Did You Know This Is What Happens At A Banner Conference?

Late yesterday, a young guy asked if I would meet him for breakfast this morning. He apparently had been "blown away" by Ben Short's and Sinclair Ferguson's messages.
Last night, some other guys and I were wandering around campus when we stumbled on several Westminster Seminary guys making full use of the "hoops" in a pick-up basketball game.
Today, on my way to lunch, I asked a young pastor, "How are you?" He first replied, "Fine," but then began to cry. "That isn't true," he said, "I'm not fine." We talked and prayed together.
Tonight, a young pastor asked to get together in the morning ... subject yet unknown.
Throughout these days, one can readily see men spending time alone in quiet meditation on the things that they've heard. Additionally, two or three men can be found talking among themselves and ministering to one another.
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As I have told people again and again ... Banner seeks to provide an environment where ministers of the Word can themselves be fed, where their souls can be nourished, and where they can also have some good, laughter-filled enjoyment in the process.
Grace & peace. Steve

A Conference Attendee's WIFE Speaks Out! :-)

This is absolutely TOO GOOD for me not to share. It is a from the blog of a woman whose husband is here at the Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference.
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DATE: Sunday, May 27, 2007
TITLE: "He's Leaving Me"
Well a day, well a day... in 7 1/2 hours my hubbie is leaving me for one week (well okay, 5 days). Justin and I will be holding down the fort without my dear heart by my side. He has new to us tires on the van. He has it all cleaned spic and span. He is all packed and ready to ride. :) Leaving at 6:30 in the morning. Where is he going you ask? He is going to his all-time favourite pastor's conference! The Banner of Truth US Conference. Saying that he is excited is probably the under-statement of the year. He was even asking me today where the iron was for ironing his clothes. He NEVER irons his clothes (not that I do either - just to make the perfectly clear). So, all I can do is blame his excitement. Wish him well with me! :) Oh...what does he like about it all?
1. good solid teaching
2. the ride down with other pastors - he drives the van, they go down a night early, they have all their favourite stops etc
3. meeting other conservative male preachers and elders. :)
4. THE BOOK SHOP!!!! What pastor doesn't like a good book store .. especially one where you get good bang for your buck! AND
5. they give him a new shirt almost every year. He likes new shirts. :)
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I hope he liked the shirt ... and I hope he liked a bit more than the shirt, too! If you find yourself wishing you were here - well - we announced the dates for next year's conference. They are May 27-29, 2008. How about you put it on your calendar, even now?
Grace & peace. Steve

Greetings, from the 2007 Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference

We are off to a GREAT start. I can't believe the number of guys who are here from various seminaries and cities that I've visited over the last year, or from last year's Ministers' Conference. It's great to see them again, many of whom I've had email contact with sometime during the past 12 months. I can remember most, even if just the fact that the face is familiar. Ben Short kicked off the conference this afternoon with a great encouragement and challenge - For me, to live is Christ. Tonight, it's Sinclair Ferguson at the pulpit, followed by his whirlwind bookstore tour - what a fun time of sharing his knowledge of many of the books and reducing the price of some of the books he touches! The room was so crowded, and hot! Sorry, guys. Somehow, we'll need to do it a bit differently whenever Sinclair returns in a future year.

FOLLOW THE CONFERENCE YOURSELF:
If you'd like to follow the details of the conference, please visit Tony Reinke's "Shepherd's Scrapbook" blog. Tony is here with us - yes, really! Great to meet you, Tony! - and is "live blogging" all of the sessions, even with pictures! You can visit Tony's site by clicking here.
We're also glad to have Ryan Thompson with us from Iowa. Ryan is a professional photographer who is documenting this year's conference with great photos. I'm sure I'll be sharing some of them with you in the next week or so.
More to come. Steve.

Pre-Conference UPDATE

The Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference is one exciting week! While the actual conference begins Tuesday (May 29), it sort of begins for me tonight. One of our attendees, Mark from Chicago, has a flight that arrives today. So he'll be joining our family and living with us for the next few nights (I met Mark last November at the ETS conference in DC)! Likewise, Paul from Boston will spend a night with us, too. It'll be good to have their help Monday as we set up the bookstore - imagine converting an empty room into a fully functioning bookstore that contains just about ALL Banner of Truth titles (at 40% or more off). If you haven't registered but want to come, and are a pastor / deacon / elder / chaplain / missionary / seminarian, send me an email. It's still not too late, as far as we are concerned. Grace & peace. Steve
ADDENDUM, MONDAY, MAY 28th - We are ready! The bookstore is set up; registration will be prepared in the morning and we will start welcoming you guys at 11:00 a.m. We have two conference attendees staying at our house tonight, they have both quickly become older brothers to our three daughters! It's great. And we had one guy call earlier asking if it was too late to bring his eight friends!! This is already starting off to be a great week. Wow.

