Dr. John Blanchard is an internationally known Christian preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has written 30 books, including two of Britain's most widely used evangelistic presentations, Right With God and the booklet Ultimate Questions. The latter has over fourteen million copies in print in about 60 languages. His major book Does God believe in Atheists?, published in 2000, was voted 'Best Christian Book' in the 2001 UK Christian Book Awards, and immediately became a best-seller, described as 'a brilliant defense of belief in God'. Other books he has written include: Truth for Life, Whatever Happened to Hell, Meet the Real Jesus, and The Beatitudes for Today.
Dr. Blanchard is now heavily committed to Popular Christian Apologetics, a project involving writing, speaking, teaching and broadcasting in defense of the Christian faith. Following on from Does God Believe in Atheists? further books in the series include, Has Science got rid of God?, Is God past His sell-by Date?, Meet the Real Jesus, Is Anybody Out There?, Where Do We Go From Here?, Evolution: Fact or Fiction?, Why Believe the Bible?, Why on Earth did Jesus Come?, Why the Cross? and JESUS: Dead or Alive? Click here to find out more about this project or browse the links on the right.
John Blanchard is a member of Banstead Community Church, located in the Surrey village in which he lives.
John Blanchard's wife went to be with the Lord on 17 February 2010.
You can listen to the Thanksgiving service for the life of Joyce Blanchard by clicking on the links below.
HOT OFF THE PRESS!
A simple way to introduce these studies in the Minor Prophets will be to ask and answer these questions about them: Who were they? Why are they known as ‘Minor Prophets? When and where did they live? What was their ministry? What was their message? Once we have answers to these questions we will be in a position to look at the prophets' main themes before focusing on one specific statement made by each one of them.
Not only should we rely wholeheartedly on the faithful exposition of the Bible as the written Word of God, we should not insist on signs and wonders as an authentication of a preacher's ministry. The message is clear: if people will not listen to the Word of God and turn to him in repentance and faith as a result, no ‘signs and wonders' will move them to do so, not even a long-buried friend coming back to life.
The Bible is the only infallible word we have or need, revealing to us that in the Lord Jesus Christ we have the Prophet to end all prophets, the Priest to end all priests and the King to end all kings. Our great need today is not for prophets but for preachers, men who will give themselves sacrificially to the study of the Word of God and to its systematic exegesis and exposition, ‘rightly handling the word of truth' (2 Timothy 2:15) and applying its truth to their hearers.
‘Thank you John Blanchard for this excellent resource. It is full of information, explanation and inspiration. You have whetted my appetite to dig deeper in the Minor Prophets.’
The Right Rev. Kenneth Clarke, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, Ireland
‘John Blanchard has an uncanny instinct for the need of the Church to be an effective witness. His ability to extract the essence of the message of this important part of Scripture is very helpful indeed. I most heartily recommend this book to anyone who takes Bible reading and Bible teaching seriously.’
The Right Rev. Frank Retief, Presiding Bishop of the Church of England in South Africa
‘John Blanchard has become legendary as an apologist, evangelist and author. He has now given another asset to believers in their desire to know the Word of God and to make known the God of the Word. This insightful, informative, instructive, concise but comprehensive study of the Minor Prophets brings out the major points which exalt Christ and extol the gospel message in the context of each prophet’s God-given burden, ministry and call.’
Dr Harry L. Reeder III, Senior Pastor, Briarwood Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
‘Any book that encourages us to study the Minor Prophets has to be welcomed. Any book written by John Blanchard has to be welcomed. So this book promises to be a great treat.’
Rev. Phillip Jensen, Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, Australia
‘The Church is in John Blanchard’s debt for making the Minor Prophets so accessible. Those who know of Dr Blanchard’s earlier writing, not least his marvellous commentary on the Epistle of James (Truth for Life) will not be surprised by his attention to detail and his meticulous research, nor by the way he harnesses the wisdom of Christian writers and theologians from across the centuries to help in opening up each of the Minor Prophets in a clear and concise way. This book will be greatly appreciated by anyone who reads it —and shamelessly quoted by preachers!’
Rev. Professor Andrew McGowan, Senior Minister, Inverness East Church, Scotland
‘There may be no more apposite part of the Old Testament with which to compare our decadent age than the twelve books of the Minor Prophets. John Blanchard has put us in his debt by presenting these prophets in their period, with the challenges they faced and the vital ministries God gave them to magnify his name. Reading this book rouses a longing to be preaching on these writings to one’s congregation.’
Rev. Geoff Thomas, Alfred Place Baptist Church, Aberystwyth, Wales
‘Blanchard has done it again. It is a rare thing for an award-winning author consistently to bring exceptional writing skills, cultural insights and a comprehensive appreciation of the incomparable nature of God’s redemptive purposes to his writings — yet he has. Bringing to life these often ignored books of the Old Testament, Blanchard enables his readers to stand quietly among the shadows of ancient history while learning lessons immediately applicable for today. If you are feeling that there is more to the Christian life than you are currently experiencing, abandon your iPad and the tranquillizing addiction of Facebook and immerse yourself in the transforming challenge of engaging with the call of the Minor Prophets. It is difficult to imagine a more insightful and stimulating introduction.’
Dr Richard Gibbons, Senior Minister, Second Presbyterian Church, Greenville, S. Carolina, USA
‘Though many people find swathes of the Bible’s prophetic writings difficult to understand, that no longer need be the case, as John Blanchard provides us with more than a superb introduction to the twelve Minor Prophets. With care, clarity and conciseness, and with the use of wise illustrations, he leads us to the heart of the message each was inspired to give. Of vital and practical importance, he expounds the challenge these books present us with today, some two and a half thousand years after they were originally given. As you read Major Points from the Minor Prophets you will find your appetite stimulated. This is no ordinary meal; it is a twelve-course feast. There is no excess fat, just lean, tasty meat, delectable and digestible. It is a delight. Enjoy, and encourage others to do the same!’
Rev George Curry, Vicar of Elswick Church, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
ISBN: 9780852347829
Cost: £8.49
