Weekly Links (2/28/2014)

As Christians, we are here to serve (Matt. 20:25-28). When we are being productive, we are actually doing good works, which is part of the purpose for which God created us (Eph. 2:10). A good approach to getting things done reduces the friction in doing good and also amplifies our ability to do good. The result is that we can be of more benefit to others with less snags, stress, and confusing systems. (Matt Perman)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s flocks week, which means most of you will be spending time with people from other affinity groups. Praise God for His powerful grace to save many unlike ourselves! Before you go (unless you already went), here are this week’s links. Enjoy!

  • Desiring God had a post earlier this week focusing on short-term missions, using Epaphroditus as an example of how missions was done biblically. If you have ever gone on short-term missions, have supported short-term missions, or perhaps even desire to go on one (pretty much… every Christian), this is for you.
  • Since the culture has sought to redefine marriage, and many are happy to live together without pursuing marriage, how would you answer the question, “Why get married at all?” Here’s seven reasons to get you started. Ryan T. Anderson addresses the prior question, “What is Marriage?“, and CBMW addresses cohabitation (“why get married when you can live together?”) and its sinful effects.
  • Do you ever wonder what to say to someone when you’re told, “You’re only a Christian because you grew up in the US; you wouldn’t be one if you grew up in the Middle East”? Here’s a short response that is actually very uplifting when you think about it.
  • Meditating on the Word of God can be hard to carve time out for, but Scripture calls for us to think deeply and regularly on God’s Word. Yet, how often do we see mention of meditation on blogs or in the books that we read? Tim Kerr has some helpful meditations on meditation, which is the first in a series of posts he plans on writing concerning this vital area of the Christian life.
  • Staying on the theme of meditation, Joel Beeke gives some thoughts on how the Puritans meditated. It does sound foreign to meditate, but this makes me want to grow further in my love for Christ and His Word. I hope it’s the same for you.
  • If you were given the opportunity to give a presentation of the Christian faith to a non-Christian, how would you go about doing that? As you ponder that (I’d challenge you to come up with a strategy before reading the link), Tim Keller expounds Blaise Pascal’s method for commending the Christian worldview. You may way to adopt his approach as a result.
  • A couple weeks back I had linked to articles from the series, “Manhood and Technology.” Well, the series is complete and have a lot to offer us men. I’d highly recommend this series to you in order to become more discerning in our use of digital resources in a distinctly Christian manner.
  • Justin Taylor recently interviewed David Wells concerning his new book, God in the Whirlwind, which would be well worth your time to watch. The video series on Crossway has just finished, where you can watch the previous clips, along with the written interview. Again, this comes at a good time while Singles and Grace Life are going over the attributes of God. Don’t miss out!
  • How prepared would you say you are in sending off your kids to college, or adulthood, for that matter? What hurdles have to be overcome in order for your kids to be witnesses of Christ in the universities? Alex Chediak (whose earlier work Thriving at College is a very balanced book written for the collegian), in anticipation of his new book Preparing Your Teens for College, has identified some potential threats that are posed to our teens and some reminders of what parents can do to foster a healthy Christian home. The links at the end are helpful articles as well.
  • As the culture and media continue to push back on religious liberty, we need to be informed and ready to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ. The most recent news item is the Arizona Religious Liberty Bill, which was vetoed on Wednesday, along with a federal judge’s striking down Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage. To get caught up, here’s a post from CBMW that gives the background information on what has happened, along with Christian responses. Don’t forget Denny Burke’s insightful analysis (all separate links), as well as Al Mohler’s The Briefing from yesterday.

That will do it for this week! Hope your weekend is filled with words that build up one another’s faith, and that Sunday is bursting with praise to our God. See you there!

Soli Deo Gloria

LBC Weekly SPARK – February 27, 2014

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear LBC family and friends!

I hope you’re all enjoying a wonderful Wednesday and that your week is off to a great start! The college students are coming off of a memorable weekend at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. Their speaker was Pastor Jonathan Rourke of Community Bible Church in Vista, and he spoke on the will of God. The messages should be online sometime soon if you would like to listen to them.

Our annual retreats are always a highlight of the year. They provide wonderful opportunities for fellowship and building relationships. It is also a great time to learn from God’s Word together. We’ve always said that there really is nothing that compares to having a weekend together at retreat. We hope that the collegians really benefited greatly from that time. Don’t forget that the single adults will be having their retreat next month!