OUTSIDE SOURCE: "The Godly Man's Picture"

This is the Puritan Paperback that happens to be in my briefcase at the moment, but I'm obviously not the only one reading through this work of Thomas Watson. If you'd like to read a portion of this book, check out this blog (click here). Thanks, Doug. May Watson's picture of a godly man, which is really God's picture, be more greatly displayed in both of our lives! Grace & peace. Steve
PS - Check out the new cover!

Another Shipment from Edinburgh!

No, this isn't REALLY a picture of the truck and container from Scotland, but the one we're still waiting for will look like this when it finally gets here. You see, several times a year, we have a most unusual day here at the Banner of Truth office on the North American side of the Atlantic Ocean. It's when a container, packed and shipped from Edinburgh, Scotland reaches the end of it's sea-voyage through the port of Baltimore and finally arrives at our warehouse here in Carlisle, PA, USA. And that would be TODAY! Yes, really, on the Friday morning before the annual Ministers' Conference. Isn't that a great way to make a busy day just a little busier? And to make it even MORE interesting, the container's arrival is - so far - four hours late. We've been told by the trucking company that their driver chose not to report to work today so was promptly fired, and we shouldn't expect to see the container until this afternoon - uhm, that would be the afternoon of the Friday before the annual Ministers' Conference! Meanwhile, our regular staff PLUS four additional guys I recruited to help, are doing just about anything else we can come up with for them to do until the container gets here! Did you ever have one of those days? It is a good time to remind ourselves that our plans are always flexible as determined by the Lord. In the meantime, the pizza just arrived so I think I'll join the crew in the back of the warehouse as we continue to watch and wait for the real work to begin.
Grace & PEACE! :-)
Steve
ADDENDUM, FRIDAY NIGHT - The container finally arrived at 12:45. I'm so glad we had extra guys, two from Harrisburg and two from the Scranton area, to help. Josh, Andrew, Seth, Luke ... Many, many thanks, guys! What a day!

A Future RTS Seminarian, Perhaps?

Every single one of us here at Banner of Truth office in Carlisle, PA (USA) would like to extend a very excited and enthusiastic congratulations to Jake and Melissa on the birth of their firstborn, a son, Samuel Nash, weighing in at ten pounds (that's 25% bigger than any of our children - all girls, however). Jake currently manages the bookstore there at RTS-Charlotte while raising support to eventually go to Prague in support of a church planting ministry. I truly am excited for you and your family, Jake. I look forward to hopefully seeing the little one sometime before you find yourselves where I was this past weekend ... at your child's high school graduation. God bless you, brother. Steve

Meet One Excited Pastor!

You should check this out! It's a video that a pastor who recently visited us here at Banner of Truth just made about the books he got from our "secret shelves," the 50% off ever-so-slightly-damaged book shelves. Click here to get to the file (you may need to click the play arrow twice to get it going). Also, click here to read his description of what it's like to visit us at Banner U.S.A. Thanks, Ryan!

Steve

OUTSIDE SOURCE Book Review: "Soul Depths & Soul Heights"

Source: Pastor Erik Raymond, Omaha
Excerpts from Erik's Review: "In recent years this author has become one of my favorites. Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) has a devotional style that just melts my pride and inflames my passion. He has been a welcome addition to my bookshelf.... In this book, Soul Depths & Soul Heights, Winslow walks us through the 130th Psalm. The book is a series of sermons on the text he himself preached. When you think of Winslow you think of sweet affection to Christ and sweet perserverence in trials. And one does indeed feed the others. This is fitting then with the text in hand.... I could go on and on quoting the book; I just loved it.... This book is great to recommend to someone who is encountering a trial. Recommend the book along with a meditative contemplation of the 130 Psalm. It is also a great book to read for training in view of the possible, potential, promised and certain trials of life."
To read Erik's entire review of this book, click here.
For book information and to buy your own copy from Banner, click here.
Enjoy! Grace & peace. Steve Burlew

This summer, Banner of Truth will add six more titles to our overall line-up. As before, I will start giving you my "sneak preview" here on the blog, one new book at a time. I have a few more cover images, etc., to receive and then I'll start cranking them out. So, stay tuned!

