9Marks eJournal on Corporate Prayer

The latest 9Marks eJournal is out, PDF here.

Jonathan Leeman and I teamed up and wrote A Biblical Theology of Corporate Prayer.

A New Translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

If you’ve never read this poem, repent, and go buy this new translation of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” Carve out some time over the Christmas season and treat yourself to this inspiring, virtuous tale of true chivalry. You’ll be glad you did.

If you want a teaser, here’s a great article on this new translation (you have to be a registered reader of the New York Times, but that’s free and the article is worth reading).

We Christians should reclaim our great literary heritage, which includes the likes of “Sir Gawain” and “Beowulf”–the real story of Beowulf, that is, not the cheap Canaanization of it recently produced by Hollywood. The makers of that smut should be ashamed that they defiled the fine name of “Beowulf” with their filth.

The true story of Beowulf is one of nobility, bravery, self-sacrifice, and the victory of good over evil. And that is also the true story of this world through the triumph of the Lord Christ. Something of that triumph is also captured in the victory of virtue portrayed in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.”

Enjoy the ennoblement of your soul as you read this great work of literature!

Spiritual Formation and the Internet: Making Good Use of the Mammon of Unrighteousness

The paper that I presented last week at ETS is here.

May the Lord be pleased to help us leverage all we have–including the internet–for his glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.

Communion with the Triune God, ed. Kapic and Taylor: Another Suggestion for Pastors

When Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor’s edition of Owen’s Overcoming Sin and Temptation came out, I suggested that pastors go through this slowly with others they serve with at church. The three of us doing this at Redeemer are still working through Overcoming Sin and Temptation (note the word slowly!–sometimes slower is better), but the book we’ll work through next is already out.

When we finish Overcoming Sin and Temptation, our plan is to charge forward into Communion with the Triune God by John Owen, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor.

I hope you’ll consider joining us on this journey of discipleship with John Owen. Thanks to Kapic and Taylor, we can all be discipled by the prince of the puritans!

The Great Exchange, by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington

Is a clear understanding of the atonement an academic preserve to which only theologians and scholars have access? Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington don’t think so.

Thus, they have written The Great Exchange: My Sin for His Righteousness, which seeks to explain the way that the Old Testament prepares the way for Jesus’ death, then looks at every text on the atonement in the New Testament. Crossway has provided a text-interview with Bridges and Bevington here. They describe their primary audience as “mainstream . . . believers.”

You can check out the book’s website, which includes study guides on the book. This book and these study guides will be ready tools in the hands of disciplers.

Oh that mainstream believers would watch less football this fall so they could have time to read books like this one!

Great Sermons on 1 and 2 Timothy

My fellow elder Travis Cardwell has been preaching a great series of sermons on 1 and 2 Timothy. The brother broke his arm on Saturday, but that didn’t stop him from bringing the word in the power of the Spirit on Sunday.

As we heard this past Sunday, even though Paul was in prison, the word was not bound (2 Tim 2:9), and even if Travis has broken bones, the word can’t be broken (John 10:35)!

You can download the sermon, “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth,” here.

The Local Church: God’s Program for Evangelism and Discipleship

Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,

Is there a relationship between your local church and discipleship? I’m not asking about the discipleship program at your local church, I’m asking if God might mean for the church to be the discipleship program.

Is there a relationship between your local church and evangelism? Again, I’m not asking about the evangelism program(s) at your local church, I’m asking if God might mean for the church to be the evangelism program.

Is there a relationship between your local church and world missions? No surprise here: I’m not asking about how your church participates in missionary endeavors, rather, I’m asking if God might intend to reach those who have never heard through the planting of healthy churches on the mission field.

We would like to invite you to a Saturday morning seminar on “The Local Church: God’s Program for Evangelism and Discipleship.”

