Do You “Hate” Religion?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by SCBC BLOG

If you haven’t heard, there’s a video out there that’s gone viral. When I first started writing this article, it had been out just over a week and had been viewed 13,943,434 times on YouTube. You may have seen it – it’s called Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus. It’s well done and carries a pretty good message for those who really look for it.

But I don’t want to talk about the content so much as why it went viral. Let’s consider another video in order to do that. It’s got the same kind of packaging, but has a different title and message. It’s called G.O.S.P.E.L. by Propaganda. It’s been out for about a year as far as I can tell, and if you count up all of its YouTube hits you get around 260,000. I’ve posted it on my Facebook as well.

We can learn a lesson from this. Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus appeals to a base emotion that we humans tend to have. People just look at the title and already they’re saying “Right on!” “That’s exactly what I think!” People seem to enjoy conflict and being against things.

In contrast, G.O.S.P.E.L. is for something. It’s a beautiful video presentation of the Gospel of Jesus. Unfortunately, no matter how you package it, it’s just not interesting to people. Post it on Facebook and it fizzles as soon as it moves down your screen.

But be against something, especially religion, and (BAM!) you have a viral video. You give everyone with an opinion a reason to weigh in with either agreement or hatred. And when the context is opposition to something, it’s a free-for-all when you allow venting to whatever the human heart holds.

And what does the heart hold? The news is not good. Jeremiah 17:9 sums it up for us by stating, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” The unsaved human heart seeks its own pleasure (Romans 8:7). Without the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ, our hearts hate God (Romans 1:18-32; John 3:19-20; and 1 Corinthians 1:18). And so a video that captures even a hint of that is going to draw some attention.

Have you ever heard the saying “he only hears what he wants to hear”? 2 Timothy 4:3 says that because of their “itching ears” people will “accumulate for themselves teachers that suit their own passions.” Basically, we grab onto what we want to hear. People see the words “Why I hate religion” and that’s as far as they have to read – they’re in. The rest of the video is incidental, but with their particular worldview they easily agree with misleading statements like “if religion is so great, why has it started so many wars” or incomplete understandings like “Jesus came to abolish religion.” At the same time they prefer not to pay attention to statements like “salvation is freely mine, and forgiveness is my own, not based on my merits but Jesus’ obedience alone.” Why? Because the hook for them hasn’t been “I love Jesus,” but rather “I hate religion” [i.e. “God”] and that’s what this is all about to them.

I originally wrote this about 10 days ago and Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus is now over 18,000,000 hits. And the video “likes” and “dislikes” keep pouring in. But please ask yourself, “why?” Why this video and not a video that simply preaches the gospel? Then consider this: are you against religion or are you for the Gospel? I think you can decide if you ask yourself, “Which one gives life?”

By Bob Fraleigh

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Bob is the Community Life Group ministry leader at Songtan Central Baptist Church. He has a heart for training up others in God’s Word and crossing linguistic barriers to do so. He retired from the military after 27 years of serving his country and now lives in Songtan, Korea with his wife Micha.

Posted in Christian Living, Culture | 2 Comments

Now Is The Time To Surround Kim Jong-un With Our Prayers

Posted on February 3, 2012 by SCBC BLOG

 

Kim Jong-un

North Korea’s Kim Jong-il died over a month and a half ago (Dec. 17, 2011). Upon the “Dear Leader’s” death, Kim Jong-un replaced him as the new Grand Poobah. Kim Jong-un is the son of the late Kim Jong-il and believed to be around 27 years old (this is a guess by North Korean analysts). Kim Jong-un has been given as ultimate of a title as North Korea can confer: “Supreme Leader”. With Juche ideology aiding them, the political and military elites of the country have already begun to make the people believe that Kim Jong-un is something more than a normal man. Propaganda is being spread that the “Supreme Leader” learned how to drive a car at age 3. By the time he was 8, he was driving dirt roads at 75 mph.

What is this baby-faced Kim Jong-un really like? What type of leader will he be? Will he move the country to a more reconciliatory stance with South Korea? The opinions are endless. Everyone has to settle for a “wait and see” attitude since we simply do not know what’s going to happen next.