Speak Now, Or Forever ...

The 2007 Banner of Truth U.S. Ministers' Conference is NEXT WEEK, May 29-31
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This is a busy week here at the Carlisle Banner office. Conference packets are being assembled, name badges are bring printed, an incredible amount of books are being packed (we'll rent a truck and move them all on Monday morning to set up the conference bookstore - yeah, happy Memorial Day! :-)
At this point, there is still room, so if you've been on the fence, give us a call and make this year the year that you come! Get a friend to join you who has never been before, and you can tap into a great discount, too. If you have any questions, send me an email; I'll do my best to help you out (steve@banneroftruth.org) or call us, 1-800-263-8085. You can also get the entire conference brochure by clicking on the image there at the left of this post and additional details are in the right margin of this blog. It would be great to meet you and spend some time together. Derek Thomas and I already have plans for a late Wednesday night ice cream run; we can save you a seat in the Suburban! I do hope you'll give it some serious thought. Grace & peace. Steve.

OUTSIDE SOURCE Book Review: "George Whitefield"

Source: Tim Challies (Blog: Challies.com)

Excerpts from this review by Tim Challies:
"Few recent books have so wide and so deep an impact as Arnold Dallimore's magisterial biography of George Whitefield.... Rarely have I had a biography recommended to me by so many and by men of such distinction. Rarely have I benefited more from reading about another man's life.... Eminently readable despite its length and depth, this biography only reinforces my belief that biographies can be among the greatest catalysts to spiritual growth. It is a classic and one that takes its place among my favorite biographies... It will prove valuable to pastors or evangelists as they see the example of a man who labored tirelessly for the gospel; it will prove valuable to all Christians as they see the example of a man who labored tirelessly to grow even and ever closer to his Savior. Whitefield is a man who stands as an example to all of us. Dallimore has done us a great service in opening up to us the life of this great man of God. Together these two volumes represent a financial investment that is not insignificant. Purchased together they are likely to cost at least sixty or seventy dollars. But I can testify, as can a long list of people of far greater wisdom and discernment than I, that they are well worth the investment."

To read Tim Challies' complete review of this set, click here.

To access the set on the Banner of Truth Web site (25% off plus free shipping), click here for volume 1 and here for volume 2. For some reason, the Web site isn't allowing you to buy both volumes as a set (25% off $70 - the set price - instead of the combined $45 + $45). Therefore, if you want the set, give us a call (800-263-8085) and mention Tim's review.

Banner's "Secret Shelves" Were Hit Again!

I've referenced our "secret shelves" here at the Banner of Truth in at least one prior blog - they are the shelves stocked with such ever-so-slightly-damaged books that frequently I cannot tell, at first glance, how they got to be there. The important thing, however, is that all of the books on these "secret shelves" are available for purchase at a 50% discount to anyone who stops in for a visit. This morning, it's been great to have two Pennsylvania pastors, Ryan and Ben, stop in; they happen to be from my alma mater, as well, but have made contact initially here through the blog. It's been great to visit with them, give them the Banner tour. We're headed out to lunch now. If you're ever passing through central PA, keep us in mind. I got an email recently from a pastor in Portland, Oregon who will be bringing his family to the east coast for a vacation this summer. I had to smile - he listed three "must sees" while they are here: (1) the capitol of our country, (2) the site of the historic Gettysburg battle, and (3) Banner of Truth! I hope your week is off to a great start. Grace & peace. Steve

Permit Me a Father's Moment, Will You?

Eighteen years and seven months ago, my wife and I were in a maternity ward hospital room, overwhelmed with emotion. We were too awestruck to speak. There in my wife's arms rested the smallest baby I had ever seen, a little girl. She wasn't crying at all; she just seemed to stare at us, first at my wife and then at me. My imagination could almost hear her say to us, "So this is what you both look like. I've heard your voices for the past nine months. It's so good to finally see you."

Tell me something, would you please? Where did those eighteen years and seven months go?

