New Testament

The Day

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

I can remember the first time I saw a Star Wars film in the cinema. This was back in the 1980s. With popcorn in hand, we found our plush velvet seats and tried to get comfortable. Then we were plunged into darkness. A slight pause. And then it began. In just two minutes, I was transported into another world. Everything normal seemed like a distant memory. “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” Then the blast of the brass section of an orchestra as the film title appeared. Three paragraphs of background story to orient us, and we were there. The start of the Star Wars movies was genuinely epic.

The Bible can, and should, have that same effect on us. Lifting us out of the everyday rhythms of life and helping us to see another whole realm of reality. For instance, consider the theme of The Day of the LORD. It is mentioned eighteen times in the Old Testament, plus dozens of other references like “on that day.” It is that future moment when God would step into history, bringing judgment for the wicked and blessing for His people.

Not only is it anticipated in the Old Testament, but it is also still anticipated in the New Testament. Consider, for example, 2 Peter chapter 3. There, Peter describes how scoffers will ridicule the idea of anticipating that day. Their tactic? They will suggest that “nothing really changes.” And how effective that tactic can be. Nothing really changes. So why should we be concerned about anything happening in the world? Nothing really changes. Why should we try to influence what is going on around us? Nothing really changes. Why look for something to break in from outside of our world? Nothing really changes. Today is like yesterday, and tomorrow will be more of the same. As one fiction writer put it, “it is a pity that thoughts always ran the easiest way, like water in old ditches.”

And yet, the Bible wants to lift our eyes and our hearts beyond our psychological preference for predictability. It wants us to know, and live in light of, the reality that one day, God Himself will step into history again.

Consider one of the passages that anticipates “that day” – Malachi chapter 3. For the first few verses, we read of how God is coming, the messenger of the covenant who will come like the purifier’s fire, like fuller’s soap. Two vivid images of cleansing, purging, separating – that fire so hot that metal melts and the impurities are separated; that lye that pulls out the impurities from fabric and bleaches it clean. The Lord is coming to cleanse and purify. Yes, the focus is on restoring proper worship, but the imagery is imposing and intimidating. 

We might expect the passage to conclude with a call to run. Run for your lives! Flee this terrible day that is coming! And yet, as in so many of the “Day of the LORD” passages, we find an invitation. This God, who is coming to purge and to cleanse, is a God of grace who invites His people to draw near to Him.

In verses 6 and 7, God speaks of His character. He does not change, which means they are not consumed (because He keeps His promises). But they should change. They should change direction. They have gone away from God, but if they return to Him, then He will return to them. As James later put it, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).

They asked how they could return. So God raised the issue of their giving. In verses 8-12, God describes how they should test Him (an unusual concept in the Bible!) by seeing if they could outgive God. They never would be able to do that! As we come to the end of the chapter, we find that some of the people who were challenged to give of their treasure, which really belonged to God anyway, were also moved in heart to fear God and be responsive to Him. So they are described as being God’s treasured possession. 

A chapter that begins with such overpowering imagery of judgment is so full of God’s overflowing grace. Yes, the Day of the LORD is terrifying, and many in this world should be shaking with fear at what is coming. And yet, for those of us who know what it means to belong to this God, we can look forward, waiting, anticipating, hoping. We live today in light of that day, knowing that the old ditches of life are not forever. We understand that the “nothing really changes” mindset is doomed to be proven profoundly wrong. We wait, knowing that with a blast of the brass section of heaven’s orchestra, we will be transported into another time. 

Honestly, I am not concerned with whether we agree on the details of what is to come in the future. I am worried that we are discouraged by the scoffers who claim that nothing really changes. Let’s read God’s Word and let it lift our eyes and our hearts. We have a God who has stepped into time and history and who will again. His coming will shake up everything. And we who live in anticipation of that day should live differently today. 

In light of Malachi 3, let’s be sure to turn to God now and be ready for that day. Let’s consider our “tithing” – that is, our giving and investing in eternity today. And let’s rejoice at the privilege of being His treasured possession. May the Lord use us now as we live for Him, and wouldn’t it be great if He came back soon!

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With Christmas coming soon, it is time to start making plans … especially if you are involved in preaching or teaching! Check out the latest episode of the podcast, and please do subscribe so you don’t miss any of the forthcoming episodes!

Love Jesus, Love the Gospel

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It does not surprise me when I find scholars who do not believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word and also have a problem with the Apostle Paul.  But it still surprises me to find Bible-believing Christians who view Paul negatively.  For some, this is a reaction to his argumentative persona and intellectual presentation of complex truths.  For others, the antagonism comes from the feeling that he is misogynistic or overly self-referential.

Where there is a specific criticism based on a particular passage, it helps to study that passage in its context and take into account the rest of his writings as well.  But where the criticism is more a general feeling (i.e. he is too argumentative or complex), I think what helps is to try to enter into his world and see Paul in action.

