…Some of the most popular Christian leaders and authors stress the social agenda. Francis Chan, in his wildly popular book Crazy Love, wants Christians to live as simply as possible in order to give more toward the alleviation of “suffering in the world and change the reputation of His bride in America.”[25] I think one of the reasons Chan’s book has been received with such enthusiasm is that he is not telling people anything that our culture is not already saying. When Bill Gates and Warren Buffett pledged much of their vast fortunes toward the same agenda, the world applauded, just as it has for Chan. Chan is concerned about the reputation of the church in America, and not without reason. However, the true church doing the true work of God (calling people to Christ) will never win the world’s approval. Our message is offensive (1 Cor 1:18-25) and once the world catches on to that we are far more likely to be vilified and persecuted than we are to be cheered – as Jesus promised (Matt 5:11-12). We should find it a source of concern, not a reason for rejoicing, when the world likes us, as Christianity Today in its lead article in August 2011 affirmed it did.

A similar voice is David Platt’s and his book Radical. Platt offers better balance than Chan but still propagates a two-tiered gospel composed of the true gospel of redemption and the social gospel. While Platt is careful to elevate the true gospel, the social gospel of feeding the hungry and giving to the poor is the primary focus of the book and accounts for its popularity.[26] He writes, “As we meet needs on earth, we are proclaiming a gospel that transforms lives for eternity.”[27] The author does not advocate the social agenda as opposed to true evangelism, as mentioned above, but he does say that caring for the poor is evidence of salvation. As a matter of fact “rich people who neglect the poor are not the people of God.”[28] However, when we turn to the New Testament, we find that, while Christians are to be loving and generous to all people, they are never told to attempt to remedy the consequences of the sin of unbelieving humanity through social action. Instead, they are instructed to meet the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ, something Platt admits in a footnote (p. 225). In fact, the church is never commissioned to rectify injustices by dealing with the symptoms of sins but to “radically” uproot sin itself through the gospel…

In the full article, which is part 1 in a series, Gilley goes on to examine the view of well-respected evengelical leader Timothy Keller on this topic, pointing out that Keller has to quote N.T. Wright instead of the Bible in order to support his own view. One other source promoting this social gospel is Rick Warren with his PEACE plan: Promote Reconciliation, Equip Servant Leaders, Assist the Poor, Care for the Sick, and Educate the Next Generation.

I encourage you to take a few moments to read the rest (or bookmark it for when you have time later in the week) for an important church history lesson that puts this whole concern in its proper context.

Armando wrote out the following, hours after getting the phone call from the coroner’s office:

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“My joy is gone; grief is upon me; my heart is sick within me.” – Jeremiah 8:18

I wish I could just see his smiling face. Go to the gym one more time, eat pizza and hot wings with him. Watch our favorite episodes of the Simpsons like we did every week. I have lost today the best friend I’ve ever had, he was always around when no one else was available to hang out. He would be 21 this November 27th, and I would have drank a beer with him to celebrate. Seems now I will be having that beer in remembrance of him.

The first memories that come to mind was when my mom was pregnant with him, and my parents were explaining to us who we would be staying with while my mom was in the hospital. After he was born, as a baby, me and my brother Gregory would argue who would hold him and read the bible and other books to him.

I remember how we had the nook set up in our house that we called the “Sammy Corner.”
I remember how as a little kid he would sing “Jesus Loves Me,” and other songs we learned in church and in Sunday School.
I remember the family trips we used to take to New England and Texas.
I remember when he went on a short term missions trip to Mexico with me.

He always wanted to go on camping trips with me, but other events seemed to always get in the way of him.

Most of all, I remember him as an individual who loved the lord, who faithfully helped my mom in her Sunday school class at Riverlakes church. A man who grew frustrated with the Lord for not opening the hearts of his friends and classmates to receive the gospel. A man who knew that his Saving Grace was in Jesus Christ, and not in the things of this world. I don’t think, in the 20 years I have known him, have had a single argument with him whatsoever.

