Love Wins?

I've been pretty busy lately so I haven't had much time to post, but I have about five post ideas, so we'll see if I can start getting some of them written soon.

Today I want to talk about a book that recently came out titled Love Wins by Rob Bell, the pastor of the mega church Mars Hill. I haven't read this book, but I have read the FAQ page about it on the Mars Hill website, as well as several commentaries about it.  It is causing quite a stir in the Christian community.

From what I can gather, Rob Bell is challenging the traditional idea of hell as a place of fire and suffering where everyone who rejects Christ must spend eternity. The FAQ page says that the book is clear that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and that it does not promote universalism, that all people go to heaven regardless of their faith.

However, there are some quotes that are troubling to me.


"He is proposing that God’s love is so big that the invitation to God’s grace may extend into the next life so that all could be saved."


"There are many who accept the invitation of the life of heaven and many who reject the invitation. Those who reject the invitation experience a
purifying “fire” of judgment in hell, yet there is hope. We live in the hope that the redemptive work of Christ is beyond what we can ask or imagine. Love Wins helps us have a biblical imagination that leaves room for the hope of the redemption of all while recognizing humanity's free will to continue to reject God."


He may not be openly preaching universalism, but it seems to me like he's flirting with the line.


I have not studied heaven or hell.  I don't know what the word in Hebrew/Greek means or what Biblical scholars think they will be like.  However, one parable of Jesus comes to mind.


¹⁹ “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
   ²² “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
   ²⁵ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
   ²⁷ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
   ²⁹ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
   ³⁰ “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
   ³¹ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

I know this is a parable, but it is clearly in opposition to the theology in Love Wins.  According to this passage, there is a great chasm between heaven and hell so that nobody can cross over.

It seems that Rob Bell is so focused on one attribute of God, love, that he misses all the other ones.  God is full of love for His people and hates to see someone reject Him.  He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  But he is also just and jealous, cannot tolerate sin, and is sometimes wrathful.

Nahum sums it up pretty well:

 ² The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
   the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
   and vents his wrath against his enemies.
³ The LORD is slow to anger but great in power;
   the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished.
His way is in the whirlwind and the storm,
   and clouds are the dust of his feet.
⁴ He rebukes the sea and dries it up;
   he makes all the rivers run dry.
Bashan and Carmel wither
   and the blossoms of Lebanon fade.
⁵ The mountains quake before him
   and the hills melt away.
The earth trembles at his presence,
   the world and all who live in it.
⁶ Who can withstand his indignation?
   Who can endure his fierce anger?
His wrath is poured out like fire;
   the rocks are shattered before him.
 ⁷ The LORD is good,
   a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him,
 ⁸ but with an overwhelming flood
he will make an end of Nineveh;
   he will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness.

If you only focus on one of God's attributes, you miss SO much!  The danger here is that you make God into someone He is not, and then you are worshipping a God that you made up in your mind, not the God of the scriptures.

It may be easier and more comfortable to ignore the "less fun" attributes of God and believe that He is only love.  Let's face it, the God that Nahum talks about is scary.  But the Bible does not support that belief.

This is a pretty controversial issue, so what do you think?

Links

Today I have a lot rumbling around in my head, so I am going to share with you some thought provoking links. Enjoy!

On Fair Trade

• Chain Store Reaction - This site has a form letter that you can sign your name to, asking major brand name companies to join in the fight against human slavery/trafficking by ensuring that their products are fair trade.  It is an easy way to let companies know that ethical sourcing matters to you.  You can also see the responses from some of the companies listing their efforts in this area.
• Trade As One - This is a company that is dedicated to selling fair trade products from around the world.  They have food, clothing, jewelry, and lots more.  You can even sign up for a fair trade basket of goodies every month which looks very tempting.  They also have a blog.
• Fair Trade USA - This site certifies and promotes fair trade items.

On Counter-cultural Living

• Pondering the CounterCulture Child - I could not agree more with this blog post at SortaCrunchy.  We as Christians are supposed to be in the world but not of it.  Sadly, it seems even popular church culture is often more worldly than not and teaches messages that are not scriptural.  I pray that I will be able to view the world through the lense of the Gospel, and not be swayed by false teaching whether in the world or in the church.

Funny baby video

Here is a video for your enjoyment.  I can't watch this without laughing hysterically, it made my day!  Happy Friday everyone! 

My identity crisis

Update::  Tonight I cooked a whole chicken for the first time ever! It was pretty good.  But getting the guts out was gross.

Yesterday we had some friends over for dinner, so after I got home from work I pulled out the tomatoes and cucumber and lettuce and bell pepper for the salad, and the garlic, shrimp, tomatoes, and onions for the pasta, and started chopping, measuring, mixing, and sauteeing.  It was a simple meal, but I felt happy and content to be preparing it.

If you know me, you know this has not always been the case.

