The story behind my favorite books

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7048lMy favorite books (in large measure) are those published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Few publishers are as biblically faithful and reliable as this one. [Aside: I recently mentioned to someone that IVP publishes both good and bad, even heretical authors — such as Greg Boyd, purveyor of “openness of God” theology. You simply can no longer trust an IVP book to be orthodox.]

Here is an article on the history of The Banner of Truth Trust (“trust” being a British term for charity or non-profit organization) by by dear friend, and BTT founder, Iain H Murray. It begins with this paragraph…

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The Banner of Truth Trust originated in 1957 in London. The founders believed that much of the best literature of historic Christianity had been allowed to fall into oblivion and that its recovery under God could well lead not only to a strengthening of the Church today but to true revival. The origins of the work were closely connected with the prayer that God would be pleased to visit the land again in true awakening. (read the rest)

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A word about PRIDE

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Today’s sermon at CPCC, on Isaiah 47, was on the subject of pride. How timely to read this brief article by Jon Bloom of the Minneapolis ministry, Desiring God.

Jesus and Nazareth are inseparable. Jesus spent most of his life in Nazareth. The prophets had said, “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23). History would remember him as Jesus of Nazareth. Even the demons called him that (Luke 4:34).

That’s why this verse is one of the saddest observations made during Jesus’ public ministry:

And he did not do many mighty works [in Nazareth], because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58)

It’s a great irony that the Pride of Nazareth was rejected by the Nazarenes because of pride.

You know who this is? It’s Joseph the carpenter’s son! We know his family. I mean, they’re respectable enough people. But I know for a fact that none of them received formal religious education. Where in the world is Jesus getting this teaching? Does he really think he’s somebody great?

They were deeply offended. Why? Because he was one of them. So if he thought he was superior to them, he had another thing coming. Familiarity bred the pride of contempt in them.

What is frightening in this account is the power of pride to blind and deaden the soul. Just consider the consequence of such pride for the Nazarenes: the merciful power of the Messiah was withheld from them.

Pride is to be feared and treated like a cancer. “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). We do not want to miss out on any gift of God’s grace because we are nurturing pride in our hearts.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24)

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