…That He Might Bear It After Jesus

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Luke 23:26

We see in Simon’s carrying the cross a picture of the work of the Church throughout all generations; she is the cross-bearer after Jesus. Mark then, Christian, Jesus does not suffer so as to exclude your suffering. He bears a cross, not that you may escape it, but that you may endure it. Christ exempts you from sin, but not from sorrow. Remember that, and expect to suffer. But let us comfort ourselves with this thought, that in our case, as in Simon’s, it is not our cross, but Christ’s cross which we carry. When you are molested for your piety; when your religion brings the trial of cruel mockings upon you, then remember it is not your cross, it is Christ’s cross; and how delightful is it to carry the cross of our Lord Jesus!

You carry the cross after Him. You have blessed company; your path is marked with the footprints of your Lord. The mark of His blood-red shoulder is upon that heavy burden. ‘Tis His cross, and He goes before you as a shepherd goes before his sheep. Take up your cross daily, and follow Him.

Do not forget, also, that you bear this cross in partnership. It is the opinion of some that Simon only carried one end of the cross, and not the whole of it. That is very possible; Christ may have carried the heavier part, against the transverse beam, and Simon may have borne the lighter end. Certainly it is so with you; you do but carry the light end of the cross, Christ bore the heavier end.

And remember, though Simon had to bear the cross for a very little while, it gave him lasting honour. Even so the cross we carry is only for a little while at most, and then we shall receive the crown, the glory. Surely we should love the cross, and, instead of shrinking from it, count it very dear, when it works out for us ‘a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’

4.5a

Facing Change

by Samantha Zhang

I’ve been noticing that almost every conversation I have with a collegian includes discussing the many unknowns of their future: career choices, relationships, marriage, relocating and much more. These conversations make me nostalgic and bring me back to my college years when thinking about my future seemed so daunting and figuring out God’s will for my life seemed so confusing.

When I was a senior in college, one of my good friends shared a quote with me that has stuck with me through the years: “There are two constants in life: change and God.” My life has definitely been a testament to the truth of this quote. When I was a new graduate, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the many uncertainties that I was confronted with upon entering “the real world.” My friends moved all over and even out of the country, and I didn’t know whether to stay in San Diego or move back home; I had no idea if I should continue pursuing physical therapy or not; my church had gone through a split, and I had just begun dating. Fast forward four years later, and here I am–a wife to Matt, a mother to Rylan and a homemaker. I have definitely experienced a lot of change, but through it all, God has been my one constant. His word, His promises and His faithful character have been the unwavering stronghold in my life. As someone who has struggled a lot with change, I encourage you to consider the following points the next time you encounter uncertainty in your life:

  1. Let God be your stability. Isaiah 33:6 says “He will be the stability of your times.” What gives your life stability? Is it a relationship? Financial stability? Securing a specific career? One way I assess whether I am finding my hope in my circumstances instead of Christ is by asking myself whether I would be okay if God’s plans for my life are not the same as my plans. “The heart of a man plans his ways, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). If I find myself in despair or distraught by change in my life, it is usually because I am not finding my stability in Him alone. Make Christ your sure foundation and the stability of your times and you will find that no matter what circumstantial changes take place in your life, you will have the peace that surprasses all comprehension that only God can give.
  2. Focus on obeying God’s revealed will instead of obsessing over his unrevealed will. Be careful not to become overly preoccupied with trying to discern God’s will for your future. Undoubtedly, it is important to pray, search God’s word and seek counsel when making important decisions that affect your future. But I challenge you to be even more diligent in being sure that you are living out God’s revealed will (what we know from His word) for your life. It may not be God’s will for you to know all of the plans He has for your life, but you do know it is His will for you to love Him with your whole being (Matthew 22:37), to rejoice always and pray without ceasing (1 Thess 5:17), to outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10), etc. Focus on obeying what you do know about His will.
  3. Remember your life is but a vapor. James 4:14 says “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Psalm 103:15-16 emphasizes the same point: “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.” Let these verses humble you. Consider your life and all your future plans in light of eternity. Our lives are a mere snippet within God’s glorious eternal plan and we should be in awe that He would allow us to take part in it. We must remember that we exist to glorify God. Our lives are not about ourselves! Contrary to what our selfie-obsessed culture teaches us, our lives are not to be wasted by trying to build a name for ourselves on earth. We are to be living sacrifices, making much of Him and being obedient to His will for our lives and whatever He may be calling us to.

