Wealth That Really Counts

In one of his book chapters, Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe begins to write saying,

"The late J. Paul Getty was reputed to be the richest man in the world. He once complained to a newspaper reporter that inflation was hurting him and that a million dollars was not what it used to be! You and I probably would not know what to do with a million dollars, and I doubt if that much money would make a Christian happier or holier. Because we know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are the wealthiest people in the world. Ephesians 1:3 informs us that Christians have been 'blessed...with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.'"

He continues saying, "When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesian believers, he was addressing people who knew something about wealth. Ephesus was a wealthy city. It possessed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great temple of Diana; and the temple itself was a bank where citizens deposited their valuables. Thousands of tourists came to Ephesus each year to see the temple of Diana, and of course, there was a brisk trade in selling souvenirs.

"But there were some people in Ephesus who were rich beyond measure. They did not have great stores of gold or silver hidden away. They had something better than that - they had wealth beyond measure that could never be taken from them! Paul mentioned this wealth in the beginning of his letter to the Ephesians: 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.'

If you know Christ as your Savior, then this wealth belongs to you. You did not earn it; you do not deserve it. The wealth is yours only because of the grace of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. Paul puts it another way in his second letter to the church at Corinth: 'For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.' What kind of wealth is this? Unless we can answer that question, our wealth can do us no good!....

"Nowhere in the New Testament does God promise to make Christians wealthy and comfortable in this world. Jesus Himself was poor, and so were His disciples. Paul described himself as 'poor, yet making many rich' [2 Cor. 6:10]. Peter confessed, 'Silver and gold have I none' [Acts 3:6].

"There is a brand of teaching in some places today that equates wealth with spirituality and God's blessing. If you are really a dedicated Christian, they say, then you will be traveling first-class with a big salary, a fancy house, and no sickness or worries or bills. I don't find this teaching in my Bible as far as the New Testament Christians are concerned.
 
"Our wealth is spiritual. We have the 'blessings of the Spirit.' These blessings mean much more than the material things of life. God has promised to meet all our needs, and He has given us all the spiritual blessings necessary to live for Him and to glorify His name. Let's not measure life or spiritual stature by material things. Let's ask ourselves how many blessings of the Spirit we are really enjoying and investing in our lives" (Warren W. Wiersbe, "The Bumps Are What You Climb On: Encouragement for Difficult Days" [Baker Books, 2002], 141-143).

I agree with Dr. Wiersbe. Although God blesses us with many material blessings, and we should be grateful and learn to enjoy them in this life, yet the blessings that ought to bring us more satisfaction are those that are not temporary but eternal. His pardoning grace and the gift of sonship are two of those. These are more. But to be forgiven of my sin and to be counted as a child of God in Christ are treasures that really count not only in this life but throughout eternity.

Called to Bear Witness for the Truth

Photo credit: Metro Praise International Church

The apostle Paul says that the church of the living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). What he meant to say is that the church is the instituted organism called and equipped to uphold and proclaim the truth in this world of lies, illusions, and delusions.

As Christ's church we preach the truth. As members of the His church we testify to the truth, defend it, support those who proclaim it and seek to live it out in our daily lives.

But what is this truth we’re called to proclaim and guard? What kind of teachings should be our forte? It should be the apostolic teaching which centers on the gospel, the good news of salvation in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After testifying that the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth, Paul goes on to say, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16).

In this verse, we have what scholars call an early Christian creed that contains the gospel in a nutshell. It’s not the whole apostolic doctrine but a good summary of what they proclaimed. This summary is about Jesus Christ and it contains six truths about Him. (By the way, Paul emphasizes the person and work of Christ a lot in 1 and 2 Timothy. It's probably because it was the doctrine under great attack in the church of Ephesus).

Notice in 1 Timothy 3:16 that what is about to be said is “the mystery of godliness” which is great and is commonly confessed. “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness” as the other version says. In other words, it's a common creed of the early believers. Every point of this creed is indeed true!

It is called “the mystery of godliness” not because it is something that is puzzling that no one knows or understands it. Rather, it really means something that was once hidden and has now been revealed. The question is not “What is this mystery?” but “Who is this mystery?” Verse 16 tells us that it is Jesus Christ, the true revelation of godliness – and He has been revealed to us in the pages of the Scripture.

Paul tackles six things here that are at the center of the Christian faith. Briefly let's take a look at these truths.

First, Jesus Christ was manifested in the flesh. Many cults and world religions challenge the basic tenets of Christianity, including the incarnation of Jesus Christ. But what a remarkable fact that Jesus Christ is the living, eternal God in human flesh. The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us!

Second, Jesus Christ was vindicated in the Spirit. It means His resurrection. The ultimate vindication of Jesus took place when He was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God (Rom.1:4). It could also mean that Jesus was vindicated in His spirit. In other words, although He was fully man, He was sinless and perfect (Heb.4:15).

Third, Jesus was seen by angels. Throughout His earthly ministry, angels ministered to Him. They announced His birth. They ministered to Him during His temptation in the wilderness and they strengthened Him in Gethsemane. They also observed him during His death and resurrection. After He was put in a tomb, the angels rolled way the stone at the door of His tomb and they announced His resurrection and ascension. Angels were involved in His earthly ministry from beginning to end. This statement could even have in mind the worship given to the ascended Christ by angels in heaven.

Fourth, Jesus was proclaimed among the nations. After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. He commanded them to proclaim the message of His salvation to every tribe, nation and tongue. This is taking place. The gospel is being preached all over the world. This is our calling as the church and we fulfill our identity as “pillar and foundation of truth” as we do our share in making disciples from every nation, calling everyone to bow down before King Jesus, and teaching those who would heed the call to obey all the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fifth, Jesus was believed on in the world. At the first public preaching of the gospel of Christ after the pouring out of the Spirit to the first disciples, 3,000 people believed and were saved. In the days that followed, thousands more believed. The gospel was spreading and God has ordained that everyone who believed in Jesus Christ will be saved. We proclaim faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ as the only means by which man can be saved. Not by good works or faith plus good works. Salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone is our message.

Sixth, Jesus was taken up in glory. This refers to the bodily ascension of the risen Christ. It shows that God was satisfied with His atoning work. Hebrews 1:3 says, “After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Now He is at the right hand of the Father, with all authority in heaven and earth. And that authority He shares with the church by His Spirit.

This is the gospel in a nutshell. God in Jesus Christ became man. He died for our sins, triumphed over death, was honored by angels and feared by demons, and ascended into glory. This message has been preached all over the world and many have believed and been saved and empowered to live in holy obedience and service to Jesus Christ.

As believers in this day and age, you and I are proofs that Jesus is believed on in the world. That is why we ought to take the church seriously, to be strong in our proclamation of Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life.”

God's church is the chosen instrument to proclaim the saving truth of Christ. This is our identity. So let us consider seriously that as Christians, as people called and redeemed by God through faith in Christ, you and I are members of that institution that is the pillar and foundation of the truth. That’s our identity in Christ. And we ought to live accordingly by the power of the Spirit who is in us to bear witness for this truth.

Is there Meaning in Life?

One puzzling statement in the whole Bible is the refrain, “Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Or in some translations, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." Of course, we can’t take this statement absolutely. Otherwise, everything we say, including the previous statements and the ones that follow, will be nonsense.

The one who uttered these words on vanity identifies himself as ‘the Preacher’ or ‘Qoheleth.’ He also calls himself ‘the son of David’ (Ecc. 1:1). In the book of Ecclesiastes, where this refrain occurs some 35 times, the Preacher observes everything one can observe and experience in this world.

