyment of Christ corporately this Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Success

by Kristen Lim

‘Tis the season of graduations galore! Recently our youth group had a Grad Night to celebrate with two 8th graders as they finished middle school. It is an exciting time of completing a stage of life and moving on to new terrain, but also extremely daunting knowing that growing older means making decisions that can greatly affect one’s future. There is also the pressure of pursing success and greatness in this life, and already the youth face this challenge at school as they work hard in getting good grades and involving themselves in extra-curricular activities.

My small group just finished a study on the topic of success and what it truly means to be successful in God’s eyes. We studied multiple passages from the Bible to understand what God has to say about this pertinent topic. Since God is the author of life, He defines what is true success and how to live a fruitful life that is not wasted. The verse that we used as the starting point in this study was 2 Corinthians 5:9 which says, “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him.” If it ought to be our desire to please God, then the next hurdle is to figure out what pleases Him. Here is a sampling of what we discovered:

1. The Picture of Success: Faithfulness

In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), He describes how God rewards those who are faithful in their given task. The servants all start with different amounts of money and are expected to be industrious with their share. The master repeats the same commendation to the hard-working servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant…” because they all put in effort to gain a profit with the provided money, while the lazy servant chose not to honor his master. Thus, success (hearing “well done” from God) is measured by the degree of effort.

2. The Pressure of Success: Pride

When we experience the fruit of our labor, there is a tendency to take pride in ourselves rather than attribute the glory to the provider of that success. In the book of Proverbs, God uses very strong language to communicate His utter disdain for the proud. For example, Proverbs 8:13 reads, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate,” also Proverbs 16:5 says, “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; assuredly, he will not be unpunished,” and finally Proverbs 16:18 plainly states, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.” There are many ways for pride to be manifested in one’s life, but especially in the midst of good circumstances such as growth in our spiritual walks or even material prosperity, our heart’s focus needs to be directed to the giver of those blessings, knowing that in and of ourselves we can do nothing apart from God’s grace.

3. The Passion of Success: Love

The passion of success is the same as the passion statement of Lighthouse: to love God and people. Love ought to permeate every aspect of our lives as we serve in various ministries, meet up with people, and try to live according to God’s word. In 1 Corinthians 13 it is eye-opening to know that it is possible to appear holy, do lots of good deeds, and even be esteemed by others as being a faithful, successful servant of the Lord, but if you don’t have love then you are nothing. God sees our heart’s intentions and wants His church to be characterized by love for Him and for people in everything that we do.

Throughout Scripture God reveals what truly pleases Him and what He hates. It is clear that we need to fight hard to not let worldly ideas of success infiltrate our minds, and instead allow God’s truth to be the authority in how we define and pursue success. God doesn’t want us to live aimlessly with no ambition or goals; rather Christians have the greatest and noblest purpose in life: to bring glory to our glorious God and please Him in all that we do. So whether it is being a student, working a 9-5 job, or taking care of the kids at home, it should be our “aim to please Him” and hear from God, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And that is a truly successful person.

And There Followed Him A Great Company Of People, And Of Women, Which Also Bewailed And Lamented Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 23:27

Amid the rabble rout which hounded the Redeemer to His doom, there were some gracious souls whose bitter anguish sought vent in wailing and lamentations-fit music to accompany that march of woe. When my soul can, in imagination, see the Saviour bearing His cross to Calvary, she joins the godly women and weeps with them; for, indeed, there is true cause for grief-cause lying deeper than those mourning women thought. They bewailed innocence maltreated, goodness persecuted, love bleeding, meekness about to die; but my heart has a deeper and more bitter cause to mourn. My sins were the scourges which lacerated those blessed shoulders, and crowned with thorn those bleeding brows: my sins cried ‘Crucify Him! crucify Him!’ and laid the cross upon His gracious shoulders. His being led forth to die is sorrow enough for one eternity: but my having been His murderer, is more, infinitely more, grief than one poor fountain of tears can express.

Why those women loved and wept it were not hard to guess: but they could not have had greater reasons for love and grief than my heart has. Nain’s widow saw her son restored-but I myself have been raised to newness of life. Peter’s wife’s mother was cured of the fever-but I of the greater plague of sin. Out of Magdalene seven devils were cast-but a whole legion out of me. Mary and Martha were favoured with visits-but He dwells with me. His mother bare His body-but He is formed in me the hope of glory. In nothing behind the holy women in debt, let me not be behind them in gratitude or sorrow.

‘Love and grief my heart dividing,
With my tears His feet I’ll lave-
Constant still in heart abiding,
Weep for Him who died to save.’

4.9a

Weekly Links (6/13/2014)

The word “truth” is a staple in our language and in every language. One cannot imagine a human language lacking the concept of truth. Such a language would never inform anyone of anything: it would lack any intellectual access to reality. No language qua language could be so constrained (although some political and celebrity “discourse” comes close). The idea of truth is part of the intellectual oxygen that we breathe. Whenever we state an opinion, defend or critique an argument, ask a question, or investigate one kind of assertion or another, we presuppose the concept of truth–even if we do not directly state the word, even if we deny that truth is real or knowable (Douglas Groothuis)

 by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! This week went by fast, but not fast enough to miss the links for this week. So here we go!