Growing up, I used to hate cooking.  I would hide in my room around mealtime hoping that I'd be out of sight, out of mind, and mom wouldn't call me down to help her cook.  Cooking for 6 people is a big job!  I especially hated peeling or cutting raw chicken and chopping onions.  I really hoped I would someday marry a man who liked to cook, or one who was rich enough to let me hire a cook.

When I went off to college, cooking was low on the priority list.  About half the time I went out or had dinner with my friends.  The other half I cooked a LOT of chicken with boxed mashed potatoes and canned corn, boxed macaroni and cheese, and spaghetti.  Mealtime was just a chore to get through.

Then I got married.  My husband is neither a man who likes to cook, or rich enough to let me hire a cook.  All of a sudden, I had to have food in the house!  I may be happy with a baked potato for dinner every night, but my husband wanted a real meal.  And he is definitely not a chef, although he is willing to help me out if I need it.  So I began to plan out my meals so that I would only have to go to the grocery store once a week.  Slowly I amassed a recipe collection and started trying new things. 

And I found that it is fun to try something new and succeed! It's like a little adventure.  And having someone appreciate your efforts isn't too bad either.  After a while, I realized I couldn't say I hated cooking anymore.  In fact, sometimes I even liked it! 

In the past year, I have become very interested in organic and unprocessed, whole foods.  I am slowly trying to cut out things like soda and refined carbohydrates.  And I've found that working toward a goal of healthy eating habits makes me really happy.  When I look at my grocery list and see that it is 80% produce and unprocessed foods, I get a sense of satisfaction, like I am meeting my goal.  And when I manage to make a meal that is healthy AND delicious, I feel like I have accomplished something good.  And although the daily necessity of cooking, especially after a long day at work, often feels like a chore, overall I don't hate it anymore.  In fact, I am happy to say that sometimes I even enjoy it! 

I'm having an identity crisis here.  I'm not sure I recognize me anymore.  WHO AM I?!!

Life update

I mentioned before that I was dieting...well actually restricting calories is more like it because I don't like diets that eliminate certain foods.  So far I've lost 3 pounds!  That may not sound like much, but I've got to celebrate the small steps or I'll get discouraged.

Also, I got a new phone.  Our phones were available to upgrade so we turned in our old basic phones for quick messaging phones!  This is the phone I had before:

And this is my new one:

Are you noticing a trend here?  I love green! So far I love my new phone.  The keypad is awesome and it has a touch screen, which is fun. (It's not a smartphone.) It's shorter and bubbly-er than most phones which at first I thought was weird but I grew to like it.

And yes, I know I said I wasn't buying anything during Lent.  We had this upgrade planned for several weeks so I broke the rules.

Ash Wednesday...a day late

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday and I had a post planned, but work ended up being crazy and I stayed late, and then James whisked me off to dinner and I didn't have time to post.  So just pretend like it's still Wednesday, OK?

Growing up in a nondenominational church and then attending some Baptist churches in my adult years, I have never been very exposed to the church calendar.  In fact, I didn't even know about it until college when I read some books and met some people who were different than me. There are two seasons that more liturgical churches observe that I think are really neat, Advent and Lent. 
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, a 46-day period leading up to Easter.  This is supposed to be a time where you repent of your sin and reflect on what Christ did through His death and resurrection.  A lot of people fast and give up something that they like during Lent.  The purpose is to prepare your heart for Easter.  Can you really fully experience the joy of salvation if you never feel the weight of your sin?  I think that is really neat and I'm kind of sad that my church tradition doesn't include this season.

So last year I decided to participate anyway, and gave up 30 minutes of sleep in the morning so that I could have a longer quiet time.  That may not sound like much, but I love my sleep!  So for me it was definitely a sacrifice.  But it was so worth it because I grew a lot in my faith during that time. 

This year, I couldn't figure out what to give up.  I had been mulling over a couple of options, when on Monday, it came to me. 

In light of everything I've been learning through Radical and the conviction I've been feeling about how much money we (I) spend on ourselves, I decided to give up shopping.  So I will not be buying any clothes, decorations for the house, books, or any other little things that I usually spend money on unnecessarily.  I will of course still shop for groceries and necessary items.

I think God gave the idea to me on Monday because he knew that if I had thought of it any sooner, I probably would have gone out that weekend and preemptively bought some clothes!  I've had my eye on a couple of things that will just have to wait for a while.

I think this will help me be disciplined by giving me a goal to work toward, and when I want to buy something and can't, maybe I will remember that Christ did not die on the cross so that I can live a life of luxury and selfishness.  Maybe I will remember to pray for those who are truly in need - for their situation, but also for their salvation so that they may experience the true joy that comes from a life in Christ.
Do you participate in Lent?

The dude's crazy

Here is my very deep, very spiritual question for today:

What is up with Charlie Sheen?!  Seriously, the dude's crazy.  Everything he says sounds like a mad lib, like he just inserts random nouns and adjectives into sentences. And now he's climbing on top of roofs and waving machetes around? Sheesh. He's finally lost it.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Monday Musings

• It's definitely Monday.  Yesterday I got my lunch ready and my workout clothes packed and put all the ingredients for tonight's dinner out so that I could just put it in the crockpot and go this morning, and I was still late to work.  Mondays are really hard for me to get going in the morning.