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the ministry opportunities for this week:

  1. FLOCKS. Please don’t forget that it’s flocks week. As such, our regularly scheduled midweek activities will all be on hold. This past Sunday, we had a message on the will of God to submit to governing authorities. Collegians, you’ll want to review your message from Saturday night at the retreat and/or listen to Sunday’s message online. For more information about flocks, you can visit the church website. You can also download flocks discussion sheets from the website.
  2. MEN’S BREAKFAST. There will be another men’s breakfast on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 AM at the church. All men are encouraged to come out for a time of teaching and fellowship. Be sure to bring a breakfast item to share!
  3. COMMUNION. We will be taking communion together on Sunday, so please remember that time and come with hearts prepared. How are you living in light of the gospel?
  4. SHEPHERDS’ CONFERENCE. Please pray for the men who are planning to attend the Shepherds’ Conference next week at Grace Community Church. The conference runs from March 5-7.
  5. SINGLES RETREAT. The singles will be having their retreat on March 14-16 at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center. The speaker this year is Dr. Andy Snider! You’re not going to want to miss it! You can sign up for retreat on Sunday in the foyer or at Bible study next week. Be sure to sign up soon!
  6. BANQUET. Our annual banquet will be on Saturday, May 3, at 5:00 PM, at the Courtyard Marriott in Point Loma. The cost is $35/adult (ages 13 and up) and $15/child (ages 2-12). There is a $100/family max. Our speaker for the banquet will be Pastor Chris Mueller of Faith Bible Church in Murrieta. Come out and celebrate God’s faithfulness over 15 years of ministry at LBC! You can signup in the foyer on Sunday between and after services.
  7. SUMMER MISSIONS. For those who are interested in applying for the Czech Republic and Argentina summer missions trips, applications will be available on Sunday. Please find Pastor Patrick for an application. The Czech trip will be from July 2-19 and the Argentina trip will be from July 3-17.
  8. ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND. As most of you know, we are celebrating 15 years of ministry at LBC in 2014. Our anniversary weekend will be on May 2-4. The schedule will be as follows:

Friday, May 2
7:00 PM – SESSION 1

Saturday, May 3
9:00 AM – SESSION 2
12:00 PM – LUNCH
5:00 PM – BANQUET (SESSION 3)

Sunday, May 4
9:00 AM – SESSION 4
11:00 AM – FELLOWSHIP (NO SUNDAY SCHOOL)

There is no cost to the anniversary weekend other than the banquet on Saturday evening. All sessions and lunch will be provided for by the church.

From College to Mom of Four

by Jane Kim

The Fireflies Ministry has changed from its small staff of 5 members and 3 babies to the booming ministry it is today of over 30 staff members and 30+ infants and toddlers. Back in 1999 when LBC first started, this ministry, albeit small, was needed even then. As a collegian, I thought it would be a great way to spend time with the cute babies and serve the 3 families of our church. Over the years, however, my views on how I could serve on staff changed. Sure, it was fun for a while holding sleeping babies and playing with the inquisitive toddlers. However, it was definitely not all rainbows and butterflies. I cannot tell you the number of times I held a crying infant through an entire service, changed diapers that had exploded, caught throw-up with my bare hands, or had spit-up run down my hair or shirt. Yuck! However, did I feel any less compelled to care for and love them despite the fact that we were not related by blood? Honestly, no. Even though we were not related by birth, I saw each one as a part of my church family. It was an opportunity to serve not only their parents so that they could have an undistracted time of worship, but it was also an opportunity to show in a physical way God’s love to each child.

Now I’m a mom of four with my last child in nursery. Serving on staff has given me an opportunity to see and work with other members who are dedicated to imparting God’s truth and providing love and care for each child on Sundays and special events. This is a ministry that does not take a break in serving. It has evolved to include teaching toddlers at a young age about who God is and what He has done. Most of these children will not remember to adulthood all the particulars of what they received in our care (e.g., “so and so held me while I screamed in her ear for over an hour,” “she was the one that cleaned up after my accident during my potty training,” or “that lady read me the same book over and over again because I asked her to do so”). No, they will not remember those particulars. I hope and pray though that they will come out of this ministry and our church with a sense of comfort and ease knowing that they had a safe, loving, caring environment that they went to on Sundays to learn about God. As a mom, I am so thankful for this ministry and the staff who serve our children. Thank you Children’s Ministry, in particular Fireflies Staff, for your faithful service to us all! It is a service that is definitely done behind the scenes, and I am so privileged to have been part of it and a recipient of it all these years!