Change, as scary as it can be, is an inescapable part of life. In Matthew 8, Jesus led His disciples into a storm. And just as Jesus was with the disciples in the storm, you can be assured that wherever He leads you in your life, He will be with you. If the unchanging Christ is your stability, you will not be dismayed when you encounter change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What an immense comfort this should be for our souls! We have a God whose character is consistent and unwavering! May we continue to press on in the good race, keeping our eyes fixed on our changeless Christ.

Come Ye, And Let Us Go Up To The Mountain Of The Lord

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Isaiah 2:3

It is exceedingly beneficial to our souls to mount above this present evil world to something nobler and better. The cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches are apt to choke everything good within us, and we grow fretful, desponding, perhaps proud and carnal. It is well for us to cut down these thorns and briers, for heavenly seed sown among them is not likely to yield a harvest; and where shall we find a better sickle with which to cut them down than communion with God and the things of the kingdom? In the valleys of Switzerland many of the inhabitants are deformed, and all wear a sickly appearance, for the atmosphere is charged with miasma, and is close and stagnant; but up yonder, on the mountain, you find a hardy race, who breathe the clear fresh air as it blows from the virgin snows of the Alpine summits. It would be well if the dwellers in the valley could frequently leave their abodes among the marshes and the fever mists, and inhale the bracing element upon the hills.

It is to such an exploit of climbing that I invite you this evening. May the Spirit of God assist us to leave the mists of fear and the fevers of anxiety, and all the ills which gather in this valley of earth, and to ascend the mountains of anticipated joy and blessedness. May God the Holy Spirit cut the cords that keep us here below, and assist us to mount! We sit too often like chained eagles fastened to the rock, only that, unlike the eagle, we begin to love our chain, and would, perhaps, if it came really to the test, be loath to have it snapped. May God now grant us grace, if we cannot escape from the chain as to our flesh, yet to do so as to our spirits; and leaving the body, like a servant, at the foot of the hill, may our soul, like Abraham, attain the top of the mountain, there to indulge in communion with the Most High.

4.4p

Weekly Links (4/11/2014)

“If you are a Christian, by definition you ought to believe what Jesus teaches. He is the Son of God. He is our Savior and Lord. We must follow his example, obey his commands, and embrace whatever understanding of Scripture he taught and assumed. Surely this means we are wise to believe about the Scriptures whatever Jesus believed about the Scriptures.” (Kevin DeYoung)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s been awhile, but it’s good to be back with this week’s links. Enjoy!

