The Supremacy of Christ in All of Scripture

"The inscripturated word centers its attention on Jesus Christ. He is the seed of the woman who will crush the serpent's head (Gen. 3:15). He is the ark to rescue the people of God (Gen. 7-8). He is the holy Angel of Yahweh (Gen. 16; Gen. 22; Gen. 24; Ex. 3; Num. 20; Num. 22; Jud. 2; Jud. 6; Jud. 13; Ps. 34). He is the seed of Abraham in whom all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12; Gen. 15). He is the passover lamb (Ex. 12; Lev. 23; Deut. 16; 2 Chron. 30; 2 Chron. 35; Ezra 6; Ezek. 45; Matt. 26; 1 Cor. 5:7b). He is the prophet greater than Moses (Deut. 18:18-19). He is the pillar of fire in the wilderness (Ex. 13-14; Num. 14; Neh. 9). He is the rock struck by Moses (Ex. 17; Num. 20). He is the heir to the Davidic throne (2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 110; Zech. 12; Matt. 1; Luke 1:67-75). He is the thrice holy Lord of Isaiah 6. He is the great shepherd of Ezekiel 34. He is Mary's baby (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:39-56; Luke 2:1-40), Herod's enemy (Matt. 2:13-23), and Simeon's joy (Luke 2:25-35). He is the twelve-year-old boy in the temple (Luke 2:41-52) and the beloved Son to be baptized (Matt. 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:9-11; John 1:29-34). He is the healer of the blind (John 9), the provider for the hungry (Mark 6; Mark 8), and the friend of the outcast (Matt. 9; Rom. 5:8). He is the new temple (Rev. 21:22), the source of living water (John 4; Rev. 22:1-5), the manna that gives life (Ex. 16:1-7; John 6:26-40), the light of the world (John 1:4-5, 9-13; John 3:19-21; John 8:12-20; John 9:5; John 12:34-50; 2 Cor. 4:1-6), the resurrection and the life (John 11:17-27; 1 Cor. 15; Eph. 1:18-23; Phil. 3:7-11; 1 Pet. 1:3-9; 1 Pet. 3:18-22), and the Father's true vine (John 15). He is the spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Gen. 22; John 1:27-37) and the resurrected lion from the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5). He is the ascended Lord (Psalm 110; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:32-33; Rom. 8:33-35; Eph. 1:19b-23; Col. 3:1-4; Heb. 1:1-4; Heb. 8:1-6; Heb. 1o:11-13; Heb. 12:1-3), the ruler of the Church (1 Cor. 11:2-3; Eph. 1:22-23; Eph. 5:22-30), and the returning Judge of all men (Acts 10:38-43; 2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Pet. 4:1-6). The sacred scriptures are the instrument by which the Spirit of the living God glorifies Jesus Christ." (Arturo Azurdia III, "Spirit-Empowered Preaching," p. 61) [scripture references in parentheses added]

A Reader's Review of "365 Great Bible Stories"

My wife and I are expecting our first child in February and we are thankful to our gracious God for blessing us with such a beautiful gift that is a daughter. We are committed to raising her in a Christian household, where the Bible is brought to bear upon our hearts and the truths of the Gospel permeate every area of our lives. In light of the recent news of our pregnancy, I am happy to be reviewing this children's book. I believe it is important to have a good selection of biblical resources in the home and we will be looking for the best biblical teaching resources for our children as we partner together in raising God-fearing disciples of Jesus.

To start, I must say that I was completely unfamiliar with the author... which is uncharacteristic of my reading habits. What was reassuring for me in this endeavor was the fact that this is author Carine Mackenzie's 150th book... and not only has she written a large number, but she has over 3 million books sold! If any of her other books are as Christ-centered as this one, I am sure I will have no lack of children's resources for my own little ones.

Christian Focus, the publisher, has four "imprints" that they produce books through. I own several different books from each of the other three imprints and have listed a few below that I recommend...

Christian Focus (Popular Adult Titles)













Christian Heritage (Classic Books)













Mentor (Books for More Detailed Study)














"365 Great Bible Stories" is my first book from Christian Focus' "CF4K" imprint (books for children)... but I am sure this will not be the last. To read an excerpt, CLICK HERE.

