04-27-08 Sermon Review

The Baptism of the Spirit

Last week we went over verses 19-36 discussing the testimony of John. This week, I want to take us all a little deeper into a topic which is brought up within these verse that we did not have an opportunity to give a treatment it deserves last week. The topic is Spiritual Baptism and it is found in John 1:33.

"I did not recognize him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit." (italics mine)

Most of you guys might be wondering, "Why is he bringing up this theological issue, I could care less about it." I bring this up because it is a clear teaching in Scripture that is often times confused, and most often times to the detriment of one's walk with the Lord. There are two views on what this baptism of the Spirit means.

Baptism of the Spirit Post-Conversion - There is huge group in Christian circles that believe this baptism is a second experience after one believes in Jesus Christ, usually a "filling" of the Spirit that is evidenced by special gifting, including speaking in tongues (actually, most often times speaking in tongues). To substantiate this view, many go to the passages in Acts to show that in all the occurences of the "filling" of the Spirit, the filling followed the conversion.

The problem with this view is that Acts is a descriptive book, and therefore does not explicitly state that this is normative of way things are. There is no divine commentary on these events in Acts either, and therefore a conclusive statement such as this view is hard to maintain. Not only this, but other sound explanations can be given to explain this two step experience that we see in Acts. Another thing to keep in mind is that the baptism of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, or other post-conversion experiences aren't mentioned at all in the other accounts of conversion in the book of Acts, which limits these experiences to four instances in Acts out of the many.

I am not trying to say there are no post-conversion experiences for believers. There are times of dryness that are often times revived with greater fervor for the Word and prayer in many Christian's lives. But this sort of an experience is totally different from the kind of experience (i.e. one that is follwoed by a miraculous manifestation of the Spirit) that those who hold this view will argue for.

So is this view biblical? I cannot say that it is. Is it dangerous? In some regards. Let me explain. This view often times leads many to a "holier-than-thou" attitude, creating tiers in Christianity. They separate the "Spirit-baptized" from the nominal Christians. This view also leads many to seek a second experience to validate their faith in Jesus Christ. This view has many such implications for assurance, salvation, gifts, and much more.

Baptism of the Spirit Regeneration - So what view is more consistent with the biblical teaching on Spirit-baptism? I believe that the baptism of the Spirit is what theologians now call regeneration, and therefore simultaneous to conversion. The best description that I have ever found in Scripture of regeneration is in Titus 3:4-7 and it links this simlutaneously with our justification. Therefore, if the baptism of the Spirit is indeed regeneration, it cannot be a post-conversion experience. Here are some reasons why believe that the baptism of the Spirit means regeneration in this text.

Baptism was an introduction into a community - 1 Corinthians 12:13 clearly states that by this baptism of the Spirit, we were brought into one body. The construction in the Greek is exactly the same here as it is in our John text. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body" (italics mine). Therefore, a post-conversion experience cannot be in view here.

Baptism was a symbol of cleansing - John the Baptist paved the way for Jesus by calling for a baptism of repentance. This water baptism was only a symbol of what Jesus would do in His Spirit baptism. Peter ties baptism with cleansing when he writes "baptism no saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a clean conscience -- through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21; italics mine). This clean conscience is brought by the baptism of the Spirit, when He causes us to be born again through Christ's resurrection.

Regeneration is a repeated theme in John - Regeneration passages fill the chapters of the Gospel of John. Take for example John chapter 3 when Jesus speaks with Nicodemus. The conversation revolves around the necessity of regeneration. John 10:10 states taht Christ came that we might have life, an abundant life, a life which we do not yet have. Even a few verses prior to our passage for today there is a statement made about regeneration, "But as many as received Him, He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13).

So what's the point? - Now if you're a Christian here and you're wondering what this has to do with all of us. Let me explain the implication as explicitly as I can: Every true Christian must be regenerate; every true Christian must be baptized by the Spirit. If you are a Christian here today, can you truly say that you have been baptized by the Spirit? Can you say with Paul, that you have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer you who live, but Christ lives in you? Has the old gone and is the new here? Have you been baptized into the death of Jesus, crucified the flesh, and now living in the newness of life found in the power of His resurrection? Has your conscience been cleansed by the forgiveness that flows from the bloody tree of calvary? Have you embraced the"one body" to which you have been brought into? These aren't just things Christians say when they are more mature, these are the confessions of every true Christian.

Titus 3:4-7 tells us that God saved us by mercy by the washing of regenaration of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you cherish this regenerating work of mercy. I pray that you are awed that Christ has purged from you the old self who was enslaved to sin, and has created you to be a new man ensalved to righteousness for the joy of your soul in God. Cherish the life we have in Christ, cherish the baptism of the Spirit. Our Christian walk has begun in the Spirit, and will be completed by the Spirit (Galatians 3:1-3). Let us embrace that. Stay strong and God bless.

LW News

Hello all! Just a couple of praise reports.

