The Magazine Podcast

The following address, the second of two on the subject, was given by Rev. Iain H. Murray at the 1988 Banner of Truth Youth Conference.    Banner Resources on Assurance William Guthrie, The Christian's Great Interest Thomas Brooks, Heaven on Earth: Assurance in the Christian Life Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume III ('A Cabi...

The following address, one of two on the subject, was given by Rev. Iain H. Murray at the 1988 Banner of Truth Youth Conference.    Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both): www.banneroftruth.org/magazine Leave us your feedback or a testimony: www.speakpipe.com/magazinepodcast

There have always been calls for the church to de-emphasise doctrine. Sometimes these calls come from those who wish to promote 'unity' at any cost—enter the ecumenical movement. Sometimes they come from those who feel that the truths of the faith are encumbrances or 'stumbling blocks' to those who just want a simple faith.  This week's episode shows why such calls are so misguided. There can be n...

Jeremiah Burroughs was a peace-loving Puritan. Without sacrificing the truth, he sought unity among those who professed it, and prayed, preached, and pleaded to that end. Indeed, Richard Baxter, who felt keenly the need for peace but struggled himself to promote it, once remarked that if all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop [James] Ussher, all the Presbyterians like Stephen Marshall, and...

In Psalm 31, David prays the following about those who fear the Lord:    'In the cover of your presence you hide them from the plots of men; you store them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.'    In a world in which deception so often seems to prevail, and good reputations are tarnished by falsehoods, we need to realise afresh the power (and danger) of the tongue. We must lay hold of the G...

The system of false teaching known as Socinianism proved a thorn in the side of the Reformed churches for more than two centuries. Even today, the essential tenets of Socinianism are still with us, and aspects of it pop up in the teaching of such movements as Unitarian Universalism, 'Oneness' Pentecostalism, Christadelphianism, and among the Jehovah's Witnesses.  As such, it is well for us to take...

As summer turns to autumn in the northern hemisphere, we do hope this note finds you doing well. This week we bring you an audio recording of Iain H. Murray speaking on 'John Knox' at the 2003 Youth Conference in Leicester, England.    More resources on John Knox: – The Select Practical Writings of John Knox (Clothbound, 336 pages) – The Works of John Knox (6 Volumes, 3824 pages) – D. Martyn Lloyd...

This week we bring you a conversation with Rev Jim McCarthy of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Statesboro, Georgia. Jim is the author of a new exposition of the two (yes, two) minor prophets who were sent by God to Nineveh, a leading city (and later capital) of the Assyrian empire. Join us as we consider what these two biblical books have to say to us today.  The Two Prophets To Nineveh (paperback, 1...

This week we read some words of comfort and counsel suitable for all weary believers, and especially for pastors who feel stretched beyond what they can bear.    Featured Resources:  – C. H. Spurgeon, 'The Minister's Fainting Fits,' in The Minister's Self-Watch & The Minister's Fainting Fits (booklet), (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2025), p. 40–42. This lecture also appears in  Lectures to My S...

Arnold Dallimore's name has long been associated with the Banner of Truth. Noted for his biographies of Spurgeon and Whitefield, Dallimore (d. 1998) was an Ontarian 'small-town pastor' whose writing labours took place against a backdrop of financial pressure and ministerial responsibility, and without the advantages of local research facilities. We take time this week to go 'behind the scenes' and...

This week on the podcast we focus on the contents and impact of one particular Banner book: Iain H. Murray's The Forgotten Spurgeon. First published in the Banner of Truth Magazine, and then in paperback in 1966, it has proved valuable in teaching many about the central importance of the doctrines of grace, and underscoring the need for a theologically rich gospel witness.    Featured Resources: ...

4 August 2025 marks three-hundred years since the birth of John Newton: pastor, author, and hymnwriter. This week we depart from our usual format to supply an audio recording of Iain H. Murray speaking on 'The Life of John Newton' at the 2007 Ministers' Conference in Leicester, England.    Explore the work of the Banner of Truth: www.banneroftruth.org Subscribe to the Magazine (print/digital/both)...