Common Pitfalls for Young Men: Laziness

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Late last year, I began a short series entitled “Common Pitfalls for Young Men.” Through this series, I wanted to highlight issues that have frequently come up in counseling over the years. Meeting up with young men for fellowship and prayer has been one of the greatest highlights for me in pastoral ministry, but through these periodic meetings I noticed certain concerns repeatedly needing to be addressed. While other men in other churches might deal with different struggles, these were the issues that came up again and again here at Lighthouse. Considering that the temptations we face are all common to men (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13) and that there is really nothing new under the sun (Eccl. 1:9), I thought a series like this might be helpful.

I once went into a Christian bookstore and was walking through the aisles when I came across a baby pillow with a Bible verse stitched onto its face. The passage read, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest.” This comes from Proverbs 6:10, which is a stern indictment against laziness. The very next verse explains what this little sleep and slumber leads to, “And poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man” (Prov. 6:11). Truly, this is every parents’ great aspiration for their children!

Laziness is one of those sins that most people might dismiss as minor or insignificant. It can be defined as inactivity, idleness, and a refusal to work. What this really boils down to is a lack of self-control. When a person struggles with laziness or idleness, they simply refuse to fight against their self-centered desire for what comes easy. It is the opposite of industry, hard work, and diligence.

Seeing that it is a common struggle that many people admit, it is not surprising that the Scripture offers quite a bit of wisdom on the topic. Besides the passage in Proverbs 6:6-11 mentioned earlier, consider these verses as well:

Proverbs 10:4 – “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

Proverbs 10:5 – “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.”

Proverbs 10:26 – “Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.”

Proverbs 12:24 – “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.”

Proverbs 12:27 – “Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.”

Proverbs 13:4 – “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”

Proverbs 15:19 – “The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.” (Note that the contrast is made between “the sluggard” and “the upright”!)

Proverbs 18:9 – “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.”

And my personal favorite…

Proverbs 19:24 – “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.”

Why is this such a serious sin to the Lord? The foundation to the answer lies in the creation account. In Genesis 2:15, it states that the Lord placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to work and keep it. This is significant because sin had not yet entered into the world. Therefore, it is incorrect to dismiss or categorize work as a “necessary evil.” It was part of God’s perfect plan for men that they would work. In this, as the crowning point of all creation, man could further bear the image of God and represent Him since the Scripture states clearly that God is a God who works (Gen. 2:1-3). Thus, to refuse to work is at the heart a rebellion against God’s good and perfect created order.

Besides this, in writing to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul gives another reason for the offensiveness of laziness. Having given the warning to admonish idlers in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, he writes follow-up instructions in 2 Thessalonians 3, “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” In other words, idleness is a sin because it stands against the gospel.

This might seem harsh at first, but after some consideration it makes sense. Jesus came teaching a new commandment, that believers ought to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). But by being lazy, some in the church were clearly taking advantage of others. Without contributing to the needs of the saints, these men would come and eat the meals provided by the church. Paul’s admonishment was, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (v. 10b).

The Apostle Paul was not giving instructions that he himself did not live up to. He pointed to his own ministry as an example of diligence (2 Thess. 3:7-9; cf. 1 Thess. 2:9). Not wanting to be a burden on anyone, Paul worked diligently to provide for his own needs. He did this that others might follow in his example. Looking at it broadly, all this was in application of the law of Christ (cf. Gal. 6:2). This was Paul’s application of love for the saints because the gospel had saved and transformed him.

Laziness and diligence do matter to the Lord. We need to be careful not to fall into the trap of thinking it is merely a lesser sin. All sin is offensive to a holy God, no matter how small. But laziness is a particular sin that the Bible has addressed over and over again. As such, believers in Christ ought to cultivate diligence and industry. We ought to work hard at what we do because we ultimately do it for the Lord.

