Specific text

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!

When You Cannot Keep Going, Can You Go Again?

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Speaking truth in a world of lies is not easy.  Serving God in a world that hates Him is not comfortable.  Standing for what is right in a world hell-bent on evil is anything but pleasant.  We all know this.  We all feel it.  And there are times when we feel it more vividly. 

What causes discouragement?  Of course, there is the insidious work of the enemy to tear down our resolve and distract our hearts.  Then there are the people who stand opposed, with their ideologies, threats, and apparent power to harm.  But perhaps the greatest discouragement comes from those who should know better.  As the years pass, I see time and again the difficulty posed by other Christians and their reasons why we shouldn’t speak truth, serve God, and stand for what is right quite so boldly. 

I have been encouraged by reading through Jeremiah again in recent days.  God called him to speak God’s message to God’s people.  What could be difficult about that?  In Jeremiah 11:18-23, we see the men of his own hometown conspiring to kill him because he spoke for God.  In Jeremiah 26, he speaks God’s message in the temple courts.  Surely there, the people of God would be responsive to the truth?  No, the prophets, the priests and all the people wanted to kill Jeremiah.  Is it possible to imagine a time when speaking the truth brings condemnation and calls for elimination and death?

In Jeremiah 37-38, we see the prophet being lied about, beaten, imprisoned, and thrown into a cistern to die.  And yet, Jeremiah continued to speak truth, to serve God, to stand for what was right.  Yes, his message was controversial; it was unpopular, as it went against the prevailing narrative, and he knew the consequences of continuing to speak.  And still, he continued to talk about truth, to serve God, and to stand for what was right.

The passage that grips my heart and lifts me to speak again is Jeremiah 20.  In this passage, it was also a priest who opposed Jeremiah.  Pashhur the priest beat the prophet and humiliated him at the gate.  And yet, Jeremiah continued to speak the truth, for God, boldly.  From verse 7, we get a glimpse into the suffering heart of the weeping prophet.  It was not easy to speak God’s truth and to stand for what is right.  We read his cry to God as he is humiliated.  We read his despair as the words he speaks don’t land in the hearts of his listeners, but seem only to rain down blows on his own soul.  Jeremiah seems worn down, his reserves gone, his motivation in tatters.  Later in the lament, he is cursing the day he was born, even the man who came out and announced the news of his birth to his father.  Sometimes the despair can be so vivid that you despise the fact that you were even born at all.  And yet . . .

And yet, there is verse 9.  If it is so hard to speak the truth and stand for what is right, serving God amidst the hostility of the enemy, and even of God’s own people, then maybe it is not worth it?  Perhaps lying spent on the ground, his fuel tank emptied, his inner drive stalling, his motivation poured out in his tears, maybe he should stop speaking?  And yet . . . “there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot.” 

The tears soak the ground.  Tears of grief, of anger, of hurt.  Tears not just at the evil of the enemy, but at the blindness and unwillingness to see among those who are supposedly on the same side.  Tears of loss, tears filled with fear for the future, anger at injustice, weariness from the fight.  The tears may soak the ground, and our energy may be all spent.  And yet, is there not a burning fire still burning in our hearts and shut up in our bones?  We cannot hold it in.

And so, like the weeping prophet of old, we rise to our knees, prayerfully resolute.  We stand again.  We take a breath.  And we speak.  We speak the truth, we serve God, we stand for what is right.  Will those who should be with us change course and start to agree?  Maybe.  They can be won, one heart at a time.  But perhaps they will continue to whisper and plot against us.  Is it worth it?  Can we, like Jeremiah, go again?  We can if we remember who is with us.  “The LORD is with me as a dread warrior.”  (Jeremiah 20:11)

Are you wearied from the battle?  That may be because of opposition from our spiritual enemy, or human forces arrayed against God’s truth, or even from “friendly fire” that sucks the motivation from you.   Pour out all the angst that is built up inside.  Pour it out until there is nothing left.  And then ask yourself, is the fire still burning in my heart and shut up in my bones?  “Alright then, Lord, if you will go with me, I will climb back onto my feet and go again.  I will speak the truth.  I will serve my God.  I will stand for what is right.  The LORD is with me as a dread warrior.”