  • Al Mohler wrote a very clear essay delineating moralism from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no mistaking that many people in today’s society, as well as in the church, believe that improving your life through your behavior will earn you God’s favor and salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Mohler makes it clear. Our salvation is not based on our righteousness, but solely the righteousness of Christ and Christ alone. Read and share!
  • Ryan T. Anderson has come out with a new essay explaining the inconsistencies in the belief that opposing same-sex marriage and opposing interracial marriage are similar. This article includes some very helpful information that is worth your time. Don’t miss this one.
  • Tim Challies has been doing a series on false teachers that is very timely and wise for us to ponder as we grow in our discernment. It started 2 months ago when he wrote about Arius, and continued with Pelagius, Muhammad, Joseph Smith, Ellen G. White, Charles Taze Russell, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Norman Vincent Peale, and most recently, Marcus Borg. If you don’t know any of these people or their disciples, it’s likely that you may have heard many of their ideas. Learn and discern.
  • A new website dedicated to the upcoming Shepherds’ Conference came out within the past week or so, and the website already looks to be something to bookmark and check back (or add to your RSS feed). Titled Inerrant Word, the conference will focus on teaching inerrancy and defending it against those from outside the church, as well as those from within. There are media, articles, book recommendations, and even the “Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy” posted there. Do not miss this one.
  • A lot of buzz has been coming from the evangelical blogs concerning Kevin DeYoung’s new book, Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What that Means for You and Me. I have only heard good things about it, and invite you to read at least one review: Challies’ review,  or even read the first chapter.
  • This may be the philosopher in me coming out, but I was very thankful to read this post about the church’s need for philosophers and vice versa. When both sides seem to distrust each other, something is off. I would love to see more interaction between both sides, engaging in the debate of today’s ideas with intellectual rigor, but I would also like to see Christian philosophers as a whole be committed men/women of the church. May that tribe increase!
  • If you haven’t heard by now, the newest CEO for Mozilla resigned after pressure to be removed due to his past support of Prop 8 in the state of CA. I believe Robert George’s commentary reveals that the lines have been drawn, and we may be looking at a new litmus test for job qualifications. Don’t miss Al Mohler’s The Briefing on this either.
  • Joe Carter continues his series on apologetics and worldview analysis with the topic, “What is a Religious Belief?” Food for thought.

That’s all for this week! Looking forward to worshiping the Lord together this coming Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Age of Opportunity: Chapter 2 – Idols of Youth Ministry

by Josh Liu

Mentioned in an earlier post, the Lumos Youth Ministry staff has been working through Paul David Tripp’s Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens. It has been a beneficial resource in helping us examine our goals and philosophy of youth ministry. In Chapter 2, “Whose Idols Are in the Way?,” Tripp begins with the following thought:

If we are ever to be effective for Christ in the lives of our teenagers, it is important to be honest about our own idols–the places where we have tended to exchange worship and service of the Creator for worship and service of created things (Tripp, 29).

Tripp reminds readers that something is always ruling our hearts. While many sincere believers might immediately affirm Christ as Lord over their hearts, their thoughts, desires, actions, words, investments, and priorities often reveal who is truly God in their lives. Parents must be careful in allowing their own expectations of or goals for their children from becoming idols, from blinding themselves to God-given opportunities to point their children to their Creator.

Tripp highlights five common idols that parents might be blinded to:

  1. The Idol of Comfort. This is the demand of or feeling entitled to your peace and comfort. The parent expects to come home to quiet, well-behaved children after a long day of work. When this is an entrenched idol of the parent’s heart, Tripp observes that parents will begin to see their children as the enemy and that “they will begin to fight with him rather than for him” (Tripp, 32). Comfort is not in and of itself evil or wrong to be desired, but when it becomes a demand, the sole focus in the home, then it usurps God’s rightful rule over the heart.
  2. The Idol of Respect. This heart demands that his child fear him and give him the respect that he thought he deserved (Tripp, 32). This often manifests itself in anger, “attack” responses, criticism, exasperation with the child, and belittlement, with the ultimate goal of perfect obedience to the parent. Again, respect is not bad, but it cannot be produced by the will of the parent. Parents ought to teach and instill respect of parents in their children, yet trust in God to produce such godly responses according to His will.
  3. The Idol of Appreciation. Parents certainly work hard. They are their children’s chauffeurs, cooks, laundromats, doctors, banks, cleaners, secretaries, and so on. Parents go to great lengths and sacrifice to care for their children. “Children should appreciate their parents. Yet being appreciated cannot be [their] goal” (Tripp, 33). Many parents reveal by their actions that they expect or demand their children to acknowledge, thank, and appreciate them for everything they do. This idol blinds the parent to his God-ordained role as a parent to shepherd his children unto the Lord.
  4. The Idol of Success. This heart views children as the parents’ trophies rather than God’s creatures (Tripp, 35). This idol moves parents to train up their children to bring them glory rather than God. These parents’ sense of identity is so wrapped up in the achievements, obedience, and “success” of their children that they lay aside God’s ultimate authority and sovereignty.
  5. The Idol of Control. This heart seeks to control and direct every choice, preference, priority, and outcome of the child. While young children are heavily dependent on their parents, that authority subsides as they grow older. Parents who are unwilling to relinquish control often seek to exercise total sovereignty in the life of their children. Yet only God exercises this kind of control.