Joel Brinkley has recently written an insightful op-ed that appeared in The Korea Herald entitled “Possibly, There is Hope for a North Korean Thaw”. In his article, Brinkley states that much of the political posturing we are seeing in North Korea right now has more to do with the political and military elites wanting to maintain their power & luxurious lifestyles than perhaps the true desires of the politically inexperienced Kim Jong-un. Citing subtle indicators in the North, he asserts that Washington should seek to find a way to reach out to Kim Jong-un soon because there may never be as good of a time like now.

I thought Brinkley hit on something that should resonate with us as Christians: this is an important & unique time for North Korea. Therefore, in the infancy of Kim Jong-un’s rule, we ought to be offering up continual prayers to our Lord in Heaven for this man and his countrymen. Especially now.

Why? Because people matter and there are a lot of them involved in this.

Why? Because Kim Jong-un is currently developing his leadership and policies now. So much is yet to be determined.

Why? Because North Korea has one of the worst records on religious freedom (outside of State approved forms) and human rights, had millions die from malnutrition and starvation, and repeatedly has committed provocative acts towards the South that risks war.

Why? Because at the ripe old age of 27, Kim Jong-un now oversees a country with a standing army of around 1.1 million soldiers, chemical weapons, and possible nuclear capabilities.

Why? Because it is good & pleasing in the sight of God that His people offer up prayers for all people, including kings and high officials (1 Tim. 2:1-3).

Why? Because God is sovereign over all rulers and nations (Ps. 24:1) and can do anything (Mt. 19:26).

Why? Because God can direct a ruler’s heart and direction (Prov. 21:1; Ezr. 6:22).

Why? Because God responds to the prayers of His people according to His will (Mt. 21:22; Jas. 5:16-18; I Jn. 5:14-15).

A call has been given at SCBC to corporately pray for North Korea and Kim Jong-un for 31 days. We are now on day 5 of this journey. We are praying for the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas, freedom of worship, relief from suffering, wisdom for political leaders, the spiritual soul of Kim Jong-un, the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus, and the uplifting of God’s glorious name there. We are in a real spiritual war with spiritual beings and prayer is a tool God has given to us for standing fast in this war (Eph. 6:10-20). As the people of God, we don’t struggle with flesh and blood, but with the twisted spiritual influences that surround them. We want to not only pray defensively as we respond to circumstances, but also offensively as we proactively seek God’s face to move and transform the heart of Kim Jong-un. As Christians, we don’t have to settle for a “wait and see” approach when it comes to Kim Jong-un. We can beseech a mighty God Who can act.

Release International has put together a prayer guide (made before Kim Jong-il died) that is useful for praying for North Korea during these 31 days. You can view and print it here.

Will you join us in seeking God’s face over this? Prayer changes things because we are depending on the God Who can change anything. Let’s humbly beseech our Lord God to graciously move for His name’s sake and honor.

By Nelson Chapman

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Nelson is the English Pastor of Songtan Central Baptist Church. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Religion from Liberty University, M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and is currently working on a D. Min. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife Michelle for 11 years.

 

Posted in Culture, Evangelism/Missions, Korea | Leave a comment

Sanctity of Life

Posted on January 27, 2012 by SCBC BLOG

On Jan 22, 2012, churches around America celebrated life and spoke out against abortion. The day is significant because just 39 years earlier the U.S. Supreme Court made one of the most shameful decisions in American history. By ruling in favor of “Jane Roe” (the alias of a woman in Texas who sought an abortion), they began America’s most heinous medical genocide.

Pastor and theologian R.C. Sproul makes this comment on that fateful date:

“…we do know with certainty what happened on January 22, 1973. On that day the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case Roe v. Wade. The nine men determined that every state had the duty to give women unfettered access to abortion up until the birth of the child. It was a day whose infamy overshadows December 7, 1941 in the memory of the church in America. Since that time perhaps 50,000,000 babies have been murdered in the womb with the full protection of the state and the knowledge of the church.”

Many churches now take the 3rd Sunday of each New Year to mourn the moment that America turned its back on the unborn. So what should our church do so far away from the action of the abortion fight?