1. Our brother Perry Ha's surgery went well. He is currently recovering in Boston. He'll be returning in about 3-4 weeks. Please continue to pray for him and his family.

2. Pastor Park announced this Thursday night that our church is in the process of changing locations. It seems that we'll be moving to a better location where we'll be able to fellowship more freely. If all things go well, we'll be renting the facilities of Spring Valley Bible Church in Milpitas. If the move is made, youth group will no longer have to meet separately at the office but in the same site as the Korean Adult congregation. Please pray for the final logistics to be taken care of with wisdom and grace. Please continue to pray for Pastor Park as he continues to make important decisions for our church.

These are certainly exciting times at our church, His mercies are new every morning! Stay strong and God bless!

I'm Here to Stay

Yesterday, I was working at CCS helping a young girl with her homework. Before she got started on her work, she began looking for a pencil that she left behind earlier in the week. She easily spotted in one of the pencil cans we have. She recognized the pencil because it was a gift from a former teacher and had the teacher's name on it. What she said when she found the pencil struck a chord in me, "Oh, it's just a random teacher."

When the young girl said that, I realized how many young people have gone through "random teachers" in their lives. These teachers come and go, and they are nothing more to the kids than the morning mist, here today and gone tomorrow. Pastor-flock relationships in a Youth ministry is much like that in some sense. A professor relayed to me his grief over the fact that many youth pastors view youth ministry as a pit stop. They work as a youth pastor to test the waters, to sharpen their gifts, to pay through seminary; shepherding the flock and commitment to the task and the church becomes an afterthought. I wouldn't be surprised if I heard a kid say, "Oh, it's just a random youth pastor."

I've been asked quite a bit by family and friends what I plan to do after my youth pastorate here at Living Word. It's as if they assume the work is temporary, it's not what I really want to do. I want to make it loud and clear - I'm a member of this church, not it's employee. I'm a shepherd of the flock, not a hireling. I'm not here to date around, I'm not here for the tuition money I get, I'm not here for the preaching opportunity, I'm not here to pay the bills. I'm here for the kids, I'm here for the high calling of shepherding souls.

I'm married to Living Word and my vow is sealed with my tears. Unless the Lord separates us, I'm staying here until I die. Unless the Lord calls and the body feels that I can be of better use to Him elsewhere, I have no thought of leaving. I remember starting this ministry and talking with one of the youth group kids. What I said to him then is still true now - "I'm here to stay." Stay strong and God bless.

04-20-08 Sermon Review

The Testimony of John the Baptist (John 1:19-36)

We have by God's grace finished our study of John's Prologue, the first eighteen verses of the Gospel according to John, and now by his mercies we'll tackle the next eighteen verses in one sermon! This section that we'll go over today is called the testimony of John the Baptist, as is written in vs. 19 "This is the testimony of John."

But before we go further into the passage, we must realize how adamant the Apostle John is in keeping with his purpose. If you remember from our first study, the Apostle John writes this book so that we may clearly know who Jesus is. This shows why the Apostle's insertion of John the Baptist's testimony is so important. The Apostle has, in the prologue, stated his thesis on the identity of Jesus. He is the Word incarnate, the eternal God come in the flesh. He is the only begotten, the Creator, the Light of the World. But why now bring in the testimony of John? What is the significance? The Law clearly states that "on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed" (Deuteronomy 19:15). By adding the Baptist's testimony to his own, the Apostle is in a sense making his testimony valid. There is no running away from the identity of Christ. Apostle John is making sure that we understand that this is not his own fabrication, but a truth that is confirmed by the standards of God's Law.

So let us then, go into the passage. In these eighteen verses, we'll see how John the Baptist responded to the Pharisees, what his ministry looked like, what his testimony actually was, etc. It can be summed up in to two statements: John's self-assessment and John's Christ-assessment.

John's Self-Assessment - Before the Apostle actually gives us John the Baptist's testimony, he gives us a glimpse of John's character. This is shown in John's response to the priests and levites who came to ask him questions. You see, John was an anomaly. For 400 years, God was silent. After the last prophet Malachi, no one rose up in the spirit of the former prophets. And then came John the Baptist, formerly described as the man sent from God. He was dressed in camel's hair and ate wild honey and locusts. He was an eccentric. He in his own right could've started a massive following. We notice that his influence carried on even long after his death (Acts 19:1-7). Christ even said that "there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11). So John was a great man, and the people were coming to him to ask who he was.

It's amazing though how he replies. When asked who he was, he replies by saying that he is not the Christ. That was not even the question. Why did John answer in this way? John was turning the tables back at them, subtly implying that "Who is the Christ" was the question to ask, not "Who is John?" John was always taking the eyes off of himself and pointing them to Christ. So the priests and Levites continue to question him asking if he was Elijah or the Prophet. These men were thoroughly taught in the Scriptures. Yet, John denies them all. When they finally ask him for his identity, John replies by saying, "I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the LORD'" (vs. 23). He was once again directing everyone's attention to Christ by identifying himself as a simple, humble servant.