Now, he stands before the Lord, unashamed, for he was bought with the blood of Christ, and he will dwell with him forever. And until I join him, or til Jesus comes, I will miss his company every day of my life.
I am blessed for having so much time getting to know him, his likes in techno/electronica music, his interest in Geology and Philosophy, his kind, gentle nature.

The days will only get tougher for me and my family. Your prayers and condolences are greatly appreciated in this time of trouble. And I am glad to have the Lord, and my brothers in sisters in Christ to draw strength from.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

All praise be to God our Father in heaven, who sacrificed His Son on our behalf, so that there will come a day when there will be no pain, misery of mourning. But at the moment, I have too much of it all.

-Armando Steven Gonzalez
In Memorandum of Samuel Joseph Gonzalez
My loving brother, and brother in Christ
(Nov 27 1990 – Nov 9 2011)
—–

I’m reminded of the line in the famous hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul” by Horatio Spafford, penned after all four of his daughters died on a ship that sank while crossing the Atlantic in 1873:

“When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Where does the strength to go on even come from? The author of Psalm 46:1 makes it clear:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (ESV)

We can look to a man named Job in the Bible for another example of suffering well. Upon receiving news from a messenger that his sons and daughters were killed in a natural disaster, he said,

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”  (Job 1:21)

How can a Christian deal with pain and suffering? Though I have not personally experienced the tragedy Armando is in the midst of, in recent years I’ve began to learn how the key lies in recognizing that this earth, with its disease and death as a result of man’s fall in Genesis 3, is not truly home for the true Christian. Heaven is our real home, where,

“Death will be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). There will be no temptations to face, no burdens to bear, no guilt to grieve over, no sickness to battle, no unanswered questions to baffle us, no ignorance to humiliate us, and no unsatisfied desires to frustrate us. Nothing that has scarred and stained our lives on earth will be there to shame us. There will be no regrets, no remorse, no second thoughts, no disappointments, and no lost causes. Best of all, there will be no indwelling sin to plague us. As J.I. Packer puts it, “There will be no sin in heaven, for those who are in heaven will not have it in them to sin any more.” Small wonder that David cried out to God: “In your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11)  -John Blanchard [full article here]

Here are a few additional quotes to consider, mentioned in last month’s issue of Tabletalk Magazine centered around the topic of dealing with death and disease:

We know that we are going to die, but we don’t know when. We know that others we love are going to die, but we don’t know when. Neither do we usually know how. What we do know, however, is exactly what we need to know. What we ought to know is this: knowing more details about our future should not radically change our present.
“What would you do if you knew you had only a year, a month, a week, a day, an hour to live?” may make for an interesting parlor game, but the answer ought to be “The same thing I have been doing, hoping that I have decades left to live.” -R.C. Sproul Jr [full article here]

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Obviously, I do not delight in the fact of someone’s death. But I rejoice in the opportunity that the death of a believer opens for communicating the majesty of Christ and the glories of the gospel while comforting the family and friends and presenting salvation by grace to those who are lost but have come to “pay their respects.”
-Harry Reeder [full article here]

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“For the believer, death does not have the last word. Death has surrendered to the conquering power of the One who was resurrected as the firstborn of many brethren.” -RC Sproul [full article here]

Please keep in your prayers Armando and his family, as well as those around all of us who are dealing with death.

-

Check out this video Kevin and Tiffany recently shared on their blog ( KevinsRecovery.com ) showing the changes, and what life is like as a paraplegic:

“We’re still praying for a miracle & are sure hoping that’s Jesus’ plan, but we’ll see where He continues to take us.” -Kev and Tiff

What an encouragement his life is to the rest of us when it comes to suffering well and trusting God when it really counts. They still need our prayers, so let’s not forget them.

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- Timothy Keller, in the chapter “The Seduction of Success” from his book, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters.

Here are a few things to check out and get involved with. Instead of a separate write-up for the following book, album, movie, blog, and events, I decided to just toss everything into a quick list. Enjoy!