The Preacher talks about all kinds of things under the sun. From sunrise to sunset, birth to death, summer to fall, winter to spring, in war and in peace, sickness and health, poverty and riches, foolishness and wisdom, failure and success, pain and pleasure, in everything, the Preacher’s observation is that, on their own, these things mean nothing. They are like cycle that repeats itself… "a chasing after the wind." All of life is meaningless, useless, hollow, vain on its own.

However, at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher concludes that all these things are meaningful and beautiful only when they are viewed through the eyes of the One who created them, that is, God.

God has His own reason and purpose for everything, including war and suffering, poverty and prosperity, even the birth or death of a loved one. Only through the perspective of God, through the lens of His Word, is life worthwhile!

We may not know God’s purpose for our life of pain or failure now. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s no good reason for the things that happen to us or around us. There is! But they are known only to God.

Is God unfair then? May it never be! God may choose to keep it from us. But there are things that He reveals to us as human beings that we should do in order that our lives may be meaningful.

This is the Preacher’s conclusion of the whole matter. He says, “…Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc. 12:13-14).

Fearing God in a good sense is the beginning of wisdom. “The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them” (Ps. 25:14). Keeping God’s commandments is the result of fearing Him. The fear of the Lord leads to obedience to His will. Without the fear of the Lord, life is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Many people have lived and died in this world. But none has ever surpassed the influence of One man, both His preceding and succeeding generations. He exemplified the life of loving reverence and obedience to God. He is the man Christ Jesus. He is not just an ordinary man. He is also God.

Jesus is the Christ, the God-man who lived perfectly and gave true meaning of life. His obedience even unto death has given life - eternal life, which is knowledge of God and of His Son, to many. He gives joy and meaning to those who turn away from their sin and put their trust in Him.

Life doesn’t have to be hollow and meaningless. But apart from Christ Jesus, who is the only way to God, the truth that sets us free, and the source of eternal life, life itself will be meaningless and in vain. May Christ, who is our life, lead us to fear and obey God, by the power of the Holy Spirit!

The "Parousia" of the Lord as the Manifestation of His End-time Presence

Photo courtesy of Taavi Lehtimaki

In studying 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (the so called "rapture" passage), I was helped by G. K. Beale's insight on how the resurrection of believers and the "parousia" of Christ are going to take place at the last day (see the parallel passage in 1 Cor. 15:51-52).

Beale says that the Lord Jesus "'will come' and first resurrect the believing dead and then raise up Christians still living. Even living Christians will experience a 'resurrection' in the sense that their old bodies will be transformed and renewed in the same manner as those bodies lying in the grave. All those resurrected 'will be with the Lord forever' (4:17)" (Beale, "1-2 Thessalonians," p. 136). These are the encouraging words that Paul wants his readers to "comfort one another" with (v. 18).

In this post, however, I want to focus on the coming of Christ. Beale admits that "[t]here is some question about whether or not Jesus literally 'will come down from heaven' (4:16)." He then adds that the "description of a descent from heaven here has been referred to in 4:15 as 'the coming of the Lord'" (ibid., p. 138).

Beale also explains that the word for "parousia" in verse 15 ordinarily means either "presence" or "coming." He then argues that the former meaning appears best in this context. "Comparing other descriptions of Christ's coming," he continues, "it is apparent that 'motion' from heaven down to earth may not be the precise way in which Christ manifests his end-time presence. Revelation 6:14 refers to the end of the present cosmos in terms of 'a scroll that has been split and each of the two halves then rolled up'...If John were living today, he might use the analogy of a stage curtain with pictures on it, which is drawn from both sides to reveal the actors behind it. In short, the present physical reality will in some way disappear and the formerly hidden heavenly dimension, where Christ and God dwell, will be revealed (see further Rev. 11:19; 19:11; 21:1-3)" (ibid.).

He further argues that "Paul is using the same imagery in 4:15-17. What has been traditionally understood as the second coming of Christ is best conceived as a revelation of his formerly hidden, heavenly 'presence.' The old-world reality will be ripped away, and the dimension of the new, eternal reality will appear along with Christ's 'presence.' The references to 'parousia' in 2:19, 3:13 and 5:23 also carry the same connotation" (ibid.).

This description of the "parousia" of Christ is more exegetically plausible for me than the "rapture" theory. The hidden and heavenly "presence" of Christ that Beale is talking about is always here with us. I tend to believe that in the "parousia" of the Lord, we shall simply see Him with our newly opened eyes as He's always been with us in the spiritual sense. For at His "parousia" we will no longer operate by faith but by sight.

Parallel to this, I was thinking of the experience of Elisha's servant in 2 Kings 6:15-23. Elisha understood (maybe he even saw) the unseen dimension around him while his servant did not. So when he prayed that the Lord would open the eyes of his servant that he might see the real but hidden presence of God, and the Lord answered Elisha's prayer, the servant saw "the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire" (v. 17) surrounding Elisha.

I think the coming of Christ will be similar to this. Once we have trained our spiritual eyes to the heavenly, though right now hidden, reality of Christ's presence around us, we shall not be moved or terrified when things around us are getting worse or become frightening. We need the Spirit of God and the mind of Christ always to be spiritually alert and awake. That way we will not be caught unaware and unprepared of the appearing (another word for the return) of the Lord.

The unfolding of the new creation, however, does not necessarily rule out the literal coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth. This is in keeping with the promise spoken by the two men dressed in white to the disciples regarding the return of the Lord in Acts 1:11. Acts 1:9 says that Christ was taken out of sight from the disciples by a cloud as He was being lifted up. The two men then appeared before the disciples who were gazing into heaven and said, "This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Beale was not contradicting this idea. He is simply saying that the "parousia" in 1 Thessalonians 4 context is better interpreted as "presence" rather than "coming." Either way, Christ's return is a great comfort for us because in His return we shall see Him and all the believers who went ahead of us in death. The saints who died will not be forgotten. They, too, will be gathered with us in the presence of the Lord and together we shall be with Him always and forever (1 Thess. 4:17).

God and His Saints Shall Triumph Over Sin, Satan, and Death

As I prepare for another overview lecture on the book of Revelation I came to chapter 20 again. Although there are issues that need to be sorted out in this chapter, it is such an edifying and encouraging study as the chapter tells us about the triumph of God and His people over their enemies.

The first heartening truth that comforts me a lot in this chapter is the coming to life and the reign of the saints who have died. These saints are described as "those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God" and because "[t]hey had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands" (Rev. 20:4).

These saints are alive and are reigning with Christ in the heavenly realm (as the thrones in verse 4 indicate that they are in the heavenly realm having been beheaded).

Revelation 20 also portrays the binding and restraining of Satan. This binding of Satan is "to keep him from deceiving the nations" (v. 3) in order that the preaching of the gospel could progress to the nations throughout the world for a thousand years (v. 3) which period corresponds with the reigning of the souls of the beheaded saints with Christ (v. 4).

The chapter also talks about the release of Satan towards the end "for a little while" or "for a short time" (v. 3) in order to gather the unbelieving nations for the battle ('τὸν πόλεμον,' v. 8; see also Rev. 16:14; 19:19) against the people of God (v. 9).

Their huge gathering could be intimidating but their threat to the church will only be followed by the fire coming down from heaven devouring them (v. 9), casting the devil into the lake of fire and brimstone "where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown" (v. 10).

For the saints of the first century who were suffering under the fury of the devil and the beast and their earthly minions, this vision was comforting. They saw that their faithfulness even to the point of death was not pointless but was real victory over sin and death, and the devil himself.

Like their Lord Jesus, they conquer their enemy by dying. Their death ushered them into the glorious presence of Christ and they came out victorious through their death, just like their Lord and Master who conquered death by dying and coming back to life.