To learn the backstory of a hymn can be a richly rewarding exercise. The same applies with hymnwriters. This week we consider the life and faith of two wonderful hymnists of yesteryear: Isaac Watts (1674–1748) and Frances Ridley Havergal (1836–1879).    Featured Resources:  – Mark S. Shuttleworth, 'Isaac Watts: The Man Behind the Hymns', The Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 221, February 1982. – Pa...

There is, writes the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, 'a time to die' (Ecclesiastes 3:2). The believer in Christ is called to be mindful of this time, to prepare for it, and then, when it comes, to commit his or her soul to a faithful Heavenly Father.    Featured Resources:  - Toni Saad, 'Life at all Costs?', The Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 738, March 2025. - Excerpt from Iain H. Murray, David Martyn...

How can a Christian prepare for death? It is a question pertinent to us all, and yet it is asked earnestly by so few. This week we seek guidance on this question from the work of the seventeenth-century minister George Swinnock and the nineteenth-century pastoral theologian Archibald Alexander.    Featured Resources:  - Excerpt from 'The Fading of the Flesh' in The Works of George Swinnock, Vol. 3...

In this, the first of three episodes on the subject of dying in the Lord, we ask what the Bible teaches about death, and apply it to the case of the unbeliever and the believer.    Featured Resources:  - George Curry, Preparing Unbelievers for Death, Banner of Truth Magazine, Issue 317 (Ferbruary 1990). - Excerpt from 'The Christian Man's Calling' in The Works of George Swinnock, Vol. 3 (1672; rep...

Meditating on the Lord Jesus Christ is a high privilege of the Christian. It strengthens his faith, deepens his love, and calibrates his hope. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One in whom we, by the power of the Spirit, see the glory of the Father.  This week we take time not to pursue another aspect of Christian living, or another profile from church history, but to think about 'God the only Son, who...

New this summer from the Banner of Truth is a unique collection of lectures on revival from nineteenth-century Scotland.  In this brief bonus episode, we read a portion of the Publisher's Introduction by Banner trustee Donald John MacLean to see just why this collection warrants republication today.    Read the entire Publisher's Introduction: https://banneroftruth.org/resources/book-excerpts/2025...

Pastoral ministry isn't for everyone. Indeed, it isn't for the many. 'Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers', writes James, 'for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness' (James 3:1).  This week's readings spell out and explore some bad reasons for going into ministry, hopefully serving men considering the pastoral office, as well as those who advise and supp...

'He did not get up to talk about his party, his cause, his interest or his office', wrote J. C. Ryle of George Whitefield. 'He was perpetually telling you about your sins, your heart, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the absolute need of repentance, faith, and holiness, in the way that the Bible presents these mighty subjects.'  This week we turn our attention to a man who, by God's grace, became a m...

Last year the Trust published W. Ross Blackburn's Unveiling the Cross: Beholding and Proclaiming the Whole Christ. Ross has a background in Old Testament studies, has pastored in the ACNA (Anglican Church in North America) and has been involved for many years with the pro-life movement in the USA. We sat down with Ross and found out a bit more about his own backstory, and also his burden in Unveil...

There is no such thing as 'neutral' history. All history is written from a religious standpoint, reflecting either an awareness of and reverence for God and his purposes and dealings, or an ignorance of the same.  Towards the end of the twentieth century, some Christian historians reacted to 'providentialist' history, that is, history that gives place to God, and sought to deal in strictly natural...

In 1868 Pope Pius IX issued a call to those who, in his words, 'glory in the name of Christian, yet do not profess the true faith of Christ, nor hold to and follow the Communion of the Catholic Church.' He wanted them to submit to and join with the Catholic church, and hoped that the forthcoming First Vatican Council would catalyse this. Grasping the need for a concise and clear response, grounded...

Weakness within and trials without. A constant battle against the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. This is the common lot of Christian believers in this life. This is the sober reality which ought to push us, each day, to apply for new supplies of the Holy Spirit's power for perseverance. The life of the gospel minister fits this pattern, too, and if anything, the intensity of the battle is greate...

We had the joy of sitting down with Paul Levy who pastors International Presbyterian Church in Ealing, a thriving district of West London. Paul spoke to us about a range of topics, including the joys and challenges of church growth and how he prays for the children of his church to have a ‘boring testimony’, and he also recommends a couple of the Banner’s more obscure publications. We trust you’ll...