We first need to realize that when we left America we did not leave the problem behind. In fact, the same sin infests the Asian continent, just in different expressions. India and China are world leaders in abortions, killing more little girls each year than the total number of girls born in America each year. So let us see that our new land needs as much prayer as America in regard to the sanctity of life.

The second thing that we need to do as a church is to remember that abortion does not only affect unborn children. There are probably women in our church or reading this article who have had an abortion and feel guilt. There may be men who are reading this who regret guiding or funding an abortion in the past. We need to lovingly help people understand that God is gracious and merciful, offering full forgiveness to anyone who will throw themselves at His feet in repentance. There is comfort for them in the Gospel. If you are reading this and are dealing with shame or anger because you took part in an abortion, please seek God in His Word and then speak to a Pastor near you. If you still need encouragement that God is merciful and loving, then please watch this video.

Lastly, at least for the purpose of this article, we must plead with the Lord for opportunities to put our beautiful feet, fitted with the gospel, into the fight for the unborn. We must be willing to lift our voices both to God in prayer, but also in objection to the worldwide child holocaust.

So please join me in prayer this week that God would help America come to honor the image of God in each womb, and that God would mercifully purge the world of sin by overwhelming it with the Gospel.

Here are a few more resources to help you understand Sanctity of Life:

www.abort73.com
www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2012/01/4577
www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/by-occasion/sanctity-of-life-sunday

By Steve Houser

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Steve is the Youth Director at Songtan Central Baptist Church. He lives in Songtan, Korea with his wife and their toddler son. He seeks to passionately follow God and lead his family in the worship of God. Other things he enjoys when not spending time with his family are hanging out with the youth group, sports, writing, reading, and Christian Rap.

Posted in Culture | 1 Comment

Indifference of Faith

Posted on January 21, 2012 by SCBC BLOG

As I was reading the book Almost Christian by Kendra Creasy Dean, I stumbled across this sobering thought from her:

“What if the blasé religiosity of most American teenagers is not the result of poor communication but the result of excellent communication of a watered down gospel so devoid of God’s self-giving love in Jesus Christ, so immune to the sending love of the Holy Spirit that it might not be Christianity at all? What if the church models a way of life that asks not passionate surrender but ho-hum assent? What if we are preaching moral affirmation, a feel-better faith, and a hands off God instead of the decisively involved, impossibly loving radically sending God of Abraham and Mary, who desired us enough to enter creation in Jesus Christ and whose spirit is active in the church and in the world today? If this is the case—if theological malpractice explains teenagers’ half-hearted religious identity—then perhaps most young people practice Moralistic Therapeutic Deism not because they reject Christianity, but because this is the only “Christianity” they know.”

What if the indifference of our teenagers is our fault? What if the reason they do not want to commit their whole life to Christianity is because they see our half-hearted faith? What if the reason that teens don’t want to find their identity in Christ is because they see right through our attempts to identify with Christ on Sundays, and that we neglect Him the rest of the week? Are we modeling and teaching true faith in our churches and families?

Now it must be understood that their lack of faith is ultimately caused by their own sin and rebellion against God, but if our teaching and our modeling gives the next generation the wrong idea about Christianity, then we may be unnecessarily hindering true life-giving faith. And it may prove that our churches are full of people who don’t understand the Gospel themselves.

I use this as a challenge to the Church to re-evaluate our own faith in light of statistics that say record numbers of youth are leaving the church as soon as they have the option.

If all this is true, the only answer is for the Church to focus again on the true Gospel by committing to teaching from God’s Word, surrendering everything to Christ, and to begin modeling true faith to the next generation. As long as our youth and children see inconsistencies in what we tell them and how we live, they will struggle to understand exactly what worship of the true God is, which will often result in them never committing completely to Christ.

Psalm 145:3-5 says, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.”

May we pass this kind of faith to our teenagers as the Psalmist proclaims!

By Steve Houser

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Steve is the Youth Director at Songtan Central Baptist Church. He lives in Songtan, Korea with his wife and their toddler son. He seeks to passionately follow God and lead his family in the worship of God. Other things he enjoys when not spending time with his family are hanging out with the youth group, sports, writing, reading, and Christian Rap.