It's interesting to see the reason why the these priests and Levites came to ask John about his identity. They reply to his answer by asking him, "Why then are you baptizing" (vs. 25). They wanted to know by whose authority John was calling men to repentance. Baptism at that time was not for Jews, but for Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. The fact that John called Jews to be baptized was a great rebuke to the Jews who boasted in their priviliged nationality. They didn't come to seek the Christ; they simply wanted to defend their self-righteousness. We see their heart in vs. 22 when they ask the question solely because they wanted an answer. John the Baptist was pointing to Christ the glorious One; yet, men only wanted an answer. Even then, John managed to continue pointing to Christ by not defending his minsitry but by showing the supreriority of the Christ to come.

John's Christ-Assessment - Now we finally get to the text that is actually the testimony of John concerning Jesus. We'll need to work backwards in the text, because the chronology of the event probably occured like this. John testified first which is vs. 32-34, and then came his exhortation vs. 29-33.

The Testimony - The actual testimony that John has of Jesus Christ is: "This (or he) is the Son of God." John was testifying that Jesus is God's Son, the only begotten, the Logos, the Light of the World, the Word made flesh introduced in the prologue. This is in keeping with the Apostle John's purpose ni writing the book; he is emphasizing the identity of Jesus as the Christ, Son of God. The testimony that John the Baptist is notable for two reasons. First, the testimony was in relation to divine inspiration (vs. 33). Second, John speaks in the perfect tense, implying the finality and certainty of his testimony ("have seen" and "have testified" in vs. 34). He is making it absolutely clear that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

The Exhortation - Once John has testified to the identity of Jesus, he exhorts us to take action and "Behold the Lamb of God." Now, if John's tesitmony is that Jesus is the Son of God, it is amazing that in vs. 29 he proclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God" and not "Behold the Son of God." "The Lamb of God" must have rang loud and clear to any Jew listening to John the Baptist; the Lamb was referencing the sacrifice necessary for atonement. Now why does John say this?

I think the answer is that the full glory of Jesus, that is the full goodness of Jesus, is revealed as we recognize that He is the Lamb of God, the sacrifice made for our sins. Jesus was eternally the Son of God, but now as the "Word became flesh," he added to himself a human nature that will never be separated from Him and was necessary to make a proper sacrifice (vs. 14). Through Jesus we realize grace and truth, the full goodness of God as represented in His giving of His Son as a propitiatory sacrifice (vs. 17). The only right application that John the Baptist could think of from his own testimony was to exhort people to look at Jesus and recognize that He is the "Lamb of God." The fact that the Son of God was in the flesh could mean only one thing, He comes to give His life as a ransom for many.

For this reason, Christ is forever exalted and beheld by those who know Him as the Lamb of God. In the heavenly scene of Revelations 5, Christ is regarded as the Lamb and the cry of teh saints is "Worthy is the Lamb." But for those who have not come to realize who Jesus is, He is simply a man. One of the saddest passages in the Bible is in John 19:5. Pilate brings Jesus out before the Jews and says, "Behold the Man." If there ever was a time that men should have recognized that Jesus was the Lamb of God, it was then. Christ was on His way to be sacrificed, and yet the world did not know. Clearly, the God of this age has blinded the eyes of men (2 Corinthians 4).

Conclusion - So in closing, we see that John the Baptist was a man who always pointed the attention to Christ, testified to the identity of Jesus, and exhorted men to behold the beauty of Christ as the Lamb of God. It would do us well to learn from his character, recognize the truth of his testimony, and heed the calling of his exhortation. Stay strong and God bless!

Radical Christianity pt. 6

I know it's been I while since I've continued this series, but praise the Lord, we have come to our last point in my Radical Christianity. This is a topic that is very dear to me as it radically changed my lifestyle and brought me fountains of joy once I recognized it and its various implications. My final point is this: True Christians have a radical mission towards future glory.

As Christians, we have trusted in Christ, not simply for this life, but also for the life to come in the resurrection. We are being taken from glory to glory until we attain to that glorious state before the presence of the Lord. Our goals are radically changed, our purpose is radically shifted. The Apostle Paul exhorts us, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 1:1). It is a sad thing to see Christians lose sight of eternity and turn to worldly things, getting too comfortable in this side of eternity.

The point is that the Christian has a radically different goal in life that culminates in eternal joy. We understand that God has a plan, not just for us personally but a;so for the whole world. He's summing up all things in Christ. This future hope drives Christians to live radically different from the world, Christians to invest in "Kingdom Work." The Christian does not live for the present, he lives for that glorious future.

The Christian's entire life is affected by this hope in future glory. The Christian thinks differently, prioritizes differently, prays differently, finds joy differently, lives differently. The Christian finds contentment in suffering as did Paul: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). The Christian measures success on a totally different scale, he seeks only to hear from his Master, "Well done my good and faithful slave." The Christian does not find joy in the riches of the present world, but rather in the riches of the heaven. The Christian heeds the call of the Savior, "Go and make disciples of all nations." The Christian tirelessly, wholly surrenders his life for this radical mission because of the treasure of joy he finds in giving up his life.