Here are some practical ways young men can cultivate diligence:

  1. Take some time to consider the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). As believers, we ought to look past ourselves to serve others and help meet their needs. Bring your mind to agree with what God’s Word reveals concerning the sinfulness of laziness and the uprightness of diligence.
  2. Pray that the Lord would help you in this area of your life. Confess the sin of laziness to Him and ask Him to help you grow in diligence.
  3. Study God’s Word and cultivate a biblical theology of work.
  4. Set realistic goals for the day and seek to be productive in what is profitable and good. It is said that if you aim at nothing, you will be sure to hit it. Remember that being busy is not necessarily the opposite of being lazy.
  5. It is not true that lazy people never work hard. Many lazy young men are very diligent when it comes to video games and recreation. Redirect your energy considering what is most valuable to the Lord.
  6. Since laziness at the heart is self-centeredness, seek out ways to serve others.
  7. Ask for accountability from your small group or leaders. Have them pray for you and share your daily or weekly goals with them so that they can keep you accountable.

Author’s Note: For more on the theology of work, listen to these messages from Pastor Jim Kang of LBC East Bay.

Let Him Kiss Me With The Kisses Of His Mouth

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Song of Solomon 1:2

For several days we have been dwelling upon the Saviour’s passion, and for some little time to come we shall linger there. In beginning a new month, let us seek the same desires after our Lord as those which glowed in the heart of the elect spouse. See how she leaps at once to Him; there are no prefatory words; she does not even mention His name; she is in the heart of her theme at once, for she speaks of Him who was the only Him in the world to her. How bold is her love! it was much condescension which permitted the weeping penitent to anoint His feet with spikenard-it was rich love which allowed the gentle Mary to sit at His feet and learn of Him-but here, love, strong, fervent love, aspires to higher tokens of regard, and closer signs of fellowship. Esther trembled in the presence of Ahasuerus, but the spouse in joyful liberty of perfect love knows no fear.

If we have received the same free spirit, we also may ask the like. By kisses we suppose to be intended those varied manifestations of affection by which the believer is made to enjoy the love of Jesus. The kiss of reconciliation we enjoyed at our conversion, and it was sweet as honey dropping from the comb. The kiss of acceptance is still warm on our brow, as we know that He hath accepted our persons and our works through rich grace. The kiss of daily, present communion, is that which we pant after to be repeated day after day, till it is changed into the kiss of reception, which removes the soul from earth, and the kiss of consummation which fills it with the joy of heaven. Faith is our walk, but fellowship sensibly felt is our rest. Faith is the road, but communion with Jesus is the well from which the pilgrim drinks.

O lover of our souls, be not strange to us; let the lips of Thy blessing meet the lips of our asking; let the lips of Thy fulness touch the lips of our need, and straightway the kiss will be effected.

4.1a

Weekly Links (2/21/2014)

Repentance and faith are the gifts of God, and gifts that He often withholds, when they have been long offered in vain. I grant you true repentance is never too late, but I warn you at the same time, late repentance is seldom true. (J.C. Ryle)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Another week of blessing, another week of growing in Christ. I pray this has been true of you all, and I hope these links will further those two elements in our walks with the Lord. Here we go!

