Tuesday and Wednesday the Continuing Synod of the Heritage Reformed Denomination met for two days of deliberation under the able chairmanship of Rev. Bartel Elshout to finish up matters from the June meetings. On the second day Mary and I had to leave to do the first of two back-to-back conferences in Mississippi–the first being at the Pinehaven Presbyterian Church in Clinton (photo 1). Mary and I spoke five times on the theme of focusing on Christ. She spoke to the women on laying our anxieties before Christ. I spoke on (1) living Christ and dying in Christ as the only way to live, (2) cultivating holiness in Christ, (3) enduring through Christ, and (4) considering Christ in ten ways while in affliction. Upon request, I also gave a message on how God developed the ministries of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and Reformation Heritage Books to be what they are today. We sold 90% of the books that RHB shipped to the conference.
We enjoyed meeting old and new friends. In photo 2, we are having lunch with our friends, Pastor Allen Stanton (our first PRTS PhD graduate, sitting to the left of me) and his wife Lindsay (sitting behind Mary), and their four children on the back table, as well as a warm and outgoing deacon and his wife, Richard and Sue (in the foreground).
Now I am off this morning with my special, one-of-a-kind Queen in our little blue rental Toyota which is brand new (photo 3; it had only 3 miles on it when we got it!), on our way to visit three friends in Jackson, Mississippi, and then we will make the 2.5 hour drive down to Laurel, Mississippi, where, beginning this evening, I hope to give four addresses on prayer at the annual Reformation Conference held at Audubon Drive Bible Church pastored by Dr. Jerry Marcellino.