Jim Elliot, that beloved martyr, said it well, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." This life is a short stop compared to the eternity of heaven; a small price to pay for its riches. It is no wonder why Christian history is stained with the blood of martyrs. True Christians have confessed along with Paul, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." True Christians know that they have a radical mission towards future glory. Stay strong and God bless!

Shai Linne

This Friday, we had the privilege of visiting the Underground Church at their Faith and Flavor Fridays. It was a blessing to see brothers and sisters in Christ celebrating the truths of the Faith. My seminary friend Jorge Mendoza had a time to share with us the precious meat of the Word, expositing Ephesians 1:7-10 for us. What a great way to remind us how precious our redemption is. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to listen to Shai Linne, a very talented Christian artist. The songs were substantially deep, biblically rich, and theologically accurate. It was a blessing to see him perform. He has a new album out called "The Atonement." I would highly recommend it. Below is an interview with Shai I found at Lampmode Records. Being blessed by his music, I simply wanted to get his name out, and I pray that you'd all be blessed with his passion for truth expressed through digging deep into the Word. Stay strong and God bless!

Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen can write really well. It is no wonder why this book has taken the world by storm selling over 4 million copies and then some. So let me start with some applause for Joel Osteen. It is my first time ever actually reading this book, and surprisingly I found him to quote more Scripture than I thought he would. He also believes in the sovereignty of God with great conviction, probably more than most evangelicals. And finally, he tells some awesome stories, and some that I think I might even use for an example. But alas, that is where the compliments end. One thing and one thing only bugged me to the end, chapter after chapter, page after page. Osteen does not know mercy. Mercy. He never seems to mention that it. Everything is a mercy from God, and when Osteen neglects to mention this, it misleads people to believe that they deserve a good life, a promotion, a job, a good marriage, etc (Osteen can't seem to stop mentioning these things throughout his book). This also leads to an emphasis on material things, and defines blessings as things of this life. Because of this lack of mercy, there is no need to bring in the Gospel, and as suspected, I found only a few references to Christ, all of them without reference to his atoning death for sin. Simply put, you can read this book and get encouraged; yet you will not be stirred to treasure God and cherish Christ. Since the concept of mercy is not there in the book, there is also no mention of sin. Osteen presupposes that everyone reading is a "Christian," and that they are good people. A lack of mercy also prevents Osteen from mentioning future glory. I think Osteen really means it when he says that you can have your best life now! But obviously, if the best life is now, heaven is nothing better. The book is devoid of heavenly things in the future and brings the world to the now. It is sad that our greatest joy that is yet to come is replaced by a seven-step plan to enjoy life in the now. This book exalts life, not Christ.

Pages: 306
Difficulty: Simple
Rating: 1/5
Buy or Borrow: I wouldn't struggle through this whopping 300 page book if I were you. Your time is better spent reading Desiring God, or Future Grace by John Piper. Both books are similar in length to Osteen and easy to read.

04-13-08 Sermon Review

The Glory Beheld

Before we go into the book of John, I want to first take you to Psalm 27:4. I want to take you there because I want us to see this wonderful passage in the Gospel of John in light of this specific verse in the Psalms. I believe if we don't, we won't be able to see the value of what is being mentioned by John. It reads:

"One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple." (italics mine)

Now here is David, the man after God's own heart. And in this psalm, we see his greatest desire. The only thing that would satisfy David was to dwell in the hosue of the Lord, behold Him, and treasure Him. If this is not your desire, to see God in His full beauty and glory, then John 1:14-18 is of little or no importance to you. Here is why: These five verses offer us nothing less and nothing more than the grace that sinners can behold the Glory of God. The passage shows that the glory was beheld and describes to us the goodness of this glory.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, "He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me."' For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1:14-18)

Glory beheld - Now, look at what the verse tells us, "we saw His glory." That is no small thing for the Jew who would be reading this. Moses, when he asks to see God's glory, only got to see His back because if Moses saw Him in His full splendor, He would have died. Same with Isaiah, He knew the ramifications of coming face to face with God Almighty that he cries out, "Woe is me!" Now, that is interesting isn't it? These men, they all wanted to see the glory of the Lord, they had the same heart as David in Psalm 27:4. yet, they were not able.

But what grace is revealed to us by the Apostle John! "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory." How was it that we were able to see the glory? Grace. Jesus came. The word "dwelt" is the same word for "pitching a tent." The word alludes to the tabernacle of the Old testament. Now, remember, the tabernacle was filled with the glory of the Lord. It was a place where God resided as assurance to the people of Israel that God is with them. What an amazing way to portray Jesus' coming. Jesus came so that the glory might be among us, that the glory might be seen.

