Wow! You might spread the word ... Banner of Truth is offering the 2009 U.S. Ministers' Conference at 2008 conference prices, but for a limited time only before new rates go into effect. Speakers will include Sinclair Ferguson, Alistair Begg, Walter Chantry, William Edgar, Mark Johnston and Jonathan Watson. Here's the link with the details:
http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/events/us_ministers_conference.php
August 27, 2008
The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards
Among several new titles to arrive here at the Banner of Truth U.S. warehouse recently is "The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards," by Dr. John Carrick. I am happy to say that the reviews coming in for this new release are exactly what we'd hope for. Have you seen the two back-to-back posts on Tony Reinke's blog? If not, here at the links.Tony's Post #1
Tony's Post #2
Here's the book's summary from the inside jacket:
"Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) is widely regarded not only as America's greatest theologian and philosopher, but also as one of her greatest preachers. It is a remarkable fact, however, that his preaching has been somewhat neglected, both in academic circles and in the Reformed churches. Published in the year that marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his death, this book successfully straddles the church's and the academy's interest in Edwards and supplies that omission.
Dr. Carrick demonstrates that Edwards was preaching and writing at a unique moment in history when the Puritan spirit and the spirit of the Enlightenment intersected; he traces the remarkable fall and rise of interest in the great American preacher-theologian in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; he interacts, both positively and critically, with the now complete Yale edition of Edwards' Works and also with the ever-burgeoning field of Edwards scholarship; and he cites extensively from Edwards' sermons, treatises, and Miscellanies in order to demonstrate the power and the profundity of his preaching and thought.
The author's main focus is, throughout, primarily homiletical; but interwoven in the homiletical focus are theological, philosophical, historical, and biographical strands. He constantly seeks to place Edwards and his sermons in their New England context - indeed, in their wider eighteenth-century transatlantic context - thus providing, wherever possible, the historical background for Edwards' sermons.
The 'New York period', the 'Great Apostasy' at Yale, the Bolton interlude, the Yale tutorship, the Boston Lecture of 1731, the Enfield sermon, the Yale Commencement of 1741, the great revivals, the landmark funerals, the Edwards-Stoddard-Williams dynamic, the Communion controversy, the Farewell Sermon, the romance of the Stockbridge years -- these are all treated within the context of a systematic analysis of Edwards' preaching under a number of different themes.
Dr. Carrick does not shrink from sounding a note of critique at certain points and he warns against the danger of slavishly imitating the New England preacher. But he is also clearly convinced of Edwards' extraordinary greatness and of the tremendous value of his sermons for Christians today. 'Iron sharpens iron'; and the iron of Edwards' marvellous expositions and applications is sure to sharpen the minds and souls of all those who study them carefully."
"Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) is widely regarded not only as America's greatest theologian and philosopher, but also as one of her greatest preachers. It is a remarkable fact, however, that his preaching has been somewhat neglected, both in academic circles and in the Reformed churches. Published in the year that marks the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of his death, this book successfully straddles the church's and the academy's interest in Edwards and supplies that omission.
Dr. Carrick demonstrates that Edwards was preaching and writing at a unique moment in history when the Puritan spirit and the spirit of the Enlightenment intersected; he traces the remarkable fall and rise of interest in the great American preacher-theologian in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; he interacts, both positively and critically, with the now complete Yale edition of Edwards' Works and also with the ever-burgeoning field of Edwards scholarship; and he cites extensively from Edwards' sermons, treatises, and Miscellanies in order to demonstrate the power and the profundity of his preaching and thought.
The author's main focus is, throughout, primarily homiletical; but interwoven in the homiletical focus are theological, philosophical, historical, and biographical strands. He constantly seeks to place Edwards and his sermons in their New England context - indeed, in their wider eighteenth-century transatlantic context - thus providing, wherever possible, the historical background for Edwards' sermons.
The 'New York period', the 'Great Apostasy' at Yale, the Bolton interlude, the Yale tutorship, the Boston Lecture of 1731, the Enfield sermon, the Yale Commencement of 1741, the great revivals, the landmark funerals, the Edwards-Stoddard-Williams dynamic, the Communion controversy, the Farewell Sermon, the romance of the Stockbridge years -- these are all treated within the context of a systematic analysis of Edwards' preaching under a number of different themes.
Dr. Carrick does not shrink from sounding a note of critique at certain points and he warns against the danger of slavishly imitating the New England preacher. But he is also clearly convinced of Edwards' extraordinary greatness and of the tremendous value of his sermons for Christians today. 'Iron sharpens iron'; and the iron of Edwards' marvellous expositions and applications is sure to sharpen the minds and souls of all those who study them carefully."
For more on book, click here.