This Saturday, May 19, that "smallest baby I had ever seen," pictured here, will graduate from high school. And just a few weeks down the road, she will pack up her things and move on to establish her life for the next four years on a college campus. Wow! My heart is thrilled to see that the Lord has grown her into a young woman of God ... not perfect, to be sure, but still growing, as are we all.

"Congratulations, Punkin'. Of all the 'titles' I've ever had, being your dad is one of the best and most important ones of all. Congratulations on a job well done. With much love ... Dad."

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ADDENDUM, Monday, May 21, 2007: As this picture will testify, it happened! And it went well!
"Thank you, Lord, for so much."

In the Top 10 ... TWICE!

You may have already seen this. Recently, Dr. Al Mohler (President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY) posted his list of "Ten Great Christian Biographies," and a number of bloggers have re-posted it across the Internet. Since two of his "eight greats" flow through this Banner of Truth warehouse, I thought maybe I would at least pass along Dr. Mohler's brief comments on each of these Banner titles. Without a doubt, these would be considered great "reads" this summer.
Steve
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From Dr. Albert Mohler ...

"Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Revival, 2 volumes - volume 1 and volume 2 (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Banner of Truth Trust, 1970).
Dallimore's biography of Whitefield is among the greatest in terms of sheer inspiration and the urgency of Whitefield's example. Lessons from Whitefield are worth this two-volume biography and more, and Dallimore takes his readers into the heart of Whitefield's life and ministry."

"Iain H. Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The First Forty Years, 1899-1939 and D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: The Fight of Faith, 1939-1981 (Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Banner of Truth Trust, 1982, 1990).
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, for decades pastor at London's Westminster Chapel, was one of the greatest expositors of the twentieth century. Beyond this, he stood at the center of the century's great events and controversies. In Iain Murray's wonderful two-volume biography "The Doctor" and his ministry are presented and interpreted by one who worked alongside Dr. Lloyd-Jones and knew him well."

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By the way, the two volumes of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones can be purchased as a set by clicking here, and you'll save a few dollars.

OUTSIDE SOURCE Book Review: "The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ"

SOURCE: Guy Davies (Exiled Preacher Blog)
EXCERPTS: "Venema writes as a systematic theologian. He is able to set his discussion of the new perspective against a broad theological backdrop. Venema begins by setting out exactly what the Reformers had to say about justification by faith. He gives us a clear picture of Reformation teaching, basing his account of the confessions of the period and examples of Reformed interpretation of Paul's writings. He concludes that the Reformers taught that justification is God's declaration that a sinner is right with him on the basis of the finished work of Christ. This righteous status is received by faith alone, apart from human effort....
"Having set out the Reformation's perspective, the writer seeks to describe the work of three leading new perspective writers: E. P. Saunders, J. D. G. Dunn and N. T. Wright. Venema gives a clear, concise and fair analysis of the distinctive contributions of these three representative scholars.
"Throughout the book, Venema writes irenically and is respectful towards those with whom he disagrees. He does not claim to have said the last word on the new perspective controversy and is aware that more, detailed work needs to be done. He is grateful for some of the gains of the new perspective. But Venema has shown that the Reformers had a better overall grasp of Paul's teaching than they are sometimes given credit for. By looking at the issues from the standpoint of systematic theology, Venema has brought an interdisciplinary approach to a subject that is often seen as the preserve of historical revisionists and New Testament scholars. Those who simply tend to write off the older perspective will benefit from Venema's assessment of the Reformation and new perspective on Paul. Everyone interested in following the controversy over Paul's doctrine of justification will benefit from this constructive engagement with new perspective teaching."

For the complete review, click here.

The Results Are In ...

Last Friday and Saturday's Homeschool Convention in Pennsylvania presented quite the crowds. As you know, Banner was in the midst of them, with everything from the multi-volume Works of Owen and Flavel and Edwards and Sibbes, to numerous clothbound and paperback titles, and even several of the 32-page (or so) booklet series. Today's tally showed Banner increases sales at this conference some 23% over last year, which really is also reflective of the overall interest and appreciation in what Banner represents. Plus we had a great response to a book that hasn't even been published yet - "Student Workbook for Sketches From Church History." I never sold so many copies of a never-having-yet-existed book before - But it will be out in June. Another first, for me anyway - a book signing from one of our Banner authors ... Not Owen or Baxter or Sibbes or Flavel (We do have some living ones, you know!). What great conversations many of you had with Sara Leone, author of "Her Husband's Crown."
So, there you have it. Among other things, we're into full preparation for the upcoming (May 29-31) Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference. I'll let you know how we're coming on that sometime soon. Grace & peace. Steve

Do You Know This Man?