I believe Tripp puts it best:

“[Every] parent needs to ask, ‘Why am I doing what I am doing? Who am I serving? What are the things that I have come to expect and demand? Whose desires rule the moments of opportunity with my teenager–God’s or mine?’” (Tripp, 34).

In our goal to partner with parents in the discipleship of their children, the staff needs to biblically examine our own hearts. Whether we grew up going to a youth group or not, we all come with a set of expectations when it comes to youth ministry. There are ministry fads that “guarantee” a vibrant, fruitful youth ministry; there are parents who demand certain results from staffers and youth pastors; there are personal experiences that tempt us to think a certain event or model will produce desired results. Here’s a personal non-exhaustive (and largely incomplete) list of idols of youth ministry that the staff needs prayer over:

  1. The Idol of Relevance. Being “hip” (or hipster? Not sure what’s cool now), up-to-date with pop culture, speaking with the same vernacular (e.g. abbreviations that replace sentences and permeate with self-centeredness, like “TFTI”), dressing with the current (youth) fashion, and so on, are often a temptation for youth ministries to compromise the centrality of God’s Word, the holiness of God-exalting worship, the dignity of faithful servants, and the unity of the local church.
  2. The Idol of Relationality. What I mean is the idols of staff-youth relationships, attractiveness to outsiders, profuse social events, and story-filled “sermonettes.” These youth ministries do not support parent relationships, spend more time planning than discipling, and produce low-quality sermons. They often vie for a youth’s transparency and vulnerability that at times subverts parents’ influence.
  3. The Idol of Serving. Without any intention of referring to any particular work of literature, many youth ministries want their youth to simply get involved and do things at church or in the community for the sake of “just doing it.” Often times, when a youth ministry idolizes service, a youth’s participation is the measurement of their faithfulness, maturity, or even salvation. These youth ministries often have student leaders and volunteers who are not qualified, shown proven character, or even saved.

These are just a few of the idols that beset youth ministry. To be clear, there are many aspects in the above that are not inherently sinful and have redeeming features, but when they become the drive for ministry, when the staff expect or prioritize the above over and against God’s priorities laid out in Scripture, then we err and are not serving in the most God-honoring manner. The staff must continually examine our underlying motives, and actively seek to glorify God by redeeming opportunities to disciple the youth through the faithful exposition of God’s Word. Please pray for us, the youth, the families, and the church that we might seek to live for Christ our King and that we might destroy the idols of our hearts.

An Unwelcome Message

by Elder Johnny Kim

In the course of our daily lives, many of us engage in numerous social interactions with a myriad of people. If we were to consider that some, if not most, of those people might be unbelievers, then we ought to come to the realization that we are always surrounded by opportunities to engage in evangelism. Between family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, classmates, roommates, acquaintances, and strangers, there is no shortage of opportunities for the faithful Christian to share the Gospel with those who desperately need it. In fact, one thing that I’m always grateful for and encouraged by are the members in our church who take on this view and take seriously the Mission of Lighthouse: to make disciples of Christ in accordance with Matthew 28:18-20. Still, for many of us, evangelism itself can be challenging and difficult and at times even discouraging when we perceive there to be a lack of any apparent fruit resulting from our efforts. Sometimes it seems as though it just doesn’t matter how many opportunities we have to share the Gospel when no one is accepting it.

Perhaps we are prone to succumb to that kind of discouragement because of the influence of the world we live in. It is tempting for us to measure success and effectiveness in terms how the world around us measures them. When it comes to such things, we often find that this business driven world is all about numbers, statistics, quantity, and maximum impact. We can easily be influenced by the standard that more is better and bigger is better and that anything less is failure. Whether you’re a business, political party, social organization, or an academic institution, no one aims to make the least impact, to reach the least amount of people, or to be the least popular choice. So left with nothing else to consider, we Christians certainly would find it hard to help but feel like we are failing or doing something wrong in our efforts to evangelize the lost.