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Confidence for the Storms (Psalm 27)

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

During a storm in life, people often look back to the calm moments before everything turned chaotic.  It is strange to look back on a moment of tranquility when you had no idea what was about to take place.  Psalm 27 reflects that experience.  In the first half of the Psalm, David appears to be filled with faith and peace.  Then, in the second half, there is more than a hint of fear in his words.  Where other psalms begin with fear and end with faith, this psalm seems to reverse that pattern.

However, it may be helpful to see the psalm differently, not as part 1 followed by part 2, but as an outer layer and an inner layer.  In the outer layer, David seems gripped by the reality of God’s greatness.  He knows that God is greater than any enemy.  He has seen it in the past, and he has confidence for the future.  “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (v 1)

He begins the psalm stating that God is the refuge of his heart (translated “life”), and his heart will not fear, even in the face of enemies, armies, and wars!  (Psalm 27:1-3)  Then at the conclusion of the psalm, he declares confidence in his future experience of the goodness of God and calls on others to strengthen their hearts by waiting for the LORD.  (Psalm 27:13-14)

We live in tumultuous times.  Whether we are in an active war zone or not, it seems that most of us are living in countries where tensions are running high.  How can we have confidence in the Lord, strengthening our hearts as we wait for Him?  Perhaps it is not enough to know that our God is bigger than our enemies, although that is undoubtedly true. Perhaps we should examine what happens in the inner layer of this psalm.

In verse 4, David describes his devotional determination to dwell in the house of the LORD and gaze upon the beauty of the LORD.  It is in the security of God’s presence that he can get to know God for who He is.  To be close to God is to be hidden in God’s shelter, concealed in His tent, lifted on a rock.  The word translated as “shelter” carries the sense of a lion’s lair.  Is there anywhere safer, presuming the Lion is good and is for you?

The secret to confidence in God is to meet God in the secret place.  To gaze upon Him.  To know Him.  Jonathan Edwards wrote of Christ that He “has infinite loveliness to win and draw our love.”  He went on to say that the angels in heaven, who can look on His face all the time, have never run out of reason to praise Him, even to this day.  How lovely He must be!  And so it is that we too can draw near to God in the person of Christ, and day after day, gaze upon the face of our God. 

In fact, in troubled and tumultuous times, our people need us to do just that.  If we are going to lead our families, our ministries, our churches, then we need to be spending time hiding in God’s presence, gazing on and getting to know the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Not only does David declare that he will seek God’s face, but God invites him to do so.  It is a bit like playing hide and seek with a small child.  Hide and seek is a classic children’s game.  One person counts to 100, while the other players hide.  Then the seeker goes hunting for the hidden.  It can be frustrating if the players are too creative.  But when you play the game with a toddler, it can be so much fun.  They want to be found!  All you need to do is say out loud what you are thinking, “I am thinking she might be behind the armchair?”  And a little voice will giggle behind the curtain.  “Is she behind the television?”  And a little voice will say, “No!”  It is all about the moment of discovery, the unbridled joy when two faces meet.

“Seek my face,” God says.  And as leaders of God’s people, may the cry of our hearts be, “Your face, O LORD, do I seek.”  We need to gaze on the beauty of His character to have confidence in His strength.  The greatest one is for us, so let’s not hold back.  Draw near, gaze, and grow in confidence.  Fearful times will come, but faith-filled leaders will emerge from God’s presence confident and ready.

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Love Jesus, Love the Gospel

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

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

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

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.)

Imitate Who?

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

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!

