Monday, December 28, 2009

Believe Jesus

John 14:2

"... if it were not so, I would have told you..."

I'm preparing for a seminar on Six-Day Literal Creation at a conference this week. I find it quite interesting that John Whitcomb, after coming to a conclusion on this issue uses this verse to challenge his readers. He is quite right. Everything that Jesus says is true. Why should we not believe Him? Why is that we cannot believe God's Word when it tells us so clearly that the earth was created in six literal days? If it were not so, he would have told us.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Week in Review 12/25/09

What Did Your Pastor Do This Week
It's Christmas today! There's a lot that has happened this week. I had the privilege of spending some fun times with my old friends this Sunday celebrating Christmas and playing a gift exchange game and mafia. I also had a painful visit to the hospital because my mom's youngest brother was diagnosed for a serious cancer. It's been years since I saw him and his family. Please pray for him as he is in very critical condition. I am spending Christmas with mom and dad in LA and will be heading back up today. Merry Christmas everybody!

Interesting Happenings
I cleaned my house. Wow!
Check These Links Out
Charity: Who Cares? - Some interesting statistics.
O Holy Night - Dan Phillips explains its history.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - One of my favorite renditions of one of my favorite Christmas songs.

The Ever-growing Wish List
The Marketing of Evil - By David Kupelian

Monday, December 21, 2009

The Veil and Christmas

1 Corinthians 3:12-16

"Therefore having such a hope, we use boldness in our speech, and not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read,a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

It's Christmas week so why not a meditation on something... Christmasy? Well, it's because I believe this verse has everything to do with Christmas. There isn't only a veil over the hearts of the Jews, but over every heart. The Lord has graciously taken that veil away for us that we might His glory in the face of Christ. Without this unveiling, we would not be able to see the true worth of Christmas. Let us rejoice that the veil is gone so we can celebrate Christmas truly! God bless and Merry Christmas

Friday, December 18, 2009

Week in Review 12/18/09

What Did Your Pastor Do This Week
He got his orange belt! It was quite an interesting experience. Now that I'm an orange belt, they let me do some sparring and grappling. I had to do a grappling match this week along, and so they taught me the basics along with how to do an arm bar and a kimodo lock. I never thought I'd enjoy Karate so much!

AS for CCS, it's the last week before Christmas so things are getting pretty jolly. Presents are being given, parties are being held; it's quite some fun. I also had the privilege of speaking at our Middle School chapel. That was a blessing. I'm praying that the message will really hit home for the students. I never received so many gifts before in my life. I am very, very thankful. I think I have gift cards that total to around $100 in cash value.

This weekend will be some more fun as well as there will be our church's Christmas service as well as a party at the Lee's! Looking forward to a wonderful Christmas season!

Interesting Happenings
One of the students at CCS gave all the other teachers chocolate, but he gave me Chinese Tea. Hm...

Check These Links Out
Should She go to Med-School - Some good advice from godly, wiser women.
Rich Daddy God - Tim Challies' light and funny review about a weird board game.

The Ever-growing Wish List
John - By RC Sproul

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

12/13/09 Sermon Review

Questions to Ask about Christmas
Matthew 16:13-17; Hebrews 10:5-10

Christmas is a wonderful time. As one song will put it, "it's the most wonderful time of the year." I will gladly agree. For some reason, everything feels a bit jollier. I love Christmas music, and I love gathering with families. I love the break that I get from school, and I love the gifts that I give and receive. But we all know that Christmas is much more than these things. Central to the Christmas season is the Christmas story. It is a marvelous story, and for us to forget the main idea of the story would mean we have failed Christmas. As some of my students would say, it would be an "Epic Fail." And it's not just an epic failure, it is an eternal failure since the main idea has consequences for your eternal destiny.

The Christmas story is not a mystery. The events and the details are there for us to see clearly in Scripture. But so often as we look into the story of Christmas, we get caught up in the periphery while neglecting the center. How little we contemplate on the true Christmas Day is reflected in our shallow reverence to the Christmas story. We make the Christmas story about Mary and Joseph, about how they endured trials. We make it about the lowly shepherds who were visited by angels. We make it about the wise men from the Orient who came to see little baby Jesus. We make it about Herod and how wicked of a man he was.

