John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Oct 2009

Chuck Swindoll's 10 Lifetime Leadership Lessons

Chuck Swindoll, accepting a Lifetime Achievement Award at Catalyst 09, gave the following lessons he has learned during his nearly 50 years in leadership:

1) It’s lonely to lead. Leadership involves tough decisions. The tougher the decision, the lonelier it is.
2) It’s dangerous to succeed. I’m most concerned for those who aren’t even 30 and are very gifted and successful. Sometimes God uses someone right out of youth, but usually he uses leaders who have been crushed
3) It’s hardest at home. No one ever told me this in Seminary.
4) It’s essential to be real. If there’s one realm where phoniness is common, it’s among leaders. Stay real.
5) It’s painful to obey. The Lord will direct you to do some things that won’t be your choice. Invariably you will give up what you want to do for the cross.
6) Brokenness and failure are necessary.
7) Attititude is more important than actions. Your family may not have told you: some of you are hard to be around. A bad attitude overshadows good actions.
8) Integrity eclipse image. Today we highlight image. But it’s what you’re doing behind the scenes.
9) God's way is better than my way.
10) Christlikeness begins and ends with humility.

HT:JT

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Oct 2009

Reflection and Thoughts that Call for a Decision

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. - Paul in 2 Cor 4:1-18 (ESV)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- Paul in 2 Cor 12:9 (ESV)

"Either God is served with single-minded devotion

or He is not served at all - D A Carson

"Sink deep roots, build relationships, plant your feet firmly in a local church and pay the price to move people to the Great Commission for the Glory of God.

- Al Jackson

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Grace and Peace

Ollie

Sep 2009

Knowing God: The Sum and Substance of Life

Watch Dr Bruce Ware as he preaches on Knowing God: The Sum and Substance of Life. Recorded at Southern Seminary Chapel session.




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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Sep 2009

Don't Waste Your Life

The Greatest Cause in the world
is joyfully rescuing people from hell,
meeting their earthly needs,
making them glad in God,
and doing it with a kind, serious pleasure
that makes Christ look like the Treasure he is.
- John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Life," p. 122

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Sep 2009

Yes, Lord

Yes Lord.


Whatever, wherever, whenever, whomever, however - for Christ alone and for Your Glory.


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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Sep 2009

Wait for the LORD

".... never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the circumstance as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any selfish agenda, into the hands of your covenant God, saying "Now, Lord, not my will, but Yours be done. I do not know what to do. I am at an end of myself, but I will wait until You part the floods or drive back my enemies. I will wait, even if You test me for a while, for my heart is fixed upon You alone, O God, and my spirit waits for You in the deep conviction that You will still be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower." - C H Spurgeon

What a beautiful prayer of waiting upon the LORD. I pray that this deep conviction be mine as well.

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Aug 2009

Proverbs 3:7 - Turn Away From Evil

Joshua Harris preaches from Proverbs 3:7 - Turn Away from Evil. He gives an excellent visual illustration with a beanbag and drives home the point that we need to turn from evil.




Harris' words ring true. How often do we flirt with evil, rationalizing our actions and justifying our motives? When to be wise, we are to fear the LORD, and turn away and flee from evil. A little step closer here, a little compromise there, what harm can it be? Until finally we are consumed by evil.

"Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil." - Proverbs 3:7 (ESV)

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Aug 2009

Who or What is really your God?

"To whatever we look for any good thing and for refuge in every need, that is what is meant by 'god.' To have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in him from the heart.... To whatever you give your heart and entrust your being, that, I say, is really your god."
- Martin Luther

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Aug 2009

Enjoying God's Creation and Gifts

Lesson Learned this Summer: #3


And God saw that it was good. Gen 1:10b (ESV)

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Tim 4:4-5 (ESV)


Creation Is Good. Another important theme in Genesis 1 is that God’s creation is good. Various individual aspects of creation are so designated (vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) whereas the whole taken together is called “very good” (v. 31). These statements are intended to show not only that what God has fashioned and made to conform to the rule of law reflects his glory and his very nature (cf. Ps. 19:1–11 [12]; 97:6; Rom. 1:20), but also that the fall of humanity described in Genesis 3 cannot be attributed to any flaw in creation. Clearly Adam and Eve cannot excuse their transgression on the basis of a deficient environment because it is both perfect and provides bountifully for their every need (1:29; 2:8–16, 20–25). Neither can God be faulted, for, despite the fact that the serpent which becomes the agent of temptation in this episode is a creature that God has made (3:1), it is a subordinate creature over which humans are to exercise dominion (1:26–28; 2:19–20). Thus their transgression is a consequence of their failure to fulfill the creation mandate.
- Walter A. Elwell. Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. electronic ed. Baker reference library; Logos Library System. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1997, c1996.