The first thing I noticed about the book when it arrived in the mail was the quality of its production. The binding and paper are both impressive; a lot of care was put into the manufacturing of this book. It is a large, hardback book with a built in bookmark and appears to be very durable (which is important for a children's book).

On page 4, the author shows us "How To Use This Book"... she writes:

"In this book you will find enough stories for you to read one a day for the whole year, even if it is a leap year... because although the book is called 365 Great Bible Stories, we've tagged on an extra story at the end. Of course you might like to read several stories all at once and that's fine too. You might start at Genesis and go all the way through to Revelation in one sitting, or it might take you several goes.

Whatever way you want to read the truth of God's Word is fine. But it's a good thing to remember Who it is you are reading about and that He has got something to say to you. The book that these stories come from, the Bible, was written by God. It has no errors in it and is absolutely truthful.

Now if you find that you want to mix things up and bit and want to read a bit differently for a change, look over at the opposite page. There you will find different themes for you to follow. Flick through the book and when you spot a lamb picture - that's a salvation story. When you spot a dove picture that's a story about the Holy Spirit. Look out for the scroll - that's going to be a story about God's Word. If you see a little road winding into the distance someone's going traveling. If you see a sword or some armor then you'll know that story has got a fight or a battle mentioned in it."

There are a few important things to note here: First, she points out that this book is a collection of stories from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible, though categorized by two different sets of writings (Old Testament and New Testament), is the completely unified revelation of God. This book is, to an extent, an introduction to Biblical Theology for children. It helps children understand that God's divine authorship in the Scriptures encompasses all 66 books; He reveals Himself in Creation through Consummation. Second, she points us to the God that is revealed in the Scriptures... not just to the Bible. Often times, we are in danger of looking to the Scriptures without looking for the God who is the One revealed in them. His Word directs us to Him, but is not an end in and of itself. We are to worship the Lord, and while we are commanded to obey His Word and hold it sacred, we are not to worship it as the personal God it points to. Third, she rightly points out that this Word of God, these Scriptures that He has "breathed-out," are without error and "absolutely truthful." This is an extremely important lesson to pass on to children... a crucial part of their biblical education and discipling is an understanding of the authority, inspiration, and veracity of the Bible. Lastly, Mackenzie shows us a "map key" to reading the book. Amidst the pages of this book are thematic elements symbolized by easily identifiable pictures, which are useful in teaching children about major biblical concepts than are prevalent throughout the Bible.

Chapter 1 is entitled "Creation, the Fall, the Flood, and the Exodus" and mainly covers the first two books of the Old Testament. Some important themes in this chapter are ex nihilo creation, imago Dei, original righteousness, sin, The Trinity, judgment, covenant, aseity, transcendence, immutability, omnipotence, sovereignty, providence, inerrancy, atonement, etc. One of my favorite things about the first chapter, is how the author points us to Christ in Genesis and Exodus. Here are a few examples:

Genesis 1: "THINK: The Word of God is powerful. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is called the Word. By Him the light was produced. He is the true light, the Light of the World," (p. 8).

Genesis 3: "THINK: God has to punish sin. But He made a way of escape. When God punished the serpent - the devil - He spoke of him being defeated by the seed of the woman. This points us to Jesus who defeated the devil when He died on the cross," (p. 15).

Genesis 6-7: "THINK: Only eight people were saved from the flood. Only those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus are safe from the destruction which our sin deserves," (p. 6-7).

Genesis 22: "THINK: God provided a ram for the sacrifice. But later He provided a lamb for another sacrifice. He provided Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God to be the perfect sacrifice for sin on the cross of Calvary; PRAY: Thank the Lord for every gift that He has given you. Thank Him most of all for the gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners," (p. 28).

Exodus 12: "THINK: The blood on the doorposts reminds us of another great escape. Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross at Calvary so that His people would escape eternal death. Jesus ate the Passover Feast with His disciples the night before He died on the cross," (p.64).

Exodus 12-13: "THINK: God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt. He rescues His people today from slavery to sin, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. All who trust in Him are freed from slavery to sin," (p. 65).

