Archives for November 2019

Yesterday evening I gave my first of four addresses on Puritan Sanctification at the Calvary Covenant Church (where Paulo Silva, Jr. serves as senior pastor), in Franca, Brazil, to about 600 people present, with another 5000+ listening online. More than 20,000 had listened on YouTube by the time we were in the restaurant after the service (see link below). The YouTube connections this church has are simply amazing—they have one of the largest listening audiences in the world.

The conference also ordered several hundred copies of a variety of my books in Portuguese. Nearly all of them sold out in the first hour after this first service, including all 50 copies of our Family Worship Study Bible in Portuguese. People were surrounding the book table several rows deep (see picture).

Mary gave her first of two addresses (“Kindness to the Least of These”) as well this afternoon to about 150 women, and was also received very warmly. Pastor Denilo did a great job of translating both of us. Mary’s book on “The Law of Kindness” in Portuguese also sold out this evening.

God is so good. I just love to see people walking away with good reading material, and especially the Bible, determined, with God’s help, to start daily family worship. Please pray that God will continue to use this weekend in a mighty way, and continue to greatly bless Pastor Paulo Jr.’s ministry.

The sermon can be viewed on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/0i3ZvP9KZbY?t=784

Mary and I spent last night at the home of Paulo Silva Jr. and his wife Susanna in Franco, Brazil, enjoying fellowship with them and the two pastors (Pastor Danilo and Pastor Cunha) who work with him. Paulo Jr.’s preaching ministry has made a profound impact in Brazil and beyond, especially through YouTube. On average, 50,000 people listen to the sermons he preaches, and some of them go viral, getting anywhere from 1,000,000 up to 4,000,000 listeners. Many people view him as “the Paul Washer” of Brazil as their preaching styles are similar, and God has used the convicting and evangelistic preaching of both of them for the conversion of many souls. The three pastors and I spent three hours last evening recording videos for YouTube. Paulo Jr. (see picture with him) asked me questions primarily on three subjects: (1) a variety of my books published in Portuguese—especially the new family worship Bible and the newly published books on Reformed Preaching and assurance of faith, (2) PRTS’s combined ThM degree with the Martin Bucer Seminary in Brazil, and (3) on various Puritan subjects—particularly on why Brazilians should be reading the Puritans today. Pray with me for God’s continued, remarkable blessing on Paulo Jr.’s ministry and that tens of thousands of people will be influenced for good by these videos—especially those that focus on the Puritans stress on the need for godly living.

We are now in Franco, Brazil, ready to begin speaking later today for a conference at the church where Paulo Jr. serves as senior pastor. Yesterday afternoon we visited the church’s new classical Christian school, the William Carey School, that began with forty students this past year, and is expecting eighty students this coming year. Mary and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit, especially our time with the teaching staff and these precious children. It was great to speak with the children through a translator about the need to be converted, so as to hate sin, love Jesus, and follow Him fully.

In this short 2-minute video I discuss how parents should view teasing among siblings: http://bit.ly/2XgIdYR 

Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) – “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.”

In this 2-minute video, I explain that family worship needs to be something that regularly occurs within a family. It is the underpinning of all that will be taught in the home and the Bible commands it:

Four Critical Parts of Family Worship

Yesterday was a very special day for us in Governador Valadares, Brazil where I had the privilege of preaching twice, together with my able translator, Juliano (second from right in first picture), for the Igreja Presbiteriana do Grã-Duquesa church. Church was overflowing in the evening, and there seemed to be a more than usual amount of impression and tears at both services. We truly felt that the Lord was in the midst of us. Here I am with the pastors and elders of the church after the evening service (the senior pastor, “Richard,” is on my left in the first picture). We also had a blessed time at two homes of church families for the noon and evening meals. Please continue to pray for us as we move on to another conference in Franca (about an hour from São Paulo), for “Pastor Paul Jr.,” commencing on Thursday.

Mary and I both felt helped in speaking at the Presbyterian conference on Saturday in Governador Valadares, Brazil (first picture). Afterwards, we were treated with some açaí, a special fruit that comes from the Amazon (second picture). We also enjoyed several meaningful conversations with ministers and theological students and their spouses. Please continue to pray for us through this trip.

Safely in Brazil with Mary, doing the first of two conferences, for our last long trip this year. Last night I spoke to 400 ministers, church leaders, and laypeople on taking hold of God and ourselves in prayer—the first of four addresses here in Governador Valadares on the theme of “Cultivating Godly Leadership Intentionally.”

Mary spoke to more than a hundred women on “Teachers of Good Things.” After I spoke, we spent considerable time signing books, including a beat-up copy of my “A Puritan Theology” (in Portuguese), with its cover torn off due to heavy use (see picture)! I was also encouraged to sign copies of two of my books newly translated into Portuguese that I had not yet seen, including “Reformed Preaching.”

This afternoon I am speaking on “Coping with Criticism in the Ministry” and Mary is speaking on “Preparing for a Godly Marriage.” Please pray for God’s rich blessing on this conference.

We are excited to announce that today Petrus van Mastricht’s first volume of “Theoretical-Practical Theology” was released in Korean! Pray with me that God will bless this edition abundantly.

Just arrived home safely minutes ago from Laurel and Jackson, Mississippi. God is good! It was great to be with Joey Pipa (left in picture) and the pastor, Jerry Marcellino (center) for the 27th Annual Reformation Conference hosted by Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel, Mississippi. The rest of the conference went well. Yesterday morning Dr. Pipa spoke for the Sunday school on “The Portrait of a Godly Man” from Job 1:1-5, and I preached on “The Only Way to Live and Die” (Phil. 1:21), which was the conclusion of the conference. The attendees were hungry for good food and bought nearly all the books that we brought along, including all the sets of our new “Puritan Documentary” which is now available! http://bit.ly/2qjai5a

We enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship over the Lord’s Day noon meal at the home of Jerry and Dawn Marcellino, together with the Pipas and several office-bearers and other church members. Then, last night, I preached on “Following God Fully” (Num. 14:24) at the First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi, for the senior pastor, Rev. David Strain, who is a gifted preacher (he has preached for our PRTS conference as well). Please pray for his dear wife who has been quite ill for several months now. First Pres. provides much support to Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson and is a very influential church in the PCA. It has quite a remarkable history; preachers in recent decades there have included two of my very good friends, Ligon Duncan and Derek Thomas. Church membership, I believe, is around 3,000. The church and its buildings takes up an entire block in Jackson. The congregation just went through a remodeling project of $10,000,000 which is already entirely paid for! Here is a picture of the beautiful sanctuary.

May God continue to bless and use this church family abundantly for the spreading of His glorious kingdom.