Now I think this is further expressed in vs 18. John writes that "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." What a statement! This phrase "He has explained Him" has some personal significance to me. The Greek word for "explained" is the same word from which we get exegesis, which means to derive the meaning of the text. I guess you can say in some sense that God the Son "exegeted" the Father. All that God is, the Son of God revealed to us so that we may understand this God whom we had never seen. So we see the glory of God through Jesus Christ. This is more substantiated in the rest of the New Testament, most notably in Hebrews. The author of Hebrews calls Christ the "radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature" (Hebrews 1:3).

Glory Described - So what is this glory that we see? What is so great about this glory? I mean, why should we be so excited that we see the glory of God? Well, this is why I believe John goes on to describe this glory to us. He inserts a phrase by John the Baptist to show that this glory is of one that is Supreme. That should be enough for us to be at wonder of this glory but John goes on to explain that this glory is also "full of grace and truth." Now what does that mean? The phrase "grace and truth," without going into to much depth, could be understood as the sum of all God's goodness. D.A. Carson in his commentary concludes that, "God's glory, then, is supremely His goodness."

Now look at this, "of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." This glory, this supreme goodness is the channel through which we receive grace. Now what does this mean, "grace upon grace." I believe it means that we have received now the grace of Christ instead of the grace of the Law as is described in vs. 17. You see, the Law was a grace, it truly was. But it was grace only enough to show us that we are sinners. But "grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ." You see then, that we have received this awesome grace, to know the glory of the Father, to have Him "exegeted" for us through Christ Jesus.

Conclusion - Now, let me try to bring this to a close by bringing you back to Psalm 27:4. David's desire was to see and behold the beauty of the Lord; yet, he was not able to see it, no one was. We are in the same boat, we can not approach God in His full glory; yet that is what we eagerly seek. Then, what great news is John 1:14-18! The only begotten God came in the flesh so that we might through Him experience and see and behold the fullness of His glory! This is why we magnify Christ, this is why we preach Christ, this is why we adore Christ. Through Him, we cherish all the goodness of God, His glory. This passage only offers us the supreme joy of knowing and seeing God's glory. This is why if we do not have the mind and desire of David in Psalm 27:4, this passage means nothing to us. But if we do, it is the world to us.

What a blessing this passage offers to those who eagerly seek the Lord. This passage asserts that we can truly "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8) through Jesus Christ. Now, the Apostle Paul realized this and therefore made the preaching of Christ the focus of His ministry. We'll close with his words.

"For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:5,6) Stay strong and God bless!

Am I dreaming?

I found out today that the famous Hillsong worship song "Shout to the Lord" was sung on American Idol's "Idol's Give Back" performance this Thursday. Of course they changed the lyrics "My Jesus" to "My Shepherd." But what's very interesting is that they sung it again the next day! And they kept the original lyrics! I thought this was definitely quite interesting. I thought Joshua Harris' thoughts were also very interesting. I couldn't believe this so I checked it on youtube, and there is was. I embedded the second performance below just in case you really think I'm dreaming. It really got me thinking: Why in the world would they want to sing this song in a secular show? twice? all together? Is the end of the world coming? (That's a joke by the way). Well, at the least, it does make things interesting and gives you a lot to think about as well as open things up for discussion.

A Gospel Primer for Christians - By Milton Vincent

A blessing from start to finish. I read this short book today in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is exactly what it's title claims to be, a short book covering the basic elements of a given subject, in this case the Gospel. It is so true that we can so often forget what the blessings that we have received in the Gospel and let it affect our lives, our minds, our actions, and our affections. Milton Vincent reminds us, not only about what the Gospel is, but also about the glories and the victories of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The book is broken down into four parts in which he gives 31 reasons why a Christian should preach the Gospel to himself daily, a short prose explaining the Gospel, a poetic version of the Gospel, and a personal testimony which I thought many could relate to quite well. The book is well written and will surely be an enjoyable read and a challenging one that will encourage you to start preaching the Gospel to yourself today! I plan on picking up this book quite frequently, for I am often in need to be reminded of Gospel truths! I know this book will do just that!

Pages: 97
Reading Difficulty: Normal
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: I would suggest that you get a copy of the book for yourself, and use it frequently as a venue to cherish and enjoy our great Savior Jesus Christ.

Poetry and Truth

I came across a poet named Blair Wingo on Godtube one day. I was extremely blessed to see God's truth being proclaimed in a variety of ways. This sister is truly gifted, and I thought I should bless you all with some of her poetry. This one below is called "Allow me to re-introdue the Christ."

04-06-08 Sermon Review

The Word Made Flesh

We come now to a text, in our exposition of John, that is so signifcant that it deserves a whole sermon by itself, and although it would be nice to continue through the exposition fairly quickly, I think it is to our great benefit to contemplate on these five paramount words that has shocked and puzzled and delighted Christians through the ages: "And the Word became flesh" (John 1:14). Jim Boice is quite insightful and observes that these five words have now become "commonplace" in today's Christianized culture, and therefore, I do, with great zeal, desire and hope to bring back the shock with which these five words ought to pierce our hearts and draw out our affections.