Chapter 2 is called, "Joshua, Judges, and the Kings" and Mackenzie lists the topics the reader will learn about:

"The Promised Land, Joshua, Crossing the Jordan, Battles, Victories and Defeats, Ehud and Eglon, Deborah and Barak, Jael and Sisera, Gideon, Samson, Ruth, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, and The Divided Kingdom"

One thing I find interesting is her inclusion of some of the more obscure stories in the time of the Judges... such as Ehud's assassination of Eglon (Judges 3:12-30); and Jael's pounding a tent stake through the temple of Sisera (Judges 4:17-22).

The Christocentric teaching of the author continues throughout this chapter as well. This is what she writes in story 89 regarding Judges 6:

"God used Gideon, the least important in his family, to win a great victory for the nation. The angel of God appeared to him and assured him of his peace. Gideon called the place, 'The LORD is Peace'. God asks us to pray about everything and give thanks. Those who love the LORD God and trust in Him are promised this gift of peace. Even if life is full of trouble and worry, God's own peace can calm our hearts. This peace is only possible through the Lord Jesus who took our punishment and gained our salvation from sin. When we trust in Him in faith, we have peace with God.

THINK: Jesus gave a special message to His disciples, as he promised that the Holy Spirit would be with them. 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,' John 14:27," (p.98).

In story 98, she teaches about "Jesus the Redeemer" from Ruth 4 (cf. Matthew 1):

"Ruth's baby was important. He became the grandfather of the great king David, who wrote most of the lovely Psalms in the Bible. But the most important descendant of Boaz and Ruth was the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem many years later. Boaz was a redeemer for Ruth. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer for His people. His people are redeemed from a life of sin and misery. The price He paid was not money but His own precious blood. Jesus Christ gave His life as a redemption payment, when He died on the cross.

PRAY: Thank the Lord for sending His Son into this world to be the Redeemer for those who trust in Him," (p. 107).

Chapter 3, "Prophets, a Prophetess, a Queen and a Priest" covers mainly the Major Prophets and the Exile. One notable section is Isaiah's Messianic prophecies. Mackenzie writes in story 164 concerning Isaiah 9 and Isaiah 53:

"Isaiah's message pointed to the coming Messiah - the special king that the Jews expected God to send. Isaiah told of his birth 'To us a child is born, to us a Son is given... He will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' Isaiah's words came true when the Lord Jesus was born. He is God the Son who reigns over all the world, a Prince and a Savior. Isaiah also prophesied about Jesus' death. His suffering and pain and rejection are all detailed. He explains that His death was a sacrifice to bring forgiveness to His people. 'He was pierced for our transgressions,' says Isaiah, 'He was bruised for our iniquities.' Isaiah even foretold that Jesus would die along with wicked men and that His grave would belong to a rich man. Jesus died on the cross between two thieves and laid in the tomb belonging to rich Joseph of Arimathea," (p. 175).

In stories 189-193, the author teaches about Jonah. There is a rich gospel message in her teaching from Jonah 4. She writes:

"THINK: If we received what our sins deserve, we would all be destroyed. God tells us that the wages of sin is death. Our loving God delights to show mercy to his people. He does not give what our sins deserve. He gives the wonderful gift of eternal life, because of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done on the cross to take the punishment to Himself that is due to us for our sin. A good prayer for us is 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner," (p. 204).

Chapter 4 is essentially a harmony of the gospels. Stories 195-299 cover the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The topics we read about in this chapter are:

"Jesus' birth, Jesus' Baptism, Jesus' Early Ministry, The Disciples, Jesus' Miracles, Jesus' Teaching, The Parables, The Transfiguration, The Triumphal Entry, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection, and The Ascension"

The stories in this chapter include all of the major teachings of the gospel accounts. Mackenzie does an excellent job showing the humanity and deity of Christ, as well as His matchless power. She explains Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount (and urges the reader to memorize the model prayer) and His parables in a way that is easy for children to understand. She ends the chapter with story 299 about The Great Commission, in which she reminds us that "Jesus' disciples are all over the world today. Jesus is with each one of them by His Spirit," (p. 312); and story 300 about Jesus' Ascension, where she gives instruction reminiscent of question one of The Westminster Catechism: "THINK: We are made to worship God and to enjoy Him forever," (p. 313).

