Archives for November 2019

Dear friends,

On behalf of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, I want to warmly invite you to travel with us on a stunning tour of Greece, Turkey, and the islands of the Mediterranean, uniquely designed just for our group.

Our ambitious plan includes visiting biblical sites in Thessaloniki, Philippi, Athens, Ephesus, Smyrna, Sardis, Pergamum, Patmos, Corinth, and many other places. I almost need say no more! This is an incredible opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Apostles (especially Paul and John) and the early church.

In each place Pastor David Woollin and I will deliver informative short talks and, on occasion, longer lectures to enrich the experience. As previous participants will testify, the facilities you encounter will be of the highest quality. I encourage you to confirm with just a $1,500 deposit as soon as you are able, as we only have around forty spaces available. Do not miss out!

For more information, view the online brochure or visit the Witte Travel website for pricing information. Be sure to use this online booking code when making your reservation: 092820BEEK

Warmly,

Joel R. Beeke

P.S. Upon registering for this trip, Puritan Reformed Seminary will send you a free copy of my book on Revelation. It will be helpful to read at least the section on the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2 and 3) prior to the trip, as that will assist you in our travels to these respective cities.

Here’s a video message I just gave in conjunction with the release of the brand new Korean edition of Wilhelmus a Brakel’s four-volume “The Christian’s Reasonable Service.” If I were on a desert island and could only pick one set of books to take with me beside the Bible, this would be my choice. You can purchase all four volumes as an e-book at the following link: http://bit.ly/2pYrhtS

A friend from North Carolina just sent this picture of his 8-year-old son, whom he says, “loves this series of books” (Building on the Rock, 5 vols.). If you don’t have this set yet for your children, aged 7-14, do get it for them for a year-end gift—they will love it! You can order it here: http://bit.ly/34nPF6U 

Today I received a copy of “David’s Son and David’s Lord: Christology for Christ’s People,” edited by Ryan McGraw and Michael Morales, from Evangelical Press. This volume is a very helpful collection of addresses given on various facets of Christ and His ministry to believers at the 2018 Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s excellent annual conference. In addition to the editors, contributors include Michael Barrett, G. K. Beale, Jonathan Gibson, Ian Hamilton, Richard Phillips, Joey Pipa, Ryan Speck, and me. I had the privilege of writing on “The Lord from Heaven: The Deity and Pre-existence of the Son of God.” Get yourself a copy and enjoy feasting on great truths about Jesus Christ for your mind and soul: http://bit.ly/2DdJOFr 

Crossway’s new book, “John Calvin for a New Reformation,” edited by Derek Thomas and John Tweeddale, has arrived. It is a handsome 600-page book—and one of the best volumes on Calvin I have ever read. The first seven chapters flesh out Calvin’s life and work (contributors include Michael Haykin, Stephen Nichols, David Calhoun, Doug Kelly, Bob Godfrey, Steve Lawson, and Derek Thomas), and the last thirteen chapters address his theology (contributors include Scott Oliphint, John Fesko, Burk Parsons, Guy Waters, Paul Wells, Ted Donnelly, Paul Helm, John Tweeddale, Keith Mathison, Bob Peterson, Cornel Venema, and me). I was privileged to be assigned the chapter of Calvin on the Holy Spirit. If you are interested in Calvin and his teaching, this is an excellent book for you to read.

In this short video I suggest some ways that fathers can involve their children in family worship.

Four new, excellent RHB titles that I had the privilege of proofreading arrived while we were in Brazil! They include “Comfort and Holiness from Christ’s Priestly Work,” a Puritan Treasure for Today title by William Bridge; “Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size,” by Judge Randall Hekman—a much-needed book in our selfish day; “Laughing at the Days to Come: Facing Present Trials and Future Uncertainties with Gospel Hope” by Tessa Thompson—one of the best-written titles we have ever published by RHB—much help here for the suffering; “God, Creation, and Human Rebellion: Lecture Notes of Archibald Alexander from the Hand of Charles Hodge”—an outstanding series of lectures by my personal hero, Archibald Alexander, printed for the first time—edited by Travis Fentiman and introduced by James Garretson. Tolle Lege (take up and read)—and enjoy and reap profit for your soul!

Mary and I arrived safely home from Brazil—a 30-hour overnight trip. I got right to lecturing and my Queen hosted the Ministry Wives Fellowship in our home this evening. What a trooper she is! This is a great ministry for seminary students’ wives, providing helpful instruction over the years on being a pastor’s wife. BTW, my wife tells me that 1/3 of these women are expecting children, so our seminary family population is also rising, by God’s Grace, through internal growth! Please pray for the wives of our seminary students who do and will serve such an important place in Christ’s worldwide kingdom.

Here is Pastor Danilo, who was so helpful to us as our personal translator and chauffeur this past weekend in Franca, Brazil, standing in his “prayer room.” Yesterday we had a meal at his home and he showed us his study, which serves as his prayer room. When the home they built was submitted to the proper authorities for approval, the town council was quite upset to see a “prayer room” in the plans. They said that it had to go through several steps of approval. But when they found out that it was not for the gathering of a significant number of people, but just to be used as a private prayer room, they were amazed and gave permission for it to be built. The pastors, however, also pray together often. When the church experienced remarkable revival some years ago they used to pray together with a few other brothers from midnight to 6:00 a.m. approximately once a week for the Holy Spirit to continue to pour Himself out upon their flock and on Brazil.

The Queen and I are now winging our way home from Brazil after a long series of conferences spanning the past two months, and are looking forward to being home for all but one weekend from now until February. We are grateful for God’s sustaining grace and for your prayers.

This past weekend in Franca, Brazil was very special. Here Mary and I are with the three pastors of Calvary Covenant Church. We feel like we have known Pastors Paulo Jr., Danilo, and Cunha for years and are truly bonded in Christ. Mary was privileged to give two addresses to the women on various aspects of kindness and I gave four addresses on how the Puritans can motivate us to pursue growth in our sanctification. The congregation was unusually attentive, and we were deeply grateful to hear of immediate fruit on the messages—also from some of the tens of thousands listening online (see session links below).

The people bought all of the hundreds of books that were at the conference and scores of people are on a waiting list for books that sold out. The church hopes to promote all my books in Portuguese through their online bookstore in the future. The fellowship we enjoyed over the weekend at various homes of the pastors and church members through translators was so uplifting. This is truly a congregation that embraces our Reformed, Puritan, experiential heritage, and we are so encouraged that their sermons receive an average of 50,000 listeners. God is doing great things through these pastors and this congregation. Pray for divine benediction upon them.

YouTube links for the four sessions are below:

Session 1: https://youtu.be/0i3ZvP9KZbY?t=784

Session 2: https://youtu.be/Xxu0s6xmCwQ?t=430

Session 3: https://youtu.be/DUTrMNz1ocI?t=959

Session 4: https://youtu.be/W–ADrGc7m4?t=510