Rob Bell and the "Universalist" controversy

There’s been a whole lot of discussion lately about Rob Bell’s new book LOVE WINS and I want to take this opportunity to make a few observations of my own. I need to start out by admitting that I haven't read the book. I have, however, read numerous articles about the book and watched [and or] read transcripts of several interviews that Bell has given since its release- so I think I have a general idea of its content.
The main area of contention seems to be centered around the idea of "Universalism"- the premise that, ultimately, everyone gets into Heaven [here is a link to the Wikipedia entry on Universalism]. Bell denies that he is a Universalist, but most reviewers don’t believe him and they are ANGRY! Personally, I don't get why this subject stirs up such intense emotions. Admittedly, there was a time when I would have been just as upset as those who are now attacking Bell, but I’ve come to the point where I just can’t seem to work up any steam on the subject.
I guess I feel that if your main concern, and the reason for your belief in Christ, is just to get your ticket punched to Heaven, then maybe you don't really believe in Christ at all. It's almost like some people feel like they're being gypped if they spend their life following Jesus and then find out, at the end, that they could have gotten into Heaven without doing so. If that is how you feel about your relationship with the Son of God, your relationship needs some serious work!
If you get angry when you think that somebody might get into Heaven without having believed the same things you believed or observed the same rituals etc. as you did, then I think maybe you should question how well you have internalized Jesus’ message to love your neighbor as yourself. If we truly love our neighbors, wouldn’t we want them to get into Heaven?
If Universalism is true, what does that do to the Great Commission? If everyone is getting into Heaven what is the point of following Jesus at all, much less urging others to do so? Jesus Christ is the living Son of God, the only perfect person who ever lived. He modeled the most rewarding way to live our lives, here and now, and then sent His Holy Spirit to empower us to do so. He suffered a horrible death on a cross to reconcile a sinful world to His Father and then was resurrected from the grave to ascend to the right hand of God. What a privilege it is to give our lives into His hands and to seek His will above all else. If someone were to get into Heaven without doing so, they would be the loser, not us, because they would have missed out on living for Him here and now. This should be the first and foremost reason that we spread the Gospel; it’s the right thing to do!
Since when did following Jesus become a task we must complete or a hurdle we have to jump and, if we sacrifice and do it, we darn well better get our reward and everyone who doesn’t should be punished. What a way to tell people about our loving God: believe and say this prayer or else!
Do I consider myself a Universalist? No. I think there are people who will choose to remain separated from God, no matter how much He loves them. Am I going to spend any time worrying about whether Gandhi went to Heaven? Somehow I don’t think I have to. Do I think Gandhi would have been even more effective and would have accomplished even more had he been a follower of Jesus empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit? Absolutely. Do I think there is a baby being born somewhere in the world right now who will spend eternity separated from God? Yes. Do I take responsibility for that? Yes.
I think that people who want to set themselves up as the arbiters of who gets into Heaven should re-read Matthew 25:31-46 and prayerfully consider how they stack up.
I know Jesus, and I have felt and seen His love demonstrated in my life in innumerable ways. I pray that every single person in the world would come to know that love. I pray that my Lord and Savior will use me in the work of spreading His Kingdom on this earth and that each day I die more to self and live more for Him. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
If Rob Bell’s book brings even one person to Christ, it will have done its job. So, let’s leave him alone and start living for Jesus!

Psalm 80:7 "Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. 8) You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9) You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. 10) The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 11) It sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. 12) Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? 13) Boars from the forest ravage it and the creatures of the field feed on it. 14) Return to us, O God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15) the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. 16) Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17) Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18) Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19) Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved."

I read this today and I saw myself as one of the boars who ravish the vine. Many times I don't take discipleship seriously enough and treat Jesus as a casual snack that I can pick when I choose and and also ignore when I choose. This is not the Gospel He preached however: John 5:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." When we call ourselves Christians yet don't "remain in the vine",we not only don't produce fruit, we ravage and ruin the fruit of those who do "remain in the vine".

Back To Basics

I'm not promoting Allstate Insurance with this post, I'm promoting the values that the commercial represents.

Deceptively Simple

Continuing the thought I expressed with my entry on John Lee Hooker last week, here is another artist who gives new meaning to deceptive simplicity. Eric Bibb is a blues guitarist carrying on the great gospel blues tradition of such such icons as Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis and Son House. He makes his home in Sweden, but comes from a decidedly "royal" American family that includes his father, blues singer Leon Bibb, and uncle John Lewis, a pianist and composer with the Modern Jazz Quartet. Here are two selections but, if you like what you hear, go to Youtube or to Eric's website for more great music. If you REALLY like it, and I hope you do, buy his CD's- Youtube's great but a guy has to eat.

The wonderous internet

I was talking to my daughter on the phone this morning and the conversation turned to the state of the economy and what the future holds in store for our country and our way of life. I somehow segued into talking about how amazing the internet is. The amount of knowledge that we have at our fingertips is just staggering. You can- just about literally- find out anything that you want to know with just a few keystrokes.

Example: I was recently reading a book about the Ironman triathlon and in it they referenced an article written by Barry McDermott for Sports Illustrated in 1979 about the second Ironman ever held. I went to the computer and, within 5 minutes, I not only had the article (minus the photos) in front of me, I also had an SI archive site where I could literally page through a copy of the actual magazine where I could view the photos as well.

Anyway, the point I was making is that we have tools available to us now that I could not even dream about when I was my daughter's age. The state of the economy is going to cause many things to change in the near future; we need to start using the opportunities and tools available to us to create a new vision of the world. I really believe that opportunities are out there for those willing to dream and work.

So, what have I done with this amazing new technology? I looked up a comedy routine I heard years ago that, I couldn't remember very much of, by a guy who's name I had forgotten. His name, I found out, is Brian Regan and he is hilarious. Enjoy....

"King" Hooker

I'm a guitar player and I have been at it for a long time. I consider myself to be fairly proficient- at least as a rhythm player- but sometimes I just have to remind myself that trying harder doesn't always translate into "better." My favorite blues artist has always been and will always be John Lee Hooker. He may not be the most technically gifted guitar player but, as this video demonstrates, many times less is more. Speed and the number of notes played can never be a substitute for artistic vision; and John Lee Hooker has that in spades. You can talk about B.B. King, Clapton, Stevie Ray and Muddy Waters all day long (and I love all these guys) but to me the King of the Blues is John Lee Hooker, case closed.