  • Andy Snider has some thoughts regarding the doctrine of creation that is a balance of sorts with the Ham-Nye debate in mind. Creation is discussed throughout Scripture, not just in Genesis. I think if believers disagree about something like young-earth and old-earth creationism, we can do it in a way where the world can see and know that we are Christ’s disciples (John 13:34-35).
  • How do you discuss the issue of science vs. religion with secularists, evolutionists, and others who deny a biblical account of creation or of science? Do we need to be on the defensive every time this issue comes up? John Woodbridge, author of a new church history book, gives some perspective and insight in this interview as to where we’ve come from, and where we are now as believers in an age of technological advancement and scientific discovery, even when Christianity is declining in the West.
  • Doug Groothuis has a delightful post concerning jazz and apologetics that is sure to get you thinking about how you engage others, and if you do so in a systematic fashion, or if there can be fluidity in your approach. We all speak to people with very different backgrounds who may have different objections to Christian belief. But if the truth has many applications to daily life, the way in which we engage others is surely included. This is coming from someone who affirms pressupositionalism, and actually likes smooth jazz (unlike Groothuis). You may also start listening to jazz as a result of this post.
  • There seems to be an idea floating around amongst believers that Christians are not able to become depressed. Is this true? Have you been depressed? Is there someone in your life who is experiencing depression? Justin Taylor has listed a number of resources that helps us gain a better understanding of the issue, and how we can minister to others regarding this dark period in a person’s life. You would be better prepared to face the battle by spending time there.
  • CBMW is still going strong with their series on Manhood and Technology, this time with their fourth post, “Brothers, Do Not Be Overcome.” Men, let’s be examples of how we are to engage technology to glorify God and not ourselves. Take up and read.
  • Sticking with CBMW, a journal article was recently highlighted that I think will be enough to get you to read because of its title: “Why Homeschooled Girls are Feminism’s Worst Nightmare.” Intrigued?
  • Christian philosopher Paul Copan had some research notes that he prepared to use for a radio program concerning theism, atheism and rationality. He decided to make them available for us to see some of his points that he would have brought up.
  • Just so no one thinks I’m abandoning presuppositionalism, here’s an audio debate of sorts with Greg Bahnsen (presuppositionalist) and R.C. Sproul (classical evidentialist). I think Bahnsen won, hands down.
  • Ever felt like you were the worst example of productivity? I know I’ve been there before. Enter Matt Perman, who has written a new book on productivity that is motivated by the Gospel. This post has the lowdown on how this book is structured, with some other additional notes of interest.
  • This may be my personal attempt to start one of these, but there have been groups within the church that have begun theology reading groups, one of which is chronicled in this post. May their tribe increase (hopefully at our church, too).
  • How would you rate yourself when it comes to being encouraging (that ever frequent word we use)? How can we cultivate encouragement in the church? Sam Crabtree, author of Practicing Affirmation: God-Centered Praise of Those Who Are Not God, gives some encouraging words to move us there.

That will do it for this week! See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Grace Life Ministry Update

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Grace Life is at about the midpoint of our Bible study for this year and so far it has been a great time of fellowship and study. Wanting to focus on fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, this year was devoted to theology proper, the study of God. Each meeting, we have been looking at another attribute of God surveying the Scriptures to see what God has revealed about Himself. Since Grace Life is on an abbreviated schedule, meeting roughly every other week, we have covered seven different topics thus far including God’s glory, holiness, omniscience, and immutability.

Of course in an affinity group ministry like Grace Life, which is focused on the church’s married couples and parents, people are always clamoring for practical studies like building godly marriages, biblical parenting, and finances. While these focused practical studies are important and indeed helpful, we need to be careful that we start building our biblical understanding from the ground up. Practical studies are popular because the principles derived can be put into immediate practice, but this does not benefit an individual nearly as much if that person does not have a good biblical or theological framework to think from.

In other words, how do you know that what a certain author writes is helpful? If there isn’t a good understanding of biblical principles and theology to help filter ideas, people will come to conclusions based simply on what sounds right or feels good. This is a dangerous way of coming to conclusions. It is a much sounder approach to lay a good biblical and theological foundation before seeking to build practical structures on top of it. We say we want to live Christ-centered lives and build godly homes, but that is going to be very difficult if we don’t know what the Bible says about who Christ is or what God is like.

Besides all this, a study on theology proper is immensely practical. Let’s not forget that one of the purposes for which God has revealed Himself to us in Scripture is that we might reflect His glory and imitate His character. For example, the basis of our love for one another is His love for us. If we don’t have an accurate understanding of God’s love, we will unfortunately substitute it with a worldly or personal concept of love that falls infinitely short.

With all this said, I would continue to encourage our married couples and parents to come out to Grace Life for the remainder of our meetings. We hope to see you on Thursday evenings! The meeting schedule looks like this:

  • February 27 – No Grace Life (Flocks)
  • March 6 – No Grace Life (Shepherds’ Conference)
  • March 13 – Lesson 9: The Sovereignty of God
  • March 20 – Lesson 10: The Transcendence and Immanence of God
  • March 27 – No Grace Life (Flocks)
  • April 3 – Lesson 11: God Is Truth
  • April 10 – Lesson 12: God Is Love
  • April 17 – No Grace Life (Good Friday)
  • April 24 – No Grace Life (Flocks)
  • May 1 – Lesson 13: The Grace of God
  • May 8 – No Grace Life (Break)
  • May 15 – Lesson 14: The Patience of God
  • May 22 – No Grace Life (Break)
  • May 29 – No Grace Life (Flocks)
  • June 5 – Lesson 15: The Goodness of God