Therefore I can enjoy God's creation and gifts, receiving it with thanksgiving.

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jul 2009

Our Great Debt is Forgiven

Lesson Learned this Summer: #2

My Father, as I dwell on the fullness of your forgiveness for me... paid for with the blood of your own Son... given freely to me... all my evil forgotten... give me a fresh deposit of quick forgiveness for others today.

Let forgiveness flow from me, quick and free, so that any offense against me is like a dead leaf fallen in a river - washing away in a moment.

Prayer from"Early Will I Seek You: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Augustine" (ed. David Hazard).

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jul 2009

A Manifesto to Live by

Lesson Learned this Summer: #1

1. Resolved to follow Scripture Truth wherever it leads me;
2. Resolved to follow Scripture as it gives revelation, but will leave those truths not yet revealed or hidden in God's hands;
3. Resolved to bow to the Sovereignty of God in all things;
4. Resolved to follow God, who I believe is in control and good, even though I am kept wondering about many things; and
5. Resolved to live for the Glory of God in the midst of joy and suffering.


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Grace and Peace,
Ollie
Jul 2009

Earnestly I Seek You

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water....
I think of you through the watches of the night.
Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
I stay close to you; your right hand upholds me. Ps 63:1,6-8 (NIV)

My Father, it's my natural tendency to seek you in the areas of my life where I'm in some distress. But you alone know what aspect of your nature I need to see today.
If it's your corrective hand I need, help me to see it quickly and to respond with joyful obedience.
If it's your compassion, let me perceive how deep and wide your love is, so that I can pour out that love on others, too.
And if your clear-bright purity is what I need to see, let me face it long enough that it cleanses away the sooty darkness that gathers so subtly in me...
- "Early Will I Seek You: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Augustine" (ed. David Hazard).

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jul 2009

What Can We Gain from Calvin Today - John Piper

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jul 2009

Beholding the Image of God in the Inner Man

I've been continuing in my Devos in "Early Will I Seek You: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Augustine" (ed. David Hazard). The chapter on "Beholding the Image of God in the Inner Man" has prompted me to think deeply on taking off the old self and putting on the new self. An extract from my reading is attached below for your reading delight.


"[take] off your old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." Col 3:9-10 (NIV)

Augustine says,

To begin with, I must tell you: The manner of life you live, together with the state of your heart, is most important when it comes to this matter of learning how to behold the image of God in the sanctuary of your soul.

As we have all learned from our Lord Jesus Christ, this begins by learning to be meek. That is, we must come to Him daily for spiritual power and strength (Phil 2:13). By seeking God's strength, not our own, we become humble before Him. Never allow any pride, which causes us to imagine and to pretend that we have no spiritual needs (James 4:10)....

Now I will tell you: You will make greater progression by secret prayer and meditation than by reading or hearing spiritual teachings. By these two crucial practices, you build up the inner man, receiving words of spiritual insight that feed your soul and renew it day by day.

Therefore, lift up the spirit of your mind, so that this daily renewing may begin. Set your thoughts on the character of God Himself - think on the One who is full of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Col 3:12). Think on these things until you find yourself entering that secret chamber of the heart where Christ dwells in you by faith (Eph 3:17). - Augustine; On Seeing God:1, 2.

My Father, I will quiet my soul now and enter its "sanctuary" with you....

When I listen to the secrets of my heart, I find that my inner man is clothed sometimes with... pride and an unwillingness to admit I've been wrong... impatience... hard-heartedness towards someone who irritates me ... secret joy when another fails...

But today, Father, I will fix the eyes of my soul upon you! Clothe me with your compassion, kindness, humility... so that the others may feel even the slightest brush of your garment as I pass by.

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jun 2009

The piercing arrow of the Word of God

In addition to reading through the Gospels, I've been doing my devotional reading from "Early Will I Seek You: A 40-Day Journey in the Company of Augustine" (ed. David Hazard). In this book, excepts from Augustine's writings are presented along with scripture and prayer. I love writings from historical Christian heroes; they serve as a "cloud of witnesses" to the Faith, and often helping to encourage, teach and give insights to God's Word and Works.


Today's reading from the Chapter "Our Defense", Augustine writes:

When we believe lies, I tell you, a baneful forest grows within the soul, and we become lost by excusing ourselves from service in God's Kingdom. We allow ourselves worldly thoughts and worldly affections. The Word of God must come like a piercing arrow, bearing a flaming coal, so that this forest of worldly thoughts will be set on fire, become cleared ground where God may build His temple within.