I began reading another book this weekend. And before you ask, I will just openly admit it ... No, I have NOT finished all of the other books that I've begun previously. I think I've just resigned myself to accepting it as a hazard of this job! Anyway, I "spent some time with" Thomas Chalmers yesterday, and so thoroughly enjoyed getting acquainted with him through the introduction written by Iain Murray, in addition to some of the first letters between Dr. Chalmers and his dear friends, James Anderson and Thomas Smith. Here are some bits and pieces, for your reading pleasure ...
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From Iain Murray's Introduction:
"There is good reason why Thomas Chalmers ought to be remembered today. He was at the centre of a recovery that brought the churches in Scotland from mediocrity, indifference and unbelief, to new conditions of spiritual vitality. To understand Chalmers is to understand how that transformation occurred. It is unquestionable that towards the middle of the nineteenth century many parts of Scotland witnessed a profound awakening and that none stood closer to the spiritual influence which brought this about that Thomas Chalmers. Today the works of several of the men who shared in this recovery are being read again across the world. They include those of Robert Murray M'Cheyne, William Cunningham, George Smeaton, Hugh Martin, Andrew and Horatius Bonar, David Brown, and James Buchanan. For those who have discovered the value of these writers there cannot but be cause for interest in the man who was, in many respects, their teacher and leader....
"Although many have written on Chalmers, the best knowledge of the man comes from reading his own words, and there is no better starting point than the volume of his correspondence, carefully put together after his death, by his son-in-law, William Hanna. It has long been unobtainable, and numbers will surely be thankful to see it in print again. The times and the religious scene are greatly changed since Chalmers' day, yet what lay at the centre of his influence remains the church's constant need, and there is here much sound wisdom from which other generations can profit."
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From Dr. Chalmers letters:
"My Dear Sir, - I read, with much affection and pleasure, your very interesting communication. I have been thinking much of you; and I trust that the tenderness I feel will never be wounded by any woful apostasy on your part to the spirit and the practices of an alienated world. As to its grosser profligacies, it is my delight to think that you are purely and nobly superior to them; but do all you can to strengthen your abhorrence of them. Let not the withering example of others so much as harden your feelings against the exhibition of them; for it is not enough, my dear Sir, that you keep aloof from the practice of external ungodliness, you should also cherish a most delicate recoilment of mind from the intrusion of every gross and unworthy conception, recollecting that it is to the pure in heart that our kind and amiable Saviour has promised the blessedness of seeing God..................

"My Dear Sir, - I feel much interested in your letter of yesterday's date, as it touches on a truly important subject -- that of resolutions. If you simply mean by a resolution a purpose, it should be your purpose at this moment to forsake all sin and to attain all righteousness -- a purpose which can only be carried into accomplishment by prayer for the promised aid believingly preferred, and daily persevered in. But if, by a resolution, you understand a purpose accompanied with a vow, this is a matter of very great caution, and postponing the full discussion of it to our personal interviews, I shall just observe, in a hurried way, that there is one set of such resolutions which it appears to me to be safe and content for a man to make and to adhere to, and another set which it would be extremely hazardous. I shall illustrate the two sets by examples ......................................
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Ah, if I but had time to share more.
This past weekend, I met a 16-year old young man who believes that the Lord may be directing him into the pastoral ministry. I will tell you what I told him - I am becoming more and more convinced of the importance of becoming so acquainted with the lives of dear men of God who have walked this path prior to ourselves. Get to know Lloyd-Jones and Whitefield and Rutherford and Chalmers. Witness their devotion to Christ, and abhorrence of sin, their awe of the Father. Little has been written that is of greater worth, other than Scripture itself. So read, and grow thereby. Grace & peace. Steve

Christian Homeschoolers' Association of Pennsylvania (CHAP)

The PA Homeschool Convention is over; it was a busy two days, but our sales for this convention were definitely up over last year. That's good from a financial perspective, but it's really good in that it means that more incredible and spiritually challenging, biblical literature is out of the warehouse and into the hands of God's church, seed planted with the prayer that God would water, grow and bring forth a bountiful harvest.