At the beginning of Galatians, we find an extended biographical section that, at first glance, may appear self-congratulatory.  However, delving into Paul’s world is a worthwhile endeavour.  Not only will we find a brilliant and articulate fighter for the truth of the gospel – perhaps even a hero of the faith –  but we will also find a motivation we can emulate.  Maybe most of us will never be as brilliant as Paul.  But all of us could love Jesus and the truth of the Gospel as Paul did.  And if we did, perhaps the global and eternal impact would be beyond anything we have dreamt.

Let me try to give you a taste of this.  On Paul’s first missionary journey, as recorded in Acts 13-14, Paul and Barnabas arrived in the region of Galatia, preached the gospel, and saw churches established.  They were understandably excited as they headed for home base to report what God had done.  But when they arrived, they discovered that others had followed in their footsteps and sought to correct their ministry.  The criticism?  Paul was not a full apostle, and Paul did not preach a complete gospel message.  Perhaps Paul was portrayed as well-intentioned, and his message was seen to serve as a good starting point.  But these later teachers were promoting themselves as representatives of the Jerusalem apostles and their Law-based message as a more complete and committed version of what God expects.

Paul was livid!  He wrote Galatians to ward off this falsehood and try to win back the hearts of the believers before they were pulled away by this destructive corruption of the good news he had preached.

Why did Paul write with an edge?  (No pun intended)  Why does he seem to be shouting?  Why is Paul so sharp with them?  (Ok, that was slightly deliberate for the context!)  The answer is that Paul loved Jesus, the Gospel, and the believers in the Galatian churches.  Like a parent shouting sharply at a child walking towards a busy road, Paul was desperate to get their attention.

In the latter verses of Chapter 1, he laid out his apostolic credentials.  This was not about showing off but about exposing the lies being told about him.  He did not derive his authority from Jerusalem. He had barely been there.  His authority came from God himself.  And in the opening verses of Chapter 2, he focused on his Gospel message.  It was a message that he had laid before the Jerusalem apostles.  Even under pressure from the same false teachers, Paul’s Gentile companion Titus had not been compelled to be circumcised.  The highest council of apostles, the inner circle itself, had affirmed his calling with a hearty handshake and no doctrinal caveats.

When you ponder the world Paul inhabited, it becomes clear that he was driven not by a desire to win arguments or a passion for self-promotion like an early social media influencer.  A deep love for Jesus drove Paul, and therefore, a passion for the gospel of God’s grace that truly transforms lives from the inside out.  It was that deep love that drove Paul to travel, to preach, to be misunderstood, to be persecuted, to suffer, and eventually, to die for the Lord that he loved.  In Galatians 2:11-14, it was that deep love that drove Paul to take a most uncomfortable step: he publicly called the great senior apostle Peter a hypocrite in front of his home crowd.

I’m not suggesting we should be looking for opportunities to poke others in the chest.  I’ve seen far too much bombastic finger-wagging on social media.  But I’ve also seen far too little courage in person when faced with character and behaviour that compromises the Gospel.  Will we be willing to take uncomfortable steps in the face of compromise, or will we be willing to take uncomfortable steps in the calling of missionary need? 

We cannot give ourselves a good talking-to and suddenly generate sacrificial motivation for ministry.  Neither can we muster up Paul’s level of theological brilliance just because we start to find him inspiring.  But we can gaze long and hard at Jesus.  We can ponder the wonder of the gospel of God’s grace in Christ deeply.  We can ask God to give us a heart-exploding glimpse into the wonder of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.  Because if we see Jesus for who he is, if we get a sense of the wonder of the gospel, then perhaps we will start to share in Paul’s motivation for the truth of the gospel.

Why did Paul contend for the truth of the gospel, even in the face of opposition?  Two words from Galatians 2:5 – it was so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved “for you.”  And by extension, from Galatia down through two millennia, it was for it to be preserved for us.  May we be ever more captivated by the glorious good news of God’s great love for us so that we are motivated to preserve it for others.

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James and the Greatest Gap

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The book of James is a fascinatingly practical epistle. Some have called it the Sermon on the Mount in letter form. On the one hand, we shouldn’t expect anything less than practical from the son of a carpenter. On the other hand, we don’t want to miss the profound theological thrust of the letter.

After addressing issues of suffering, true religion, favouritism, the use of the tongue, and the right kind of wisdom, we arrive at James chapter 4. Now, James drills below the practical matters of the letter. Yes, there is a gap between conduct and confession, which seems to bother James. We could frame this as a gap between past habits and new identity, but James presents a more significant gap that we must face.

In James 4:1-3, he goes below the surface to explain what is going on and what is going wrong with his readers. Why do they have conflict? Very simply, it is because of the passions that bubble away inside them. Their conflict comes from their wants, like shoppers fighting to get bargains at the opening of a sale, like children fighting over the happy meals in McDonald’s, or even like chicks pushing to be in prime position to receive the worm from the mother that is bringing food into the nest . . . we clash, because we want.