And Rizpah The Daughter Of Aiah Took Sackcloth, And Spread It For Her Upon The Rock…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From 2 Samuel 21:10

If the love of a woman to her slain sons could make her prolong her mournful vigil for so long a period, shall we weary of considering the sufferings of our blessed Lord? She drove away the birds of prey, and shall not we chase from our meditations those worldly and sinful thoughts which defile both our minds and the sacred themes upon which we are occupied? Away, ye birds of evil wing! Leave ye the sacrifice alone! She bore the heats of summer, the night dews and the rains, unsheltered and alone. Sleep was chased from her weeping eyes: her heart was too full for slumber. Behold how she loved her children!

Shall Rizpah thus endure, and shall we start at the first little inconvenience or trial? Are we such cowards that we cannot bear to suffer with our Lord? She chased away even the wild beasts, with courage unusual in her sex, and will not we be ready to encounter every foe for Jesus’ sake? These her children were slain by other hands than hers, and yet she wept and watched: what ought we to do who have by our sins crucified our Lord? Our obligations are boundless, our love should be fervent and our repentance thorough. To watch with Jesus should be our business, to protect His honour our occupation, to abide by His cross our solace. Those ghastly corpses might well have affrighted Rizpah, especially by night, but in our Lord, at whose cross-foot we are sitting, there is nothing revolting, but everything attractive. Never was living beauty so enchanting as a dying Saviour. Jesus, we will watch with Thee yet awhile, and do Thou graciously unveil Thyself to us; then shall we not sit beneath sackcloth, but in a royal pavilion.

3.31p

Weekly Links (2/14/2014)

Biblical love is an affectionate disposition that motivates the lover to consistently act for the welfare of another, whether or not the other deserves it or reciprocates. (Robertson McQuilkin)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! I hope this week has been a week filled with worship towards God and love for others. With today’s national recognition of, whatever it’s called, let’s keep our eyes on Christ, first and foremost, yes? Ok, now let’s dig into these links!

  • How do we create a culture of evangelism among God’s people in the local church? Mack Stiles provides some thoughtful pointers in this direction. I highly recommend everyone read this and apply accordingly.
  • Unless you’ve been fasting from media or talk of Christianity in the public sphere, you’ve most likely heard about the recent debate between Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis and Bill Nye “the science guy” (a show I thoroughly enjoyed growing up). The reviews and analysis of the debate has been voluminous. I direct your search to the following: Creation Ministries International, Rick Phillips, Al Mohler, Casey Luskin (Intelligent Design advocate), Dr. Jay Wile, David Coppedge, Ken Ham’s post-debate comments, and James White (video). I’d also recommend Randy Guliuzza’s message at TMS Chapel, “Engaging the Evolutionist” (video), along with AiG’s resources specific to responding to Bill Nye’s claims.
  • Speaking of evolution, Joe Carter continues his series on apologetics and worldview with his fourth installment, “Should You Trust the Monkey Mind?” I’d highly recommend you read this and his previous articles.
  • What is the need of the church, our country, and the world at this time? J.I. Packer believes it to be a renewal for personal holiness in the church. Take some time to watch the message of an 87-year old saint. I believe he has earned our attention.
  • For the dads and husbands preparing to be dads, here’s an article that deals with how to come home relying on the Gospel, while your children and wife await you. I think I may need to read this multiple times myself in preparation for marriage.
  • Wheaton College recently invited Rosaria Champagne Butterfield to come and speak concerning her past as a former radical leftist, feminist, lesbian professor, and her transformation upon coming to know Christ, leading to a silent protest among some of the students. President Phil Ryken issued a statement, Mrs. Butterfield answered some questions concerning this event, and a concerned open letter was written to the students involved in the protest. May the Gospel guide all conversations following this.
  • Since some of the affinity groups are studying the attributes of God this year, I thought it would be fitting to make mention of a new book by David Wells, called God in the Whirlwind: Understanding the Holy-Love of God, in which he explains how God’s holiness and love removes shallow theology from infecting the church. Read this blog interview done by Crossway, or the video series Crossway is putting out in promotion of the book (parts 1 and 2 so far).
  • How often do you stick up for yourself? Not in physical fights, but in conflict with those around you, those you love, those who know you well or best? Jared Wilson has some timely thoughts on crucifying defensiveness that I know I will turn to again and again. Something tells me I’m not the only one.
  • When should you go public with your faith at work? Here’s some good help in this area.