All those side-stories are great stories indeed, but they are not the main pillar of the Christmas story. Then what is? John Macarthur puts it well: "So the glory of the Lord was the angelic focus at the birth of Christ. The glory of the Lord was the aura that invaded the scene. It isn't imposed upon the Christmas story, it is the Christmas story." It would do us well to remember this day is called Christmas. This story is about Christ and His glory. This story is about the baby who sleeps on a manger on Christmas eve.

If we want to to understand Christmas therefore, we need to ask ourselves this important question: Who is this baby? And the best answer I've found comes from the lips of man thirty years after Jesus' birth. His name is Peter, and to Jesus' piercing question, "Who do you say that I am?" he replies, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." No man ever answered the question better, and Jesus gives Peter His approval.

The Messiah - I've already preached a sermon covering the details of what this term means so I won't go into much detail. It suffices to say that the Messiah has a threefold role: Prophet, Priest, and King. To say that Jesus was the Messiah is the He is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises who will deliver Israel and all men from their sins. His kingdom will know no end.

Son of the Living God - The statement "Son of God" does not mean that Jesus came into being at a certain point in time, that he was second to God. Actually, this term means that Jesus' nature was that of God! Take for instance the phrase "Son of Man." The phrase is not trying to say we came into being after a certain "Man," but that our nature is that of a man. The phrase "Son of God" when used of Jesus means to say that Jesus' nature was that of God. Everything God is, Jesus is.

If this is the case, if this is who this baby really is, then we need to ask ourselves another question. Why in the world is He here? Why in the world is this Messiah-God in a dirty manger in a baby's body?

He is in perfect existence as a Spirit with no restriction to form and omnipresent; yet here He is in a finite, human body and this for all eternity. He is God almighty, ominpotent and able to do whatever He so desires; yet here He is, a defenseless baby. He is God omniscient who needs no counselor or teacher, who declares the end from the beginning; yet here he is, a baby who cannot even mutter a single word. He is Creator and Provider who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and says, "If I were hungry I would not ask you"; yet here He is, a dependent baby who needs His mother to feed Him. He is a king whose throne is heaven and who can say earth is His footstool. Nothing can house his grandness! Yet here He is in a stable because no one would house Him.

Why would someone so exalted, in such an elevated position humble Himself to such a degree? Why would he want to become human? Well we know it definitely wasn't because becoming human was in anyway adding to His glory. It wasn't so that He could train disciples and teach good moral principles. Why did He become a man? As I search the Scriptures, I find one clear answer. So He can die.

There is much that Jesus did for us during His earthly life that He could have done if He were not a man. But there's one thing He could not have done: He could not have died. He becomes like us to die for us. A spirit does not have hands and feet to be pierced. A spirit does not have a head on which to lay a crown of thorns. A spirit does not have a side to be pierced or a back to be scourged. A spirit does not have a body to give up as a bloody sacrifice. But that is exactly what God required of His Son for the salvation of His people. So Jesus obeyed (cf. Hebrews 10:5-10, Philippians 2:5-11).

Do you see your sin so great and sinful that God would demand such a price? It is an absurd demand. Yet Jesus, for the glory of His Father and the salvation of His people, met such a demand. And God did not spare Him. He let Him taste every bit of His wrath. And so, Jesus became our propitiation. Arthur Pink writes, "How hateful must sin be to God for Him to punish sin to its utmost deserts when it was imputed to His Son." The more you reflect on this, the more you realize your sinful nature and the more you come to love and cherish the Cross of the Gospel. And then it puts Christmas into perspective.

Now you know why I love Christmas. It is a reminder that my God came to die for me, undeserving as I am. It is reminder that He paid the full price by tasting God's wrath on my behalf. We do not celebrate Jesus' humanity on Christmas day because it's a feel good story about how we should all be humble. We celebrate it because it looks towards the cross, it looks towards His death. And in so doing brings us back to the Gospel which is the power of God for salvation.

Monday, December 14, 2009

God the Son Becomes Man

Luke 2:7

"And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

The image of Jesus here is so strikingly human. He is described as a firstborn son, wrapped in cloths, laid in a manger. The language makes it clear that God the Son was a baby in the fullest sense dependent on his mother. Here is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Alpha and Omega, God Almighty, the Truth, the Way, the Life, and He is a baby, a human. Do you not find this weird? Why would someone so exalted stoop so low? What comes next is even more absurd: There was no room for them in the inn. Wow! Would it not be normal to send out those who are at the inn so you may give lodging to the King? You might offend the one, but you will have counted more precious your Lord. Yet this is not what happens. O how low did our God stoop! And why? So that He might bear the weight of our sins. God the Son becomes the God-man. Let us not take such a truth lightly. But let us do as Mary did; she "treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Luke 2:19).