Posted in Christian Living, Family | Leave a comment

Report From The Cambodian Mission

Posted on January 7, 2012 by SCBC BLOG

Takeo Church

Our church supports missionaries in various parts of the world. One such place is Cambodia. Pastor Han is our full time missionary contact there. At the time of this writing, he has planted 5 churches in Cambodia. All praise be to God! A couple of years ago, one of our Korean church members went to assist Pastor Han in the work there. Her name is Rebecca. She has recently returned and wanted to share this testimony of God’s grace with the SCBC Family. May this serve as a reminder that God is gathering people from all parts of the world to delight in Him. Further, may this bring us to our knees in prayerful dependence as we seek to spread His glorious name. God is at work! Here is her letter (any sensitive info has been removed):

My name is Rebecca. I’m a Cambodian missionary and I just came back to Korea this week. SCBC has supported me with prayer, encouragement, and funds for the last 2 years while I was there. First, I want to give thanks to God. I am back in Korea safely from Cambodia. Also, I want to say thank you to Pastor and Mrs. Chapman for giving me a chance to share the ministry of Cambodia to the English congregation of Songtan Central Baptist Church.

I did team work with missionary Han while in the country. He was sent by SCBC as a full time missionary to Cambodia seven years ago. He has built 5 churches there and our ministry focus is with young people (we reach out to everyone, of course). Our 5 churches consist mainly of young people or kids. My ministry was teaching the Bible and the Korean language. This responsibility was given to me at 2 of the 5 churches. It was a life changing experience.

One of the churches I served at is called Tapierk. I started my ministry there by teaching English, Korean, and Bible for 1 year at the head of the village’s house. Wow! It was a special experience for me. I have never worshipped God with dogs, cows, chickens, and ducks, but that was normal life in the provinces of Cambodia. I started to learn about Cambodian’s life in the province. I lived with 3 Cambodian students for 8 months. We lived together like a family and I was the head of the home. I sent them to school for learning, I gave them food and reminded them to go to sleep. But, it was a very difficult time with each other, because we have such different cultures and living styles. Sometimes, mice would come in my house because they don’t clean up their room. When I saw a mouse, I was very surprised because I have never seen a big mouse like that in Korea. Even though it was not sanitary, I tried to live with Cambodians, because Jesus did like that. Jesus became a human, ate, slept, and did ministry with his disciples. I think they had difficulty living with me too. At that time I was struggling, because I thought I was showing them love, but it was not love for them. I realized by living with these young people how parents must feel.

Then, their parents started a bad rumor about me, and the Tapierk village shaman said that the ghosts were angry because of me, because I shared the Gospel and Jesus, so the spirits don’t give rain in Tapierk village. Eighty percent of Cambodians are farmers. If it does not rain, it is a big problem for them, and it had not rained in Tapierk village for a long time. But the church leaders and I prayed to God. Many short term mission teams visited our village during this time. God gave us much rain when short term mission teams visited there (5 times, 5 teams). The church had about 40 people, and because of the rumor it dropped to 10 or 12 people. But after the teams visited and the rains came, church members grew to about 100 people! Amazing God! I thought it was God’s perfect timing to show them His power. People began to ignore the rumor and many parents started to send their kids to church.

Then God gave us the opportunity to create a church building in Tapierk after 1 year. We did an offering for construction. Even though it was not much money, it had a big meaning, because the people knew the value of building a church by offering themselves. So I bought Mango trees with their offering and we planted them in front of the church. They will sell the fruit and give scholarships to church leaders. Tapierk Church now has an English class, Korean class, and Sunday school with 6 teachers , and 6 church leaders , Sunday school has 80 people. And the youth worship service is 35 people. They are doing well now.