In chapter 5, Mackenzie takes a historical journey through the Acts of the Apostles, describing the ministry of the 1st century church. She lays out a beginner's ecclesiology and a call to prayer in story 304:

"These people who trusted in Jesus loved listening to the apostles teaching about the Word of God. They learned more and more about Jesus. They met together to pray. They spoke together and had meals together... The people who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are known as 'the church.'

PRAY: Thank God for your church family who meet together for prayer, worship and teaching about the Word of God," (p. 319).

Stories 311-315 record the Apostle Paul's conversion (Acts 7-9), and his missionary journeys begin in story 323. The author does not withhold much detail in her retelling of Acts 13:

"On the first trip Paul went with Barnabas, who had been his first friend in Jerusalem after his conversion, and a young helper, John Mark. They traveled through the island of Cyprus, preaching the gospel in the synagogue. They faced stiff opposition but God the Holy Spirit helped them to be strong. The governor of the island was so impressed by the teaching about the Lord that he believed in Jesus for himself.

From Cypress they sailed across to the area we now call Turkey. John Mark left them at this point to go back home to Jerusalem," (p. 338).

This chapter ends with Paul's journey to Rome (stories 343-354) from Acts 22-28 and sets up the next section by introducing Paul's epistles to the reader.

The last chapter of the book, chapter 6, finishes out the New Testament. Though it is unfortunate that the author does not include any teachings from the epistle to the Romans, she does summarize the apostle's other general epistles.

In her teaching about Paul's letters to the Corinthians, she draws out his teaching about love (chapter 13) and reminds her readers:

"THINK: Remember that if we love God, it is because He has first loved us," (p.372)

She focuses on the whole armor of God from Ephesians 6 (story 356), prayer in 1&2 Thessalonians (story 357), and gives a summary of Philippians (story 358) regarding joy, anxiety, prayer and the victory of Christ.

Mackenzie concludes the book with a brief teaching on heaven from Revelation 21:

"John saw a vision of heaven and he described what he saw. In heaven, there will be no tears, no death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain. The city wall is of jasper, a precious stone. The city is made of pure gold. The foundations of the city are adorned with precious jewels. The twelve gates are made of pearls. The street is pure gold. John did not see a temple in his vision of the city because the Lord Almighty and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) are the temple. There was no need for sun or moon because the glory of God illuminated it. Nothing wicked will enter heaven - only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life - those who are trusting in Christ alone for their salvation. Jesus will return one day. He will judge the world and take his people to be with Himself in heaven," (p. 380).

Next, she presents a teaching on The Trinity from 2 Corinthians 13:

"The Bible tells us that there is only one God. There are three different persons in this one God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They exist together but we must worship them as one God... This is a great mystery which should make us worship God.

THINK: There is only one true and living God. However there are three persons in this one God. They are one God, the same in substance and equal in power and glory," (p. 381).

The 365th story presents to us a teaching on The Atonement from Hebrews 10:

"God had a wonderful plan to save His people from sin. All through their history, God taught the people of Israel about His plan. He instructed them to make sacrifices of unblemished animals because they were sinners. The blood of these animals could not take away sin. But it was a picture of what would happen in the future when God's Son would die for sinners. His sacrifice would be the perfect sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to be the real and only worthwhile sacrifice for sin. His sacrifice did not need to be repeated again and again. He died once and for all, on the cross at Calvary," (p. 382).

Finally, the extra "leap year" story (as mentioned in the introduction) directs the readers to "The Best Book of All":

"The Bible is like a lamp giving light and guidance on our journey through life. The Bible is like a sword, a mighty weapon to help us fight against our enemy, the devil. The Bible is like food - milk for a little baby or meat for a big man - the nourishment needed for our souls no matter how young or old we are. The Bible teaches the truth, shows us what is wrong in our lives, corrects us and helps us to do what is right.

THINK: The Bible is the power of God for salvation for all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ," (p. 383).