Jesus said that he would build his church, and we believe that the “program” he gave his disciples to use in their efforts to fulfill the great commission is The Local Church. If you are interested in thinking further about what this means for local church ministry, we invite you to join us on Saturday, November 10, 2007. Please see the attached flyer for details on when and where the seminar will be held (and how long it will last—we know you’re busy!).

We want maximum glory for God here in Houston, and we pray he will use us in hallowing his name and winning new worshipers for him. There is more work to be done in this city than any of our churches can individually accomplish. We want to come alongside you and join you in the pursuit of local church health. Just as great teammates make individual players better, so also our individual churches will be improved as church health spreads. What is good for the gospel is good for our local church. Each local church will thrive as other local churches flourish.

Would you prayerfully consider coming to this seminar to think with us about local church health?

That she might be without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish,

Jim

Dr. Jim Hamilton
Preaching Elder,
Baptist Church of the Redeemer
Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

 

For the glory of God, Baptist Church of the Redeemer seeks to obey Christ in the great commission task of making disciples by the power of the Spirit.

Redeemer

Institute Seminar

The Local Church:

God’s Program for Evangelism and Discipleship

Dr. Jim Hamilton
Asst. Prof. of Biblical Studies, SWBTS Houston
Elder, Baptist Church of the Redeemer

9:00 to 10:20am
1) What Is the Church?
Whose idea was the church?
Who do we let into the church?
Who should lead? (What is an elder, anyway?)
Who should serve? (Just what is a deacon?)
Who should be excluded? Why? (What does regenerate church membership mean?)
Does the church have any stated roles? (What is congregationalism?)
Where do we go for answers to these questions?
Can the church decide these issues for itself? (Does the Bible have anything to say?)
When is a church “apostate”? What keeps a church from being “apostate”?

10:30 to 11:50am
2) How Does the Church Militant Wage Her War?
Does Jesus care about any of this “church” stuff?
Did Jesus do “expository preaching”?
What if the leadership doesn’t teach the Bible? (Can formative discipline happen?)
What if the leadership won’t confront sin? (Can corrective discipline happen?)
What does it mean for the church to be God’s discipleship program?
What does it mean for the church to be God’s evangelism program?
Does this have anything to do with missions?
How should the church influence the culture? (Are we just another interest group?)
What difference does the church’s corporate witness make?

Date: Saturday, November 10, from 9am to noon
Place: FBC MC

For details, please see www.bcredeemer.org
Contact: Travis Cardwell (832) 655-2515, travis@bcredeemer.org

 

Spurgeon on the Minister’s Need of God

From Lectures to My Students, “The Minister’s Self Watch” (p. 12 in the Pilgrim ed.):

“As is the workman, such will the work be. To face the enemies of truth, to defend the bulwarks of the faith, to rule well in the house of God, to comfort all that mourn, to edify the saints, to guide the perplexed, to bear with the froward, to win and nurse souls–all these and a thousand other works beside are not for a Feeble-mind or a Ready-to-halt, but are reserved for Great-heart whom the Lord has made strong for himself. Seek then strength from the Strong One, wisdom from the Wise One, in fact, all from the God of all.”

Denny Burk to Preach at Redeemer this Sunday!

The illustrious Denny Burk will, Lord willing, preach on “The Gospel as the Power of God for Perseverance” from 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 this Sunday at Baptist Church of the Redeemer.

If you’re in the Houston area, we would love to have you join us for worship. Due to some complications with our normal meeting location, our worship service will take place at 2:10pm. Sunday School begins at 1:00pm. Location details on the website.

Hope to see you!

Should We Expect to Cast Out Demons Like Jesus Did?

Justin Taylor posts his notes on what looks to be a very informative book on this topic by David Powlison. I highly recommend a careful reading of Taylor’s notes on Powlison’s book, which address the question posed in the title of this post.

Here’s a teaser in the hopes that you’ll read the whole thing:

Powlison argues that the Bible does not teach us to wage spiritual warfare using EMM [casting out demons]. Rather Scripture teaches us a different way to live the Christian life and fight our ancient foe.