Friday, December 11, 2009

Week in Review 12/11/09

What Did Your Pastor Do This Week
I had a lot of fun this week resting and reading. It feels so good to read after not being able to. I picked up an old book called "Attributes of God" by Arthur W. Pink. So far it has been an extremely edifying read. I also had the joy of partaking in Evangel Bible Church's Wednesday night service. There is something so awesome about hearing in person the preaching of the Word. I was thrilled since I do not get the opportunity as often as I would like. This weekend, I will be taking my belt test for Karate. Hopefully, I will be able to skip the yellow belt and get an orange one! Looking forward to a great weekend!

Interesting Happenings
I actually saw my roommate every night this week. RARE... Not only that, we actually talked a lot. Super RARE.... It was quite edifying!

Check These Links Out
9 Examples of the Internet Changing our World - Interesting thoughts by Trevin Wax.
Top 9 Books of '09 - Challies' list well worth looking into.
One Cool Plant - The Alsomitra vine seeds.
Top 10 Religion Stories of 2009 - A list by Time's Magazine. Interesting read.

The Ever-growing Wish List
The Trellis and the Vine - By Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
Christmas music! - By various artsists

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

12-05-09 Sermon Review

Remember Your Benefits Part 2
John 14 15:31

Recently I heard someone say that there is hope in the unknown. We can have hope in the future because our future is unwritten. This isn't really hope in the biblical sense. This is merely wishful thinking. The Bible has much more to offer for comfort than simply the "unknown." Jesus, preparing His disciples for the coming trials, comforted them with things that are certain. We will continue on from last week's sermon searching out all the benefits we have that are revealed in our text. I pray that as we look at them, you will be blessed, comforted, and encouraged to face the world we live in today.

We live because Christ lives. "Because I live, you also will live." This is an amazing statement considering that it comes from someone who is about to be crucified. Jesus could not "die." He is "the life" as stated in vs. 14. The blessing is that our life is contingent upon Christ's life. We do not need to depend on dead men for life but on the eternal living One.

We are united with Christ. "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." What does it mean that Christ is in us and we in Christ? It means that when the Father sees us, He sees the perfect image of His Son. It means that we have intimate fellowship with Christ. It means that we will never be separated from Christ. Being united with Christ is a blessing we do not deserve.

We are loved by the Father and the Son. "And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him". This statement means much more than letting us know our relationship with the Father and the Son. This statement means that the Father will actively show His love towards us. I work at an elementary school. I do not doubt that our parents love their children. But for some parents, their love is undeniable because of their actions. This kind of undeniable love that matches heart and action is the kind of love the Father has towards us. We are dearly loved.

We are show the glory of the Son. "And I will love him and manifest myself to him." The more you understand the beauty of Christ and our former blindness to this glory, the more you will cherish this statement. His glory is absolutely enchanting. His glory is so wondrous.

We are the Father and the Son's home. "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." Do you believe this statement? Do you see how magnificent these words are? Consider that the prophet Isaiah recounts God saying, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?" (Isaiah 66:1).

We are taught all truth by the Spirit of truth. "But the Helper, the Holy Sppirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." This verse says much about the inspiration of Scripture, but it also says much about our current leading by the Spirit. How wonderful it is that the Spirit directs us to the truth in the midst of an age of lies. He reminds us constantly of the God's Holy Word.

We have a divine peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you." My friend, Matt Hauck, wrote an insightful comment on these words: "Can anyone less than the King grant peace when the King is the one who was offended?" The offer of peace comes directly from the King Himself. Let us rejoice!

We have a patient Teacher who wants us to grow. "And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe." Why did Jesus say all these things. Not just for comfort, but also for growth and faith. The disciples should have already known these things. However, our Teacher is ever patient and continues to teach until we get it. Our Teacher will not give up on us until we are glorious, perfect, whole before the Father.

We have a strong Lord. "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has not claim on me". Satan may be strong. He is even called the ruler of this world. But this being has nothing on our Lord Jesus Christ. Satan could not take Him down. Death could not take Him down. He rose victorious over all things. He is one able, strong, and mighty Lord. Take heart, for this Lord is our Savior.