"Sketches From Church History," sold well, both the textbook and the new student workbook that's due out next month. I received many "Thank yous" for being there. I heard Kevin's story of how his dad grew him on Banner of Truth books. I met a 16-year old guy who is headed to the pastorate. It was great to get "Reformed Pastor" and others of the Puritan works into his hands.

As I type this, I will admit to ending this Saturday pretty tired, so I think I will leave it at that, for now. More to come, from a much more rested Steve!

On the Road, yet AGAIN!

Greetings, from the Christian Homeschool Association of Pennsylvania's (CHAP) Annual Convention at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA. Today (Friday) and tomorrow, that's where you'll find me. And in good ol' homeschooling style, I'll have at least one daughter along, helping me out! I don't think "the world" yet knows just how valuable Banner of Truth's resources are within a good, solid homeschooling plan. Obviously, I've recently mentioned the new, soon-to-be-released "Student Workbook" to accompany our "Sketches From Church History." It's a complete unit study on church history, with syllabus and worksheets and study guides and tests - ripe for a junior or senior higher. But there are other resources ... from other workbooks, like "Mark's Sketchbook" and "God's Riches," to all kinds of historical biographies. Special gems for the upper school student would definitely include "Divine Challenge," blending theology with math and logic. My wife is the upper school principal at a classical Christian school here in Harrisburg and she raves about that book. And don't forget the two-volume "Historical Theology", and "Biblical Theology," or ........ If you homeschool, let me know how we can spread the word among the homeschool community. I hope to have a homeschool resources guide available soon. For now, though, I better get back to business here at the convention! Grace & peace. Steve

If You're Coming, Then We're Praying!

With about two weeks to go to this year's Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference, our U.S. Banner staff has taken all of the names of everybody who has registered so far and we have divided them among us so that we can pray, individually and by name, for every guy who is coming to this year's conference. And here's how we'll be praying:
(1) That the Lord will prepare your heart in advance of you coming.
(2) That the enemy would not cause certain events to prevent you from coming.
(3) For your family as they prepare for the time that you will be away.
(4) We're thanking the Lord for your church's willingness to let you come this year.
(5) For safety in getting to the conference.
(6) That the Lord would use His Word to minister to you during these days that we're together.
(7) That the Lord will introduce you to other Christian brothers at the conference who might best minister to you while you're here.
(8) That this would be a genuine time of spiritual refreshment for you.
If you haven't yet registered, there is still time, to both get in to the conference AND to get on our prayer list. Just go to www.banneroftruth.org where you'll see an image of the conference brochure. Follow that link for more information, and to register online. Grace & peace. Steve

WOW! It's Not Available Yet, But ....

I just got my first look at the upcoming new Student Workbook to accompany Banner's "Sketches From Church History." This is really going to be a nice resource! It basically provides a complete one-semester course in Church History! It includes a syllabus with 50 lessons divided over 18 weeks (roughly 3 classes per week), plus study questions, tests, even crossword puzzles! I will be debuting it this weekend at the Christian Homeschool Convention in Harrisburg, PA. I won't have any on hand yet to actually sell, but I am going to put together some pre-publication special price for anyone wanting to order now for immediate shipment, as soon as we get them here in the US warehouse. If any of you'd be interested in that, please let me know. I could certainly add you in to make it a conference/blogger special! If you know any homeschooling parents, or are connected with any of their blogs, please help spread the word or go ahead and link to and/or forward this post. I really do think this will be an excellent and welcomed resource especially in that group. I hope you are well. Steve

Help Wanted!

Next month, June 11-15, I will be at the Convention Center in Memphis for the PCA General Assembly. With exhibit hours going from 8:00 a.m. to midnight, I am thinking that I might benefit from having some help. If you live in the Memphis area, or plan to be at this year's GA, and you have some familiarity with Banner books, let's talk. Email me at steve@banneroftruth.org. Thanks.

