Archives for June 2022

After a 10-hour red-eye flight from Chicago to São Paulo, we arrived safely at our hotel in Brazil called Golden Tulip (not Dutch!), caught up on some rest and took a walk just as the sun was going down at 5:30 p.m. (its winter here though 70 degrees!). Pray for us as we begin a lengthy 3-week, 5-conference itinerary tomorrow of speaking a few dozen times with the Queen speaking 5 times to women.

I am grateful to receive Reformation Heritage Books latest new title that is newly typeset and well edited by Gordon Keddie: “The Glory and Fullness of Jesus Christ: In the Most Remarkable Types, Figures, and Allegories of the Old Testament” by William McEwen (1735-1762; 335 pages). Speaking of this remarkable and insightful classic, Sinclair Ferguson states that on the subject it addresses McEwen’s book reminds us “that often the old wine is best.” I highly recommend this gem.

Learn more here.

Out of esteem for God, we should treasure the Word in all the forms it comes to us, especially when it is preached. The good we receive from the preached Word refreshes our souls like the dew that fell with the manna. The church needs, in this desperate hour, not just faithful preachers but faithful hearers and receivers of the Word.

Learn more about “Thriving In Grace: Twelve Ways the Puritans Fuel Spiritual Growth” here.

Yesterday was a full day, preaching in our own church in Grand Rapids in the morning and for Immanuel Fellowship in Kalamazoo in the evening. After the morning worship, we had a family from Texas—Diego and Nedelka with their five children (photo 1)—over to our home for a few hours over our noon meal and great fellowship. Nedelka has recently translated the Queen’s new book on teaching children how to work into Spanish. It was a very special time, packed with stimulating and godly conversation—including having a great time with their son Caleb who sat next to me imparting his knowledge and asking questions that sounded like twice his age (photo 2)! After the evening service in Kalamazoo, we had a blessed time of fellowship for another few hours with the pastor of Immanuel Fellowship, Rev. Bill Boekestein (photo 3), a Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary graduate and good friend, who was commemorating his 43rd birthday yesterday, together with his family and a number of friends from the church (photo 4—by the way, the brother on the far left will soon be teaching his first course in our new Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Biblical Counseling degree that commences this fall, D.V., and his wife on his right is expecting a 5th child today!). Christian worship and Christian fellowship and Christian family—what a blessing they all are!

From the Lord’s Day sermon on Mark 7:24-30 titled “The Trial and Triumph of Faith in Christ”.

Listen to the whole sermon here.

This afternoon we visited the open house of our dear friends Jake and Lona, commemorating their 50th wedding anniversary, with 3 children, 23 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. (Two of their children have 8 children each, and the third has 7 children!) Jake was the first person that I gave some private theological lessons to 40 years ago while I pastored in New Jersey, so I call him my first “theological student.” He later served as a mission worker in Bolivia for some years and then more recently as a ruling elder of our Heritage Reformed Congregation here in Grand Rapids. (His son, Jacob, Jr., now serves as elder in his place.) I spoke a message to this dear couple from Psalm 71 which focuses on God’s righteousness, and when I was done Jake spontaneously stood up and recounted to his whole family some of the Lord’s leadings—both spiritual and providential—in their lives. It was a sweet time for us all. Pray that God will continue to bless them and their large family.

Please pray for this dear engaged couple, Austin and Felisse, who hope to be wedded soon; I had the privilege this afternoon of completing pre-marital counseling with them. Pray that they will cultivate a marriage lived in the childlike fear of God and to His glory.

We humbly rejoice and give praise to God that the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Court’s horrific 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that created a “right” to abortion without any constitutional basis. Since this deadly error was forced upon our nation, more than 60 million children have been slaughtered in their mothers’ wombs. Even as we praise the Most High, we must continue praying and laboring for the cause of life.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade returns the issue of abortion to the state legislatures, and we must continue to take a stand for the sake of children created in the image of God. And we must continue to pray for God’s saving grace for the men and women involved in this heinous evil—that they will repent and that the blood of the children will be washed from their souls by the blood of the Lamb.

Thomas Parr’s Joy in Dark Places is an easy-to-read, page-turning, important book that, in and through Christ, can transform for good our entire concept of joy as well as how we respond to the hard times of life. Watch and listen to hear me share more about this new release from Reformation Heritage Books.

This afternoon I was humbled to receive my first book in the Tamil language, “Developing Healthy Spiritual Growth,” translated by Arul Sathiyan, and published by the Reformed Protestant Mission connected with the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)’s mission work in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Since there are few Reformed theological resources in Tamil even though this language is spoken by 5 million people in Sri Lanka and close to 70 million people in India, I would be especially grateful for your prayers that this book would be greatly blessed by God to His glory, the maturation of His people, and the salvation of the lost.