August 25, 2008
Running the Race
The 2008 Olympics are over. Whew! My family and I can finally get back to getting some sleep.Although it had nothing really to do with the Olympics, it was fun to run my first race ever during Olympics week. Saturday morning, my youngest and I took off at the sound of the starter's pistol in Hershey, PA. Just 28 minutes and 45 seconds later, I crossed the finish line. To my relief, I wasn't the last person to do so!
:-)
Be it the Olympics or my own 5K race, at some point in time my mind usually brings up Scriptures that deal with the subject, and I'm left challenged anew. This time, I landed in Philippians ...
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Phil. 3:13-14
I so like what Sinclair Ferguson writes in his "Let's Study Philippians," part of the Let's Study series from Banner of Truth. "Rather than look back to see how far he had travelled in his pilgrimage, Paul pressed on towards Christ. He resisted an all-too-subtle temptation that comes to Christians in the mid-years of their spiritual journey: to feel that they have come a reasonable distance. Why is that a mistake? Because we cannot look back and simultaneously keep our eyes fixed on Christ! So Paul repeats himself: he forgets what lies behind and strains forwards; he presses on toward the goal. He is flat out for Christ." (Through Banner's "Let's Study" books, I love having Dr. Ferguson (and others) guide me through the Word).
Without a doubt, some of the people we've seen on television during the past couple of weeks could not imagine a prize greater than Olympic gold. Oh, but there is! Forgetting what lies behind, let's strain forwards to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. Let us be "flat out for Christ."
Grace & peace to you as you begin this new week.
Steve B.
August 20, 2008
The Sinfulness of Sin
We don't get it. That is, we do not come close to fully grasping the fallenness of this world, the awfulness of sin, the power of the evil one. Why is this on my mind?
Yesterday, I spoke with a young pastor who was in the midst of dealing with a college couple who had admitted to committing sexual sin. The temporary tantalizing pleasure was long gone; they were now in the ugly reality of what sin does to those who commit it and also to the rest who are impacted by it. I prayed with this young pastor, for his own protection and that the Lord would give him wisdom in counselling these young people and their families.
Just this morning, a pastor visited us here at Banner of Truth to check out our ever-so-slightly-damaged books (50% off). He shared with me that his brother had committed suicide just three weeks ago, and that he was the one who officiated at his own brother's funeral. We stood together at the bottom of our steps as I prayed for him and his family, dealing with the pain.
Have any of you read Ralph Venning's, "The Sinfulness of Sin"? It was first published in 1669 and available as a Banner of Truth Puritan Paperback. Venning writes, "Nothing is so evil as sin; nothing is evil but sin. As the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, so neither the sufferings of this life nor of that to come are worthy to be compared as evil with the evil of sin. No evil is displeasing to God or destructive to man but the evil of sin. Sin is worse than affliction, than death, than Devil, than Hell. Affliction is not so afflictive, death is not so deadly, the Devil not so devilish, Hell not so hellish as sin is. This will help to fill up the charge against its sinfulness, especially as it is contrary to and against the good of man. The four evils I have just named are truly terrible, and from all of them everyone is ready to say, Good Lord, deliver us! Yet none of these, nor all of them together, are as bad as sin. Therefore our prayers should be more to be delivered from sin, and if God hear no prayer else, yet as to this we should say, We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord!"
Yesterday, I spoke with a young pastor who was in the midst of dealing with a college couple who had admitted to committing sexual sin. The temporary tantalizing pleasure was long gone; they were now in the ugly reality of what sin does to those who commit it and also to the rest who are impacted by it. I prayed with this young pastor, for his own protection and that the Lord would give him wisdom in counselling these young people and their families.
Just this morning, a pastor visited us here at Banner of Truth to check out our ever-so-slightly-damaged books (50% off). He shared with me that his brother had committed suicide just three weeks ago, and that he was the one who officiated at his own brother's funeral. We stood together at the bottom of our steps as I prayed for him and his family, dealing with the pain.
Have any of you read Ralph Venning's, "The Sinfulness of Sin"? It was first published in 1669 and available as a Banner of Truth Puritan Paperback. Venning writes, "Nothing is so evil as sin; nothing is evil but sin. As the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, so neither the sufferings of this life nor of that to come are worthy to be compared as evil with the evil of sin. No evil is displeasing to God or destructive to man but the evil of sin. Sin is worse than affliction, than death, than Devil, than Hell. Affliction is not so afflictive, death is not so deadly, the Devil not so devilish, Hell not so hellish as sin is. This will help to fill up the charge against its sinfulness, especially as it is contrary to and against the good of man. The four evils I have just named are truly terrible, and from all of them everyone is ready to say, Good Lord, deliver us! Yet none of these, nor all of them together, are as bad as sin. Therefore our prayers should be more to be delivered from sin, and if God hear no prayer else, yet as to this we should say, We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord!"Indeed, we beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord! Deliver us from sin.
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