Now, it's not hard to exegete this text (that is, to draw the meaning out of the text), but to mine its depths is an infinite task. The implications that are in this text is highly relevant and significant to our daily Christian walk and will enlarge our understanding of the mercy and love of God as well as our delight and joy in the person of Jesus the Christ. For the purposes of meditating richly in these five words, I want to give to you five reasons why the Word became flesh to stimulate your worship before the Lord.

1. The Word became flesh to die for sin - Without a real human body that can die, there could be no atonement made for sin. It is clear in Scripture that without blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus had to have been made flesh if a perfect sacrifice for sin had to be made. If we could have been forgiven any other way, Christ would not have come in the flesh. The Scripture is also quite clear that Christ's blood spilled for our sin is the basis of our forgiveness (Hebrews 9:12-14; Ephesians 1:7). Therefore, Christ put on humanity to make atonement for sin.

2. The Word became flesh to give us life - Jesus states the purpose of his coming by saying, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Not only did his work on the cross atone for sins, but it also generated life for dead sinners. Paul tells us that we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), but with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we now have a justification of life (Romans 5:18-21; 6:8-11). John elsewhere in His gospel penned the famous verse, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Therefore, Christ coming in the flesh and His bodily death on the cross not only signifies an atonement for sin but also a new life.

3. The Word became flesh to experience humanity - I was once shocked when the someone challenged me with the thought that God, though being omniscient in all things, cannot have experiential knowledge of being human until He becomes one. That is the definition of experiential knowledge. The author of Hebrews writes that the Eternal Word was made like humans "to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10). He put on the flesh to gain experiential knowledge of suffering so that "He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest" (Hebrews 2:17). What blessing to know that "we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

4. The Word became flesh to set an example - "To walk as Jesus walked" is the goal of the Christian. Peter reminds us that "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow" (1 Peter 2:21). John exhorts us to walk "in the same manner as He walked" (1 John 2:6). What an amazing God we have, a God that does not simply teach us how to live, but shows us. My favorite verse of the bible is found in Romans, "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Christ did not take on human flesh only to die for our sin, give us life, and experience humanity; He took on flesh to give us an example of what a truly righteous life looks like.

5. The Word became flesh to be forever glorified as God-Man - There is none so unique as Christ, none so glorious. My theme passage for 2008 is written by Paul: "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himselt by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11). Christ put on the flesh, and now He's forever glorified as the Lamb that was slain (Revelations 5:6-14).

Now, I want us to think about these five reasons for a bit. Have you noticed that these five reasons were all, in some sense, for our need and not Christ's? Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus never needed to put on humanity? He was infinitely perfect, infinitely good. The only reason why He should put on humanity was to redeem unworthy sinners like ourselves. He did it for us. So let's not make the incarnation of Jesus Christ simply a bible-story to justify Christmas celebrations; let's not make it merely a doctrine to determine orthodoxy, let's not leave it a mystery unfathomed, but let's make it a truth that refreshses the soul, a light that shines goodness upon a dark and gloomy world, a news that shouts forth the coming victory, a source of infinite joy that opens up channels for us to cherish and delight in our merciful and faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. It would do well for all of us, to meditate deeply and richly in this wonderful doctrine of Scripture, the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stay strong and God bless!

Radical Christianity pt. 5

We are now coming to the last two points of my Radical Christianity, and I pray going through these points have been helpful to you as you strive to be a bonafide Christian, approved to God and unashamed. We come now to my fourth point which states that true Christianity involves radical measures for present living. What I mean by this is that the true Christian will take the necessary means to live an obedient, holy, and blameless life, living as in the world but not of the world. As John Owen writes in his classic, "On the Mortification of Sin," "Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you."

It is this kind of drastic and radical mindset towards obedience that marks the true Christian, and sadly, it is missing in present day popular Christianity. So called "Christians" care very little about obedience and make all sorts of excuses to live a life of disobedience. They are content with mediocre holiness, if there is such a thing. We must be striving for holiness, and we must take radical measures in this life that so tempts us to walk in a manner unworthy of the calling which we have received. We must delight in obedience as obedience reflects love for the Lord. Let me simply list you some verses (with italics for emphasis) from Scripture that personally challenged me on my view of obedience and holiness. I pray these verses would remind you of the significance and gravity of obedience as well as our responsibility to pursue holiness.

Matthew 5:48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord."

James 2:26 "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

Matthew 5:29,30 "If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of the body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. "

Romans 6:19b "For just as you have presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as salves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification."

1 John 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."

Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worhtless for any good deed."

2 Timothy 2:22 "Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. "

Galatians 5:24 "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Romans 8:6-8 "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Philippians 2:12,13 "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."

1 John 5:3 " For this is the love of God, that we observe His commandments."

1 Samuel 15:22 "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LOrd? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams."