Bits & Pieces from the Week

After being away for a while in April, it was good to return to the U.S. office for most of the week. Some "bits and pieces" of news, worth noting:
(1) Only 24 days until the Banner of Truth Ministers' Conference; registrations are still arriving, and keeping pace with previous years. It's good to see that a number of new guys once again plan to join us this year, in addition to the regular returners. It's going to be a GREAT week!
(2) The new release, "Truth's Victory Over Error" is now expected in the U.S. warehouse around June 1st; the seven other new titles have already arrived and we've been shipping them every day.
(3) The long-awaited Lloyd-Jones Romans volume 9 that we regretably have been out of for some time will be back on our warehouse shelves as of next week. If you have it on backorder, it'll be on your shelf soon.
(4) Next week, we expect to officially welcome another bookstore to the "Full Product Line" family here at Banner; such stores are places where you can actually go and know that you will find at least two copies of every Banner of Truth book currently in print. I should be able to give you the name and location next week, so keep watching.
(5) Mother's Day is coming, right? How about a ridiculous special for that special mom in your life - two books together, "Elizabeth Prentiss: More Love to Thee" (a great biography), and "Susannah Spurgeon: Free Grace & Dying Love" (both a series of devotions written by Mrs. Spurgeon and a short biography of her life)? Email me (steve@banneroftruth.org) this weekend, or before Monday night, and I'll tell you all about it.
(6) And, believe it or not, I've already begun getting the digital files showing cover designs for the next wave of new releases from Banner, due out this summer!
Have a good weekend, all. Grace & peace. Steve

FIRST CHAPTER - Jesus Himself: The Story of the Resurrection

I don't know when Banner of Truth has previously published a hardback book with the look and feel of this one. I remember discussions about it, certainly with a desire to display its uniqueness among the other titles. And unique it is. With its recent arrival and me just returning to the office yesterday, I haven't completed it yet, but let me share the first chapter of "Jesus Himself: The Story of the Resurrection - from the Garden Tomb to the Mount of Olives" by Marcus Loane. I think, upon reading these first seven pages, you may want to continue through all 126. Grace & peace. Steve

Chapter One
Reflections on John 20:1-10
"St. John the Divine"

"Mary Magdalene, with two or three other women, had stood near the cross to the very end: they had seen how the body had been lowered to the ground and wrapped in a long linen shroud. They had followed Joseph and Nicodemus to the new rock-hewn tomb where the body was laid. Then very early on the morning of the third day they had made their way back to the tomb. Their hope was that they would be able to anoint and embalm those sacred limbs. They were taken aback to discover that the stone had been rolled away and that the guard had fled. No doubt they came and looked inside the tomb, only to be staggered when they found it empty. What had become of the body? How were they to account for the fact that it had vanished? While the others lingered near the tomb, Mary at once thought of Peter and John in the city: she ran as fast as she could to find them in the house where they had taken His mother. 'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him' (John 20:2). She was gravely disturbed, full of alarm, and in a state of the utmost anxiety.

"Peter and John felt at once that they had to go and see for themselves what had happened: 'So Peter went out with the other disciple,and they were going toward the tomb' (20:3). It was Peter who took the lead, and at first they ran side by side: but Peter was the older man, a man with a troubled conscience, and he began to flag. So John was the first to arrive: the other women had gone: the angels were out of sight: he lost all sense of haste in the unhurried atmosphere as he stood at the door. His whole being was charged with a growing sense of awe and wonder as he stooped down so as to look into the vault where the body had lain. His next step might well have been the normal impulse to go inside: but he did not: he was restrained at the very threshold by sheer surprise. What he saw was the grave-clothes: and not only that: he saw the way they were 'lying'. That word lying was used three times (20:5, 6, 7), and is the key to this very human drama.

"It was not as though John had come on purpose to look for the grave-clothes. It had never occurred to him that he would find them there at all. It would be as hard to account for what was there as to explain what was not there. But that was not all: there was something unusual, totally different, from what one would expect. That was the way in which the long shroud lay: its position and arrangement were so unusual. The long loose folds were still lying at full length on the ledge where the body had been. They were lying in the shape which they had assumed when wrapped round the body. The myrrh and aloes, which had been sprinkled between its folds, were still in place. Their weight might have depressed the shroud, but only a little. There was no sign of disorder. The grave-clothes had not been folded up, nor dropped on the floor, nor flung aside: they lay just as they had been when they were wrapped round his body: they were simply lying on the slab with fold on fold in perfect order: no human hand nor angel touch had been at work: yet the body itself had gone.