It is encouraging to see James give a glimpse of the heart of our Father. We only need to ask since he is willing to feed us. So, the problem is inside each one of us – our selfish desires cause havoc in our lives.

What is the solution? Our world and Western tradition tend to tell us that self-control is the solution to our passions. Yes, we have an engine that moves us along, but we need to get a grip on the steering wheel and take control of ourselves. Interestingly, James does not instruct his readers to get a grip. Instead, he gives them a glimpse of what is happening inside God.

In James 4:4-6, we see inside God’s heart. What do we find? We see his jealousy over his people; he calls them “adulteresses.” James is not focusing on the women of the church; he is focusing on the people of the church, who are the bride of Christ. As the bride of Christ, we are flirting with the world. And God’s heart is grieved. It is jealously yearning for us to come back to him.

Here is the real gap that we need to face. Not just the gap between our conduct and our confession, nor even the gap between our past habits and our new identity. It is the growing gap between our hearts and his. Where there is unfaithfulness, God yearns for us to return. Where there is drift, God yearns for us to come close.

James 4 is like God has sat us down in a chair and confronted us with our drift. “What is going on?” We seem to be far from him. We seem to be motivated by other things. It may be overt unfaithfulness, or it may be signs of drift. It may be something that is not bad in itself, but it has become more important than him. Our career, bank balance, hobbies, favourite sports team. Just as we see in Hebrews 12:1-2, there is sin that entangles and everything that hinders—bad things, “good things,” but alternatives to him.

So, how do we respond when God lovingly confronts us for the drift in our spiritual marriage? If we stick out our chests and get defensive, claiming the right to define our spiritual health on our terms, then we reek of pride. God opposes the proud (James 4:6), but will we humbly admit the drift?

In James 4:7-10, we have the wonderful invitation. If we humble ourselves, submit to God, and resist the devil, we can draw near to God. We deserve his rejection, but that was also true before the cross. God loves us and gave Jesus to win our hearts to him. And as we drift, he continues to love us and waits with arms open to welcome us back to him. There may need to be mourning and grief over our unfaithfulness. Turning to our heavenly bridegroom should break our hearts as we see our waywardness and drift. But as we resist the devil and repent, turning back to our bridegroom, we will find that he also draws near to us.

The most critical gap in Christianity is the gap that can develop between our hearts and his. He may take James 4, sit us down in a chair, and confront us with our adulterous drift. But he does so lovingly, longingly yearning for our hearts to draw near to him. And as we do, he will draw near to us.

Hallelujah! What a saviour we have. 

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Please check out the new Biblical Preaching Podcast – in this episode, Peter Mead and Mike Chalmers discuss the four most important questions for all in ministry:

Exchange

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

The essential nature of all trade is that of an exchange.  I will give my ten sheep in exchange for your one donkey.  Or, in more recent history, I will provide a certain number of currency units for the service you are offering.  Life is full of exchanges.

One of the most potent images of the gospel is known as the great exchange.  Martin Luther described the wonder of our salvation using the biblical image of a great marriage.  Jesus is the great King, full of life, grace, and salvation.  We are at the opposite extreme: full of death, sins, and damnation.  But when faith comes between us, a most glorious marriage occurs.  He takes all that is ours on himself, and we get all that is his as if it were our own.  What an exchange!

The most foundational exchange in Christianity is Christ’s life for ours.  He is the God-given substitute, taking our place and facing the just punishment for sin.  His death gives us life.  His life replaces our death.  In John 3, for instance, we see Jesus helping the impressive Nicodemus to see that all his achievements and standing meant nothing before God.  As remarkable as he was in human terms, he was still spiritually dead and needed to be born from above.  How could that happen?  Just like the Israelites needed to look at the brass serpent in Numbers 21:6-9, so would the Son of Man be lifted up in death, and those who believed in him, who looked to him, would live. 

But there are more exchanges to be found in the Gospel of John.  Consider the ongoing transformation that occurs as someone follows Jesus and serves him.  For instance, John the Baptist knew who Jesus was, pointed others to him, and served him faithfully.  At the end of John 3, we see some of John’s disciples bemoaning that the crowds had shifted from John to Jesus. Indeed, for a life defined by the ministry of baptizing, it must have been disappointing to see the flood of people dwindle to a trickle.  Not for John.  He knew that his role was that of best man at a wedding, but the groom was Jesus. The bride going to Jesus only made John immensely happy (see John 3:29).  So John uttered the beautiful words: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)  This is the gradual exchange of self for Christ that happens as we follow our Saviour.