Now, I must be quite clear, I am not advocating a works based salvation. Salvation is by grace alone and justification is by faith alone. But because of this stress on Sola Fide, it seems that the doctrine of sanctification has now become non-existent in some Christian circles. I am reminded of the phrase, "If God hasn't changed you, He hasn't saved you." R.C. Sproul in a panel discussion reminds us that the "Justified person is a regenerate person whose sanctification begins immediately and necessarily with our justification." Christians by nature are obedient and marked by holiness. There is no truly saved Christian that God is not conforming to the perfect image of His Son in obedience and holiness (Romans 8:28-30).

For those of us who think that obedience is beneath us, that calling God "Lord" and "Master" is not fitting because He's our "Father" and "Friend," I wish to remind you of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the extent to which He submitted in obedience to God the Father. Jesus, "although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6,7). I pray that all of us would strive and take radical measures for perfect obedience and holiness for we have a Lord who is worthy of such and a Savior who paved the way by His example. Let it be our cry along with the Apostles, "We must obey God rather than man" (Acts 5:29)! God be merciful to us!

The Cross Centered Life - CJ Mahaney

A short, yet powerful book on keeping the gospel of Jesus Christ central in our lives. And when I say short, I mean short. And when I say powerful, I mean powerful. This book was probably one of the most delightful sub-100 page books I've read (but then again, I haven't read that many books!). Mahaney really does a great job highlighting the significance and importance of living a cross centered life as well as drawing a picture of what it actually looks like, all in a few words. I read it through in one sitting in a very short amount of time, and most likely would do it again. If you are just starting off your walk with Jesus, or want to gain some insight of an aged pastor who has walked with Jesus and lives a cross centered life, I highly recommend this book. It's brevity makes it appealing, but also the content is quite meaningful and I'm sure it would be very delightful to the saved soul.

Pages: 85 (with small pages!)
Reading Difficulty: Simple
Rating: 5/5
Buy or Borrow: I would buy this book and refer to it every once in awhile to remind yourself of great gospel truth and to encourage yourself to make the cross central in your life.

The Airport Crew

This week I was able to attend EBCB's (my former church) 10 year anniversay Bible conference. My room mate and other friends blessed us with some special songs. They are called the airport crew because of their random beginning during a mission send-off at the SFO airport. I was surprised at how quickly their performance was put on youtube. I embedded it below for your viewing and listening pleasure! I pray you'd be blessed as I was!

Songs: Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus / Amazing Grace

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationships, Roles, and Relevance - Bruce Ware

A very clear and concise book on the Trinity. Bruce Ware does an excellent job opening up to the reader the doctrine of the trinity as well as it's relevance in the Christian's daily life. The book sticks to the outline of the title by first defending and clarifying this paramount doctrine and then going through the relationship, role, and relevance of each member of the trinity. The read was quite enjoyable and helped me better grasp this precious doctrine. I know the doctrine of the Trinity is quite confusing to many people, some do not even know what it actually teaches! Ware does a great job keeping the material at a very readable level for most lay people and gives tremendous insight into the relevance of the Trinity in our daily lives. This book is highly recommended if you want to grow in your understanding of the Trinity.

Pages: 176
Reading Difficulty: Normal
Rating: 5 / 5
Buy or Borrow: I would highly recommend getting your own copy. I think this is a book that you might go back to it frequently to meditate upon the triunity of God. But if you can't, you're always welcome to borrow it from my library!

03-30-08 Sermon Review

This past Sunday, we were able to return to our exposition of the Gospel according to John. The sermon was an exposition on John 1:1-13.

The Light and the Children of Light

This week, as I was studying this passage, I was blown away at the wonderful contrast that is displayed for us in what we call John's Prologue. As I told you before, this book is all about Christ, and that it was written with the intent to reveal who He is and to make plea with us to believe in His Name. There is no better introduction to such a gospel that could have been written. John's Prologue has displayed Christ and summed up His ministry, and at the same time revealed what that means to us.

The wonderful contrast that I saw is between Jesus and Sinners. I call it the undeserved abasement of Jesus and the undeserved adoption of sinners. Here is the text:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

"There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

"There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (NASB John 1:1-14)

The Undeserved Abasement of Jesus - For us to fully grasp what's going on in these verses, we must recognize who Jesus is. We don't have to look far, for John tells us who He is. Jesus is the Word (the full revelation of God), Jesus is Deity, Jesus is Creator, Jesus is Life, Jesus is the Light. Jesus is the Light that can not be quenched, He is the only truly good being in this world. Simply put, He is Lord of all and the greatest possible delight of men.

So what does this Jesus deserve? He deserves to be crowned with praises, He deserves to be delighted in and received, He deserves the full radical submission of all His creatures. Yet, what did He receive? He was abased. The language in this passage clearly portrays that men esteemed Him not, men did not care a bit for the person of Jesus Christ. All men were blind and so careless about Jesus that God needed to send a testimony concerning the Light, John the Baptist. All men were living in this state of conscious rejection of Jesus Christ. He was abased, He was made to be like nothing, worthless, undesirable.