Thus, when it seems that evil is gaining the upper hand in our time, when wickedness seems to prosper, when saints seem to be defeated and the church oppressed by the enemies of the Lord, the message of Revelation 20 in particular gives hope to the suffering and oppressed church of Jesus Christ.

In times of apparent defeat, setback, and weakness, may God remind us of this biblical truth that in dying for Christ and for the sake of the gospel, we shall be victorious.

We need to remember that because of Christ’s decisive victory over sin and death, and over the devil, and in light of His glorious appearing, the church of Jesus Christ shall prevail in conquering and discipling the nations with the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God (Matt. 24:14).

In spite of the seemingly insurmountable oppositions, by the power of the Spirit of Christ, the Church shall advance and go forth with the gospel of salvation that even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).

Notwithstanding the cost – suffering, sacrifice, self-denial, even death – and the infirmities that afflict the bride of Christ in this world, and in spite of the harm that many false teachers and apostate churches are inflicting upon the cause of the gospel, the Church of our Lord Jesus shall fulfill her mission.

That mission is to call the nations to bow down and to submit to the authority of her Lord, Redeemer, and King (Matt. 28:18-20), who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David (Rev. 5:5), the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8).

The message of Revelation in general and Revelation 20 in particular is that God and the Lamb shall triumph over the seemingly formidable and ruthless enemies of His people.

One commentator aptly summarized the message of Revelation 20 saying, “At history’s end the deceivers (dragon, beast, false prophets) will dupe the world’s kings and nations, gathering them to wage the war against Jesus and his people…Persecution is bad now, but it will get worse then, just before the end."

He then adds this encouraging message, "Yet even when Satan is unleashed to work his worst, it only will be for ‘a short time,’ and the outcome of the conflict is certain to be the defeat and destruction of dragon, beast false prophet, and all who worship and obey them. John has seen history’s ugly end: now he will see eternity’s beautiful beginning” (Dennis E. Johnson, “Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation,” 299-300).

The Recovery of the Gospel

In his introduction to John Owen's "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ," Dr. J. I. Packer says, “One of the most urgent tasks facing the evangelical church today is the recovery of the Gospel.”


Dr. Packer first made this statement in 1958, but I do believe that that is still true and probably even more urgent now than before. I thank the Lord that there is an increasing interest in many churches today, especially among young people, in learning gospel truths.


There is also a growing movement within the evangelical community that aims at recovering and propagating the old gospel truth that centers on God and His redemptive work in the person and work of Christ. Books, blogs, podcasts, and internet articles about the gospel are reaching many people in our time opening their eyes and ears to the amazing grace of God in saving sinners through the finished work of Jesus Christ.


Instrumental in popularizing these gospel truths among the evangelical youth and young ministers of today are Michael Horton, the late R. C. Sproul and James Montgomery Boice, John MacArthur, John Piper, J. I. Packer, Paul Washer, Joel Beeke, Kevin DeYoung, Mark Jones, Tim Challies, and many others, including the works of Ligonier Ministries, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, TGC, and several ministries. Through the writings and publications of these authors and gospel-centered organizations there is an ongoing revival of the truths of the gospel in the lives of many people in our generation.


It is my prayer that the Spirit of God would sustain this steady stream of gospel-centered preaching and teaching in the church of Jesus Christ all over the world. I hope that the urgent task that Dr. Packer was talking about some 60 years ago will be fulfilled in our time, that is, the recovery and the propagation of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of many to the glory of God.


This gospel, in one of its multi-faceted truths, tells us that the God who created the world, this sovereign and holy God has provided for us sinners a substitute sin-bearer in the person of His Son. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son is the perfect high priest who made a once-for-all sacrifice for our sin. He carried all our sin upon his shoulder and nail them at the cross canceling all our debts and reconciled us back to this holy God. He offered himself in our place at the cross to save us who deserve the wrath and just condemnation of God.


Like a precious diamond, the gospel is a many-faceted truth. It is taught and proclaimed in the pages of the Holy Scripture. It is also portrayed through various stories in the Bible, the written Word of God, of which the Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of my favorite narratives.


In one controversial book written in history, the author explains the gospel by saying, “[T]he Gospel is a doctrine revealed from heaven by the Son of God, immediately after the fall of mankind into sin and death; and afterwards it was manifested more clearly and fully to the patriarchs and prophets, to the evangelists and apostles, and by them it was spread abroad to others. In this gospel, freedom from sin, from the curse of the law, from the wrath of God, death, and hell, is freely promised for Christ’s sake to all who truly believe on his name” (Edward Fisher, “The Marrow of Modern Divinity,” 208).

A Reflection on the Parable of the Good Samaritan

One of the things I value the most in this life is the Holy Scripture, the Bible. It wasn't that way in the beginning. I grew up where the Bible is only read in church every Sunday.

I wasn't able to own a complete Old and New Testament Bible until I was in college. I used to have a Gideons New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs when I was in high school. I was so happy for the Gideons International to give me that booklet for free.

Through it I was able to read my favorite verse early in life, John 3:16. It was written in many languages in that New Testament. One of my favorite Gospel stories to read (actually it's a parable) was the Parable of the Good Samaritan. I've heard it read once in church and it was taught in class by our catechist.

I was fascinated by the Samaritan's exemplary act of mercy on a stranger who was robbed and left half-dead by the bandits. I didn't understand why the two religious men would pass the dying man by and would not take care of him or help him.

I understand now. But back then, I was provoked to anger by the indifference of the priest and the Levite. I was in awe, however, of the Samaritan's good and tender heart. He was my hero, a good example to follow.

I wasn't a believer then when I first heard and read this story. I got converted later in life. But this story and the message it conveys became more meaningful to me as I grow in my knowledge of the Bible's overall message.

From the vantage point of redemptive history, I see more and more the resemblance of God's work of rescuing helpless and dying men through the work of Christ in this parable. I am seeing more and more Christ in the Good Samaritan who rescued not just a needy stranger but really an enemy.

The Samaritans had nothing to do with the Jews at that time (cf. John 4:9). And so for a Samaritan to have pity on, to rescue, and to take care of an enemy is mind-boggling. It was an extraordinary, out-of-this-world act.

Reflecting on this story, I realize that its message is no different from the storyline of the whole Bible. It's a story of rescuing someone from sure death. It's a story of saving an enemy from danger. It's a story of salvation and redemption.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a story within a larger story. It's the story of God rescuing and delivering fallen men, in fact enemies, from sin and death, through the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Homeschooling Parents' Advantage

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NIV)

Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus, the God who commanded these words to his people in the Old Testament is the same God that we worship and serve today. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, this God has become our God. And by faith in him, we become His people.

So these words are his commands for us. And the essence of God's command is this: Since the LORD is our God - and we ought not to have any other gods - and since we belong to him by virtue of saving us and loving us in our Lord Jesus Christ, God wants us to love him wholeheartedly. God wants us to be loyal to him as his own people.

One way of showing our love and loyalty to him is to love the children he has given us. Fellow parents, our children are inheritance from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). Our children belong to God first and foremost. He entrusted them to us in order to raise them up and nurture them the way He would nurture them. Children, you belong to God first and foremost.

Do you understand the implication of this truth? God is saying, "You are mine. Your children are mine. I love you and I want you to love me with all your life. Love me by loving the children that I gave you."

And how do we show our love for the children that God has given us to nurture? By teaching them everything that he has commanded us to do. When and where do we teach our children God's commandments? When we sit comfortably in our home. While we walk on the street. While we lie down on our bed. At the dining table. While we drive our car. While shopping or doing our grocery. While on vacation. In the morning or in the evening. At noon time. All day long and all the time.