That’s all for now! Hope you all have a blessed weekend, and remember to pray for the LBCLA church plant inaugural service (and don’t forget LBC East Bay and LBCSJ)! See you Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Single Life Update

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” (A.W. Tozer)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Given the information age that we live in, we have been inundated with facts, news, and videos that stimulate and dull the mind. With the advent of the smartphone, we literally have the world available to us at our fingertips. We can easily receive the latest updates on earthquakes, traffic, celebrity gossip, political events, fitness tips, sales, and so on. The instant availability of data can be overwhelming, and learning something new can be exhausting. The pace at which modern life operates seems to be more rapid in times past, and many are trying to catch up.

Enter the believer. On top of living in this technology craze is the constant call to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Christianity is a knowledge-revealed religion, and can be difficult for a new believer to become knowledgeable about their faith, especially when so many other sources vie for our attention.

How can we be discerning about what we spend our time doing? What does Scripture place as a priority in terms of knowledge? Is it a deeper understanding of the events leading up to the second coming of Christ? Is it the historical and scientific evidence for creation? Is it a more developed method of apologetics? What should be prominent in our study?

From the perspective of Scripture, God is identified as the being we are instructed to know above all others and above all things. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7), which implies a right understanding of the God whom one is to fear (LORD = Yahweh), and the appropriate stance required to gain true knowledge (fear). In contrast, the fool has a bad relationship with both wisdom and instruction. He is the antithesis to the wise, who correctly identifies the God of Israel as the One to whom he should look to attain real, and not false, wisdom and insight (Proverbs 9:10). Christ Himself is identified as the source of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), wisdom identified as “skill in the art of godly living.” Pursuit of this is designed to guide “the way of the saints” (Proverbs 2:3-8). Jesus Christ identifies eternal life with knowing God and Christ, not just intellectually, but relationally.

From this very brief look at Scripture, it’s incumbent upon us to seek knowing God for the sake of our salvation (knowing God as He has revealed Himself and not a god of our own choosing), as well as the sake of our growth in godliness. When we learn more about the life of a painter or musician, there is an increased appreciation not only for that painter or musician, but also the work that initially drew your interest to them. Knowing God is foundational to growing deeper in our relationship with Him, but the main difference between knowing God and knowing a painter or musician is that God radically changes us to become more like God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Christian faith does not rule out knowledge; it forms the basis for true knowledge, because faith given by God to His people is directed to the source of true knowledge.

For this and many other reasons, Single Life has been going through a series of understanding God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. We have been going over a number of God’s attributes that gives us a clearer picture of whom we are worshipping. It’s been a very helpful series to stop and focus on the character of God and think through the implications of the fact that God has spoken much about who He is, and how that should affect our daily lives. Some of His attributes thus far covered include His glory, holiness, omnipotence, omniscience, eternity, immutability, love, along with His triune nature. Each character reveals truths that have everything to do with how we live our lives on a daily basis, from making big decisions to the most mundane, from taking out the trash to the glory of God to knowing God as triune affect your prayer life.

Though we have a few messages left on this theme, I can personally testify that my love for God and appreciation of His character and work has only increased. To know God as eternal is mind-blowing in and of itself, but to know that He knows everything, can do anything that is consistent with His character, is immutably loving and holy, and is absolutely unique in His triune nature can humble the proud, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. We need to know this God to avoid putting ourselves as the center of the universe and acknowledge the glorious God of Scripture as the One worth centering and focusing our lives upon. We need to know this God because the church is in dire need of replacing the immediacy that this culture inculcates with the steadfastness of our Holy Creator. We need to know this God because the Gospel needs to be proclaimed with such clarity that those who hear will have such an awe-filled portrait of God that they will be drawn to knowing Him for all of eternity. We need to know this God to replace our affections with lesser things which can only frustrate and disappoint.

May we all attain to the unity of the faith which is founded upon a deep knowledge of the One who has not only made us, but has saved us.