The Strongest Arm

/ Peter Mead / Leave a comment

Where do we turn when we are troubled?  Whether that is a personal struggle, a complicated situation at church, or a concerning development in the world, we should turn to the Bible.  Sometimes, we find a specific verse that resonates and lingers within us.  Other times, the treasure we need will come from a more purposeful digging into a theme or concept.  As more people realise that our world is teetering on the edge of political and societal collapse, let’s find help by mining the blessing of just one word in one Bible book.

The Hebrew term translated as “arm” is found in Isaiah more than any other Old Testament book.  Fourteen times, it refers to the arm of the LORD.  Could it be what we need to lift our spirits in troubling times?

The Image Introduced: The Two Functions of the Arm

The term is only found twice in Isaiah 1-39.  The first time, in Isaiah 30:30, it is used to describe lightning crashing down on the mountain of the LORD.  Just as thunder is God’s majestic voice, lightning is the descent of “God’s arm.” The enemies of God should fear because the LORD himself is guaranteed to win in battle.  In Isaiah 33:2, the second use comes in the cry of God’s people as they ask him to be gracious, to “be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” God’s arm is indeed his strength as he steps in to fight against the enemies of his people, but for his people, his arm is their salvation, a symbol of their hope. 

At the start of Isaiah 40-66, we again meet this double image of the LORD’s arm.  In chapter 40, as the Babylonian exile is anticipated, the prophet looks forward to the hope of returning to Zion, where God himself will dwell.  They hope to look to him, to “Behold your God!” (Isa. 40:9)  What are they looking at?  The Lord GOD comes with might, his arm ruling for him (an image of strength and an instrument of justice); this is their God (Isa. 40:10).  But this strong arm is also secure.  He gathers his flock like a shepherd, holding the lambs in his arms close to his chest (Isa. 40:11).  The arm of the LORD is an instrument of justice to be feared by all nations and yet the means of deliverance for his people.

There are two clusters of references to the arm of the LORD in the later chapters of Isaiah.  The two themes of salvation and justice remain paired throughout the book; however, the first cluster of references focuses on God’s saving work, and the second cluster focuses on God’s judging work.

Cluster One: The Surprising Arm of Salvation (chapters 49-53)

Isaiah 40-66 consists of three sets of nine chapters, each ending with a promise of judgment for the wicked (see 48:22; 57:21; 66:24).  At the end of the first set of nine chapters, which offers a strong contrast between the living and speaking God of Judah and the dead and dumb idols of Babylon, we find another reference to the arm of the LORD.  God has indeed called his people, loving them and simultaneously judging the Chaldeans with his arm outstretched against them (Isa. 48:14). That arm becomes very evident in the following chapters.

With the focus on the Servant of the LORD (see Isa. 49:1-6), the contrast shifts onto the sin of God’s people versus the obedience of the LORD’s Servant.  Repeatedly, God is shown to be a God of justice and salvation.  Thus, “my arms will judge the peoples,” and the far-off nations wait for “my arm” (Isa. 51:5).  While creation itself may wear out, God’s salvation and righteousness will be forever.  And so the cry rings out for the arm of the LORD to “awake” and “put on strength” (Isa. 51:9).  It was the arm of the LORD that delivered Israel from Egypt in the past. It will deliver them again in that future return from exile.

As the oracle continues into chapter 52, the good news of salvation reaches Jerusalem, and the watchmen sing for joy.  The LORD has comforted Zion (Isa. 52:9, cf. 40:1); all the ends of the earth will see his salvation.  Why?  Because “The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations.” (Isa. 52:10).  He has rolled up his sleeves to act before the eyes of the whole world.  The following reference must be climactic.  What will God do?  The last reference in this cluster comes, poignantly, in the final servant song, in Isaiah 52:13-53:12.  At the start of the second stanza, Isaiah asks, “Who has believed what he has heard from us?  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isa. 53:1). Surprisingly, the powerful saving arm of God has been revealed in the unimpressive Servant, despised and rejected by men, the man of sorrows.  We know the arm of the LORD can bring salvation; we need only remember the cross of Christ to see that reality revealed to all who have eyes to see.