We can see the self-for-Christ exchange contrasted at the start of John 12.  There, Mary is so captivated by Jesus that she pours an immensely valuable perfume onto his feet.  Meanwhile, Judas Iscariot, captured not by Christ but by his greed, can only express his dismay at the missed opportunity for further theft.  (See John 12:1-8.)  Mary was the picture of a disciple who knew Jesus’ giving and worshipped Jesus by selflessly giving everything in return.  Judas was the picture of someone exposed to Jesus but still gripped by the magnetic pull of self.  Following Jesus should shift us increasingly from the lure of self to the wonder of Christ.

And then we see Jesus with his disciples in the upper room.  In a world filled with hate, Jesus demonstrates a better way.  The radical way of selfless love stands in sharp contrast to the way of our world.  Today, as then, selfless love is repulsive to a world gripped by sin (Judas must have been struggling in that upper room until he left), but it is also strikingly attractive.  People in a culture of hate need to see true love.  How will they see it?  Only if the faithful followers of Jesus are marked with his defining characteristic.  (See John 13:35.)

Having exchanged death for life, self for Christ, and hate for love, the followers of Jesus are invited to also exchange comfort for calling.  In John 21, we see Jesus gently remind his disciples that he called them to fish for men, to feed the sheep, and to follow him even to their death – whatever that would involve. 

To be a disciple of Jesus asks much of us, but we cannot fully describe how much we receive in the process.  Giving up death, self, hate, and comfort is not easy.  But receiving life, Christ, love, and a calling is truly other-worldly and glorious.  Praise God that he is the God of exchange – an exchange that cost him everything, that gives us everything, and that changes everything!

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The new Biblical Preaching Podcast is here for you. Check out Jonathan Thomas talking about revival, and please subscribe to Cor Deo on YouTube so that you can see each new episode as it is released. (You can also follow the podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.)

Preaching Easter (Podcast Post – Episode 6)

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In the latest Biblical Preaching Bitesize, I share ten pointers for preaching Easter effectively.  The Easter story is the heart of the Christian faith, and a key moment in our church calendar.  So why might we struggle with preaching at Easter?

1. The story is so familiar.  The Easter story comes up repeatedly throughout the year as we present the gospel in various situations.  Sadly, the most wondrous news of all can become stale and predictable.  We can end up saying the same things about the cross and the same things about the empty tomb.  Listeners can bring assumptions from artistic images they have seen, or from presentations they have heard before. 

2. The wondrous truth can get buried.  Each passage that we might choose to preach is saying something about Easter.  But sometimes, that theological and potentially life-changing truth can get buried in the story’s recounting.  Or it can be lost because listeners get the sense they are listening to a famous old myth rather than the central moment of human history. When stories feel like a myth, listeners listen differently.

3. The preacher can feel flat.  Familiar material, a busy time of year, and a preacher recounting history rather than feasting on the Word of God can lead to a flattened heart at the front of the church.  We don’t want that, for our sake and theirs.

So, ponder the ten pointers in this Biblical Preaching Bitesize! To watch the Bitesize, click here.

And don’t miss the encouragement at the end.  What could be more powerful than a vivid image projected on the screen in a church using the best contemporary software?

To follow the Podcast, click here for Apple, or here for Spotify.

Thank you for helping to get this podcast to others by sharing it with people who care about preaching, as well as for any positive reviews, comments, etc. All good interaction with this material helps the algorithm put it in front of more people.

Imitate Who?

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There are some strange stories of people imitating other people.  For instance, in 1951, the Canadian Naval Ship the Cayuga was engaged in the Korean War.  It took onboard three Korean fighters who needed immediate surgery.  The ship’s surgeon, Dr Joseph Cyr, went ahead and removed a bullet from the chest of one man, amputated the foot of another, etc.  He performed sixteen operations onboard and surgeries on shore in Korea.  But that man was not Dr Joseph Cyr.  With no training in surgery, Fred Demara had “borrowed” Cyr’s credentials to get into the Canadian Navy.  He had also imitated his way into being a Psychology Professor, a university administrator, a prison warden, and a Trappist monk.  It truly is a bizarre story.

And yet, perhaps it is even more bizarre that the Apostle Paul instructed the Ephesian believers to “be imitators of God” (See Ephesians 5:1).  There are a handful of places where believers are urged to imitate Paul or even to imitate Christ (e.g. 1 Corinthians 11:1).  Still, the instruction to “imitate God” is unique to this verse.  Let’s probe Paul’s point.

What is Paul’s instruction?  “Therefore, be imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1).  Paul is not suggesting that we pretend to be God or that we in any way usurp God’s position.  For humans to invite worship, to function as if they are the central character in the universe, or to give the impression of being all-knowing, and so on, would be spiritual treason.  God is God, and I am not. 

On the other hand, we are very much expected to reflect the good character of God in every area of life.  For instance, in the verses before and after Ephesians 5:1, we see instruction as honest, gracious, self-controlled, generous, kind, forgiving, loving, self-sacrificing, holy, and pure – all beautiful aspects of God’s perfections.  (See Ephesians 4:25-5:4).