Book to Read

“Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters” by Timothy Keller. I’ve been challenged by Keller in his writings lately (including “The Reason For God” dealing with skepticism, and I’m looking forward to picking up “The Prodigal God”), but I’m just surprised by how clearly someone can explain the simple truth behind things we’re seeing in our American culture. Pick up the book and give it a chance to change you. If I could suggest reading one new book this year, this would be the one. Last year it was “Crazy Love” from Francis Chan, and I ended up buying a bunch of them as gifts for different friends (Chan actually gave me his classic “No way!” laugh with the eye brows up when I had a chance to thank him and mention the one given to solo artist Andrea Hamilton was passed on to a radio DJ in Japan!). Anyway here’s the one from Tim Keller:  Counterfeit Gods, on Amazon.

Music Album to Hear

“Hello Hurricane,” the new one from Switchfoot, has a fresh sound that is big enough to blow your roof off… or at least unashamedly test the full capacity of your car stereo. The quality of musicianship is apparent, the creativity is intriguing, and the lyrics are solid. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen these guys in concert (actually was on a plane flight with them to Cornerstone Festival), but they’ve come a long way since my high school days (opening for The Supertones on the Loud and Clear Tour with Relient K), and I believe they’ve really matured in ways that challenge their listeners to do the same. One of the recurring themes you may pick up in the album is what I’d call a confession that life’s most serious dilemma is that the problem is inside me, rather than around me. It’s a convicting commentary on man’s state before God using the biblical idea of man’s depravity (Mark 7:21-23, John 3:19, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Titus 3:3, etc) with lyrics like: “I am my own affliction / I am my own disease / There ain´t no drug that they could sell… The sickness is myself” on Mess of Me. Directly relating to the Christian faith, it’s not until you realize how serious the bad news is that you come to seriously appreciate the good news of salvation. And Switchfoot’s album, rightly so, has such a beautiful hope contained within the lyrics: “Come set me free / Down on my knees / I still believe you can / Save me from me” (Free). This is coming from a band that has gathered a considerable following, with their new album currently debuting at #13 on the Billboard Top 200.  Hello Hurricane, from Amazon.

Film to See

No Greater Love. Filmed here in Santa Clarita and being released directly to DVD on January 19th, 2010 from Coram Deo Studios, Lionsgate Studios, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and Carmel Entertainment. I have a friend working with these guys, and the film has received good reviews. Also, I recognized the pastor in the movie, Chris Johnson of Grace Chapel in Lancaster, after hearing him speak at The Master’s College. I’m always skeptical of films that are made by and marketed to Christians for a couple big reasons, but I think as with the music industry, a higher standard of talent is finally starting to come out. Check out the movie trailer online:  www.nogreaterlovethemovie.com

Blog to Bookmark

I met Robby in college. He left the States and moved to India. http://afacelikeflint.blogspot.com

Music Tour to Experience

My buddy Chris is a great guy, an excellent drummer that has inspired me over the years, and been kind enough to show me a few things on the drum kit when we hung out. He was invited to play for the San Diego band Future of Forestry on their Advent Christmas Tour, and I’d say if you can make it to a show near you, you won’t regret it. The guys from FOF are creative and experienced musicians, plus they’ve actually done justice to some old Christmas songs that will sound amazing live. Also as an added bonus, Josiah James will be opening for them on the tour; a nice guy I had the privilege of meeting here in Santa Clarita for a small show at Antioch. I’m planning to catch the tour at Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley on December 5th, otherwise the Bakersfield show on the 4th is not far away. More info here with shows in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada: www.myspace.com/futureofforestry

Video Clip to Watch

John Piper on twitter mentioned this clip of the Vietnamese police raiding a house church. And if you have a minute to browse around the Persecution.com website, you’ll find a very different picture of the global church than what we see in comfortable America. But I think that in locations where resistance to true Christianity is normal, we generally find more faithful followers who “count the cost” (Luke 14:25-35). Or as Charles Spurgeon pointed out, “That religion which costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing.” Here’s the video from Persecution.com.