One of the other churches is named Takeo Church. It has an English class, a Korean class, and a computer class. At this church, I had problems getting land registered. Usually this only takes 15-30 days, but it took 9 months. It was a very long time, because the man in charge wanted a bribe. Then, we needed registry to begin construction of the building. The village police wanted money. I told them I was a kickboxer and they left me alone. I realized that building a church in one village is very difficult but very important. Because Cambodians can learn the truth of God in church and hear the Gospel of salvation. It is difficult because most Cambodians have a shaman and Buddhist faith. They think if they believe in many kinds of gods it is good for them. Even though we teach them God is the one and only God according to the Bible, they don’t agree or they ignore that, because they have faith in many different gods for a long time. So we focus on young people who are more open to other ideas. Our ministry focus is on early morning worship service, prayer, and memorizing Scripture. We think that if we want to change their deep view of different gods, they need to hear repeatedly the true Word of God. Only the Word of God can change them, not us. So, our 5 church leaders memorize Scripture. They already memorized the 11th chapter in the Book of Hebrews, Ephesians 6, Matthew 5-7, Mark 1-4, and this month is Mark 5. We hope that they can become influential leaders in Cambodia for Christianity. If Missionary Han continues in this, maybe in 10 years it will be possible.

Cambodia needs education, especially English and music. Cambodia receives help from many countries and companies, so they need English. They are interested in learning musical instruments, but they don’t teach this in public school. Most young people are interested in church because we teach English and music. There is so much hope and opportunity there! If you are interested in the Cambodian ministry, let me know. I hope many people start becoming interested in this country. They have many problems that need our prayers, like men abandoning the families, character issues, promiscuity, I can’t say much more here, but I just want to say pray for Cambodia, because what they need the most is to know the truth that is only found in Jesus Christ. Please pray for missionary Han who is now taking care of all 5 churches and continue to support his ministry.

My mission term of 2 years has ended and now I will study theology here in Korea. I hope to learn more about ministry and may one day return to Cambodia. God bless you all.         – Rebecca

By Nelson Chapman

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Nelson is the English Pastor of Songtan Central Baptist Church. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Religion from Liberty University, M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and is currently working on a D. Min. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife Michelle for 11 years.

Posted in Evangelism/Missions | Leave a comment

Questions to Ask at the Start of the New Year

Posted on January 4, 2012 by SCBC BLOG

Dr. Donald Whitney is the Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY) and is the President of The Center for Biblical Spirituality. He is the author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which is a book I highly recommend. Dr. Whitney has formulated ten questions to ask yourself at the beginning of a New Year. These questions are designed to spur reflection and action in you. As we begin 2012, I thought it appropriate to pass along these ten questions.

I encourage you to get alone and prayerfully answer these questions. Further, wouldn’t it be great to go over these together with your family? The following is from Dr. Whitney:

Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them. Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It’s so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we’re going and where we should be going.

The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Dr. Whitney’s first 10 questions are very thought-provoking, but he doesn’t stop there. He then proceeds to tack on another twenty-one questions to consider:

11. What’s the most important decision you need to make this year?

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what’s one way you could simplify in that area?

13. What’s the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year?

15. Who is the person you most want to encourage this year?

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?

17. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?

18. What’s one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?

19. What’s one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?

20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?

21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?

22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?

23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year?

24. What’s the most important trip you want to take this year?

25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?

26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?

27. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year?

28. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?

29. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it?

30. What’s the most important new item you want to buy this year?

31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?

The value of many of these questions is not in their profundity, but in the simple fact that they bring an issue or commitment into focus. For example, just by articulating which person you most want to encourage this year is more likely to help you remember to encourage that person than if you hadn’t considered the question.

If you’ve found these questions helpful, you might want to put them someplace—in a day planner, PDA, calendar, bulletin board, etc.—where you can review them more frequently than once a year.

So let’s evaluate our lives, make plans and goals, and live this new year with biblical diligence, remembering that, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage” (Proverbs 21:5). But in all things let’s also remember our dependence on our King who said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

By Nelson Chapman

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Nelson is the English Pastor of Songtan Central Baptist Church. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Religion from Liberty University, M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and is currently working on a D. Min. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife Michelle for 11 years.