I pray these meditations through Jesus' words of comfort to His own disciples were a comfort to you as well. I pray you will continue to remember and hold on to all your benefits. This is a much better hope than a hope in the unknown. Let us trust and rejoice in our Savior, Jesus the Christ! God bless!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Preaching the Word

2 Timothy 4:2

"Preach the word".

There is no mystery to this statement. We are to preach, and we are to preach the word. It is a very sad thing to see many giving an appearance of preaching while simply tickling the ears of their hearers. These men seem to be biblical preachers since they quote the Bible, but they quote the Bible only as a springboard to whatever else they want to talk about. Their commitment to the Bible is merely superficial. They have a veneer of biblical preaching overlaying their shallow sermons. It is even sadder that many in the pew are not discerning of these things. It is the listener who accumulates for himself preachers who tickle his ears. The preacher must remain faithful to the text; the congregation must keep him accountable to do so. Let us not take lightly the value of biblical preaching. Let us through the shallow preaching of men. Let us gather for ourselves men who will "preach the word"!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

11-29-09 Sermon Review

Remember Your Benefits
John 14:15-31

John Piper last week wrote a short post on why someone should want to be a Christian. He gives one reason. I'm sure he'll agree with me though, that there isn't just one reason why someone should want to become a Christian. They are myriads upon myriads of blessings as a believer. John Piper simply boils it all down to one. It is good however, to take our time and consider the benefits we have in Christ. Psalm 103:2 commands, "forget none of His benefits." It will do us well to contemplate all that we have in Christ.

The passage today lends itself to such meditations. We find it in the context of Jesus comforting His disciples preparing them for what they are about to experience. He comforts them by way of reminder and promises. These are truly comforting not only for the disciples, but also for us since their benefits are also ours. Though this may seem like overkill, please bear with me as we look at fourteen blessings in Jesus' comforting words. Today, we'll only look at five of them, and we'll finish the rest next week.

We are driven by love to live the Christian life. Jesus starts off this passage with the words, "if you love me" Why should we live the way Jesus calls us to? Because we love Him! Christianity is not simply about God loving us but also about us loving God. We are not driven to obey because of a great fear of punishment but rather because of a great love for Jesus. Remember that Jesus did not say, "If you fear me" but, "If you love me".

We have a perfect and good Law. "If you love me, you will obey my commands." This presumes that Jesus had given them commands. Have you ever been at job where they never told you what you should be doing? It's quite fun until your boss comes around and tells you that you're fired because you didn't get any work done. But Jesus has given us His commands. We do not need to guess what our Savior desires from us! These commands are perfect and good. They are complete because they address all of life. They are good because it comes from the only good God for the benefit of our souls. Let us rejoice that we have a perfect and good law to obey!

We have a great High Priest. "I will ask the Father." Do you find this statement delightful? I do. I find this delightful because it is an apt picture of grace! We as sinners have no right to come before the Father. We are banned from His presence. However, Jesus asks the Father on our behalf! The son pleads on the behalf of those who have infinitely offended His Father. Do you see grace? His High Priestly role allows us to experience all the blessings we have from the Father. We should not fear approaching the Almighty for we have a great High Priest who will plead our case before the Father.

We have a Helper forever. "He will give you another Helper, that He may be with your forever". What is so great about this Helper? Let us first address how this Helper helps us. The word parakletos used here was specifically used to refer to a legal defender. We are so often plagued with doubt concerning God's promises. Are we really children of God? Are we really going to see Jesus? I'm such a sinner, how could I ever expect to see Christ? The Spirit, our Helper defends us against these thoughts. He testifies to our spirits that we are indeed children of God and brings confidence for us in God's promises (cf. Romans 8:16, 17). What a blessing to have a constant, eternal Helper!

We are not deserted orphans. "I will not leave you as orphans." Do you feel deserted here on earth? Where is Jesus? Where is the hope of His coming? Day after day passes by, and yet He is not here. Well rest assured for our Lord will definitely return. He loves us so and though He be away, He cares for us and is intimately concerned with all our breath and life. We have a joyous reunion with our Maker and our Lord awaiting us in the future. What hope we have in Christianity!

I pray these five points have been a blessing for you. Next week we'll look at nine more. Count your blessings. Do not forget what you have in Christ. Declare it in the morning, meditate on it at night. God bless!