"365 Great Bible Stories: The Good News of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation" by Carine Mackenzie is a fantastic book, not just for young children, but for people of all ages. I happily welcome this addition to my library and I look forward to reading it to my daughter and any other children the Lord may bless us with. I trust that this book will entertain young children as it is read aloud, and also inform children as they read it for themselves. This is no mere storybook, there are important truths strewn throughout; this is truly a premier discipleship resource full of sound theology and practical wisdom.

Effective December 1, 2009, Federal Trade Commission guidelines state that bloggers receiving any kind of compensation should disclose that information clearly on their blog when posting a review of the product... that being said: I RECEIVED A FREE HARDCOVER COPY OF THE BOOK. CLEAR ENOUGH?

A Reader's Review of "Awaiting a Savior"

When I was given the opportunity to review Aaron Armstrong's book, "Awaiting a Savior," I confess that I did not know what the book was about. What I did know, however, was that Armstrong was a blogger ("Blogging Theologically") from Ontario who consistently provides much edification via his blog posts and tweets (@AaronStrongarm). I was also aware of the publisher of the book (Cruciform Press), a relatively small company that continues to bless the church by releasing solid gospel-centered titles by sound authors (Al Martin, Brian Hedges, Joe Coffey, Dan Cruver, Greg Lucas, Tim Challies, Joel Beeke, and others) in the midst of an industry that peddles fluff and doctrinally weak material. I'm not only impressed by Cruciform's depth chart and selection of books... but I am also intrigued by their business model, creativity and marketing strategies. I look forward to reading more of their titles in the future.

Since I have never written a book review, I was unsure about how exactly I would go about it. Though the past few months have been hectic with moving, doctor's appointments (my wife and I are expecting a daughter in February!), trying to get plugged in to a local church, and illness, I have finally finished reading and reviewing it (with the help of Adobe Acrobat on my smart phone). I hope you enjoy my review and recommendation of Aaron Armstrong's "Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation, and the End of Poverty".

As I mentioned before, my knowledge of this book was limited, and it was not until I received it and read the subtitle that I knew what it was about. When I saw the word "poverty" in the subtitle, a number of things came to mind. I thought about the current "missional" phenomenon in American Evangelicalism, I thought about the "health, wealth, and prosperity" heresy and I thought about the "social gospel" (which is a false gospel... in fact, no gospel at all) amongst other things. Some of my concerns were alleviated as I read David Murray's endorsement. Murray writes, "Aaron Armstrong has not only thought hard about alleviating poverty, he’s also worked hard at it." Armstrong explains further in the book, "This is no academic exercise for me. As an employee of a Christian charity that works with the Church to care for the poor, I have seen real poverty firsthand—and I have seen the rich hope that the gospel brings to those who live in it," (p. 10). This experience, coupled with an understanding of the truth of gospel-transformation, is a recipe for a biblical and practical treatise on the subject of poverty.

Whenever I read a book, I pay careful attention to the endorsements... who wrote them, and what is said about that particular book. "Awaiting a Savior" is endorsed by several people whom I consider brothers in Christ... and though I do not know them personally, these are brothers that are influential, biblically-oriented and gifted servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what some of them have to say:

"Awaiting a Savior reorients our mercy ministry around the gospel, seeking to show how a life of love is the overflow of a grace-filled heart.” (Trevin Wax)

"This biblical theology of poverty is a mixture of pessimism, optimism, and realism. He’s rightly pessimistic about humanistic solutions, he’s brightly optimistic about God’s ultimate solution, and he’s practically realistic about the best and most the Church can do in this present age.” (David Murray)

"Awaiting a Savior is that it empowers us to care for the poor by making much of Jesus.” (Dan Cruver)

So, a synthesis of these statements indicate that the book is a gospel-centered biblical theology of poverty that makes much of Jesus... I like the sound of that.