Posted in Christian Living | Leave a comment

A Prayer At The End Of 2011

Posted on December 31, 2011 by SCBC BLOG

Here we are on the last day of 2011. Since we are on the cusp of a new year, many of us are in a reflective mood. We want to take stock of our lives. We typically ask ourselves the following questions at this time of year: How are my finances? How are my relationships? How’s the career path? How’s my spiritual walk? What are my goals for the upcoming year?

In Psalm 90, Moses does a similar thing. He examines his own situation. He assesses Israel’s situation. And ultimately, he assesses man’s situation in life. The context of Psalm 90 is the wilderness wandering of Israel from Sinai until their eventual entrance into the Promised Land. Because the people rebelled and did not initially want to go into the Promised Land as commanded, God judged that whole generation of Israelites to death in the wilderness (save Joshua & Caleb). Instead, that generation’s children would be the ones to conquer the Promised Land. It is estimated that there were at least 2,000,000 Hebrews that probably died during the 40 years of wandering. If you do the math, that’s just fewer than 1,000 deaths every week over that time span. No matter what the number was though, Moses witnessed a lot of death at a rate that was higher than normal. This must have weighed heavily on Moses’ thoughts.

So how does he respond to this situation? He prays to God. In particular, he requests certain things of God. Let’s consider two of those requests for a moment.

Consider what Moses asks God in Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” He is asking God to help them to remember that the days of this life are limited and will be weighed by the Creator God after they physically die. Thus, their short lives ought to be set apart (holy) for Him. This is the heart of wisdom: knowing and living (applying) the truth of Christ’s Lordship over life everyday as one prepares for eternity.

This prayer by James Ferguson has the same heartbeat of Moses’ prayer:

“As passeth the day, so passeth our life…the fashion of the world passeth away; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Grant us therefore, O Lord, amidst all that changeth, that we may love thee with a constant love; and loving thee, may do thy will; and doing thy will, may pass through this life temporal into the life eternal; by thy grace in Christ Jesus, the Son, our Saviour.”

Isn’t this pertinent for us on this last day of the year? Our time in this life is short. We must trust Jesus as the Lord of every moment of our lives and strive to be holy as He is holy. This is because Jesus is God and will judge all people (2 Tim. 4:1) in the life that is to come. Moses’ prayer should be our prayer as we close this year and enter the next.

Let’s consider something else that Moses asks of God in Psalm 90. In verse 14, he prays, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” With all the people continually dying around him, Moses learned that human relationships do not satisfy completely because they do not last forever in this life. The pleasures of life are fleeting as well. He learned that what truly satisfies and endures is to delight in the love of God!

Isn’t this pertinent for us as we enter a new year? True satisfaction comes only in Jesus Christ. He is the fullest expression of God’s love for us. Only by experiencing Him and abiding in His love do we find our heart’s contentment. And you come to experience Him only by turning from sin and having faith in Him as your Lord and Savior.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote these insightful words:

“Things develop holes and becomes useless, and at the end they are gone and become utterly corrupt. The most perfect physique will eventually give away and break down and die; the most beautiful countenance will in a sense become ugly when the process of corruption has got going; the brightest gifts tend to fade. Your great genius may be seen gibbering in delirium as the result of disease. However wonderful and beautiful and glorious things may be they all perish…We think we are safe in our house; but we find thieves have broken in and ransacked it – illness, a business loss, some industrial collapse, war, and finally death itself…why do we not lay up treasures in heaven where we know there is purity and joy, holiness and everlasting bliss?”

Why waste your life grabbing for people or things that will never really satisfy you? The contentment of soul that you seek is only found in Jesus. He said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” He said elsewhere in Scripture, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” When you have Jesus, you have everything.

I do wish you a Happy New Year. I pray that 2012 is full of peace and happiness for you. I pray that this year is a special one in your walk with Jesus. I also pray that you will understand this prayer of Moses in Psalm 90. My desire is his prayer will become yours for the end of 2011, the start of 2012, and for every year — so that you will realize the shortness of life due to sin, live under the Lordship of the gracious, eternal Christ, and find your true satisfaction in Him.

By Nelson Chapman

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Nelson is the English Pastor of Songtan Central Baptist Church. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Religion from Liberty University, M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and is currently working on a D. Min. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife Michelle for 11 years.