It would be fair to say that whatever is good about God’s character would be good to emulate and imitate, as long as we never blur the Creator and creature distinction.  It would also be fair to notice that since the Fall of Genesis 3, humans have been much more inclined to get these categories reversed.  How many people act as if they are the centre of the universe, worthy of worship, all-knowing, and in control, but lack the kind of goodness we have just described?  The Fall absolutely messed us up!

Why should we imitate God?  Because we are “children” (Ephesians 5:1).  Whether it is fair or not, people observe children and evaluate the parents.  Sometimes, a critical evaluation may be justified; other times, an outsider will have no idea of how much the parent is achieving considering the child’s circumstances.  For those of us who are parents, we know how much we feel the watching eyes of others, so we hope our children will behave well in public situations. 

As unfair as it may feel to us to have people evaluating us based on our children, how much more unfair is that for God?  Imagine having your reputation and perception determined by representatives like you and me.  After all, we are all flawed and broken people.  Image bearers of God, of course, but so far from divine perfection!

And yet, the watching continues.  People who never think about theological matters are watching you and me and assuming things about our God.  This watching is not only from those outside the church but also from inside.  Believers watch and learn from one another.  I can think of people I have watched and from whom I learned something of God’s forgiveness, or God’s generosity, or God’s humility, or God’s redemptive power.  The church is a living theological case study!

But how can we imitate God?  The idea that we can and should imitate God’s character can feel overwhelming.  How is it possible?  Are we supposed to self-generate a super-human effort and achieve the impossible by sheer willpower?  Notice the other word in the verse: “as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1).  This imitation instruction is not based on the burden of striving effort.  Instead, it is to be fueled by the joy of a loving relationship.  Being saved and brought into God’s family means we are beloved children.

The word “beloved” makes it clear that we are not “tolerated” children, or “technically” children, or even “one of millions of children.”  The word “beloved” gives a sense of the lavishing of all the parental love poured out on a uniquely favoured, even an only, child.   More significantly, it is the same idea used of God’s unique Son, Jesus.  Remember the baptism declaration, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased!” (Matthew 3:17).

There are multiple layers in the idea of being a child of God.  Just as we have three types of paternity tests used among humans, the same idea works for us as believers.  There is the legal reality of being lovingly adopted into God’s family (e.g. Ephesians 1:5-6).  An adopted child has the paper evidence of the adoption certificate.  Then there is the DNA test proving something of a parent in a child.  For believers, we have the Spirit of God living within us (e.g. Ephesians 1:13-14).  And thirdly, there is the resemblance test.  When we see a baby, some people will immediately pronounce that the baby has his father’s nose, eyes, or whatever.  That is the DNA showing through immediately.  But Ephesians 5:1 is calling us to a more developed character likeness.  Just as a child in a loving relationship will grow to resemble the character of the loving parent, so it can be with us.

As we seek to lead other believers into greater God-likeness, we would do well to pause and reflect on this one word.  Do I believe I am “beloved” of God?  It is easy to say it, but then live as if I am merely tolerated.  And yet, what rocket fuel for transformation there is in being loved by God, even as He loves the Son (see John 17:23, for instance). 

In response to Ephesians 5:1, let us pray a simple prayer that has massive implications in our lives and those we influence.  “My loving Father, what do you want to work on in me so I may look more like you?”

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The Biblical Preaching Podcast is your conversation about preaching that shares God’s heart! Please find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, other podcast directories, and on YouTube. We would love to have your help in spreading the word – thank you in advance for every like, comment, share, follow and positive review!

New Book Released in the USA

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I am very pleased to announce that my new book, The New Birth, has now also been released in the USA.

If you would like a copy of the book and will see me in person during January/February, please ask. (I will be in Oregon, St Louis and Chicago.) To order the book from my affiliate link in the USA – click here. (To order the book from my affiliate link in the UK/Europe – click here.)

Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy the book! (Please comment on this post if you’ve read the book already, but I would also greatly appreciate any positive reviews on 10ofthose, Amazon, GoodReads, etc.)

Endorsements

“Peter Mead presents this essential doctrine in a way that warm, clear, rich, and readable. The book is accessible and engaging, and the addition of stories and reflection questions at the end of each chapter enables us to consider and imagine the way that the truth of the gospel can and should shape our lives. This is a lovely and helpful book—a great introduction to those new to or exploring faith, and a refreshing encouragement to those who have been Christians for a while.”

Ellidh Cook, Student Worker at All Souls Langham Place, London

“This tiny book conveys a huge reality: that Jesus came to raise spiritually dead people into abundant life! Peter Mead’s insights into the new birth that Jesus offers are both pastorally wise and profoundly helpful.”