  • Christopher Yuan, professor at Moody Bible Institute and former homosexual, interacts with Matthew Vines’ book, God and the Gay Christian, succinctly dealing with his claims and arguments that are beginning to be used in churches in defense of same-sex relationships. This may be the most concise response I’ve seen thus far, and very faithful to the text of Scripture.
  • Because of Vine’s book, some of its arguments have been used recently to change a pastor’s mind, actually arguing for it. Danny Cortez spoke in defense of same-sex marriage, who is a pastor affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Al Mohler argues the church will now have to decide which position to take and defend, as there will be an onslaught of inquiry into what churches, as well as individual Christians, believe. There is no third way. James White also specifically responds to Pastor Cortez’s arguments in his sermon, which will be needed for a time such as this.
  • Kevin DeYoung has written a thoroughly insightful post on thinking before posting (primarily blogposts, but this applies to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, you name it). I know I’ve had to delete drafts of posts or even comments that I thought would be funny but in the end would most likely be hurtful. This is one post we should all bookmark and read once a month.
  • Brad Hambrick has been blogging through his draft of an article on a Christian view of mental illness. He just finished, and made it available for the church. This looks like a resource to turn to many times in the future.
  • Michael Kruger continues his review of Bart Ehrman’s newest book attacking the claim that Jesus identified Himself as God. Short, but to the point.
  • Moms, what do you do if the little ones interrupt your quiet time? Here’s one mom’s attempt at providing an answer.
  • The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood has introduced a new book (free!) called Good: The Joy of Christian Manhood and Womanhood, which has chapters from different authors covering the many cultural trends facing us today, reminiscent of CBMW’s massive Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Get it (both!) in PDF or eBook format.
  • In light of Father’s Day coming up this weekend, Ryan Anderson again writes an insightful essay on the importance of fathers who raise their children, and how children need both mothers and fathers.

That’s all for this week! We hope God has drawn you all closer to Himself, and look forward to worshipping as a church body this coming Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

 

In The Lord’s Army

by Elder Johnny Kim

On Monday May 26, Americans around the country celebrated the Memorial Day holiday with picnics at the park, barbecues on the beach, and fun with family and friends. But while Memorial Day might provide many different reasons for joy, including a welcome day off from work and the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, the true reason for the holiday ought to be what Americans always celebrate first and foremost, even if it’s more somber in nature. The history of Memorial Day dates back to the end of the US Civil War when it was originally known as Decoration Day, so named because the graves of soldiers who died during the Civil War would be decorated with flowers on that day. Since then, the holiday has been renamed Memorial Day and has been reestablished as a day in which we as a country remember all the men and women who have died while serving in the US military. Traditional activities on Memorial Day include watching military themed parades, visiting national cemeteries and memorials, and observing a moment of silence to honor those who died while serving our country.

As we spend the day considering those service members who sacrificed their lives while serving in the Armed Forces, it’s always a sobering thought to consider that men and women would knowingly place themselves in harm’s way for any given reason. While today’s military is now an all-volunteer force, even during past periods of conscription, many men volunteered to fight for our country ahead of being drafted and ended up dying in the fight. People willingly volunteered to join the military even when it was all but assured that they would be sent into combat to risk losing their lives on the battlefield. They submitted to the will of the leaders of the country, were obedient in following the orders of their commanders, and carried out dangerous missions all for a cause they believed to be greater than themselves and even their own lives. In the end, they did all this believing that the defense of America’s freedoms and liberties and the morals for which this country stands were ideals worthy enough to make the ultimate sacrifice for. It’s the reason that we who are now the recipients of these freedoms and liberties spend the time to honor such individuals on Memorial Day.

Now while most of us might not have any experience being in the US military, Christians ought to be at least somewhat familiar with the idea of the military. Aside from the chronicles of various military campaigns and conquests found in the Old Testament of the Bible, we can find that even the New Testament is replete with military terminologies and ideas serving as metaphors for various aspects of the Christian life. In Philippians 4:1, Paul urges people to “stand firm” in the Lord with language used to describe a soldier who stands guard. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul goes on to relate characteristics of the Christian life to the physical pieces of armor worn by a soldier. And in 1 Peter 2:13, Peter urges people to “submit” to the government with a military term used to describe ranks of soldiers below and in submission to a military commander. These and many other examples found in the Bible, to great effect, use elements of military life in order to describe characteristics of the Christian life.

However, for the genuine Christian life, similarities to the military don’t just stop there. The truth is, like soldiers in the Armed Forces who are ultimately willing to die for their country’s cause, Christians who truly know the cost of following Christ will understand themselves to be in the same boat. As followers of Christ and slaves who are subject to His lordship, we are given the same charge, that we too should be willing to die for the sake of Christ and His Gospel cause. In Matthew 10:24-29, in a list of requirements for His disciples to consider in following Him, Christ concludes the list with the ultimate requirement in verses 38 and 39: that those who would follow Him should be wiling to give up their life, up to and including dying a physical death. Christ repeats this requirement later on in Matthew 16:24. In both instances, Christ uses the picture of the cross and in doing so, He makes it unmistakably clear that the cost of following Him is not merely one’s life in a figurative sense, but in a sense that is as real as being persecuted, tortured, and executed by crucifixion on a cross. By setting the cost of following Him to possibly include our physical lives, Christ established once and for all that He and His cause are worthy enough to make the ultimate sacrifice for.

Do you believe that Christ and His cause are worth fighting for? Do you believe Christ and His Gospel are worth dying for? Like a prospective soldier signing his enlistment papers, do you understand exactly what you are signing up for in calling yourself a follower of Christ? Christians need to understand that while we might not be a part of any physical army, we are a part of the Lord’s army. While we might not ever fight in physical wars, we are participants in a spiritual war, whether willing or unwilling. Christ our Commander in Chief commands and orders us to be obedient to His Word and to His cause, even to the point of death. And should we have to sacrifice our lives while in faithful service to Him, we too may just find ourselves being honored as well (Revelation 2:10).