So godly instruction begins in the home but does not end there. It also flows over into a life under the Lordship of Christ in every aspect and sphere of life. In the home the children are taught the basic principles of how to seek the will of the Lord and how to please him.

Someone rightly said, "History proves when the family is sound, both Church and society flourish. The family is the foundation of human society. Give us thus [faithful Christian] families and the Church [and society] will prosper. Otherwise we will certainly face a dark future."

As homeschoolers, we are on the best position to obey this command of the Lord. We really are. Why? We have our kids with us at home most of the time. We see them always. And that's a wonderful blessing that homeschooling brings us. And we thank the Lord for that!

Do we always have the opportunity to teach them? Opportunity? Yes! But do we always take those opportunities? I doubt it! I always fail with my responsibility to teach them. There are times that Facebook is more appealing to me than teaching or spending time with my children. Now you know that I'm an ordinary parent like you. I have my own weaknesses. We all have and we don't pretend. We learn to admit and confess them.

But the thing is, we don't give up teaching our children in spite of our failures. We also admit our sin and weakness and ask for the Lord's forgiveness. And by the way, since failures and frustrations are pretty much part of our life here on earth, we teach ourselves, and our children as well, to accept them and deal with them in a godly way.

We tell our children that even if they fail once, twice, or many times, they don't give up. Rather, we turn to God again and again through our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who humble themselves before God, no matter how many times they fail or fall, are pardoned and accepted by God because of what Christ has done in our behalf.

Today and tomorrow are opportunities to show our children and our brothers and sisters in Christ the love of God in us. Right here. If we truly love God the way Christ loved us by giving up his life for us, we will also be willing to love others, even to give up our comforts and rights, for our children, for our fellow homeschoolers, for our friends and neighbors, and most of all, for the sake of God's kingdom and for the glory of God.

Remember: the Lord is our God. And we belong to him. Let us give others the opportunity to see our Lord Jesus Christ in our lives today, tomorrow, and the rest of our lives.

(A devotional talk given at the opening of our "Yes! You Can Homeschool" Conference at the NCCC Mall Davao on November 19-20, 2016).

An Earnest Prayer of a Pastor for the Congregation He Serves

Our heavenly Father, Sovereign Creator of the universe. You are our Lord and great God, the king who towers above all the power and authority over all the earth and the one true God who is above all false gods and idols. In your hands are the depths of the earth and the mountain peaks belong to you. The seas are yours for you made them and your hands formed the dry land, too. We come to you as your people bowing down before your holy presence in humble worship. We are your flock nurtured and nourished by your tender care.

We are always amazed by your great faithfulness to us who for generations have been kept and prospered by your great love in spite of our unfaithfulness. O that we would know you more and be inspired by your amazing grace and be emboldened by your greatness! O that we may comprehend your glorious majesty that we may grow in our boldness and confidence like Daniel and his friends who knew you and stuck their necks out for their faith and commitment to you rather than bowing before the image made by human hands in exchange for human approval and recognition!

Make us, O Lord, a people who really know you and serve you no matter what the cost is. Be merciful to us when sometimes we are complacent in our service to you and for your kingdom. Forgive us for those times when we fail to realize that our greatest joy and contentment is in you alone. O we are easily tempted and distracted by the cares and concerns of this world that our minds and hearts are turned to temporal and worldly things rather than on things that really matter the most, that is, your glory and your praise.

Direct our gaze, we pray, upon the beauty of your holiness, to the perfect and sinless Son who is the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation. For you were pleased, O Father, to have all your fullness dwell in your Son, and through him to reconcile to yourself all things. Grant us the desire to be instructed fully in your Word by your Holy Spirit that we may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that we may know the mystery and glory of your name revealed in the person and work of your Son in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Let us not be easily deceived by fine-sounding arguments and hollow, deceptive philosophy of man that are being propagated in the world today trying to get our attention away from you in order to turn to man's foolish ways and the evil one's scheming devices. Father, save your people from those dangerous teachings that exalt human idea and accomplishments and disregard true wisdom that comes from you. Equip us by your Spirit to discern the truth and to walk according to your Word and live according to its precepts. Cause the light of the gospel to be all the more clear in our minds and hearts that we may behold the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that we may love him and give our lives for him and his sake. Make us faithful followers of Jesus daily denying ourselves, humbly taking up our cross with gladness knowing that the afflictions of this life are nothing compared to the joy and glory that awaits us at his coming.

Just as we have been raised with Christ in his resurrection, help us to set our hearts on things above where Christ is seated at your right hand. Cause us then to put to death everything that belongs to our sinful nature such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Help us to forsake everything that our old sinful nature craves, ridding ourselves of unhealthy anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips. Instead grant that by your Spirit, we would only speak the truth in love, to speak that which is helpful for the building up of other believers according to their needs.

Merciful God, make us gentle and kind, compassionate and loving to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Enable us to forgive each other from the heart just as in Christ you forgave us. We want to be known not only as people who are theologically astute and doctrinally sound but more so as people who are godly and loving thinking not only our own interest but the interest of others as well.

Help us to teach our children these precious truths in your Word patiently and to set before them a clear pattern of godliness that they may learn to imitate us just as we imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in his obedience and faithfulness even in his suffering. Enable our children to catch the vision of you as our holy and righteous God who loves his people dearly and works everything for their good. Help us all to embrace and treasure your Word and the principles of your kingdom that we may be willing and ready to live and die in the pursuit of these things knowing that we belong to you and to your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in whose name, we pray. Amen.

Anchor and Lighthouses in Homeschooling

In many ways, homeschooling is like a journey. Sometimes it feels like a sea journey. There are times when the voyage is smooth while at other times it’s rough. Sometimes the journey is as clear as the daylight, but there are also times when it’s uncertain and as dark as the darkest night.

Sixteen years ago, we decided to homeschool our children in spite of lack of knowledge, resources and materials, in spite of zero moral support from family and friends, and non-existence of homeschool support group like our Lighthouse Homeschool Network (LHN) now.

What I want to share with you today are some of the lessons that Cathy and I have learned from our homeschooling journey, which I’m comparing to a sea voyage, and we as amateur sailors. As I do, I would like to focus on two important things, which I call mariner’s aids or tools that help provide a stable and safer homeschooling journey. The first tool is the anchor and the second one is the lighthouse.

As homeschoolers on a journey, we have a goal and a destiny. Of course, our ultimate goal as Christians in all and every endeavor, including homeschooling, is to give glory to God. We were created to show forth the beauty and majesty of our Lord and Creator who revealed Himself clearly in the person of His Son Jesus Christ. That’s our ultimate goal in everything – to honor him.

Now, how do we get there? It’s a life-long journey, you would say. And that’s true. And our homeschool journey is an important aspect of that lifelong journey.

What do we need in order to get there? Well, like traveling at sea, we need first of all, an anchor, “that which gives the [assurance] of stability or security, or a source of abiding confidence.” An anchor symbolizes strength and stability in seafaring especially in the midst of a storm.

In the Bible anchor is used figuratively of the hope that we have in the promises of God. Hebrews 6:19 says: We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Well, in context, the promises of God pertain to the believers’ secured position in Christ which includes our redemption from and forgiveness of sin and the hope of entering God’s glorious presence.

In other words, our hope, our anchor, is securely fastened to our faithful and unchanging God who fulfills all His promises to His children. And the anchor that firmly connects us to God is our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Him, our hope, our position, cannot be moved or shipwrecked by the storms of life. That’s how strong our anchor is! That’s how stable and solid the rock which our anchor holds on to!