Thankfully, we are not left with nothing more to consider on the matter, but rather we have the most important thing we can possibly consider: the Word of God.

While we might question our effectiveness and usefulness as Gospel witnesses, Jesus speaks to the truth about how the Gospel, the good news about Himself, will truly be received and accepted. In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus provides a comparison between salvation and wide and narrow gates. He describes the entrance to the kingdom of God as a narrow gate as opposed to a wide gate which leads to hell. The wide gate is easy to find, easy to travel through, and looks as if it leads to the kingdom of God. Furthermore, the one who travels through the wide gate might also be comforted by the fact that they are accompanied by many other people headed in the same direction. But the truth that Christ reveals through His comparison is that salvation is instead like a narrow gate. It is not easy to find, it is not easy to travel through, and it is definitely not as popular as the wide gate is. Christ helps us to understand that the way to true salvation is narrow and specific. One cannot enter into the kingdom of God in any manner one chooses. One cannot enter in to the kingdom of God via any number of different paths or ways akin to passing through a large and wide gate. On the contrary, as we read in Acts 4:12, there is only one way to enter and only one means by which we can enter.

In light of these truths, we are reminded in a sober way that only a relative few will enter into the kingdom of God. No matter the way that the Gospel is preached or presented, the truth will be rejected in the hearts of those who hear it and traded for a lie that is more convenient and less intrusive and demanding. The truth is our efforts to share the Gospel and evangelize will more often than not be met with denial and rejection. If we are faithful to preach the one true Gospel in its entirety, then we are promised in the Bible that this may likely be the end result. Though Christ’s words in Matthew 7:13-14 are a sober reality, I believe that it can also serve to embolden us as we persevere in being witnesses of Christ. Rather than being discouraged, we can be affirmed that we are preaching Christ’s Gospel with all its truths, consequences, demands, and rewards rather than a lesser, crowd-pleasing message that requires no commitment, submission, or sacrifice.

Relating this idea to the context of our church, from the perspective of an elder, I have to admit that I don’t find myself so concerned when there is a dip in the number of new members who profess to be believers and join our church. Truthfully, I’m not so worried when there are periods where we don’t have as many people accepting Christ and being baptized. However, an explosion of people who accept Christ in response to the Gospel we preach on Sunday might causes me to turn a critical eye and ear toward the message that is coming from the pulpit. After all, Christ made clear what the consequential response will be to the Gospel He has commanded us to preach. It is my hope that with a similar understanding, we can all be faithful to preach at every opportunity, the one true Gospel that promises salvation for the few that will receive it. But in doing so, let us remember that we are directing people to a narrow gate that’s hard to find, isolated from the crowds, and difficult to walk through. Finally, let us persevere through rejection knowing that it’s the only gate in this world that leads to everlasting life.

…That We Might Be Made The Righteousness Of God In Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Corinthians 5:21

Mourning Christian! why weepest thou? Art thou mourning over thine own corruptions? Look to thy perfect Lord, and remember, thou art complete in Him; thou art in God’s sight as perfect as if thou hadst never sinned; nay, more than that, the Lord our Righteousness hath put a divine garment upon thee, so that thou hast more than the righteousness of man-thou hast the righteousness of God. O Thou who art mourning by reason of inbred sin and depravity, remember, none of thy sins can condemn thee. Thou hast learned to hate sin; but thou hast learned also to know that sin is not thine-it was laid upon Christ’s head.

Thy standing is not in thyself-it is in Christ; thine acceptance is not in thyself, but in thy Lord; thou art as much accepted of God to-day, with all thy sinfulness, as thou wilt be when thou standest before His throne, free from all corruption. O, I beseech thee, lay hold on this precious thought, perfection in Christ! For thou art ‘complete in Him.’ With thy Saviour’s garment on, thou art holy as the Holy one. ‘Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.’