Posted in Bible, Christian Living, Jesus Christ, Salvation | 2 Comments

CT’s Top 10 News Stories of 2011

Posted on December 31, 2011 by SCBC BLOG

Christianity Today just released their top 10 stories of 2011 that have impacted evangelical life and thought. It definitely is cause for reflection on what is happening in evangelical circles and how various events are impacting our lives. Lurking just outside this top 10 would have to be Harold Camping and his two doomsday predictions (May 21 and Oct 21) that caused a firestorm of international publicity and discussion in the blogosphere. Here’s CT’s top 10 stories of 2011:

1. Rob Bell tries to legitimize universalism, prompting huge backlash. He later announces he’s leaving Mars Hill Bible Church to work in TV.

2. States [USA] adopt 80 abortion restrictions in their 2011 legislative sessions, an all-time high (the previous record was 34).

3. Mideast Christians conflicted about the Arab Spring, especially as anti-Christian violence follows Mubarak ouster in Egypt.

4. John Stott, evangelical statesman, pastor, and builder of the global church, dies at 90.

5. Beijing’s Shouwang Church holds outdoor services for more than six months, enduring mass arrests as it leads China’s booming house churches in unprecedented demands for religious freedom.

6. HarperCollins, which already owns Zondervan, buys Thomas Nelson; it now has about 50 percent of the Christian book market.

7. How best to translate “Son of God” in Bibles for the Muslim world becomes a flashpoint, prompting Wycliffe to clarify standards and missionaries to pledge more civility.

8. Tim Tebow’s prominent display of faith becomes one of the sports world’s major talking points.

9. Largely Christian South Sudan votes for independence; persecution ensues for Christians in the Nuba Mountains and Khartoum.

10. The PC (USA) votes to allow noncelibate gay pastors, prompting defections from presbyteries. (Meanwhile, the United Methodists hold the line on same-sex unions amid a planned clergy revolt.)

By Nelson Chapman

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Nelson is the English Pastor of Songtan Central Baptist Church. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Religion from Liberty University, M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and is currently working on a D. Min. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife Michelle for 11 years.

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In God’s Will? In God’s Word.

Posted on December 29, 2011 by SCBC BLOG

I’ve been teaching Bible to young adults for some years now and one of the statements I hear every so often is “I want to know God’s will for my life.” It’s often said with a hint of frustration like it’s something that they can’t find out.

But is it really that hard? Maybe changing our perspective could be helpful.

Of course knowing God’s will starts with prayer. I’m sure you’ve done this before, and maybe even specifically asked God to show you His will, but what did you do after that? Did you listen quietly for an answer somewhere? Did you expect the next person to walk into the room to say “you should go to Africa and help the poor!”?

Sure, we should look for the opportunities God opens up for us, but don’t you think you should also be looking where God speaks to us all of the time? Open your Bible and read! I’m not talking about flinging open your Bible and smacking your finger on the page exclaiming “there you have it – I’m going to do this!” (and you just happen to hit a verse that tells you to dip yourself in the Jordon seven times). I’m talking about really immersing yourself in God’s Word. And this not even just the once, but always and every day!

It’s in God’s Word that you’ll find Colossians 1:9. In that verse, Paul says “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (emphasis mine). This gets my attention if I’m seeking God’s will and what Paul says next is very helpful to me. In verse 10 he says “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Paul is talking about sanctification here. This is what’s demonstrated when Colossians 1:10 becomes evident in your life. It starts by walking in a manner worthy of being called a Christian. Not all at once mind you, but how you act will suddenly mean something to you in light of your salvation. Next you may find yourself thinking “does this really please my savior” when you start doing something that you used to do without a thought. You might even find that the “good” you do now is bearing fruit for God’s glory. Even more so, you find yourself hungry for God’s Word and you’re learning more and more about him by reading and listening to it every day.

So what does this have to do with the will of God? Quite a bit, actually. 1 Thessalonians 4:3a tells you: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” Yes. It is God’s will that you walk with him, please him, bear fruit, and grow in knowledge of him.