Thus, like the sailors that drop their anchor in the middle of the sea in order to provide stability for the ship, especially during the storm, we also fasten our hope, we fix our eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ, our anchor, who provides us with security and firmness, as Christ intercedes and connects us to God.

The only difference between the sailors’ anchor and ours is that while the sailors drop their anchor with the hope that it would hold on to something firm and sturdy under the sea we, however, thrust our anchor, by faith, upward to heaven, where our hope is fixed, even in Christ who ministers for us at the Father’s right hand. Christ is our hope of glory who provides for us security and stability in times of trouble. Christ does this for us through His unceasing intercession and through the constant ministry of His Spirit in our lives.

How does it relate to our homeschooling? Well, it’s through this. If our aim is to please Christ or to glorify God, our homeschooling materials and resources and activities must be grounded on something that help us achieve this aim. That means that our resources and materials and activities should be Biblically-based, Christ-centered, and God-pleasing.

There are a lot of teaching materials and resources available in the internet and the market today that will help our children achieve academic excellence and earn them scholarship in prestigious institutions of higher learning. But academic excellence must not be our ultimate aim in homeschooling. It must be subordinate to our main goal of knowing and pleasing Christ.

We may have children who will become academic elite, but if they lack humility, respect for authority and genuine concern for other people and the kingdom of Christ, their academic achievements will fail them eventually.

We want children who are not only academically competent but also spiritually mature and committed to help in accomplishing the Great Commission of Christ, which is to make faithful disciples from all corners of the earth.

I want to address our children here. Children, in your studies, aim for something that’s beyond the here and now. Anchor your effort in your studies to something bigger than this world. Aim at serving Christ and glorifying Christ in your studies now. Use the gifts and talents God has given you to serve Him and to serve others and you will know that your anchor, your effort, is holding on to something stable.

Now, boys and girls, how about the lighthouse? What is a lighthouse and what is its purpose? A lighthouse “is a tower with a bright light at the top, located at an important or dangerous place regarding navigation (or travel over water). The two main purposes of a lighthouse are to serve as a navigational aid and to warn boats of dangerous areas. It is like a traffic sign on the sea.”

Historians said that the first lighthouses were actually given by nature itself. Sailors sometimes used landmarks such as glowing volcanoes to guide them. In the ancient world, trading ships were eventually built enabling navigators to sail long distances to buy and sell goods. In the days of wooden ships with sails, the wind and waves could easily push them against the rocks and wreck them. And so, the need for lighthouses as warning signals arose.

In homeschooling, we need lighthouses. We need something, or someone, to guide us on our way and to warn us when we are heading at the wrong direction. I would like to share with you only two lighthouses in our own homeschooling experience.

First, we need counselors or mentors in homeschooling. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” The Word of God encourages us to employ the wise counsel of others in our endeavors, and homeschooling is no exception. With many unknowns and many options in homeschooling, it is important that in our journey we have fellow voyagers and pilgrims who not only give us wise counsel but also encourage us when we are down and troubled.

That’s where we’ve seen the need to start a homeschool support group in 2009. Lighthouse Homeschool Network has been a great support group for our family here in Davao City and I encourage you to avail of the wisdom and experience of our fellow homeschoolers. To some of you maybe your church support group has been serving as a lighthouse as well.

Some families can do it all by themselves, but many of us opt to pull resources together. And for us the journey has been more enjoyable and pleasing with LHN. So thank you so much for all of you who have encouraged us and helped us in our own journey. We’ve gained a lot of friends and connections through LHN. We also have grown in our knowledge of homeschooling and Christian parenting through many of you. I hope that you will continue to keep your lights shining, your Christian virtues and values, to help our fellow travelers in homeschooling.

Another lighthouse that has been guiding our homeschooling – and this is very important – is of course the Word of God, the Bible. One of the most memorable times I have in homeschooling our children is to be able to read with them the Bible and to share with one another the things that we’re learning from it. Bible reading is an important lighthouse for homeschoolers.

Aside from the Bible, we’ve also read books together, either books that help us know God more, or books about Church Fathers, Christian theologians, missionaries, pastors, and even musicians in the past. These books have enriched not only our knowledge of God and Christ and the lives of believers in the past, but they also made our homeschooling experience enjoyable and exciting. Just reading books together enlightens a lot our way.

I know many of you, if not all of you are doing this already. But, boys and girls, isn’t it a lot of fun when mommy or daddy reads books aloud for us? Of course! Maybe, sometime we could have reading stories together as a support group. That’s something that we could probably include in our joint activities in the future.

Well, I could add some more ‘lighthouses’ that could guide our way in homeschooling but I think those two are important – support group and family time. Let us remember that our greater goal in homeschooling is to bring ourselves to a deeper understanding of Christ and a greater commitment to His kingship and lordship over us.

Ultimately, we want to glorify and honor God in everything we do, including our labor to bring up and teach our children in the ways of the Lord. May the Lord continue to give us the grace and the right motive to do this!

Fulfilling the Great Commission as Ordinary Christians

When we think of the Great Commission we usually have in mind career missionaries going overseas or cross-culturally. Definitely that's an important part of the Great Commission. But not all will become full-time missionaries. Some will be stuck in the home taking care of their children or to some their aging parents. Some will be managing family business. A few might even do both. Still some will probably stay in their local churches serving for the rest of their lives. Does that mean that they can't fulfill the Great Commission?

Let's look at it this way. Yes, the Great Commission takes place cross-culturally and in faraway places as missionaries are sent out to preach the gospel, make disciples of Christ, and start a church. However, ordinarily it happens in our homes, our workplaces, in the church, at school, even in some unexpected places.

The Great Commission begins at home where Christian parents are patiently teaching and disciplining their children in the ways of the Lord, including doing cheerfully simple house chores. Disciple-making takes place at home where husbands and fathers lead their families in reading the Bible, in teaching their families the precious doctrines of the Christian faith, and in leading their wives and children in prayer. Remember that as believers our children also belong to the Lord. We consider them disciples also. They also need to be taught of the teachings of Christ until they, too, would profess faith in him.

Proper understanding of the Great Commission would also lead Christian single men and single women to seriously consider marriage with a fellow believer in the Lord in order to build a home where Christ is honored as Lord, where his Word is taught and obeyed, and where children are nurtured to believe and serve God.

The Great Commission also happens in the workplace where Christian professionals and employees bear witness to the grace of God in their words (evangelism) and their good deeds to their fellow workers. They are the light of Christ in the workplace bearing good works as testimonies to the power and presence of God in their lives.

The Great Commission is also being fulfilled in Christian schools where children are taught in every subject the truth about God not only as the great Creator and Lord of the universe but also as the Redeemer and Savior in the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ. So Christian teachers are also fulfilling the Great Commission in the workplace.

And of course, in the church, where everyone is being taught of the gospel and its implications in personal lives and in the life of the whole community of faith, the Great Commission also takes place. Our Reformed churches must always proclaim the gospel in the pulpit, in Sunday school classrooms, in catechism classes, and in the nursery. Every member of the church must be captured and saturated by the same good news of salvation so that each one and the whole body naturally bear the gospel-fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control. We need the gospel not only to fulfill the Great Commission but also to live daily the Christian life bearing witness for Christ.

Trusting Christ, Our Redeemer

In our materialistic and narcissistic society, the world, the flesh, and the devil offer us daily with all kinds of things that are really appealing to our senses and base desires. Things such as food, sex, gadgets, money, power, and fame are really pleasurable, which makes these things powerful incentive to yield to temptation and sin.

