Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Irreverent, Silly Myths

I enjoyed this clip on the importance of teaching good doctrine towards godliness. You can find the complete sermon here.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Resolved 2009

Here is the trailer for the upcoming Resolved Conference that will take place in Palm Springs, CA from June 12 (Friday) to June 15 (Monday).

Great is Thy faithfulness

Lamentations 3:21-23

"This I recall to my mind, there I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."

Throughout college, my one of the songs that I sang often was Great is Thy Faithfulness. It is only recently though that I understand the full implications of that phrase and the meaning of the song. It is through texts like Lamentations 3:21-23 that I realize His faithfulness is the assurance of my hope. Every morning I wake up, God is faithful to give me breath. Every morning I wake up, God is faithful to keep me saved. Every morning I wake up, God is faithful to remind me of His glories. The wonder of it all is that God will do so until we are glorified, until we cross the Jordan, until we see Him face to face. There is no greater assurance than in the faithfulness of God. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

A 12 year old on Abortion

You don't see too many encouraging articles on the web these days, but here is one for you. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Monday, February 16, 2009

For whom should I pray?

1 Timothy 2:1, 2

"First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity."

Today is President's Day, a day in which we honor our former and present presidents. I thought it would be a good reminder to look at Paul's exhortation to pray for "kings and all who are in authority." If you are wondering for whom you should lift up intercession today, lift up a prayer for our President. He really needs it. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

02-01-09 Sermon Review

Feeding the Multitudes
John 6:1-13

It amazes me that Jesus did all sorts of miracles when He was on earth. He did not just heal the sick, but He also made the blind see. He also made water into wine, raised Lazarus from the dead, walked on water, calmed the sea. He did a variety of miracles to prove in those various ways that He is God omnipotent. He is not bound by any law of nature. We come today to a text in which Jesus performs yet another miracle that John calls a sign. It is a unique miracle in the sense that it is recounted in all four Gospels. I want you to see in the text that Jesus provides both sustenance and satisfaction as a display of His divinity

Sustenance - The situation in which we find Jesus and His disciples seems dire. There are 5,000 hungry people who do not have anything to eat. Jesus could have sent them away. That would have been the obvious decision for a mere man, but Jesus had different plans for He is no mere man. Jesus asks Philip a simple question, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?" (vs. 6). Philip's answer is absolutely correct. "Two hundred denarii are not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little" (vs.7). But what Philip did not take into account was that the Great Provider was right before Him. Philip disregarded two things: Jesus' power and Jesus' desire. Jesus not only had the power to feed the multitudes, but He also had the desire to do it.
Even Andrew who seems to have had a little more faith than Philip disregarded these two things. Had they forgotten what Jesus already taught them? "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'" (Matt. 6:30,31). If the disciples recognized what the signs meant, they would have responded to Jesus' question by saying, "Lord, You are the Provider, and we shall be filled if You will it." It goes to show you that signs do not produce faith and right actions. Jesus' grace does.

Satisfaction - So after the testing of His disciples, Jesus performs His sign. Miraculously, He feeds the multitudes starting only with a boy's lunch! It is important for us to notice that Jesus did not give the bare minimum. He provided until everyone had as much as they wanted (vs. 11)! And just to prove that He is the Lord who provides abundantly, He provides enough for twelve baskets of food to be left over. Not only is His providence timely, it is satisfactory. It is sufficient, rather more than we deserve. We'll soon how satisfaction is a dangerous thing, but we need not dismiss the fact that God indeed satisfies not simply spiritually, but also physically. Indeed, we cannot expect the greatest physical comforts and pleasures in this life, but we still do taste of His abundant goodness day by day. Let us not forget how much He satisfies us with His grace.

What a wonderful display of Jesus' deity! John calls this a sign since it pointed to Jesus' Lordship. Now here is what's interesting. The people seeing this sign attempted to make Jesus king by force. Now that seems like a good thing, but Jesus did not think so. You see, what is being displayed here is the conflict between man's will and God's will. After being satisfied, the multitudes wanted to make for themselves a king out of Jesus. If they understood the sign, they ought to have worshiped and listened to Jesus, ready to submit to His every word. Yet, their will, driven by a satisfied stomach, compelled them to act for themselves.

