Rock of Ages

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to your Cross I cling;

Naked, come to you for dress;

Helpless, look to you for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly;

Wash me, Saviour, or I die.

Augustus Toplady - Rock of Ages

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Grace and Peace

Ollie

May 2010

Preparing Your Church for Suffering

Live life long enough and you will encounter trials and suffering; on this side of heaven pain and suffering is inevitable. Join C J Mahaney and Matt Chandler in this special session of the T4G Conference as they talk about "Preparing Your Church for Suffering." This talk is especially convicting and moving as Matt Chandler, a faithful young pastor and preacher who has experience much God-given success in past years, is in the midst of battling cancer. He is bearing his suffering well for the glory of God.

T4G 2010 -- Session 8 -- Matt Chandler from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Remember to keep Matt Chandler and his family in your prayers.

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Grace and Peace

Apr 2010

Ollie

The Reading of Books

Tim Challies has written two blogs on the reading of books. For those who struggle with reading or simply wish to read better, his two posts Read More, Read Better and How I Read a Book give helpful pointers on how to read better and read widely.

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Grace and Peace

Ollie

Apr 2010

The Ironies of the Cross

On the wretched day the soldiers mocked him,

Raucous laughter in a barracks room,

"Hail the king!" they sneered, while spitting on him,

Brutal beatings on this day of gloom.

Though his crown was thorn, he was born a king-

Holy brilliance bathed in bleeding loss-

All the soldiers blind to this stunning theme:

Jesus reigning from a cursed cross.

Awful weakness mars the battered God-man,

Far too broken now to hoist the beam.

Soldiers strip him bare and pound the nails in,

Watch him hanging on the cruel tree.

God's own temples down! He has been destroyed!

Death's remains are laid in rock and sod.

But the temple rises in God's wise ploy:

Our great temple is the Son of God.

"Here's the One who says he cares for other,

One who says he came to save the lost.

How can we believe that he saves others

When he can't get off that bloody cross?

Let him save himself! Let him come down now!"-

Savage jeering at the King's disgrace.

But by hanging there is precisely how

Christ saves others as the King of grace.

Draped in darkness, utterly rejected,

Crying, "Why have you forsaken me?"

Jesus bears God's wrath alone, dejected-

weeps the bitt'rest tears instead of me.

All the mockers cry, "He has lost his trust!

He's defeated by hypocrisy!"

But with faith's resolve, Jesus knows he must

Do God's will and swallow death for me.

D A Carson - "The Ironies of the Cross" in Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus

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Grace and Peace

Ollie

Apr 2010

Holiness in Heaven's Plan

Dr Bryan Chapell preached this message in the second of three messages for the E.Y. Mullins Lectures at Southern Seminary. In his preaching of one's need to put to death sin and to put on holiness, he reminded us that the truth of who we are in Christ and what God has done for us precedes our doing - our action is to be motivated by love and gratitude to God. Listen to the rest of his sermon below:



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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Apr 2010

Hope's Journey

"All of scripture shows us that God is faithful to accomplish his redemptive purposes.... and this gives us hope..." said Bryan Chapell. Watch the video of his sermon as Dr Bryan Chapell unpacks "Hope's Journey".



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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Apr 2010

Use for Useless Heroes

Dr Bryan Chapell preaches from Judges 7 on "Use for Useless Heroes" at the Southern Seminary Chapel. One of points he said was that grace is found throughout the Bible - the God of grace is present in the Old Testament and not simply waiting to come on the scene in the New Testament. His message is one of hope as God can use "useless" people like myself just as he can work through a fearful Gideon for the good of His people and for His glory. I found his sermon a solid exposition, a warm exhortation and a heart-stirring message; watch his sermon below:





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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Mar 2010

Interview with Peter Hitchens - The Rage against God: How Atheism led me to Faith

Peter Hitchens, brother of the atheist Christopher Hitchens (Author of "God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything"), wrote a book "The Rage against God: How Atheism led me to Faith" partly in response to his brother. Peter, a Christian, tells his story in the interview below:

Peter Hitchens Author Interview--The Rage Against God from Gorilla Poet Productions on Vimeo.

HT: Justin Taylor

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Grace and Peace

Ollie

Mar 2010

Total Trust - Joshua Harris

Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor of Covenant Life Church and author of books like I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Dug Down Deep spoke at Southern Seminary Chapel today. He spoke from Proverbs 3:5-6. Familiar verses but with fresh insights and convicting implications. In particular, I was challenged to reflect whether I fully leaned on God: Harris said that our manner of leaning should be "off-balance" to the extend that we do not have back-up plans but trust wholly and totally in God. Do have a listen to his whole sermon.

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Mar 2010

Only in the image of God is a man a True and Real man

Man does not simply bear or have the image of God; he is the image of God.

From the doctrine that man has been created in the image of God flows the clear implication that that image extends to man in his entirety. Nothing in man is excluded from the image of God. All creatures reveal traces of God, but only man is the image of God. And he is that image totally, in soul and body, in all faculties and powers, in all conditions and relationships. Man is the image of God because and insofar as he is true man, and he is man, true and real man, because and insofar as he is the image of God.

- Herman Bavinck [Translated: Anthony A. Hoekema]

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Mar 2010

Snow Days on Southern Seminary

Snow Days from Jay Keywood on Vimeo.

A video by my friend on Snow Days on Southern Seminary Campus. To all who wanted to see snow, enjoy! It is quite pretty.

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
Feb 2010

We are Far too Easily Pleased - C S Lewis

A video clip by Desiring God on a quote from "Weight of Glory" by C S Lewis. May we delight in the infinite Joy that God offers us in Christ.

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Grace and Peace
Ollie
February 2010

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