But the language gets even stronger. John writes that Jesus even "came to His own" and yet, even they "did not receive Him" (John 1:11). He came to creation, and even more specifically His own people Israel, yet they all rejected Him. The Israelites of all people should have recognized their king, but when Jesus came to earth as a baby boy, the king of the Jews, Herod, tried to kill Him. He was rejected, He was abased. Even from His birth He was not welcome. Jesus deserved far better.

The Undeserved Adoption of Sinners - After this shocking rejection portrayed by John, He begins the next verse with "But." Indeed, what would the Bible be like if such words and phrases did not exist. In contrast to the rejection of Jesus, John reveals the mercy that sinners have received.

The verse reads, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Now, this boggled my mind. The verses prior just spoke of how no one received Him, and how even His own did not receive Him! Who are these people that received Jesus? I believe it is explained in vs. 13, those who were born, "not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." All those who received Jesus were once those who rejected Jesus, and it was not of their own effort or will that they came to believe. Indeed, who can make the blind see? And here is the wonderful mercy of God upon sinners most beautifully displayed. He caused us to be born again, opening our eyes that we may believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What did we as sinners deserve? The wrath of God. But what did we as believers in Jesus get? The right to become children of God. All because of mercy.

Now this should leave us in wonder as we look at the abasement of Jesus and the adoption of sinners. What an amazing contrast. The One deserving of all glory rejected by those who were His very own, and those deserving of nothing but judgment given the right to become children of God. In here we see the wonderful love of God, that even while we were enemies, God sent His only begotten Son. He sent Him to be mocked, shamed, spat upon, beaten, crucified. And in doing so, God made His enemies His sons.

Now, it is a blessing and great joy for us to know that the story doesn't end here! The abased Christ will one day take His place and every knee will bow to His great Name (Philippians 2:5-11). But let us remember, that it was because of His stripes that we are healed. Let us remember, that Jesus was rejected by His own that we might be received. Let us remember, that Jesus left His glory above that we might become children of God. Let us remember, that we, because of our sins, crucified the Lord of Glory. Glory be to God on high for His great mercy and love. Stay strong and God bless!

Radical Christianity pt. 4

Returning to our topic of Radical Christianity, I want to focus this post on my third point: True Christianity involves a radical mind transformed by the Word of God. I believe that this concept is where the greatest challenge for many are, namely that the Lord Jesus Christ does not simply demand submission of the flesh, but a submission of the mind and will. True Christianity involves a drastic change of one's world-view and conformity to the mind of Christ as revealed in the Word (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:16). I guess it is correct to say that you are not a Christian until you think like a Christian. So the saying goes, "How you think is who you are." What is amazing is not the necessity that our minds need to change, but the extent to the which our minds must change. Here are some reasons why I come to this conclusion.

The Christian needs a new mind to please God - The bible clearly delineates that men have a totally depraved mind (Ephesians 2:1-4). The character of our mind affects our eternal state: "For the mind set on the flesh is death" (Romans 8:6). Such a mind cannot please God (Romans 8:8). Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that we seek out the mind of the Spirit, a mind that is totally against our fleshly thinking if we want to have "life and peace" as well as cry out God as "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:6,15).

The Christian is commanded to be transformed in mind - Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore I urge you brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed in the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Also confer Ephesians 4:20-24. Continually, the Apostles taught their fellow brothers to guard their minds, set their minds, and engage their minds for the glory of God (1 Peter 1:13, Colossians 3:2, Philippians 4:7. etc). The goal of Christian life can in some way be defined as the pursuit of transforming our minds to the mind of Christ.

The Christian finds joy by engaging his mind - Joy is based on the mind. Mindless joy is an unconceivable concept in Scripture. Jesus spoke and taught so that His apostles might have His joy in them ( John 17:3). I found John Piper's sermon on this issue at the 2006 National Desiring God conference to be thought-provoking and encouraging. You can find his sermon here. Therefore, the pursuit to glorify God through being satisfied in Him (as John Piper would say) can only be done through the active engagement of one's mind to true thoughts of God.

Though it is absolutely clear that a radically transformed mind is true Christianity, the modern trend these days is to absolutely deny the need for a transformed mind. I find that the reason why it is such a challenging concept is because the Scripture reveals how wretched our minds really are, continually seeking evil. We will be challenged by Scripture on almost everything including our views on homosexuality, submission, gender roles, spiritual gifts, heaven and hell, sovereignty of God, etc. We have radically counter-Scriptural minds, and it is so easy not to change and stay in our nice, comfortable, counter-Scriptural mentality. But if we stay in this sort of flesh-pleasing mindless Christianity, our path is the way of death. Christianity really calls for a radical transformation of the mind.

Christ calls for the radical submission of our minds to a transformation by the power of His Word to conformity with His Word and Will that we can, at the end of the day, say with Paul, "We have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). Are you ready to be challenged in your thinking and transformed in your mind? The flesh wages war against the Spirit; it will not be easy because it will require absolute submission to the Word. Blessed are those whose minds are renewed by the mercies of God! Stay strong and God bless!