Be careful. In your walk with Jesus, it will be easy to fall into this sort of thinking. I have seen far too many people desiring to make Jesus "Lord" after a tremendous blessing they received; yet, their allegiance to Jesus was nothing more than an expression of a satisfied stomach and exercise of their own will. Let your experiences of God's providence in your life constantly push you to greater submission to His holy name. That is the rightful response. No loud, public declaration is necessary; only a quiet, submissive heart. That is where the multitudes failed after tasting of divine bread. Jesus requires allegiance to His name, but He will deny all allegiances to Him if it comes from the will of man. Be ready to submit your will to His. May Christ get all the glory. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Indulgences!

Times Magazine recently had an article on the reintroduction of the practice that fed the fuel to Luther's 95 Thesis and the Protestant Reformation. It is amazing that people still believe that Evangelicals are the same as Catholics. I found this quote quite hilarious: "The good news is we’re not selling them anymore." Oh how we need to pray.

Monday, February 9, 2009

As the Waters Covers the Sea

Habbakuk 2:14

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

What a promise! Habkkuk had just received a prophecy in which the Lord said that He will use the wicked Babylonians to judge Israel. This puzzled, or maybe even angered, Habkkuk. How can God use the wicked to judge Israel? God replies to Habkkuk in an extraordinary way. Read God's defense in the second chapter of Habbakuk. When you see the wicked prosper, know that in the end, they are doomed. Why? For the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Al Mohler on Facebook's Birthday

Justin Taylor summarizes Al Mohler's suggestions as Mohler reflects on Facebook turning five this year. This is a lot of wisdom coming from a wise man; I highly suggest it to those who are constantly using this social networking tool. You can read Al Mohler's whole article here.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Ridiculous, Just Plain Ridiculous

Today, there was an article on CNN about how a "Doctor" lost his license because his clinic aborted a live baby. The mother is now suing the doctor for psychological pain caused by the incident. I'm here reading this and I'm saying to myself, "This is ridiculous." What about the dead baby? How come there is no mention of murder? So if the baby was killed while in the womb just maybe ten minutes before, it would be okay? Ten minutes before, the baby is a "fetus," and ten minutes after, the baby is "my daughter"? The sad thing is that a case like this is not that rare in America. Such cases should compel people to consider that maybe the fetus is really a human person. No one even brings up the issue. This is just plain ridiculous. If you want to read some more of my thoughts on abortion, please read my sermon. I pray someday the light bulb will turn on for many in America.

My Worldview and Video Games

The Shepherd's fellowship blog is posting short excerpts from their new book Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong. In the latest post, Austin Duncan, youth pastor of Grace Community Church, shares some of his thoughts on how we should view video games. Our students should definitely find this post quite relevant! Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

01-25-09 Sermon Review

God Have Mercy

In many parts of the United States this January 22nd many celebrated the 36th anniversary of the controversial ruling that enabled legal abortions in the US. But I grieved. I grieved as I considered the millions of babies that were "aborted" since Roe v. Wade. I grieved as I considered the sanctity of human life and how Roe v. Wade in a single sweep allowed for the destruction of human life. Abortion is no small matter.

I grieved also at the fact that our newly inaugurated president has made no insignificant statement regarding his position and his plans concerning abortion. On the day of the anniversary He stated, "I remain committed to a woman's right to choose." He also shows unwavering commitment to the Freedom of Choice Act. Such statements send a terrifying chill down my spine.

So what are the issues in abortion? RC Sproul states that this is a very complex issue that involves the basic rights of privacy, individual liberty, woman's rights, and the unborn's rights. But these are all secondary to this most critical question: when does life of a human person begin? This should be the first question that must be answered; yet, you would be surprised at how confusing the literature is on this issue. You would expect there to be a certain amount of certainty to an issue that deals with the termination of possible human life, but there isn't. And those who support Roe v. Wade and the freedom of choice would like to keep it confusing. How should we who believe in the Scriptures as the ultimate authority and believe in the sanctity of human life as taught in the Scriptures respond to this issue?

First, let me tell you that the Scriptures itself is not absolutely clear on the issue. What I mean is that the Scriptures do not explicitly state that personal human life begins at the moment of conception. If it did, there would be our prooftext. But here are a few notes to consider for those who would like to dismiss the idea that Scripture supports life at the moment of conception. 1) An unborn child is treated as a personal living human in the Israelites' court of law (Exodus 21:22-25). 2) The same Greek and Hebrew word to describe a post-natal child is used of the pre-natal child. 3) John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while in the womb (Luke 1:39-45). 4) God knew of the existence of the person before conception and also forms the baby in the womb (Psalm 139). 5) Jesus' person and life existed before the moment of conception.