But we know that these things and the pleasure that they give are fleeting and they leave us empty, guilty, and restless. In fact, these are substitutes to the things that are eternal and really matter. They are counterfeit gods peddled by false gospel teachers and hucksters of holiness who are motivated by greed and selfish ambitions.

Jesus Christ, however, offers to us the real thing that truly satisfies both our body and soul. He offers himself in his Word, the gospel of salvation. Those who believe him, those who accept him and his claim as the Christ who suffered, died and came back to life on behalf of his people, he offers pardon and peace through his redeeming work at the cross that reconciles sinners to God. Jesus Christ is the only Savior and Redeemer from sin and he's the only one who is able to deliver us from the enticement of sin. As we fix our eyes on him by faith he helps us in conquering every sin that easily entangles us.

When we lay our hands on Christ by faith, when we put our trust in him and repent from our sin, the Father owns us as his children and seals us with the Holy Spirit, 'who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of [God's] glory' (Eph 1:14).

Life (including Homeschooling) Is All About God

My wife and I have been homeschooling our children for 16 years now. Homeschooling is not always fun but one of its blessings is that, as parents, we could spend a lot of time with our children and our children see us most of the time. They feel secure and they enjoy family time a lot. Yes, we want to build a close family, of course! However, we don’t want to build a family that is inherently toxic, in that, the family is the be all and end all, and everybody else out there is bad or unimportant. Some families are built that way. It’s me and the family! But that’s not life is all about!

The way to prevent that is to show our children with our own life and our own conversation that everything revolves around God and His glory. Remember that we are just one family among many that are trying to serve God around the world. Our children’s lives must be oriented toward this principle of “Soli Deo Gloria” (To God alone be the glory!). That’s important!

As homeschooling parents our lives are exposed to our children. They know a lot about us and they are greatly influenced by our character, habits, decisions, likes and dislikes. On the one hand, this is good because as we live out our faith, as we learn to obey God and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, not only in good times but also in bad times, our children will catch much of what we want them to learn from us, that is, that life, as a battle, must be lived coram Deo (in the face of God), by the grace and power of God, and for the glory of God. Our children must understand that we can’t live life on our own strength but must depend on God all the time. He alone gives us the grace and power to live a God-glorifying life.

Yet on the other hand, this is also scary especially when they see a lot of our hypocrisy and laziness and inconsistencies and anxieties and uncontrolled temper and other bad habits. It’s humiliating to see that as homeschoolers we see a lot of our sinfulness, bad tempers and laziness and lack of zeal in our children.

This is not of course a hopeless situation. We learn a lot from our mistakes and so we try to address the matter by talking to our children, confessing our sins and weaknesses to them and pointing them to the ultimate solution to our sin-problem and our perfect life-example of all, our Lord Jesus Christ.

So our children must learn and see from us – fathers and mothers – that the most important thing in their lives is to do what God wants us to do: to live for His glory and to serve and worship Him with gladness in their hearts. Worship is the most important thing. And the apex of all of that, at least in this life, is public worship – the gathering of God’s people in His presence every Lord’s Day. Corporate worship where God is greatly delighted in meeting with His people, renewing covenant with them and ministering to His saints, is the highest point of all our worship.

So our children must know from our lips, from our prayers and from our life-example so that when they go up to God’s house of worship this is the highlight of the week. This is a grand and glorious time of encounter with the Almighty God. And God is going to be speaking to us. That’s a great thing!

But they must also know that when they do school, every day and every class hour is to be lived to the glory of God. They are to use their mind to the very best of their abilities not just to get good grades to impress father and mother, so they can look through report card and say, “That was great son!”, but more so to use their mind and intellect to the best of their ability because they are to glorify God.

That's why we always need to impress this teaching to our children’s heart – that all of life is for the glory of God. It has to keep on going all their lives because there is every tendency in every man’s deceitful heart, and that includes our children’s heart, to reject this principle and to live for self.

So this is a battle – trying to move our children away from selfishness to God-centeredness. But when we persevere and God, by His grace, comes and works in and through our children then we begin to see the real fruits of homeschooling. They say something like this to us, “Papa (or Mama), is this the right thing for me to do? Will this be pleasing to God? I’m not really sure if this glorifies God.”

When we hear our children say things like this, we could really thank the Lord for His gracious work in our children’s lives. That’s joy in every parent’s heart – when he hears his children say something like, “Papa, I want to live my life for the glory of God!”

Ultimately you and I do not matter that much to it, that we get what we want or we get our way. We all live for the glory of God. We leave fruits behind for God’s glory. And when we remain faithful to that calling we could hear Him say in that great day, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” That’s everything! That’s fulfilling!


(Thanks to all my fellow homeschoolers here and there, as well as to many speakers and authors on family life, marriage, childrearing and homeschooling who have taught me a lot and helped me put this article together.)

God's Solution to Our "Word" Problem

Pilipinas kong mahal (My beloved, Philippines): Three decades after EDSA Revolution we could have expected more honest and faithful politicians and public servants flood our country today. But that’s not the case. Not even in our churches: Evangelical Protestantism was started in 1898 in the Philippines. After 118 years of presence in the country we could have expected more solid, strong and faithful gospel-centered churches that are forerunners and pillars of truth. But our overall impact to the community and society as bearers and preachers of the truth and the gospel of Christ is not that much. Mas dumami pa yata ang bisyo kaysa mabuting asal at mas dumami pa ang masasamang tao kay sa mababait sa bansa (It seems like vices are more rampant than virtues and more wicked people thrive than good ones in our nation). Our country is crowded with dishonest, deceptive, immoral, and lawless people.

What’s the evidence? All you need to do is to listen to how people talk nowadays! Watch the news on TV or read it online in your FB newsfeed or in the paper and you’ll see. Nakaka-inis na! (It's very annoying!)

The kind of people that thrive in our world today is described in Psalm 12:2: "Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." Three character traits are given about them: (1) they tell a lie, (2) they flatter, and (3) they deceive. The psalmist complains that people’s conversation is full of empty talk, smooth talk, and double talk, as one scholar put it. This is the analysis of the problem of society then from the perspective of heaven. In God's eyes our problem of corruption, rampant crime, increasing broken marriages and families, church fights and splits, and many other symptoms of disintegrating society are all related to our misuse or abuse of the tongue.

What is heaven's prescription in addressing this problem? Psalm 12:6: "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times."

This is remarkable! On the one hand, our society’s problem can be diagnosed as disregard for the human word, while on the other hand, the only remedy turns out to be a high regard for the Word of the Lord which He himself promises to keep and preserve from generation to generation (v.7).

Many people who do not want to be told by the truth have many times attempted to eradicate the Bible in society. Liars and double-talkers do not want the Bible. If they do they only pay lip service to the Bible. Why? The written Word of God exposes their darkness.

One reason why churches do not have maximum impact in society today is because churches have disregarded the Bible and its essential teachings. Liberalism, tolerance, pragmatism, and emphasis on personal experience have been the pursuit of many congregations today. The essential teachings of God’s Word are now set aside by many. There’s no more teaching of sin and salvation in Jesus Christ alone. It's all salvation without reference to the heinousness of sin. No more teaching of holiness and justice of God which are the very character of God that sin and wickedness offend.

The emphasis on the love of God at the expense of the holiness and justice of God has been one of the causes of the church's impotence in our society today. The churches just want to fall in love with and want to be embraced by the world with her tolerance of evil in society. But God calls us to fight the world's lies and deception with the full armor of God which includes the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

And that Word, mind you, is sure, true, and flawless. Anyone learning and living by it will soon have a new tongue along with a clean heart and mind, so that his “yes” may really, perhaps even painfully, be “yes,” and his “no” be genuinely “no.”