Philip Miller, Senior Pastor, The Moody Church, Chicago

“When I became a Christian, I didn’t really grasp what had happened. It was an infinitely bigger deal than I realised-it was (and is) beyond my wildest dreams. Peter has given us an excellent primer into this huge adventure. This lovely, heart-warming book opens up the foundational truth of the new birth. As with the rest of the Essentials series, it is short and simple, yet full of deep and delightful teaching.”

Jonathan Thomas, pastor, author & broadcaster

“I found Peter Mead’s The New Birth contribution to the Essentials’ series most helpful, because it weaves together our story with the big story of Scripture through the lens of the work of the Holy Spirit. Taking as its anchor point Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus, it wonderfully explains the theology and the felt experience of Christian conversion, and all along there are thrilling stories of how the Spirit transformed the likes of Spurgeon, Whitefield, C.S. Lewis, and modern men and women.”

Rico Tice, Co-Founder of Christianity Explored

We Must Not Lose Christ at Christmas

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

As Christmas approaches, plans are coming together—not only for family gatherings but also for church events.  Last year, our church put on a Christmas musical, which involved lots of cast, support crew, set building, costume making, songwriting, etc.  This year, we are keeping it simple with just a couple of carol services.  Whether we “go big” or “keep it simple,” there is one important ingredient that must not be forgotten.

It is so easy to have everyone frantically pulling together a Christmas production and then have nobody remembering to bring the baby for the manger.  In the same way, it is easy to be busy with Christmas plans, even Christmas preaching, and fail to keep the focus on the baby at the centre of the story.

If Jesus is forgotten for a nativity scene, then someone will be quickly despatched to go and pick up a baby doll before anyone notices.  But what happens if we lose Jesus from our Christmas, and even from our Christianity?

If the theme is Christmas, but Christ is missing, then there will be lots of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, but no basis for such a message of hope.  And if the focus is more general, then a Christianity without Jesus will descend into moral tirades and an attempt to police either church or society.  There can be no real Christianity without Christ.

And yet, it keeps on happening.  How often is the gospel presented as a moral and legal logical presentation?  “You have been bad, judgment is coming, God can help you get fixed, and there are some other benefits too…”  It might involve some presentation of truth, but the heart of the message is missing.

John Piper wrote these words in God is the Gospel:

“The critical question for our generation – and for every generation – is this: If you could have Heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with Heaven, if Christ was not there?”

We have briefly considered Christmas, and Christianity in general, as well as our evangelism.  But what about on a personal level?  When Jesus is missing, we will tend to see God as distant and become increasingly self-focused.  This does not necessarily mean we will become rebellious and overtly sinful.  We might just become religious and self-righteous.  Whether in compliance or rebellion, we will become much more behavioural in our focus.

Without Jesus, we will start to see our Bibles as instruction manuals, more than God’s self-revelation.  For instance, in John 5, Jesus is rebuking the religious leaders for diligently studying their Bibles and yet missing him completely.  They would study and recite the Hebrew Scriptures, but they were blind to the self-revelation of God that should have had them excited at the arrival of Jesus.  Sadly, their study spectacles only allowed them to see the dazzling lights of self-glorification, and they missed the main focus of the Scriptures who now stood in front of them.

When we let Jesus drift out of the spotlight in our Christianity, we will lose that vital sense of the relationship with God that Jesus came to establish.  Instead of gazing on Jesus and being transformed (2 Corinthians 3:18), we will see only ourselves and drift toward self-glorifying, or self-loathing, or we will become self-appointed evaluators of others and start to inflict unhelpful pressure on others. 

There is a world of difference between Christianity with Jesus at the centre, and religion with me at the centre.  Actually, there is an eternity of difference.

As we come to another Christmas, let’s be sure to pause and allow our hearts to be wowed by the wonder of it all.  Charles Wesley’s hymn says this: “In vain the first-born seraph tries, to sound the depths of love divine!”  If angels are amazed, surely we should slow down and make sure we are too.  Can we ever fully grasp the wonder of Christmas?  Wesley’s words again, “Veiled in flesh, the godhead see, hail the incarnate deity, pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel!”

Before the year is done, take a moment to stop and take stock.  Jesus has to be the centre of everything, not only at Christmas, but in all of Christianity.  He is much too precious to lose!

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As we enter the month of December, click below for the advent series of videos in Pleased to Dwell – Peter’s book about the Incarnation . . .

Needed: An Army of Mary/Marthas

/ Peter Mead / 2 Comments

At the end of Luke 10, the little story of Jesus’ visit to Bethany is a witness against much of evangelical activity.  Jesus had nowhere to lay his head during those ministry years, but he did have a home away from home in Bethany.  Just a few miles from Jerusalem, Jesus seemed to have a familiar place to stay with his close friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

On this occasion, Martha was interrupted making dinner for two or three by a knock on the door.  Thirteen tired men had just arrived.  Dutifully, she returned to the kitchen to turn a meal for two or three into a meal for fifteen or sixteen people.  I’m sure Martha was pretty adept at performing miracles in her kitchen.  Still, on this particular day, nothing was working as it should.  The fire gave off smoke but no heat.  The salt had run out.  The flour spilled.  The onions had gone past their point of usefulness.  Martha was frustrated.