These points are not easy to dismiss when also taken alongside what the law of nature tells us. Here are some studies done on the pre-natal child that you ought to know. The whole genetic code that is necessary to create a human person is extant at the moment of conception. You can observe the heart beating at eighteen to twenty-five days. By the eight week, you can see fingerprints and notice brain waves. All major body functions are observed by the eleventh week. At twelve and thirteen weeks, the child sucks its thumb and recoils from pain. Physically, it is hard to dismiss the idea that this "fetus" is nothing but tissue as some still vehemently argue.

Some who defend abortion would even go as far as to say that the mother should have a choice to abort the baby even after the baby is born. Peter Singer, a notable philosopher and ethics authority, said, "There [is a] lack of any clear boundary between the newborn infant, who is clearly not a person in the ethically relevant sense, and the young child who is. In out book, Should the Baby Live?, my colleague Helga Kuhse and I suggested that a period of twenty-eight days after birth might be allowed before an infant is accepted as having the same right to life as others."

How is a baby "aborted." You need to know this. You need to see it. You won't understand why I feel the way I do about this until you can imagine the death of a child before you. Go to abort73.com and watch the videos. Here are the most common ways abortion is done. 1) Dilation and Suction - The baby is suckd out the womb. 2) Dilation and Curetage - The baby is too big and therefore, must be cut into pieces and then sucked out. Often the head is to big and therefore, must be crushed before removal. The abortionist places the pieces on a table to make sure every part of the "fetus" is removed. 3) Saline Injection - A saline solution is injected into the amniotic sac which literally burns the infant alive. The body is then forced out of the womb dead. 4) Caesarian - The doctorcs surgically open the womb and remove the baby. I am not sure when or how the baby dies. I do not want to know. 5) Partial Birth - The mother goes into induced labor. When the head comes out, the skull is cracked and the baby immediately dies. The mother then pushes out the rest of the dead body. 6) Birth Control Pills - Certain birth control pills force the mother's body to react to conception immediately allowing for the removal of the fetus.

What is the current state of affairs? There are about 1.5 million aboritons each year. 1% occur because of rape, 6% occur because of potential harm to both mother and child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons. 52% of all abortions are performed before the 9th week while 1% (which is around 16,450 per year) occur after the 20th week. Protestants make up 37.4% of all abortions; Catholics 31.3%. 18% are done by "Evangelicals."

1.5 million babies. It is hard for me to sympathize with those who detest war while they are absolutely content with what is going on just down the street where pieces of human baby body parts can be found in the dumpster. After all this, after studying all this, all I could say is "God have mercy!" There is nothing more I can say. I pray that abortion to you and to this nation will become as appalling and unimaginable as slavery has become. Until then, pray with me? Stand against it. Do it for the Lord. I'm very thankful that the Lord has already shown mercy to us. Mercy was shown on the cross when Jesus died for our sins. It is this that should drive us to humility when speaking on this subject with those who disagree. And it is also this that should spur us to fight against it. God have mercy. Thank you for Jesus. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Monday, February 2, 2009

John MacArthur

Most of you guys know that one of my present-day heroes is John MacArthur. This past Sunday Grace Church was honoring John MacArthur for forty years of ministry. Rick Holland interviewed John MacArthur the week before about ministry, cheeseburgers, his study bible, etc. It was a great way to get a glimpse into his life. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!

Faithful to the Faithless

2 Timothy 2:11-13

"It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure , we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself."

Tomorrow will mark one year of ministry for me at Living Word Korean Baptist Church. As I reflect upon the past year, I am forced to meditate on this verse more and more. I have been faithless. I have not done my work as a Pastor as I ought to have. I have failed morally, with discipline, and relationally. Yet God has been faithful. More than faithful. He has filled my cup that it overflows. And His faithfulness has not stopped. Year after year of His faithfulness continues to convince me that He will remain faithful despite my shortcomings for the many years to come. Whom else could I trust? Why does He remain so faithful? It's not because of me. It's because He is good. He cannot deny Himself. Oh what a rock on which we can stand! Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!