"Peter must have been close on John's heels and would arrive a few moments later: 'Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb' (20:6). This was the man who at other times was in so much haste to reach the Lord on sea or land: no one was less likely to stand and muse when there was a call for action. While John was still absorbed in a mood of thoughtful wonder, Peter went straight into the tomb: he saw the grave-clothes as they lay, fixed his eyes on them, trying to read the riddle. Like John, he saw at once that the shroud was empty: the body had vanished. But just as John had sensed, Peter saw that there was something strange in that scene. It was more than the fact that the shroud was empty: it was the way its folds were lying. There was indeed something special that caught and held the eye. But there was more than that because he saw something else that John could not see.

"What he saw was how the head-cloth lay rolled up apart from the grave-clothes in its own place. There was the shroud, still in the shape of his body, stretched out full length along the ledge of rock. But the cloth for his head lay just apart on a slightly raised shelf like a kind of pillow. That cloth had been rolled round his head just as the shroud had been wrapped round his body. But the strangest feature of that head-cloth required a rare word to describe how it appeared. The grave-clothes were lying by themselves on the lower level: the head-cloth was lying by itself on a slightly higher level. But there were no spices to flatten or depress the head-cloth as in the case of the grave-clothes. The folds had not caved in: it still bore the shape it had taken when wound round his head. That was not an easy thing to describe: what the eye saw would be clearer than what words could convey. There it lay, not with the grave-clothes but by itself, still rolled and round in shape and form. It was just as it had been when Joseph and Nicodemus laid him to rest: no human hand nor angel touch had been at work: yet the body itself had gone.

"John soon followed Peter into the tomb where he saw those unique features with his own eyes. "Then the other disciple ... also went in, and he saw and believed' (20:8). There lay the grave-clothes, a little depressed, but in perfect order, with not a grain of spice displaced. There lay the head-cloth, a little apart, still in perfect order, with not a roll disturbed. John not only saw the shroud and head-cloth, but he suddenly understood their significance. 'And he saw and believed': there was visual perception; there was intelligent understanding.

"There had been no lifeless body for foes to steal or friends to take away: he had emerged from the grave-clothes just as he would pass through the stone. John had not hitherto grasped the Scriptures which had foretold that he would rise again. But now a throng of memories half-subdued and of prophecies half-absorbed would crowd his mind: the body gone, the grave-clothes, the head-cloth were a silent witness to the mighty fact of resurrection. It was enough: 'Then the disciples went back to their homes' (20:10).

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From Inside the Pentagon

What a privilege to be inside the Pentagon yesterday, face to face with so many men and women who are actively serving our country in the Armed Forces of the United States. Working alongside the Pentagon Chaplain and various volunteers, I spent the day distributing books to whomever wanted them, men and women of various ranks from across all branches of the Armed Forces. Some of the Banner books which they took included, "Coming to Faith in Christ," "Valley of Vision," "The Christian Life," several others in Spanish. But the greatest demand was for "The Promise" by Alec Taylor. People actually came looking for it, based on friends who had already been given a copy, I guess. Are you familiar with it? It's unique among Banner books in that it introduces the Christian faith, either to a new believer or one who just isn't familiar with the teachings of Scripture. It does this in 31 carefully selected readings from the Bible that begin in Genesis and go all the way through to Revelation. It's great ... good to always have on hand, in a briefcase, etc., to give out whenever the opportunity exists. Anyway, continue praying for those who received this book, as well as the others. I felt as if my day was spent casting seed to the wind, watching and wondering where it might land and what fruit God might produce!

Before leaving the Pentagon, I also visited the Chaplain's office and the new Chapel and Memorial built in the section of the building hit by the plane on September 11, 2001. The stained glass window in that chapel has more symbolism in it than I'm sure I could remember, the building, the eagle, the direction it's facing, the small red squares equal to the number of lives lost on that day, in that very location. It was an unusual feeling to stand in that place and look out from those windows on the inside of that building ... and to remember. It was especially good to spend a few moments praying there with the chaplain, also.

Thank you for including me in your prayers yesterday, but also thank you to the many people who donate money to the Banner of Truth Book Fund which makes such book distributions possible. Because of these donations, we are able to send solid Christian literature to prisoners, missionaries, chaplains, students ... and hear in return what God has done to change lives through the ministry of His Word as preached in a written sermon, or shared in a published letter, or evidenced in the biography of a man or woman of God. So ... seriously ... thanks!