Christian, let thy heart rejoice, for thou art ‘accepted in the beloved’-what hast thou to fear? Let thy face ever wear a smile; live near thy Master; live in the suburbs of the Celestial City; for soon, when thy time has come, thou shalt rise up where thy Jesus sits, and reign at His right hand; and all this because the divine Lord ‘was made to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.’

4.5a

Weekly Links (4/4/2014)

“The greatest commandment is love, not niceness. And as C.S. Lewis pointed out somewhere, anger is what love bleeds when you cut it. You cannot love without hating, and if you do not hate, you know nothing of love. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13). To love the wolves is to hate the sheep, and vice versa. Love the termites, hate the house. Hate the man, love the cancer. This is not a difficult principle.” (Douglas Wilson, Preparing for the Refugee Column)

by Stephen Rodgers

In accordance with custom and the ancient pact, I’m going to keep my WL short and sweet so that you have more time to read and listen to the actual resources. Which are excellent. In fact, everybody needs to watch their step, because I’m about to drop some knowledge.

I believe that’s the expression the collegians taught me. Did I say that right?

Anyhow…

  • The free book this month from christianaudio.com is What Happens When Women Say Yes To God. I’m not familiar with that book at all, so this is more of a “by-the-way” than a whole-hearted recommendation.
  • The free book this month from Logos is Jesus and Scripture by Steve Moyise.  I’m not familiar with this one either, but Craig Evans endorsed it, and he’s no slouch, so it’s probably good.
  • Ok…on to stuff I actually know about. The April edition of Tabletalk is out, and it’s on the subject of The Great Commission.  So, if you’re waiting to hear if you’re on a missions team, you should probably read this. That way you can be loaded for bear when your interview rolls around. And if you’re not on a missions team, you should totally read this in order to test someone who is.
  • Ligonier is also giving away a free audiobook this month: The Truth of the Cross. In case you hadn’t noticed, Ligonier has recently committed to making many of it’s resources freely available, and they are almost always quite excellent…like this one.
  • Last but not least, the audio for the 2014 Shepherds Conference is up. I want to especially point out the seminar by Paul Washer; that’s another resource that you should have digested and stored in your back pocket (ok, sometimes metaphors don’t mix well) if you’re hoping to be on a missions team.

See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

The Tabernacle (Exodus 25-30)

by Dennis Su

In Sonlight, we’re continuing our study of the Old Testament, focusing on the book of Exodus for the past few weeks. We recently learned about the tabernacle and how it was used by God to dwell with the Israelites. It has been encouraging to see the interest the kids have about the tabernacle and items within it. What has also been encouraging in studying the tabernacle is seeing how God uses the tabernacle to point to Christ.

In one of the lessons, we saw how the Mercy Seat and the Day of Atonement pointed to Christ’s atonement for man’s sin and how the sins of the Israelites were covered through this ceremony. We can also see how other items in the tabernacle point to Christ and to God’s holiness. The veil separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies conveys God’s holiness and His separation from man’s sinfulness. Later we see in the New Testament (Hebrews 10:19-20) that Jesus represented the new way for man to be brought into God’s presence (veil no longer needed) and that the death of Christ also resulted in the tabernacle veil being torn in half. The bronze altar was for continual sacrifices required of the Israelites by God and pointed to the ultimate sacrifice through Christ. The basin in the tabernacle was also used by priests to wash themselves clean before being in God’s presence. If this was not done before going into the Holy Place, they would die. In each item of the tabernacle we can see either God’s holiness or illustration of Christ.

The kids also had an opportunity to reconstruct the tabernacle during Sunday School. This activity helped emphasize how it was God who wanted to be with Israel and who gave specific instructions on how the tabernacle was to be built. My hope is that the Sonlight kids would be able to see how God wants to have a relationship with man despite our sinfulness and that the purpose of Christ’s death would be more clearly seen through the tabernacle lessons.