Photograph to Remember

This is a sad one from Three Angels Relief, along with an excerpt from an Amnesty International press release.  http://www.threeangelsrelief.org/child-slavery-in-haiti/

Quote to Dwell On

“Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger.” – CS Lewis, The Problem of Pain, pg. 200.

Cause to Donate To

Last winter some friends and I took up a collection of blankets, and delivered them to the homeless on Skid Row (downtown Los Angeles). We’re doing it again on December 6th, so if you live nearby and want to contribute, we’ll accept your used or new blankets. I’ll probably pick up a couple cases of water bottles to hand out as well, and maybe even hot chocolate to serve as we did before. Clothes are a little complicated for us to hand out, unless its a warm hat or scarf. One of my coworkers mentioned that she wanted to join us in handing these out, and she actually has an organization called Solemate Collective, which accepts your donated single socks from the sock drawer, pairs them with a mate, and gives them out to someone in need. So if you want to help with the blankets talk to me in person, or contact me through the blog.

Event to Help With

The Children’s Hunger Fund is having a “Holiday Pak Day” on December 5th, where we’re packing and wrapping presents for children in need. If you live near Chatsworth CA, Homewood IL, or San Antonio TX, then they’d love to have you join (sign up required). Link to CHF.

Hope you were able to get SOMETHING out of that list. That’s all for now…

I feel so unqualified to comment on it all, being such a sudden, tragic, life-changing event. Maybe the thing I can identify with most is just how hard it is for those closest to Kevin, because I watched my dad break his back in a jet skiing accident years ago, and saw my brother break his back and leg in a downhill snow skiing crash (both of them recovered, miraculously I might add). On the subject of sympathy for people, Charles Spurgeon pointed out something of value:

“There is no learning sympathy except by suffering. It cannot be studied in a book, it must be written on the heart. You must go through the fire if you would have sympathy with others who tread the glowing coals. You must yourself bear the cross if you would feel for those whose life is a burden to them.”

I’m sure he didn’t mean that you have to endure that specific situation, but merely that in order to care about someone who is hurting, to some degree you need to know what it’s like to be hurting. Another statement from Spurgeon, “Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties,” can be seen in a very hopeful light if you consider that what results from the suffering can be very beneficial in the end. That might be a greater resolve and strengthened character that the “victim” would not have developed without the circumstances they were put through. Three words pretty much sum it up for the Christian: God is good.

Amidst tragedy is often when you find out what you really believe. You might even find out that what you believed was true. Those are two related but different things. By finding out what you believe, I mean that you can look back on your initial reactions to a situation and have a pretty good guess about what concerned you most in the situation and what it was you did in order to get through that situation. As a Christian, I would either discover that I had little-to-no deep-seated trust in the God I claimed to believe in if my reaction was to completely panic, or I might discover that my trust in that God was there under the surface ready to swing into action in this situation that hit me. That second part that might happen, finding truth after finding out what I believed, is where the good stuff is at. Certainly you can’t stop at just having what you personally believe, because that doesn’t always match up with the truth (take for example people like George Sodini and his gym class massacre last night in Pennsylvania that ended in suicide; he may have known his view on women but he didn’t have the truth about the value of each life he wrongly took).  I can’t help but suggest that truth comes back around in some way to truth about God. I can say that in those few occasions where I do get to later look back on an extended, rough circumstance and see meaning, it’s both comforting and indescribably exciting.

…or are they really? Isn’t it in the valleys, rather than the mountaintops, that we can learn the greatest lessons? Not that we do actually learn these lessons–instead I think we can, if we’d only stop to see what’s happening, or see how we can deal with what’s happening.

But yes of course we can learn on the mountaintops. Unless learning in this sense is “hearing about”, versus the deeper understanding that comes through experience that breeds a genuine acceptance of the truth, though not to imply that specific personal experiences are a prerequisite for learning…

What I’m saying (repeating from others, more accurately) is that if getting through a difficult time can actually help us in the long run, why should we be so quick to wish these times never come upon us?

(based on:  James 1:2-3)