Looking for Mary, she found her sitting at Jesus’ feet in the main room.  Martha lost it.  In one quick outburst, she rebuked the guest of honour and then inappropriately issued a command at him.  Everyone would have felt the tension in that room.

But Jesus responded with grace and clarity, “Martha, Martha, you are upset about many things, but only one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

What Was Martha’s Mistake?  Everyone knows that Martha got it wrong, but many seem confused by her error.  Was Martha simply wrong for being busy?  Not at all!  Before you preach against a Martha spirit in your church or ministry, be careful; your ministry would not exist if it weren’t for the hard-working pragmatists who carry so much on their shoulders.  It is not wrong to be busy with ministry work.  In fact, we need more people to be motivated to join the church’s efforts.

Now, this portrayal of Martha as busy and bitter is common.  Some children’s Bible storybooks paint Martha as sour and driven, with a stern look and her hair tied back in a tight bun.  Meanwhile, Mary often looks like a young model, lounging with a big smile near Jesus.  This depiction is so unfair.

Martha’s mistake was not being busy.  It was a matter of priority.  In the previous passage, Jesus meets a lawyer who wants to know about eternal life.  They discuss “love God, love neighbour” – the Jesus ethic the lawyer had picked up on.  (That episode focused on the lawyer clarifying who his neighbour was.)  In the following passage, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with this pattern: God first, neighbour second.  So what about the Martha incident?  Well, she was loving her neighbours – all thirteen of them! 

The problem was not that Martha was loving her neighbour, but she had not first prioritized loving her Lord.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and let him minister to her.  Martha busied herself, loving her neighbours.  Such an approach was unsustainable, and the cracks soon started to show.

The Signs of “Doing a Martha” will soon show when we do what Martha did.  The pressure rises, and the steam starts to whistle.  A little comment from the side gets a sharp response.  A little setback in our task unleashes the tension that others feel.  It doesn’t take much.  When you or I are doing ministry in our own strength, people will sense it because they will be on the receiving end.  It could be a little practical task or a big ministry duty.  It doesn’t matter.  When we are running on empty, those around us will start giving us extra space.  They will avoid getting in our way.  They might even start to ask us if we are okay. 

Doing a Martha ongoingly will go beyond sharp responses to emotional and spiritual burnout.  But praise God that the signs will tend to show much earlier.  The question is, are you willing to hear when others raise concerns with you?  It is easy to dismiss the little tensions.  After all, you have thirteen extra people to feed.  And nobody else is doing it!

When you bring tension to a room, the atmosphere becomes thicker.  When you find yourself “justifiably” rebuking and commanding the guest of honour, it is time to think of Mary and Martha.  Specifically, it is time to think of Jesus’ gracious response to Martha.

The Evangelical Excuse Does Not Cut It – I am sure Martha would have been an excellent evangelical, and she would have probably said what most of us would say if challenged about this.  “Yes, I know I need to spend time with God, but you need to understand that I am loving God by loving my neighbour!”  It sounds good, but it does not change the point of the story.  We all need to get these things in order. 

Suppose we allow God to minister to us first by sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him.  In that case, we will be like a bucket filled from above, filled to the brim, and running over to others.  That makes for sustainable ministry!

Suppose we do not allow God to minister to us first but insist on being busy.  In that case, we will love our neighbours from an emptying bucket.  We will run out of fuel.  We will start to burn those around us with our tension releases.  And ultimately, we will grind to a halt.  We cannot self-sustain any ministry!

Conclusion – It is so simple, but we must learn this lesson!  Love God first by listening to him.  Spend time in his word.  Spend time sitting at his feet.  Let the Lord minister to you before you head out for the day to minister to others.  Love God, then love your neighbour.  Get that out of order, and everyone around you will spot it before you do.  What we need today, as always, is a whole army of pragmatic Marthas, ready to serve and prepared to love their neighbour because they have first been an army of devoted Marys.  Love God, then love your neighbour.

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Now released in the UK, available from 10ofthose.com

Not a Guilt Trip

/ Peter Mead / 1 Comment

When Christians talk about the need for purity, it can easily sound like a guilt trip.  If part of our goal in ministry is tangible life change, does that make ministry a glorified guilt trip?  Or is there a more powerful motivation available?

