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Published: 12 July 2019

The Rev. Daniel Mead left us for Heaven last Sunday morning at about 8:00 AM.  I didn’t know about his graduation until after services were over—and I’m glad.  That would have been a tough morning.  But, it’s been a tough week to be honest.  I’ve cried a lot and asked the Lord for His grace.  I’m very thankful for all your prayers, so many of you have joined together praying for the Meads and all the related matters.  Please keep praying.  I’ve known Dan for close to 25 years.  He was one of our missionaries and then, after repeated attempts, he agreed to join us on staff.  I’m really going to miss him.  He talked me “off a cliff” more than once, prayed for us faithfully and provided loads of affirmation and encouragement.  When someone would come to the office looking for the “senior pastor,” I told the inquirer, “I’ll go get him.”  It’s a little unusual to have an Associate Pastor eleven years older but I loved it.  Dan made it easy; most of the time .  We affectionately referred to him as “Yoda” for his discernment and willingness to speak truth to our hearts.  He walked with God, listened to the Spirit, loved the Word and lived a kingdom life.  Most of you will read this blog before the funeral on Saturday so I’ll just tell you now that there will be a lot unsaid.  Not because we have something to hide but because there is so much that could be said.  Of course, Dan made it very clear to all of us that the funeral was not supposed to be about him anyway; his main desire was that God receive all the glory for saving and transforming a broken sinner and making him a saint fit for Heaven.  So, we’ll honor Dan’s request and I’m really glad we’re not saying good-bye.  The hope of the gospel means we’ll see Dan again, get a glorified hug, hear a loud “hallelujah” and rejoice forever more in the goodness of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ the King.

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Published: 05 July 2019

When Paul wrote to the church in Galatia, he used some harsh words.  Someone had been teaching another so-called gospel, which was not the gospel.  The implication is that there is only one gospel.  Once the gospel is robbed of its essential qualities, it ceases to be the gospel.  Some people take away from the gospel; some people add to the gospel.  Paul actually wrote that if anyone, including an angel from heaven, tried to teach another gospel, that one should be accursed…or to put it bluntly—damned!  Wow, this must be serious.  Serious indeed.  The consequences are serious because they are eternal.  The specific element of the gospel that Paul was dealing with had to do with justification.  How does a person become right with God?  Is it by works or by faith?  Strictly speaking, salvation is by faith, BUT, it is not without works; it is simply not dependent upon works.  It is unbiblical to separate faith and works (see the book of James).  But, the gospel is bigger than justification.  In fact, when Jesus preached, He taught about the gospel of the kingdom.  He was proclaiming something much larger than “what to do with the sin problem.”  He was announcing a life—life with God in a God-inhabited world.  When Paul spent three months in Ephesus teaching about the kingdom of God, you can be sure he was talking about more than justification.  Getting the gospel right means understanding where justification fits in kingdom theology; they are inseparably connected as we’ll see on Sunday as we meet around the Table of Remembrance.