Topic Archives: Church & Ministry

. . . the word of God which performs its work in those who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13c How many times have you heard secular educators and politicians say, ‘If only we can upgrade our schools, have better trained teachers, give our children the best possible environment, then surely they will learn and change their […]

Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’ while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6 God had promised through Jeremiah a return from the exile after seventy years (Jer. 25:11-12, 29:10) and indeed God […]

Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown . . . When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. (Jonah 3:4, 10) Business as usual in the church will not […]

The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards1 is written by John Carrick and published by the Banner of Truth. You should be interested in good preaching. You should care deeply about the preaching in your church and churches around the globe. You and others need the milk and meat of the Word, not spiritual junk food that […]

Who will possibly stay in a relationship with a girl-friend or boy-friend ‘until death us do part’ unless there is a deep devotion to that one person above all others, a commitment that is based on comprehensive knowledge and respect? That is the essence of marriage, leaving all others and cleaving to the other until […]

Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? (Matthew 22:12) After two Schools of Evangelism in Arua, Uganda the week of May 21, our team travelled to the local prison which houses seven hundred and fifty men. Some are in for what they call ‘defilement’, various sex crimes. One man we met, age […]

We rejoice in thanksgiving to God for the fellowship of some 60 pastors, leaders and students from all over Mexico who assembled in Hermosillo, Mexico, April 26-29, 2012 for Siglo 21 Conferencia de Liderazgo. Francisco Orozco has summarized the experience in these words: ‘For three days, plus the Lord’s day, these men heard theological, historical […]

Dr Palmer Robertson is a much appreciated speaker at Banner of Truth Ministers’ conferences and an author whose works the Trust publishes.1 Now he is settled for the next four months [May-August 2012] in a sabbatical spent in England, which is the home of his wife Joanna. Since 1992 he has been lecturing and preaching […]

So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. (Acts 17:17) My wife and I were in Athens, Greece a year or so ago while I was teaching at the Greek Bible Institute and preaching at […]

. . . but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you, whenever I go to Spain – for I hope to see you in passing. (Romans 15:23-24) We know that Saul of Tarsus was a ‘can do’ man […]

The cleverness of the clever I will set aside. (1 Corinthians 1:19) In a church world enamoured with technology, strategy, personality, and hyper-contextualization we would do well to take seriously Paul’s marvellous declaration in 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16. Paul, without question, was a massive intellect, one of the brightest men to ever live, yet he tells […]

And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number. (Acts 5:14) Roland Allen, in his book, The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church 2, puts forth a clear distinction between the way the apostolic church grew and how our churches in the west grow. The church […]

Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory, honour, and power, for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created. (Revelation 4:11.) We are to rejoice in the Lord always. We are to consider everything joy when we encounter various trials. We are to have […]

Martin Holdt, well known as an evangelical and reformed leader in his native South Africa and around the world, went to be with his Lord suddenly on 31 December 2011. This tribute by his son, Jonathan, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Lyttleton, Pretoria, was given at the Memorial Service for his father on 6 […]

At a time when the importance of biblical preaching is downgraded in so many quarters it is important that we consider the history of preaching. John the Baptist was a preacher and great crowds went to him to be baptized in the Jordan but were at the same time stirred by his powerful preaching. He […]

We may be amazed that so few people seem to have been brought into the kingdom of God through Christ’s direct activity while he was in this world. One reason no doubt was that the course of providence must run on unimpeded that would bring him to Calvary, to be slain by the hands of […]

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations. (Matthew 24:14a) Jesus preached the gospel (Mark 1:15), and he told us to preach the gospel (Matt. 24:14a). Paul knew that he was under obligation to preach the gospel (Rom. 1:15-16) and he also knew he […]

The annual conference was held at the Emmaus Church Centre in Warrington, which had been lent by the Orford church. The facilities are superb and we appreciated the women from Chorlton Evangelical church for looking after us throughout the day. This year the theme was ‘Building Biblical Churches for the 21st Century’ and began on […]

QUESTION. Is it appropriate to applaud during the church service? Some believe that the worshippers are not given the opportunity to offer thanks for something they feel needs applause. But is it always directed to God, or is it directed to the person or persons who spoke or sang? Applause is often understood as an […]

Joel Beeke, what three books have been most helpful to you as a Christian and as a minister? The first book that comes to mind is the Letters of Samuel Rutherford, which I kept on my nightstand for decades. Whenever I was discouraged, I would sweeten my mind with a morsel of Rutherford before I […]

In his address to the 1960 Synod, ‘John Knox: Central Figure of the Reformation’, Rev J P MacQueen said:1 It is to be feared that his reputation as one of the most powerful and eloquent preachers of his day, with the fruit of widespread revivals, the edification, comfort and establishment of believers, and the salvation […]

A sermon preached in the chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary, on Sunday morning, March 10, 1929 by Rev. Professor J. Gresham Machen, D.D., Litt.D. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7) Fight the good fight of faith. (1 Tim. 6:12 [part]) The […]

The first meeting our church had more than thirty years ago was a Saturday night prayer meeting. A core group of several individuals met to pray for the infant mission work that was in due time to become Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Yet, the group prayed not only for embryonic Immanuel but also for their brethren […]

And he gave some as evangelists.’ (Ephesians 4:11) There are a plethora of good Bible teachers and preachers in the Reformed denominations of our day, and for this we ought to be thankful. We tend to attract men who love the Bible and theology and who, consequently, are gifted in communicating both. As important as […]

Cry loudly, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet, and declare to my people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1). The kind of preaching done by Jesus, his apostles, the prophets who preceded them, and the great preachers who have succeeded them is sadly lacking in […]