Armstrong begins by rightly assessing the plight of man and the limitations of humanity (even those who are regenerate) in attempting to eradicate poverty. He asserts that, "as Christians, we need to be very clear about something. Resources and awareness and policies are important, but poverty is not fundamentally about any of these things. The root cause of poverty is sin," (p. 9). He points to the unfortunate fact that "the pervasiveness and nature of sin is missing completely from most of today’s discussion surrounding poverty. The idea that we can wipe out injustice and inequality for good overlooks the fundamental problem of our sinful nature. Therefore, the basic premise of this book is that our good faith efforts to address legitimate questions of poverty and injustice must never lose sight of the fact that poverty will persist as long as the heart of man is ruled by sin," (pp. 9-10). This is not surprising when we read the apostle Paul's teaching on what theologians call the "noetic effects" of sin in 1 Corinthians 2:12-16.

With a biblical-theological trajectory, the author begins with the doctrine of original sin to show how our lives are affected by the "cosmic treason" of Adam and Eve, with regard to poverty. He writes, "Everything about Adam and Eve’s fall makes economic prosperity difficult and elusive. In fact, the fall has made poverty the default setting, an ever-present gravitational pull intent on dragging us down. This is true not only because it is now harder to produce material wealth but also because the fall triggered an ongoing cascade of relational challenges characterized by blame-shifting and excuses about our sin, as well as an ongoing desire in each of us to play God over one another," (p. 20). This is clearly seen in Genesis 3, when God curses both the earth and humanity. When we understand the implications of the curse, we view the world we live in correctly. As Armstrong puts it, "Today, as it has been since the fall of Adam and Eve, all our efforts to provide and prosper meet with opposition. From subsistence farmers in forgotten corners of the globe to CEOs in corner offices, all progress requires toil. The curse on labor is still in effect, and this has extensive implications for how we understand and respond to poverty," (pp. 18-19). He adds, frankly..."If you don’t understand what happened in the Garden of Eden, you are missing the single biggest factor that contributes to poverty," (p. 20).

The main premise of this book, "poverty is the result of sin," should not be misunderstood as, "the poor suffer due to a specific manifestation of God's judgment upon their individual sin." Rather, Armstrong clarifies, "I am not saying that material poverty comes when God punishes particular individuals or particular people for particular sins. At times, God may choose to discipline people through material means, but a 'punishment' view of poverty is not necessary to account for the poverty we see. We live in a fallen world, a world living under a curse as the direct result of Adam and Eve’s sin, and that in itself is more than enough to account for the world’s poverty," (p. 23). Since all of mankind has sinned in Adam, as the apostle Paul writes in Romans 5, and the guilt of and penalty for sin has been imputed to them as well, we are in a helpless state and spiraling downward... and it is not just an external reality; the depths of depravity run deep: "Sin is not an environmental condition or something that varies in its essence from one person to another. It’s a universal heart issue," (p.26). The universality of the effects are indeed personally deep, but they are also interpersonally broad: "Sin has marred our identity as God’s image bearers and crippled our relationship with God, one another, and the world around us. Sin thus not only causes poverty but also poisons our attitude toward those suffering within it," (p. 46).

In light of these aspects of the curse, the identification of the underlying problem is laid bare. The tragedy of poverty, as well as the motivation for the solution of it, are both "heart-issues." Armstrong points out that "the issue before God is not whether you understand the essential challenges underlying poverty. The issue is your heart motivation for pursuing its eradication," (p. 32). Sin is so pervasive, that even our noble efforts to combat poverty might be motivated by evil desires. The author is aware of this and addresses the internal motive as well as the external act: "My concern is not that people are calling attention to the plight of the global poor. If anything, we may need to be reminded more often, not less. My concern, and even my fear, is whether we have gotten off-track and become more concerned with our own legacies and our own kingdoms than with Christ’s... We must carefully and prayerfully examine our hearts and motives when considering our approach to caring for the poor," (p. 33).

The dangers of neglecting God's providence in and sovereignty over poverty is stark. "We want to wrestle control of our destinies away from God," writes Armstrong, "Being the only creatures called to exercise dominion on God’s behalf isn’t quite enough for us. We don’t want to settle for being God’s representatives, we want to be more “like God” than that—we want control... this desire to force outcomes and control destinies has come to dominate much of the antipoverty movement," (p. 17). As the author shows, even a good thing like the fight to end poverty, can be fueled by sinful desire. The idolatry of humanism, while often camouflaged by good intentions, creates a Babel-esque atmosphere: "When Adam and Eve sinned, it was because they wanted to be like God. As humanity multiplied and filled the earth, sin multiplied with them. Our desire for significance, twisted by sin, always drives us to rob God of his glory and make a name for ourselves instead. This pursuit will always fail, and quite often we will do substantial harm to our fellow man in the process," (pp. 37-38; cf. Genesis 11).