If you are always struggling to keep your word or promise because of the pressure around you, despair no longer. God promises to deliver you if you desperately call upon Him to save you from your perennial "word" problem. On your behalf and for your sake, God has sent His Word, His beloved Son, who became flesh and dwelt among us. He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the life. He is the ULTIMATE solution to your problem of lying lips and double tongue. He not only demonstrated the love of God toward us liars and deceivers, He also showed the justice of God upon our sin by identifying with us and paying for the penalty of our sin in His death as our representative and substitute.

Christ did this in our behalf so that we who were conceived and born in sin, by faith in him, will be set free from the power and penalty of sin. Then we who have been redeemed and cleansed by the Word of God can live freely in the truth and in accordance to His Word.

So God's prescribed solution to our "word" problem is not by disregarding or softening His holy Word but by upholding it and keeping it diligently and faithfully in spite of the world's and the devil's opposition to it.

(Thanks to Dr. Nelson Kloosterman for his insightful Bible study on Psalm 12 in his "Walking About Zion: Singing of Christ's Church in the Psalms". I've used some of his thoughts in this post.)

Love and Respect in Marriage

(A message at Nexon and Charibelle Laborte's wedding based on Ephesians 5:31-33)

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. ~ Ephesians 5:31-33

I like pictures. They help me understand and see better big and complicated things. Pictures especially help us focus on something it portrays. And marriage is like that. Marriage is a picture – a picture of a relationship. And that relationship is between Christ and the church – His body, His people whom He bought back from sin and death by His death. The church is the bride of Christ which He loves so much and for which He willingly gave himself up.

The church is composed of people whom Christ loves and owns as His. He gathers them from all nations of the world, provides for them and protects them. The apostle Paul says that Christ did all of this for His church “[t]hat he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish”(Ephesians 5:26-27).

And in response to that love and care that Christ shows to His church, the church as His bride is called to submit to Christ and to respect Christ. This really life is all about as Christians, as people belonging to the Lord Jesus.

And marriage is supposed to portray this relationship of Christ and the church. Marriage is to picture the unity and inseparability of Christ and the church. This kind of unity is so emphasized in the Scripture in such a way that whoever persecutes or hates the church is really persecuting Christ.

Before his conversion Paul thought that in persecuting the church he was doing God a favor. But when Christ confronted him on the road to Damascus, Christ told him that he was not just persecuting the church but the risen Christ who is the head and husband of the church (Acts 9:4-5).

What this all mean is that, our marriages, including Nexon’s and Charibelle’s, are pictures intended to show the unity, the oneness of Christ and the church. Nexon and Charibelle, this is very important.

Now not all pictures of course are the same. There are some pictures that portray the subjects very clearly, and they usually end up being posted in our Facebook account. And there are also pictures that are blurry and looking at them just gives us pain in our eyes.

It’s the same thing with marriage. There are some marriages that really portray and testify to the unity and harmony of Christ and the church. And of course there are marriages that are not so good in portraying the loveliness of Christ and His church.

I’d like to dwell on how to beautify our marriages in such a way that God, the author and sustainer of marriage, will be pleased and glorified. And I’d like to do that by looking at the essential responsibility of the husband and the wife in marriage.

In summarizing the responsibility of the husband as the head of the marriage relationship and as the Christ-figure in marriage, the apostle Paul says that husbands is to LOVE his wife as himself. Love is the overarching responsibility of the husband to his wife (v.33).

The wife’s basic responsibility to her husband, however, is RESPECT or reverence. So love and respect summarize the husband-wife responsibility in marriage. The husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church; the wife respects her husband as the church does to Christ.

From this we discern that wives need love from their husband, and husbands need respect from their wives. When husbands faithfully love their wives, they are doing their God-given responsibility and God is pleased. And when wives are respecting their husbands, they are doing their God-given duty and are glorifying God.

When wives are well loved, they usually respect their husband more and more. When husbands are well respected, they usually love their wives and care for their wives more and more. Lack of love and respect in marriage, of course, leads to disaster and many troubles.

So how does this ‘love and respect’ model portray Christ and the church in practical terms?

Let me suggest a few steps. I would like to begin by addressing Nexon, and all the husbands here. First, Nexon, to show your love to Charibelle, as Christ loves the church, you should aim to be close to her. She should feel close to you. You do this my holding her hand, hugging or kissing her, and being affectionate and loving to her without sexual intention.

Second, not only your closeness expresses your love to Charibelle, but also your openness. When you share your feelings to her and not being shy or afraid to tell her your concerns and problems, she will feel loved. Also if you talk to her without harshness or grunting she will really feel that you love her.

Third, let me suggest that when there’s some misunderstanding between the two of you, you be the first to go to her and settle the matter and make peace with her. Don’t be afraid to admit that you are wrong. Although it’s hard for us to do, yet that’s one of the ways wives are feel loved, when we husbands apologize and sincerely tell our wives, “I’m sorry.” Keep your relationship with Charibelle up to date. Try to resolve conflicts in a godly way and don’t forget to pray together after a hurtful time, after you resolved your conflict. Wives would love to see their husbands leading them in prayer.

Fourth, show your love to Charibelle by showing her and telling her that you are loyal to her. Guard your eyes and your mind. Don’t look at other women lustfully. Let her be the only person who satisfies your eyes and mind and heart. Also, try to speak only positive things about her before her family and friends. Keep your promise and vow to her today until death.

There are many other things I could share, but I’d like to turn to Charibelle now (and to all the wives here). How do you show respect to Nexon in a way that is pleasing to God?

First, don’t forget to appreciate his desire to work and to achieve. Husbands feel respected when their wives says thanks to them for going to work every day for their wife and family. When wives cheers their husbands successes, whether in their career or in business or sports, husbands are happy. Ask Nexon what’s his dream and see how you can support his dream.

Second, don’t forget to express your appreciation to Nexon his role as the leader of your marriage and family. Tell him that you are deeply touched by the thought that he’s willing to die for you, as Christ was willing to die, and has really died for His bride, the church. Husbands are happy when they are praised for their commitment to provide and protect for their wives and families.

Third, appreciate his perspectives and insights in life. Don’t try to oppose his point of view right away without trying to understand it. Husbands really feel respected when their wives thank them for the advice and knowledge they share with their wives. Husbands like to fix things in the house and when their wives applaud them of their work and the solution they provided, they feel respected. Husbands are solution-oriented. When you share them your problem, they are thinking right away for the solution. I know wives wanted to be listened to first, but keep your words to the minimum when you’re sharing to your husband. Reserve the longer version of your story to your girl friends. They can bear your long stories more than your husband.

Fourth and finally, husbands feel respect when you appreciate and meet their sexual passions and desire. Wives, if you really want to show your respect to your husband, try to initiate periodically and try to respond more often to your husband’s initiative. And please don’t put to shame your husband when he’s acknowledging to you his sexual temptation. Help him overcome them by praying for him and responding to him more often than you want to.

I know there are many other healthy and practical steps that we could talk about. But before I bore you or make you feel guilty with all these suggestions let me end with this challenge.

You and I know that this ideal in marriage is not easily achieved. Certainly the basic hindrance to the achievement of healthy and strong Christian marriages is our sinfulness, especially our selfishness.

So if you desire to build and experience a strong and healthy marriages and family, you need to ask the grace of God and always come to Jesus Christ. Not just now, but always. Christ alone breaks down barriers and hindrances. He alone reconciles you and me with God so that we become part of God’s people. He alone reconciles us with one another. He alone cleanses us from our sin. He alone gives us the Holy Spirit who produces in us the fruit of love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control. Christ alone gives you, Charibelle, the Holy Spirit, who enables you to respect Nexon. And He alone gives you, Nexon, the Holy Spirit, who enables you to truly love Charibelle just as Christ loves the Church.