1 John is a glorious letter written by Jesus’ disciple, John, to a church that was shaken by a church split.  The group that had left claimed to have a superior spirituality, but the genuine believers left behind were feeling bruised and doubtful about the authenticity of their faith.  Were they somehow missing out on the “real thing?”  John wrote this letter to assure them of their standing with God, their fellowship with the Trinity, and the reality of their less spectacular spiritual experience.  He writes gently and with a pastoral sensitivity.  But still, he writes with plenty of theological truth and perspective.  Then comes the beginning of chapter three, when suddenly there seems to be an emotional explosion:

“See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are!” 1 John 3:1a

In the first three verses of chapter three, John gets them to look back and to look forward.  Looking back, it is clear that we are already extravagantly loved as God’s children.  Looking forward, we discover that our revelation as the bride of Christ is still to come.  God’s “exotic” love for us provokes a purifying love in us.  Here is a motivation that far outstrips any guilt trip. Let’s look at these three verses.

Looking Back – We are already extravagantly loved as God’s children (v1). It is striking that as John is pondering great truths, it is as if the riverbanks of his intellect burst, and his heart gets flooded.  We must remember that intellectual curiosity alone is never the goal of theological or biblical study.  The truth of the gospel should regularly flood our hearts and bring its cleansing power to our motives, values and affections.  The Bible is not pushing us towards a sterile intellect and will-centred faith.  Behold the love of God!  As the hymnwriter put it: The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell!

The word John uses to ask the question in verse 1 is intriguing.  See what “great love” God has given us.  He uses the word that carries the sense of “Where is it from?”  After the Second World War, I imagine what it was like when some foreign foods were reintroduced after years of restrictions.  What it must have been like for those children to see and taste a banana for the first time, mango, or whatever.  “Where is this from?!”  Everything must have seemed so exotic and exciting.  That’s the thrill of looking at God’s love for us –an out-of-this-world exotic love!

For example, what would we see if we looked through John’s Gospel and thought about what God’s “exotic” love had given to us?  He gave us the right to be his children (1:12).  He gave us his Son (3:16) and the Holy Spirit (14:16).  Through Jesus, God gives us living water that satisfies (4:14) and the bread of life that fills us (6:32).  He gives us eternal life (10:28); his peace (14:27), and his word (17:14).  We also receive his Son’s name (14:27), and whatever is asked in that name (15:16; 16:23).  God gives so generously!

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
  And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
  And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
  Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
  Though stretched from sky to sky.

And this is not something we are working on or trying to achieve.  We either are God’s children, or we are not.  John continues to underline the fact for his readers, “And we are!”  What a privilege to be loved with this out-of-this-world love as God’s children!

Looking forward – we are not yet revealed as the bride, but the wedding is coming (v2-3).  Here, we have one of the most thrilling verses to ponder.  When he appears, we will see him, which will do something to us that reveals something astonishing.

Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.  (1 John 3:2-3)

These verses describe the final and complete sanctification experience that lies in store for every believer.  Right now, we are living in the midst of a process.  It is described in 2 Corinthians 3:18.  As we look at Jesus, we are gradually being transformed from one degree of glory to the next.  But when we see him, that ultimate vision will be so glorious it will mean a total transformation for us!

Notice that in 1 John 2:28, John writes about shrinking in shame from Jesus at his coming.  That would make sense, since we are all still marred by sin.  But he is writing to give them assurance, not condemnation. 

So, what is it about seeing Jesus fully that will bring about such a total transformation?  I believe the full realization of every longing will burn away every possible alternative.  Just imagine every appetite you have, every craving, every hope, every desire, every taste, every hint of what is good.  Try to picture how our hearts have been stirred by creation – a stunning sunset, a breathtaking thunderstorm, a beautiful frosted spider web.  Try to imagine how your very human heart has been stirred by feasting with friends and family, by the touch of poetry, by travel shows on TV, or by picturesque country living magazines—a lifetime of longings.  But then we will see him as he is and discover that Jesus is more than enough to satisfy every last longing of our hearts!  After all, he has satisfied the Father’s loving heart for all eternity; how much more will he satisfy ours?  Seeing Jesus is our ultimate hope!

The anticipation of seeing him is the motivation we need to put our energy into living a pure and godly life now in this age.  It is not a guilt trip – ‘you should do, or else!’  It is a motivated heart – ‘I get to because my hope is in seeing him, not in any of the idolatrous replacements I can invest in now.’

The motivation for this hope is like when a guest comes to visit your home.  You are excited to see them, so you clean and tidy the house before they arrive.  Actually, it is greater than that – it is like your grown child coming home from a year abroad.  No, more than that, it is like when your spouse has been away for a few days, so you invest time and energy into cleaning the house before they arrive.  Actually, biblically speaking, our hope motivates us in the same way that someone is motivated by the approaching reality of their wedding day!  After all, we live as children of God now, waiting for the return of our bridegroom to take us to be with him – the marriage supper of the lamb and the arrival at the home prepared for us, and being together forever.

“Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself.” (1 John 3:3)

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Please see Peter’s book, from Christian Focus, looking at the great theme of God’s marriage throughout the Bible: