The Gospel Coalition

Lord of all power and might,
author and giver of all good things;

Graft into our hearts the love of your name,
increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness,
and of your great mercy, keep us in the same;

through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

- from the Concordia Treasury of Daily Prayer

“The Christian life is not just our own private affair. If we have been born again into God’s family, not only has he become our Father but every other Christian believer in the world, whatever his nation or denomination, has become our brother or sister in Christ.

“But it is no good supposing that membership of the universal Church of Christ is enough; we must belong to some local branch of it. … Every Christian’s place is in a local church. … sharing in its worship, its fellowship, and its witness.”

- John Stott, Basic Christianity

Emergent leader Tony Jones talks about a conference call with some of the religious outreach staffers from the Obama campaign in which the younger leaders encourage Obama to take a stronger stance against abortion. Tony asks Obama: “Do you want to win, or are you more interested in your principles?” Make sure you check out the lengthy comment section. Zach Nielsen and Justin Taylor talk about the abortion issue.

Greg Gilbert has some great insight into the debate about “what is the gospel?” He shows how the answers may vary because of the way we hear that question. You can see some of the truth in this by checking out my list of “Gospel Definitions.”

Dan Kimball writes about how the definition of “Emerging Church” has changed, leading some major proponents to question using the term altogether.

Tim Challies responds to the news of Ray Boltz’ homosexuality by giving us a lesson in worldview.

Top Post this Week at Kingdom People: Yes We Can? What Our Campaign Slogans Tell Us about America

Posting should continue as scheduled next week, even though I am leading a team on an eleven-day mission trip to Moldova and will have very limited access to the internet. Be on the lookout for a 2-part interview with Justin Taylor about the new ESV Study Bible.

Do you ever tire of the endless parade of specialty Bibles that fill the shelves of Christian bookstores? There are Bibles for everyone – teens, kids, women, men, former alcoholics, students, the elderly.

The optimistic side of me rejoices at seeing so many Bible resources available. The cynical side of me can’t help but scoff at the ways in which publishers market the Bible to niche audiences.

Yet there are certain specialty Bibles that deserve a place on the shelf. The International Bible Society has recently released a book called The Books of the Bible – which compiles the Bible books in a fresh, creative way while omitting chapter and verse divisions.

Here’s what I like about The Books of the Bible:

• Easy to Read. This is not a Bible for study; it’s a Bible for reading.

After I received my copy, I started reading Samuel-Kings (a compilation of 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings). To my amazement, after what seemed like only a few minutes, I realized that I had read 13 chapters! Because the chapter divisions, verse numbers and footnotes are absent, The Books of the Bible removes all distractions and puts the focus completely on the text. The layout is one column, so it’s easy to follow.

• The combination of books. The Books of the Bible puts books together in ways that help illuminate the relationship between the books.

Take the New Testament, for example. Instead of beginning with the four Gospels, the books are compiled by theme and author. The first book of the New Testament is Luke-Acts (combined into one seamless narrative). Next come all of Paul’s letters, in chronological order. (Reading Paul this way helps you follow Paul’s thought pattern throughout his life.) The Gospel of Matthew is paired with Hebrews and James (also written for Jewish audiences). The Gospel of Mark starts off Peter’s section, since Mark is widely regarded as a compilation of Peter’s memoirs. The last part of the New Testament belongs to John. You read his Gospel, his letters, and then Revelation.

• The Narratives.

The combining of books helps carry on the Old Testament narrative. To read Samuel and Kings together as one long story avoids chopping up the narrative into different chapters and books. The same benefit comes from reading Luke-Acts, and Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah this way.

The only downside to The Books of the Bible is the translation it uses: the TNIV. I do not subscribe to the dynamic philosophy of translation behind the TNIV, and I believe some key passages get muddled by the attempt to make the language gender-neutral. 

At the same time, I like certain aspects of the TNIV (for example, the keeping of “Messiah” instead of “Christ” in several New Testament letters). While the ESV still remains my translation of choice for preaching, memorization, and personal study because of its word-for-word equivalence, I enjoy reading the Bible in other translations, including some of the more dynamic-equivalent translations like the NLT, TNIV and the NRSV.

The Books of the Bible is a creative repackaging of the Bible. Some will dismiss it as just another attempt to profit from the Bible market. But I have found it to be a handy resource and a nice Bible to read for enjoyment.

For more information on The Books of the Bible, click here.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

At the 2008 Founders Conference, Ed Stetzer challenged pastors and students of the Reformed persuasion to demonstrate a passion for evangelism and warned them not to become “functional hyper-Calvinists.”

Thankfully, no one in Southern Baptist leadership is promoting the heresy of Hyper-Calvinism (the belief that the gospel should not be offered freely to all). But could it be that many of us (Calvinist or non-Calvinist alike) are “functional Hyper-Calvinists?” We say we believe the gospel should be preached to all, and yet we fail to evangelize!

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism (Crossway, 2007) by Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church, represents a passionate plea from one of the leading Calvinists in the Southern Baptist Convention. Dever seeks to inspire his readers to evangelize more often and more faithfully, and he hopes to promote a culture of evangelism within our churches. In order to make his case, he focuses each chapter on answering specific questions like:

• Why don’t we evangelize?
• What is the Gospel?
• Who should evangelize?
• How should we evangelize?
• What isn’t evangelism?
• What should we do after we evangelize?
• Why should we evangelize?

Dever’s book is thoroughly biblical and practical. He warns against certain evangelistic strategies that sound more like sales pitches for a new product. And yet he is equally insistent that we should demonstrate urgency when pleading with people to trust in the mercy of Christ.

Dever believes it is important to back up our gospel proclamation with holy living, but he does not believe that we should substitute evangelistic proclamation with “lifestyle evangelism.” Verbal proclamation is key. Dever urges us to proclaim the gospel, not merely our personal testimonies, apologetic reasoning for Christianity, or the results of Christian faith.

Many books on evangelism devote little time to actually defining “the gospel” and instead jump quickly to practical strategies. Dever does not assume his readers know the message that needs to be shared, so he devotes an entire chapter to the gospel message itself. Dever defines “the gospel” more comprehensively than the New Testament uses the word, but in a book about how to share the gospel (and thereby incorporate the major emphases of the biblical witness regarding our need for salvation), his definition works just fine.

The Gospel and Personal Salvation will probably do for this generation what J.I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God did for the previous generation – provide a theological and practical guide to evangelism from within the Reformed tradition. I highly recommend you pick up Dever’s book. It has challenged me to become more intentional in my evangelism and to be more aware of the non-Christians I meet day to day.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

The 2008 presidential campaign is heating up. The parties have chosen their candidates. The candidates have chosen their running mates. And both the Obama and McCain campaigns have adopted certain slogans designed to express the attitudes of the candidates.

“Yes We Can” has become the mantra of the Obama campaign.

“Country First” has become the tagline for the McCain camp.

No doubt these easy-to-remember slogans will help the strategies of both campaigns. But Christians should carefully consider both the commendable and condemnable aspects of these sayings.

Take Obama’s “Yes We Can!” – obviously designed to be motivational. The crowds can chant it whenever they want. Yes, we can win this election. Yes, we can take back Washington. Yes, we can make the changes we need in our society. The slogan works at multiple levels. It is simple, yet has the ability to rouse voters to action.

The commendable aspect of Obama’s “Yes We Can” is its appeal to personal responsibility. In other words, quit waiting around for someone else to bring change. We need to get involved. We can make a difference!

But “Yes We Can” has a downside. When it comes to the problems that Obama describes on the campaign trail, the phrase “Yes We Can” is untrue. Despite the appeal to personal responsibility, the Obama campaign seems to be promising that the government can and will solve the problems of America. The government can solve the health care crisis, the energy crisis, end the war, and bring about lasting peace. With enough faith (in ourselves and in Uncle Sam), we can change the world.

The problem is, no matter how hard we try to solve all the problems of the world, “No, We Can’t.” We are not the change we have been waiting for. True change began the morning a Jewish Messiah from Nazareth walked out of a borrowed tomb, just three days after being crucified.

Christians should work to make the world a better place and announce the reign of Jesus Christ. But our work for a better world does not mean that we accept the utopian dreams that a presidential candidate dangles before our eyes.

“Yes We Can” may be a brilliant political slogan, but it ultimately feeds the idolatry of American self-sufficiency.

What about McCain’s newest slogan? “Country First.” McCain’s slogan strikes against the “Me First” attitude that reigns among most Americans today. McCain seeks to call us back to a sense of duty and patriotism, a willingness to put others ahead of ourselves. This emphasis on serving others is commendable.

But, as several Christian leaders have pointed out, Christians must be wary of the call to putting “Country First.” After all, the earliest Christians were thrown to the lions for refusing to say such a thing. They believed that putting “Country First” was idolatrous. The temptations were many: Just a pinch of salt before the altar of Caesar… just a brief recognition that Caesar is Lord… just a little acknowledgement of civil religion.

As a concept, “Country First” is better than “Me First;” that’s for sure. But for the Christian, there can be no “Country First” - only “Kingdom First.” After all, Jesus did not tell us to seek first our country and its form of righteousness. He told us to seek him. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus – not the President, U.S. foreign policy, or patriotic duty.

Putting the kingdom first means that our supreme responsibility must be following Jesus, making disciples, and showing the world through our words and deeds that he is the true king. We serve King Jesus whenever we serve our local church, help others in Jesus’ name, share the gospel with those who do not know Christ, and submit to God’s will. Putting the kingdom first means we sacrifice for Christ’s kingdom.

Christians should be willing to put their duty to country ahead of their own interests. Senator McCain is right to encourage American citizens to live for something bigger than themselves. But American Christians are called to live for something bigger than their country. After all, we are Kingdom People – citizens of a kingdom that will never fade away.

This election, as the Obama campaign rises up and chants, “Yes We Can!”, let us as Christians respond with “Yes He Can… and will!”

As the McCain campaign launches a message about putting “Country First,” let us as Christians continue to put the “Kingdom First” and use this election season as an opportunity to spread the news about Jesus’ reign.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

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Funniest Campaign Moments of Election 2008 (So Far)

Saddleback Forum Video and Transcript

“You shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it’.”
- Jesus instructing the disciples (Luke 19:31)

In Jesus’ time, a donkey was one of the most valuable possessions the ordinary middle-class family could have. Yet, on the day of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus instructed His disciples to head into the city, untie a colt from its post outside a certain house, and then bring it to Jesus for His use. The only explanation that the disciples were to give to the owner was that “The Lord has need of it.”

As Creator of the world, Christ was entitled to everything the owner had. When He needed the service of the colt, the owner offered the animal without asking questions and without delay. The disciples’ gave no explanation, motive or reasoning behind the request. Instead, they said simply that the Lord had need of the animal and that was all that was necessary.

How much does Christ have to say to you before you can let go of something you hold on to dearly? What is the item in your life that Christ asks for? It could be your money, time, speaking talent, house, even your family.

You may consider what you have to not be worthy of Christ and thus not good enough to give. But Christ can take the most ordinary thing and shape it into a tool for the advancement of His kingdom.

Jesus asked to use the boat of some fishermen, and that simple boat became a pulpit to preach to the masses.

With a small boy’s packed lunch of bread and fish, Jesus was able to feed more than 5000 men alone.

With a little dirt from the ground, He was able to heal the blind man.

The borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea became the empty tomb that would prove Christ’s resurrection.

Jesus doesn’t need what we have, in the sense that He cannot exist without that something; rather, He chooses to work alongside His creatures, using them for His glory.

As you evaluate your life, ask yourself the question: What item do I have that the Lord has need of?

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ,
For all the benefits you have won for me,
For all the pains and insults you have borne for me.
O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother,
May I know you more clearly,
Love you more dearly,
And follow you more nearly:
For ever and ever.

-St. Richard Chichester (1197-1253)

If God-as-Trinity is the core reality of the universe, that means that the core of reality is community.

This is not easy for someone like me to accept. I have been suckled since infancy on the metaphor of the social contract: we are individuals first who then band together when it serves our self-interest. The community exists to help me self-actualize. I take it or leave it depending on whether it helps me do that. So, I never really commit to community.

My lifelong participation in the church seems to belie that, but I’ve learned the fine art of participating without being fully present, of doing a flurry of work for the church but hiding my deeper self from others. I never get deeply involved in the lives of others, because, well, that just complicates my life. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living community…

But the truth is that the core of my identity lies not in my individuality. Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau notwithstanding, it is not “I think, therefore I am.”… The deeper truth is this: “God speaks, therefore we are.”

- Mark Galli, Beyond Smells and Bells, 31-32.

The 2008 Presidential Campaign continues to increase in its intensity. If you’re like me, you might enjoy some of the lighter moments of this campaign. So, take a deep breath, stop watching the polls, and have a good laugh. Here are some Election 2008 “outtakes” in which the candidates make some hilarious mistakes.

Ouch! Obama slips up and talks about his “Muslim Faith” instead of Christian faith in an interview on ABC.

John McCain promises to veto beer. Prohibition anyone?

At a campaign rally, Joe Biden tells wheelchair-bound Chuck Graham to stand up. I know people say Obama is a Messiah, but this might be a little too much!

McCain claims Putin is President of Germany.

Terry Moran on Nightline goofs up and says Barack Obama has two dads. Yes, that would definitely go down in the history books.

Obama has visited all 57 states of America.

McCain’s going after Osama to the gates of hell. I wonder if he’ll have that smile on his face once he gets there.

Barack Obama introduces Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.

McCain sings “Bomb Iran” and then tells reporters who question him to lighten up and “get a life.”

Obama gets lost without a teleprompter.

If you have other funny moments from the 2008 campaign that you think should be included on this list, send me the links!