So what is the solution, if any, to the problem of global poverty? The author explains: "The ultimate answer to poverty is circumcised hearts, hearts that know the God who forms and keeps covenant with poor, undeserving sinners," (p. 47). He continues to expound upon the lovingkindness of God in relation to His covenant children... and their response to His gospel of love: "Covenant faithfulness is obedience—obedience motivated not out of obligation or duty or a desire to score points with God but out of love for God," (p. 55; cf. 1 John 4:10). The Lord Jesus commands His followers to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and to "love your neighbor as yourself," (Matthew 22:37-40). Armstrong then presents to us the reality of our Savior's teaching: "Loving our neighbor in real, tangible ways is as much a 'proof' of our salvation as anything else. How we relate to God directly affects how we relate to others. Unfaithfulness to the Lord will lead to a lack of concern for our neighbor—but the opposite should also be true," (p. 56). "Covenant faithfulness," he adds, "always leads to ethical faithfulness. The faithful will seek to care for the poor around them, to 'share [their] bread with the hungry', to 'cover the naked', and to 'let the oppressed go free.' They will 'bear fruit in keeping with repentance.' They will pursue justice in the full biblical sense of the term," (p. 56-57).

This is the power of the gospel. The good news of Jesus Christ's substitutionary atonement as a wrath-satisfying sacrifice on behalf of sinners frees us to properly approach the tragedy of poverty. "If we expect to end poverty, we need to deal with our sin problem first. To deal with our sin problem, we need a heart that’s inclined toward the Lord. And this heart is something only God can give us," (p. 59). Yes! We need a new heart, and only God can give us that heart (Ezekiel 36:22-32)... only God can change our negative disposition towards Him and correct our misplaced motives in interpersonal relationships by the power of His Spirit. Poverty is not chiefly an ethical issue, it is a spiritual issue... and by the grace of God we are given new life in Christ.

This irresistible and unmerited favor is unconditional and beckons humble adoration of the One who gives it. Armstrong describes the results of grace: "Grace kills our hypocrisy and our desire for the approval of man. Grace destroys our plan to try to meet God’s demands out of our own will. Grace sweeps away our anxiety. Grace allows us to persevere in prayer, trusting that the Father will give good gifts to those who ask. Grace allows us to be careful of how we judge, examining our own hearts before passing judgment on another. Grace allows us to put others before ourselves, doing to them what we would have them do to us," (p. 66). We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and submit to His authoritative Word, but this impossible prior to being graced with His Spirit. We must not put the cart before the horse... "We must recognize that before Jesus ever offers ethics, he offers grace," writes Armstrong, "If we don’t see that ... we will use the Sermon on the Mount as a hammer, a means of trying to force ourselves or others to act in a way we never could act without the grace of the Holy Spirit. This legalism is the natural inclination of our hearts. We want law, not gospel. We want deeds, not creeds. We want the demands of the law—even if it’s just so we can disobey them. But the good news of the gospel includes the fact that grace always comes before the demands of the kingdom. Jesus is not telling us what is required to earn blessing. He’s telling us what to do in light of the fact that we are already blessed," (pp. 65-66).

Armstrong hits the nail on the head concerning the poverty issue... the gospel is where we need to begin. He shows that "Caring for the poor starts with understanding the grace Jesus has given to those who believe in him. We must get this straight in our heads—and in our hearts," (p. 66-67). When we understand grace in our heads and hearts, it should be transferred and implemented by our hands. He continues to explain, "What we do is the fruit of what we believe about Jesus... it’s not enough that the Christian care for the needs of the poor—you don’t have to be a Christian to want to help the unfortunate. As we seek to help in genuine, meaningful ways, through it all we have a greater goal: the glory of Jesus Christ," (p. 67). We should not see our fight against poverty as an end in itself; our end should be the glory of God through the means of helping the poor: "We are called to care for the poor because God is glorified in our doing so. We care for the poor because we know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of grace," (p. 68).