Cluster Two: The Powerful Arm of Righteousness (chapters 59-63)

Of course, the story of human sin persists, and the later chapters of Isaiah reinforce that the Servant’s saving work does not mean that sin’s effects are already finished.  When we come to Isaiah 59, we find a litany of evils persisting, and human nature is still set against God’s holiness.  In Isaiah 59:15-16, the LORD sees the sin, the lack of justice, and the absence of righteousness, and he is displeased.  So, while no humans would do the right thing, God himself, by his own arm, brought salvation and righteousness.  The same pair of goals, established by the same strong arm, yet again.  Could this refer back to the same events described in chapters 51-53?  Perhaps, but there is a hint of vengeance now, a tone of final judgment.  This eschatological focus becomes more evident as the chapters progress.

By chapter 62, it is clear that the LORD is seeing the return of the people to the land in final and complete terms. Jerusalem’s righteousness and salvation must ultimately shine forth (Isa. 62:1).  The nations will finally see that Israel is God’s delight, a nation married to him (Isa. 62:4).  The establishment of Jerusalem is the great eschatological goal of Isaiah, with the nations praising what God has done (Isa. 62:7).  And this plan is guaranteed by the LORD’s oath, which is made by his right hand and mighty arm (Isa. 62:8).

The celebration of the city feels like the end of the story. But then, Isaiah introduces a warrior riding in from Edom, his garments stained blood red (Isa. 63:1).  Here is the one who has made it all possible by treading the winepress alone.  This Warrior is the Servant of Isaiah 53, now having returned to conquer and judge, to fight God’s great battle, and to establish righteousness and salvation on the earth.  He had looked for others to join in, but again, he fought that battle alone, and his “own arm” brought him salvation (Isa. 63:5).  The Servant had returned, now a Warrior: a different role, but the same mighty arm.  This was the same “glorious arm” that had formerly fought for Israel in the wilderness in the days of Moses, dividing the waters and going before his people.  (Isa. 63:12)

Conclusion

Isaiah paints a powerful portrait of the LORD of Israel.  One feature of this God is his arm, awakening and going forth in power to establish righteousness and achieve salvation for his people.  The arm of the LORD is a symbol of might and power, a glorious arm that the nations should fear, and yet a symbol of tender strength that God’s people should trust.  In the first cluster of references, in Isaiah 48-53, we find the arm revealed surprisingly in the suffering Servant, despised and rejected, yet achieving God’s great salvation plan.  In the second cluster of references, in Isaiah 59-63, we find the arm revealed again, now in the conquering Warrior-King, judging the enemies of God and establishing God’s great eschatological plan for his people. 

In the past, the arm of the LORD went forth for Israel in the wilderness.  Then the arm of the LORD was revealed in the suffering Servant at the cross.  Ultimately, the arm of the LORD will conquer and establish God’s purposes in the future. 

Righteousness and salvation are ever God’s dual concerns.  The nations are ever his sphere of influence.  His people are ever his beloved focus.  And his arm is never too short to save.

So what about today?  With sin ramping up to apparently unprecedented levels in abject rebellion against God’s rule and the world seemingly teetering on the edge of human-led disaster, let us again look for the arm of our LORD.  He is mighty to judge, and he is tender to save.  His plans will be established, the nations will be judged, and we will be safely in his arms.

Let us dig into the Scriptures to find truths about our God that will assure us that his embrace is secure, whatever may be happening in the world around us.

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

The Echo of Easter

/ Peter Mead / 3 Comments

I recently imagined a global tour that could be called the “tour of the tombs.”  That might not sound too exciting, but it would include great cities in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North America!  Were we to travel that itinerary, we would see the burial sites of philosophers and Pharaohs, Kings and Emperors, religious leaders and mass murderers.  It would be quite the tour!  And along the way, we would get an inadvertent “tour of the troubles.”  After all, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, etc., are all marked by political protests, persecution, death, wars, and terrorism.  The world of today is not so different from the world of our history books.