But you could be saying “That’s not the same! I want to know what I have to do for him, not how I have to act in my life. I want to know whether I should be a youth pastor or a missionary!” If that’s the case, then consider Psalm 1:1-3:

1Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

The man who delights in God’s Word and walks in His ways is blessed. He yields fruit, and in all he does he prospers. If you are walking in a manner truly worthy of the Lord, whatever you do for him will prosper (whether you see it or not). So why even ask what you should be doing? It should simply be enough to live a life worthy of sanctification. This is God’s will.

But what does this look like in your life? Again we can look to God’s Word:

• In getting married it would look like being equally yoked (2 Cor 6:14) and becoming one flesh (Mt 19:5).
• In living with your spouse it would look like submission to one another (Eph 5:21), the wife submitting to her husband (Eph 5:22) and the husband loving his wife as Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25).
• In doing your job it would look like working hard for your employer in a God-honoring way (Col 3:22-23) and doing everything you put your hand to with all of your might (Ecc 9:10).
• In your community it would look like keeping your conduct honorable so they may see the good you do and glorify God (1 Pt 2:12) or say nothing at all (1 Pt 2:15)!
• In serving in your church it would look like being of one mind and considering others before yourself (Php 2:1-4).

All of this is found in God’s Word, and that’s why it is so important to get into that Word. Even if you want specifics you will find that if you just live the Word God gives you, things will fall into place. This is God’s promise in Romans 8:28 where he says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Being sanctified is God’s will for you. Living according to His way in everything is how you do this and the instructions for that are found in His Word. This is walking in a manner worthy of the Lord…this is the will of God.

By Bob Fraleigh

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Bob is the Community Life Group ministry leader at Songtan Central Baptist Church. He has a heart for training up others in God’s Word and crossing linguistic barriers to do so. He retired from the military after 27 years of serving his country and now lives in Songtan, Korea with his wife Micha.

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Why Christmas?

Posted on December 25, 2011 by SCBC BLOG

With Christmas approaching, I decided to read through Luke 2. I came to verse 11 and was struck by one word – the word that just makes it the Gospel all over. Let’s look at the verse: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

The word that struck me was “Savior.” Although it seems obvious, we must ask ourselves, “Why is it so important?” We can do this if we ask three questions (and believe it or not, the answer is the same for each one):

We are saved from what?
We are saved by what?
We are saved for what?

When I asked the first question to some friends, they responded by saying things like “sin” and “death.” While these answers are good, they’re not quite complete. Let’s look at Romans 1:18. It says “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

The answer to that first question then is that we are being saved from God. His wrath is reserved for the unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth about him. The essence of the Gospel is captured in 2 Corinthians 5:21 where it says “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is salvation in Christ, the great exchange where he became our sin so that we could become his righteousness. Without it, we cannot stand before God. Without it, God’s wrath must be poured out upon us. Why? Because God is perfect, and in his perfection he cannot overlook what justice demands. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death.” Payment must be made to satisfy the justice of God, and so Jesus came…our Savior.

This leads right to the answer to our second question (which we’ve already seen in the 2 Corinthians passage): through Jesus, we are saved by God. God saved us by giving his Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). You see this too in the second part of Romans 6:23 – “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And lastly, the answer to our third question – saved for what? And as I said, the answer is “God.” We are saved to glorify him. In the first part of 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul says “you were bought with a price.” Remember the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) and how those wages were paid (2 Corinthians 5:21). You were bought with the price of Jesus – the Savior we read about in Luke 2:11 – on the cross. And what do we do with this? Paul finishes the verse by saying “so glorify God in your body.”

“Savior.” I certainly hope that during this Christmas season you have taken the time to think about what that really means. To me it is the word that sums up the answer to the question, “Why Christmas?”

By Bob Fraleigh

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Bob is the Community Life Group ministry leader at Songtan Central Baptist Church. He has a heart for training up others in God’s Word and crossing linguistic barriers to do so. He retired from the military after 27 years of serving his country and now lives in Songtan, Korea with his wife Micha.

Posted in Culture, Jesus Christ, Salvation | Leave a comment