Yesterday morning I had a first-time experience of preaching a chapel message for The Master’s Seminary (TMS; photo 1, about 200 theological students present) at Grace Community Church, where Dr. MacArthur serves as pastor. Afterward, I had an enjoyable lunch with several faculty members and students of TMS. After lunch, I had a good meeting with Joey Mejia (photo 2; Dr. MacArthur’s right hand for planning future events).
Next, I had a very edifying meeting in the parking lot with a student from Columbia, Esteban Gaviria (photo 3), who was randomly shot at close range several years ago by an unknown assailant. The bullet went through him just one inch from his heart, and by God’s grace, he miraculously survived. The Lord used that event for his conversion, and he is now studying at TMS for the ministry—and recently married Dr. MacArthur’s granddaughter!
After visiting the campus’s well-stocked bookstore (photo 4—a treat for me), Dr. Brian Biedebach, who labored for 19 years in Malawi before coming to TMS as professor and dean of students, interviewed me for about 1.5 hours in his Pastoral Theology class, giving me a wonderful opportunity to speak to 30 ministerial students about how to live godly and in a biblically balanced way in the ministry. Afterward, Brian took me to his home for supper, where I got to meet his lovely family (photo 5—Brian in the back, and his wife on the right, with their four children), and then fellowshipped with about 20 guests the Biedebach’s had invited over (mostly theological students and their wives). It was a rich, rewarding, and full day. God is good.
