Book Review: The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler (2012)

   If I had the money, I would put a copy of The Explicit Gospel into the hands of every church-goer and self-proclaimed Christian in America. Matt Chandler, lead pastor of The Village Church in Dallas, Texas, with the help of Jared Wilson, does a great job of confronting the, as Christian Smith describes it, "Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" worldview that is plaguing our churches. The reason I would give a copy to everyone is because I believe that they would read it. Between the fact that it is backed by pastors ranging from Rick Warren to Mark Dever, and its simplicity and readability, Chandler does a great job in presenting the glory of the gospel in such a way that even the most passive reader can stay interested. And if anyone were to read a book other than the Bible itself, a book on the importance of the gospel, knowing it clearly, and letting it affect every corner of your life is where I would point them.
  
   In the book, Matt Chandler directs his readers through the story of the Bible explaining the reason for atonement, the atonement itself, and the changes our lives should have as a result to it. At every moment, he keeps God as the highest focal point and His glory as the goal.

   If my initial statement didn't express this well enough, I highly recommend this book to everyone. You may just find out that the gospel you've always known isn't the gospel at all.

   "If you read only one book this year, make it this one. It's that important." - Rick Warren

A Prayer for Strength in Suffering

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” – Romans 12:12

   Dear Heavenly Father, the sovereign God of all, search us, that we may come to You without selfish ambitions or foolish ideas of privilege, but have in us the perspective of true love that can only come from You. We are humbled to be allowed to be in Your holy presence, and astonished that You would hear the cries of lowly men. We are thankful at every thought of Your unrelenting grace. Let us pray with the knowledge that this life is not about us. Let every petition we articulate unto You disregard every prideful value of man, and keep You at the highest level of significance. We pray that in Your infinite wisdom and knowledge, You would forgive us when we, in our limited wisdom, ask for anything less than Your perfect will and eternal Kingdom. We thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross; the ultimate example of humility and holy suffering. Thank You for your endless displays of mercy. We would like to turn our attention to the men and women all around the earth who live in places where the gospel is either forbidden or never heard. We ask You to give them open hearts to hear, and to give us open mouths to speak. Remind us continually of the people that You would have to accept that proclamation, knowing that their acceptance of the gospel could mean their death. We pray that in the midst of that persecution, they might remain faithful. Let not their sacrifices be in vain. Both Scripture and history attest to the fact that Christian persecution is not only a reality, but a necessity. It is in the worst suffering of Christians that You cause Your church to grow. We pray that we might not forget this fact as we live our lives in the comfort of “freedom”, permitted to continue half-heartedly in our nominal “Christianity”. Because of this, we do not ask You to end their suffering, but give them strength to suffer well, and to suffer for Your glory. That You might, in their suffering, bring more of their people into the embrace of Your glorious grace. We pray that, if it be Your will, You would allow us to partake in even just a fraction of the suffering they feel, so that we may experience just that more of Your victory. We ask that You would save not only individuals, but whole families. Give them a hunger for You that we could only dream of, that they might obtain a satisfaction we could never understand. Let us continually examine our excuses. How can we continually waste our lives with pointless pursuits and insignificant pleasures while men and women in these countries are giving their lives for the very gospel that we throw around? As we open our hearts, let our brothers and sisters around the world know that we are thinking of them. Encourage them with our love, and let us remember that love is more than a word. In conclusion, we pray that if it be Your will, let us go and be sacrificed so that the cause of Your mercy would be furthered.

"The blood of the martyr is the seed of the Church." - Tertullian

"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!' But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for ‘their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’”- Romans 10:14-18