When both husband and wife faithfully fulfill their responsibilities in marriage according to God’s Word, marriage may not be perfect, yet it would be more enjoyable. It would be more satisfying and God-glorifying! God bless you and your marriage, Nexon and Charibelle, and all the couples who are here today!

A Father’s Day Reminder and Challenge

Fathers are very important in life. Not that mothers are not. But mothers are not the focus of this article. The fathers are. Fathers play a unique and vital role in life. In fact we can trace some of the social and emotional problems in our society due to lack of father figure or due to abuses that fathers perpetrate in the home.

It is said, for example, that adolescent boys are engage in more delinquent behavior if there is no father figure in their lives.1

In his Father Facts, a study on the effects of absentee fathers to their children, Wade F. Horn concluded that the large body of research pertaining to fatherhood reveals that, compared to children raised in two-parent homes, children who grow up without their fathers have significantly worse outcomes, on average, on almost every measure of well being.2

Another study shows that “girls and young women who have an unstable father figure are more liable to unplanned pregnancy, low-self esteem, high school and college drop-out, poverty, divorce and sexually promiscuous behavior.”3

There are exceptions, of course. There are some children who grew up well and fine in single-parent homes or in homes where biological fathers are abusive, absentee or abdicating.

So how important are fathers in our lives? What’s the purpose of their existence in the world? These are the questions I want to address here. I will first explore the biblical responsibilities of the father in the home. Then I will touch a bit on the importance of the role the fathers play in the family and close with a personal reflection.

The Bible tells us of the three-fold duty of fathers. First, fathers are God-ordained leaders of the home. God has called fathers to be His main representative in the home. They have God-given authority to rule and manage the household in God’s stead, in God’s way, and for God’s glory. God’s purpose for the family is to glorify Him by imitating the personal relationships within the Godhead, showing to the world what it means to live harmoniously and in unity in diversity.

In these relationships within the home the father plays a crucial role in seeing to it that everyone does his part and does it willingly and joyfully. Husband-fathers are accountable to God for the well-being of the family. On this ground, order in and success of the family largely depend on the faithfulness of the father in fulfilling his task as the leader. Conversely, disorder and breakdown in the home are mostly due to the neglect or abuse of fathers as leaders.

Second, fathers are providers. Right from the very beginning, man was mandated and equipped by God to work the earth (Gen. 2:15). The entrance of sin did not change man’s task although sin made it harder for him to accomplish his mission. In working the earth man has to till and cultivate the earth in order to receive produce from it. Whatever man receives from nurturing the earth he brings it home to feed and nourish his family.
What this means for the father today is that he is responsible for financial provision of his family. He is the family’s breadwinner, ideally to free his wife up to pursue her vocation in the home as wife and mother. He works in order to meet the needs of the family.

But the father’s duty of providing is not only limited to material needs. He is also to provide spiritual direction and guidance to bring his wife and children to maturity in the faith. Fathers who spend time with his family in reading and studying the word of God and in prayer are doing great service to his family. Fathers who are spiritual leaders in the home are also great leaders in the church and the community. Their children are usually proud of them and are not ashamed to follow their footsteps.

Finally, fathers are protectors of the family. They serve as strength and fortress in the home. The father’s instinct is to secure the well-being of the members of his family by guarding them from intruders. This is part of the father’s calling when God tasked Adam to guard or keep the first garden-home in Eden (Gen. 2:15). Mothers and children feel secure when fathers are equally responsible in this area.

Fathers will especially do well in protecting their family by being willing to lay down even their own lives against any intruder for the sake of their wives and children. No doubt fathers could learn from our Lord Jesus Christ who was willing to give up even his very life to save us and protect His people from the consequence of their sin, which is eternal death. In protecting us, His people, Christ willingly became our substitute taking our place and carried our sins with Him in His vicarious atoning death so that sin and death will no longer be a lethal threat to us.

However, a wise father would also protect his children from their sin and his own sin. We fathers should not be naïve of our and our children’s propensity to sin and foolishness. Being aware of this, we must use our God-given authority and strength to correct our erring children before it’s too late. Remember the sin of Eli who did not restrain his sons from their iniquities. Let us learn then from his unwillingness to discipline his wicked children by lovingly disciplining our children and training them unto righteousness.

Likewise, fathers, protect your family, especially your children from your own sin. Learn self-discipline and self-control. Don’t deceive yourself that your sin has no consequences to your children.

Someone has rightly observed that one unmistakable lesson we learn from reading the Old Testament is that a nation can suffer because of the sin of its leader and that a family can suffer because of the sin of its father.4 Achan, for example, sinned by keeping for himself some of the items plundered from Jericho that God had devoted for his own use. When it was found out that his disobedience was the reason for Israel’s crushing defeat, it was not only Achan who suffered the consequences (Joshua 7). God punished all Israel for a time through the disgraceful rout at the battle of Ai leaving Israel’s army with thirty-six dead soldiers. God has impressed upon Israel’s heart the truth that one man’s sin has terrible effects upon his household. Eventually not only Achan but also his whole family were put to death because of his sin as the head of his household.

So fathers, let us protect our family by running away from sin, by putting it to death, and by pursuing holiness in humble obedience to God by His Spirit. Author and blogger Tim Challies has a very helpful thought in this area. He said, “Sometimes the greatest gift you [fathers] can give your family is a silent, hidden decision to refrain from pursuing sin.”5

So how important are fathers in the lives of their children? In speaking of his fellow writer, George MacDonald, C. S. Lewis said, “An almost perfect relationship with his father was the earthly root of all his wisdom. From his own father, he said, he first learned that Fatherhood must be at the core of the universe.”

Fathers are powerful instruments in God's hand in bringing up upright and law-abiding children. They are God-sent tools in building godly families, strong churches, and peaceful and orderly communities and nations. That’s how important fathers are in the economy of God.

As a father who knows my role and my responsibilities I am very aware of my many shortcomings. Yet I do not give up pursuing this noble calling of fatherhood. I am not discouraged by my many weaknesses in seeking to carry out these God-given responsibilities for I know that God, our heavenly Father, by His Holy Spirit equips me to persevere in keeping these duties. In spite of my many failures, I thank God for sparing me many sorrows as a father by giving me a godly wife and four wonderful and God-fearing children. It is my prayer that as our children grow I will also grow in my obedience to God’s holy calling as a father – to be a Christ-imitating leader, a faithful provider and a firm protector of my family and children.

Endnotes

1 Freakonomics, “How an Absent Father Affects Boys and Girls Differently,” The Freakonomics Blog, October 19, 2011, accessed May 24, 2014, http://freakonomics.com/2011/10/19/fathers-and-delinquency-in-the-american-family/.

2 Jennifer Flood Eastin, “Impact of Absent Father-Figures on Male Subjects and the Correlation to Juvenile Delinquency: Findings and Implications,” (PhD diss., University of North Texas, 2003) 4-5. Available at http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4332/m2/1/high_res_d/dissertation.pdf.

3 Lisa Mancini, “Father’s Absence and Its Effects on Daughters,” (Thesis, 2010) 3. Available at http://library.wcsu.edu/dspace/bitstream/0/527/1/Final+Thesis.pdf.

4 Tim Challies, “Leadership in the Home – A Godly Man Protects,” Informing the Reforming Blog, December 3, 2009, accessed May 24, 2014, http://www.challies.com/christian-living/leadership-in-the-home-a-godly-man-protects.

5 Tim Challies, “Leadership in the Home – A Godly Man Protects.”