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Awaiting a Savior: now available in Spanish

Back in 2011, my very first book, Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation, and the End of Poverty, was released. It was an ambitious one: exploring how we should understand and respond to the issue of where poverty really comes from, and what God has to say about it.

Rooted in the story of redemption, Awaiting a Savior is a reminder that we’re not responsible for ending poverty, but for loving those who are trapped in it. With a message you don’t typically read in most books on the subject, it’s proven to be one of the great joys of my life, as readers experience the freedom to care for the poor that comes from it. And now, it is available in Spanish as A La Espera De Un Salvador. Here’s a little taste of the English edition:

Awaiting a Savior - Spanish edition

The Law drew a distinction between God’s people and the surrounding nations, even in matters of economic compassion. God’s expectations for interactions between Israelites are entirely different. This does not mean, however, that those outside the covenant community could be conveniently ignored—only that concern and care for those within the covenant community takes precedence. (It is the same way today within the Church.) Indeed, the Law included a radical concern for the “sojourner,” the foreigner among them, (Ex. 22:21, 23:9; Lev. 19:10, 23:22) a concern that stems directly from the heart of God: “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial . . . and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 10:17-19)

God loves the “sojourner,” and God’s people are to love him as well. That’s why, although we must be wise in how we help those in need, (cf. Prov. 6:10-11, 21:25, 24:30-34; 1 Tim. 5:8) we must avoid notions of anyone being “deserving” of our help. None of us deserve the grace of God, yet he freely gives it! (44-45)

If you haven’t read the book, I’d love it if you picked up a copy. And if you know someone who would be blessed by reading the Spanish edition, grab them a copy of that, too.

Coming soon: a new book on prayer

I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn’t know how bad.

Before moving to Nashville, I had a 15-minute commute… on foot. My drive was five minutes when traffic was bad. I didn’t know how bad things could really be until it took me two hours to drive 20 miles.

But during that time, I began to realize that, in placing me in the gridlock of Nashville Interstate traffic, the Lord was giving me an opportunity to draw nearer to him. And so, I began to use that time to pray. For my fellow commuters. For myself. And for the witness of the church.

Now, I’ve collected those prayers into a new book, Praying the I-65: Everyday Prayers for the Commuter Life.

In this book, you’ll find 30 readings for your commute, including:

  • Of “maniacs” and “idiots”—a plea for justice;
  • Of bran muffins and really strong coffee—a prayer of lament; and
  • Of pulling the Jesus fish off your bumper—a prayer of repentance.

Praying the I-65: Everyday Prayers for the Commuter Life is coming soon. Look for it wherever books are sold.

Awaiting a Savior: now available in Portuguese!

We can do it—we can end extreme poverty in our generation!

Or so we’re told.

For years I’d heard this rallying cry, but it never sat right with me. While I admired the passion of those who called the evangelical church to act on behalf of the global poor, the focus always seemed to come back to us: our ingenuity, our money, and our reputation. But no one was talking about the elephant in the room: Where does poverty really come from—and what does God have to say about it?

My first book, Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation, and the End of Povertywas written to set the answer to these questions within the story of redemption and, in doing so, discover what God truly expects of us as we care for those in need. This book’s message isn’t what most people want to hear, but it’s what we all need. It reminds us that we’re not responsible for ending poverty, but for loving those who are trapped in it.

Since the book’s release, I’ve been amazed to see people get this—and to experience the freedom to care for the poor that comes from it. Today I’m excited to announce, along with Cruciform Press that Awaiting a Savior is now available in Portuguese as O Fim Da Pobreza, as part of Cruciform Press’ partnership with Vida Nova in Brazil.

Awaiting-Portuguese

I am thrilled about this new Portuguese translation of Awaiting a Savior, because it means that many more people will have an opportunity to find encouragement from the bigger picture of poverty that the Bible offers. Together, Christians can look forward to the end of poverty in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, who puts an end to all suffering and who makes all things new.

If you haven’t already had a chance to read this book, be sure to grab a copy today, and be sure to enter next week’s 20Twosdays giveaway at CruciformPress.com to win a copy of this book and Contend: Defending the Faith in a Fallen World.

Note: This update is adapted from the jointly produced statement released at CruciformPress.com.