One of my favorite parts of the book is at the end of chapter 5. Armstrong gives a clear gospel presentation and shares how we should live in light of the gospel with regard to the impoverished:

"Jesus lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father, then took the punishment we deserved by dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus took our sinfulness and gave us his righteousness so that we, on the Day of Judgment, can stand confidently before God and spend eternity with him.
That is the grace he offers. That is the grace that frees us from guilt and shame over our sin. That is the grace that sustains us even in the midst of difficulty. That is the grace that enables us to consider others as greater and more important than ourselves. And that is the grace that we share when we begin to invest in the lives of the poor," (p. 68)

Another intriguing part of the book is the author's retelling of John 12... specifically when Jesus says, "the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me," (v. 8). Armstrong explains, "In telling the disciples that the poor would always be among them (and us), Jesus does us all a great service, freeing us... to serve the poor with a biblical attitude," (p. 73). The perpetual existence of poverty is an opportunity for us to serve; to bring glory to Christ by proclaiming Him to the poor and needy while offering tangible assistance to their material needs. In fact, "caring for the poor is a worship issue... The poor always with us means we have virtually endless opportunities to practically worship Christ, expressing our love for God through caring for the poor of this world," (pp. 74-75). Again, we must not see the means of worship as the end... the worshipful means of serving the poor to the glory of God should see that glory most richly manifest in the conversion and discipleship of the sinner. In other words, "Humanistic goals like ending extreme global poverty within our lifetime add a condition to our caring for the poor. Ministry that should be focused on people instead becomes focused on targets. Targets aren’t bad in themselves, but they can be devastating to those we’re trying to help, and to Christian service in general. As Christians, our agenda should be to see rebellious sinners reconciled to the Father. That includes doing what we can to minister to the poor amid their suffering, but it obviously goes well beyond it as well. Our ultimate desire should be to see God glorified as he becomes their Savior," (p. 74).

Finally, Armstrong points us to the eschatological reality that awaits us and how we are to live in the present evil age...

"Without the hope of the coming of the new creation, we have nothing to offer those who suffer in poverty. It is this hope we must share, whether we’re working for relief, development, or social reform. We must bring immediate relief to those suffering from severe drought and famine, but we must also bring them the promise that there is one who will someday relieve all their suffering. We must give the young man who has been trapped in a familial cycle of crime and poverty the skills he needs to leave the system, but we must also offer him the promise of a new identity that comes from the one who died for his sins. We must confront a social system that abuses and breaks the backs of its people, but we must also share the promise of a world where perfect peace and justice will reign forever... It is the best of all possible hopes we can offer the poor. The hope for an eternal end to poverty—one not found in human effort, but in the return of Jesus, when he will make all things new and wipe away every tear from every eye." (pp. 97-98)

"Awaiting a Savior" is an immensely practical book; but it is also theologically-oriented. It is a product of biblical study/prayer/meditation coupled with faithful application by doing the word and not just hearing it. I highly recommend this book to those who suffer from legalistic methods of performance, those who find it difficult to put their faith into action, and also those who are already worshiping Christ by serving the poor to the glory of God.

In conclusion, I'd like to present some practical wisdom/advice from the author. My prayer is that it stirs you, the reader, up to good works and that people see the fruit of your labor and glorify God:

"I want you to see the unique opportunities God has placed before you—opportunities to serve others for his glory and your joy. Maybe a place to start is by taking one night this week to help at your local street mission, intentionally getting to know one person being assisted there. Maybe it’s talking to the local men’s or women’s shelters about how you or your church can be a resource. Maybe it’s supporting a child who lives in poverty through a reputable Christian organization. If you stop and look, the opportunities are virtually limitless." (p. 78)

Effective December 1, 2009, Federal Trade Commission guidelines state that bloggers receiving any kind of compensation should disclose that information clearly on their blog when posting a review of the product... that being said: I RECEIVED A FREE PDF VERSION OF THE BOOK. CLEAR ENOUGH?