In the first century, the events of one Sunday led to one of the greatest books ever written.  Imagine being John, possibly the youngest of Jesus’ disciples.  For three years, being with Jesus had transformed his life.  He was there when Jesus taught, healed, and shook the world.  John was there when Jesus was arrested and crucified.  He was there the day Jesus rose from the dead and met with his disciples.  John was there when Jesus met the group by the Sea of Galilee, when he uttered the Great Commission, and when he ascended into heaven.

The three years were over, but for the next six decades, John served his beloved Jesus.  He saw the gospel spreading in Jerusalem and the persecution that arose.  He saw his brother and the other disciples systematically slaughtered over the following decades.  He lived beyond the destruction of Jerusalem, the dispersion of the Jewish people, and the rise of nasty Emperor Domitian.  John lived for six decades serving Jesus.  And it was for preaching Jesus that John was sent to the penal colony of Patmos in his old age.

Then, one Sunday morning towards the end of the first century, John heard the voice of the risen Jesus (see Revelation 1:9-11).  The voice commissioned him to write everything he saw so that the Revelation of Jesus might be sent to the seven churches John cared about in Asia Minor.

If you look at the introduction to that book, the book of Revelation (1:1-8), you will find that John believed it to be a uniquely special book.  In a dark and troubling world, it offered grace and peace from the eternal God, especially the risen and victorious Son, Jesus Christ.  John underlined how Jesus revealed the Father, has risen from the dead, rules over the kings of the Earth, has rescued sinners from this world, and, in the future, will return.  The Revelation of Jesus Christ was exactly what the aged John needed.  It is what we need, too.

So what was it that John saw?  When we read through Revelation 1:12-20, how Jesus is portrayed is striking. 

The risen Jesus is impressively powerful.  He is impressively dressed, with a God-like description of his features.  There is the eternal wisdom seen in the white hair, the penetrating eyes, the judging feet and mouth, the thundering voice, and the brighter-than-the-sun face.  It might be really obvious, but this is no description of a corpse.  Jesus is very much alive and impressively powerful.  If we think of the tour of the troubles in this world, what hope do we find in the many tombs of emperors and kings?  None.  But one tomb is empty, and death has been defeated – Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades!  We all need to be gripped by the wondrous vision of Revelation 1.  But don’t skim through the description too quickly.  Jesus is not only impressively powerful, but he also explains the cryptic imagery of lampstands and stars that appear in that vision, leading us to reconsider all those powerful features.

The risen Jesus is intimately present. I wonder how many times John had remembered Jesus’ words, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)  Surely, those words had meant a lot during the difficult days when the apostles were being killed, when the Middle East was being rearranged, when John’s ministry in Asia was being opposed, when persecution was rising, and when John suffered on the prison island, kept away from the people he loved.  Jesus had promised to be present, and he was.  And now, this entire book was pointed in the direction of those seven churches.  When John turned, he saw Jesus walking in the midst of the lampstands, that is, the churches.  Jesus was present with John and with the churches.

Specifically, Jesus wore the clothing of a high priest (Rev. 1:13).  We can surmise that he was praying for the churches.  His features point to the purifying work of this high priest (Rev. 1:14-15) – the penetrating eyes, the feet ready to stamp out sin, etc.  And his thunderous voice proclaims boldly to the church (Rev. 1:15-16).  It is interesting that this is no whisper, but like the sound of many waters pounding on the shore – it makes me wonder how many of those churches had closed their ears to the words of Christ by closing their Bibles.  How many churches today are doing the same?

Jesus is risen; he is alive.  The Easter truth transforms our experience of this troubled world.  And the vision described in Revelation 1 declares a vital message.  The risen Jesus is both impressively powerful, and intimately present in the church today.  We need not despair at what we see around us.  We can look back to the empty tomb.  We can look forward to the return of Christ.  And we can look up, knowing that our great High Priest is praying for us, purifying his church, and proclaiming his word to this day.  Easter echoes down through the years. He is risen.  He is alive.  He is powerful and present.