The Devil comes to sow tares and darkness, to bring ruin to your soul. The Words of God come like fire, so that when your heart is cleared, Christ can be built in you, a temple of eternal happiness. (Augustine, Homilies on the Psalms:5 emphasis mine)

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jun 2009

Video Testimony - Jolly Blogger's Battle with Cancer

David Wayne (aka Jolly Blogger) was diagnosed with cancer in December 2008. He gives a powerful testimony of God's Faithfulness in the midst of suffering and pain. He also speaks about the theology of the Cross and embracing trials and suffering that leads to deeper knowledge of God. See his video testimony below.

David Wayne - My Battle with Cancer from David Wayne on Vimeo.

David blogs at Jolly Blogger.


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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jun 2009

John Calvin's 500th Birthday

Get the John Calvin birthday clock at Calvin 500


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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Jun 2009

What does it mean to think “theologically"?

I had friends who said to me before, "We do not need to study Theology; we only need the Bible." That in itself is already a theological statement. Theology or the study of God, is Faith seeking Understanding, as we seek to understand all of God's Truth as revealed in the Bible and how they apply to all areas of life. A oft repeated statement made by one of the Professor at Southern Seminary is that what we think about God impacts how we think about everything else. Listen then to another Pastor, Harry Reeder from the Gospel Coalition, as he explains what does it mean to think "theologically"?




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Grace and Peace
Ollie
May 2009

Back in Singapore!

I'm back in Singapore - this is still home! (:

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
May 2009

Weakness as Primary Qualification for Serving God

“For my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:9

A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, “I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory,” defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for “it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay [joyous] banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve him in his own way, and in his strength, or he will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth he casteth away; he will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before he will put his own into thee; he will first clean out thy granaries before he will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in his battles but the strength which he himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.

“When I am weak then am I strong,

Grace is my shield and Christ my song.”

- Spurgeon, Charles H., Morning and Evening: Daily Readings, Complete and unabridged, New modern edition (Peabody, MA : Hendrickson Publishers, 2006).



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Grace and Peace
Ollie
May 2009

Time for Chilling

I noticed this squirrel outside my window during my finals week - it was chilling and sleeping on the branch while balancing precariously only as squirrels can.

It was a tough but good finals; I think on one day I sat down and worked for 15 hours (with time out for meals and bio-breaks). It was a good opportunity to push and discipline myself. Learned heaps.

Anyway it is chilling time. I watched the latest Star Trek Movie last Friday midnight; attended a flute recital by a young virtuoso on campus on Saturday afternoon; had a good dinner and fellowship at a friend's home in rural Louisville Sunday evening; and finally watched the Louisville Bats Baseball game on Monday evening (my friends wanted me to experience authentic America, and they maintained that you cannot get more American than Baseball!).

I'm hoping to walk some in Cherokee Park, visit downtown Louisville (Speed Art Museum, Fourth Street, and Waterfront Park) and to spend a lazy afternoon chilling at the Blue Dog Cafe over a cup of aromatic coffee and a good book, before heading up to Philadelphia for a couple of days. There I will meet Kim Meng, Beow Kheng, Caleb and Daphne, attend Caleb's graduation and walk around Philly for a couple of days (maybe visiting the Amish community outside Philly) before heading back to good old Singapore and home! Looking forward to getting back to Grace Baptist Church and meeting up with the younger ones! (:

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
May 2009

Surrendering in order to Cling to God only

I have the privilege of sending a weekly devotion back to the Youth Ministry Leaders Team back in my home church in Singapore while I'm pursuing theological education in Louisville, USA. One of the recent email concerns the place of Joy and Suffering in the life of a Christian. I included some thoughts from Ajith Fernando's book "The Call to Joy and Pain" which I am currently reading devotionally through. I've written an excerpt from my devotion below.


Continuing in the reading of Ajith Fernando's book "The Call to Joy and Pain", let us see what else he says.

Fernando in his book says,

Because God knows our tendency to cling to things in an unhealthy way, he often calls us to surrender some of these idols so we can be freed from their hold on us. The New Testament presents this principle in different ways. Consider the following texts:

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23-24 ESV)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Rom 12:1 ESV)

I die every day! (1 Cor 15:31b ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. (Gal 2:20a ESV)

Each of these texts implies that Christians constantly give up things that they like to keep in order to experience the freedom God intends them to have. The most important thing that we surrender is our own self - our desire to control our lives. Of course, we don't surrender and go into a vacuum. We surrender something in order to cling to God only. Surrender is the means to enjoying more fully the most beautiful thing in out lives - our joyous love relationship with God.


This lesson of surrendering I learn, is a daily decision. It has been a daily surrender and trusting of God. Seminary is not what some people think of as a paradise on earth. All of us in the Southern Seminary community, still face the same temptations, challenges and difficulties. I think this lesson of daily surrender to the Lordship of Jesus as I start each day in prayer and scripture, though simple, is the most valuable lesson I learned so far. Though I'm still not consistent as yet but I have been progressing.

I hope that you too will choose this day, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15b ESV).

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Apr 2009