• James and I are upgrading our phones soon - we're looking for quick messaging phones with a QWERTY keyboard (not a smartphone) for AT&T.  Does anyone have any recommendations?

• I decided to try to lose some of the weight I've gained since college, and so I am now counting calories and trying to exercise.  I've discovered that the hardest part is getting the correct portion size down.  I feel like I'm always hungry!  I'm trying to eat protein and fiber-rich foods so that I stay full longer, but it's not working too well.  I wonder if it takes time for the stomach to get used to not overeating?

• We found a new Italian place this weekend.  It's a little mom and pop place but the pizza is pretty good and the best part is that you can sit at the bar and watch them cook it and listen to them speak Italian.  We'll definitely be going back. Don't tell my diet.

• I am trying to decide what to do for Lent.  None of the churches I've ever been in have observed Lent, but I like the idea of preparing myself for the celebration of Christ's resurrection.  Last year I gave up extra sleep in the morning so that I could read the Bible for 30-45 minutes every day instead of 10 or 15.  It definitely made an impact in my spiritual life.  I might do that again.

• I'm going to a dance cardio class tonight.  I went last week and it was fun, but definitely challenging.  I was proud of myself though because I was about 85% able to keep up with all the moves even though it was their last week doing that particular routine and I hadn't been there for any of it.  They're starting a new routine today so we'll see how that goes.  Dinner is in the crockpot so that I can just collapse on the couch when I get home.

• I am so sick of being in limbo!  We've been preparing for the inevitable job loss when the shuttle program ends now for almost two years because it keeps getting pushed back.  It is wonderful that we both still have jobs, but it feels like we can't make any plans. Now it looks like it is going to end for real this year, so James is looking for a job. It's kind of scary and kind of exciting at the same time. But I can't wait to be settled somewhere so that we can continue on with our lives.  For me, waiting on God's timing has always proved to be the hardest part of following God.

• I think nail polish makes my nails grow faster. 

And that's all I've got for today.  Now I'm just hoping the afternoon goes quickly.

Conscious spending

As you can tell, the human exploitation problem in this world is something that God has been impressing on both of our hearts.  But it is such a big, scary problem that it is overwhelming!  How can one, insignificant girl like me make any difference?

One thing that we have been convicted about is how we spend our money.  It turns out that a lot of common, mainstream brands are owned by big companies who are not socially responsible.  They sell cheap clothes because they buy their products from sweatshops in India.  They sell cheap food because they don't even pay minimum wage to their harvesters.  It makes sense if you really think about it, though up to this point, I never had.

When I first started thinking about changing what companies I buy from, I got all defensive.  First of all, how am I ever going to know how companies operate?  I still struggle with that.  Second of all, how is it my problem?  I mean, I'm not directly sending money to the owner of the sweatshop, or the guy that forces people to pick coffee beans all day for no pay.  Right?

It all came down to fear and selfishness. I was afraid that if I started looking into this issue, that I would have to stop buying some things that I like buying.  And I didn't want to do that.  I like my options and my comfort.  So I kept pushing it out of my mind. 

After a while I knew that justifying myself to God just wasn't going to work anymore.  So with hesitancy, I bought some books.  And I was right: I am going to have to stop buying some things that I like.  But now that I am informed about what my money is going to support, I can't ignore it.

So we have been slowly changing our spending habits.  And I do mean slowly.  It is overwhelming, y'all.  So I am just taking it one step at a time and asking God for wisdom.

For example, I bought Revlon mascara instead of CoverGirl mascara, because CoverGirl is owned by Proctor and Gamble, a company that has been known to source from sweatshops.

I bought Newman's Own salad dressing instead of Kraft.

But then I bought a whole bunch of other stuff that I have no idea about.  I doubt that we will ever get to the point where everything we spend money on is guaranteed to not hurt anyone down the line.  There's not a whole lot of information, and there is a whole lot of corruption and greed out there.  It is probably not possible to buy everything we need without supporting something bad inadvertently.  And some of the alternatives to the "really bad" companies are not 100% shiny and clean themselves.

But at least I am working towards it.  At least I know that those $8 for mascara went toward a company that (to my knowledge) is not exploiting people.

Here are some resources that have really helped me out.

The Better World Shopping Guide is a nifty little booklet that rates companies in all kinds of product categories.  If you want a quick, easy reference tool, this is a good one.  What I don't like about it is that while they rate the companies based on 5 different categories, they don't tell you why the companies received their grade.  You know it's one or all of the 5 categories, but not which one.  They seem to have a lot of research behind their analysis, but they don't share it with you.

This Responsible Shopper website goes more into depth about each company, siting complaints that have been filed against them and what they are known for.  However, it is not as comprehensive.

If I find anymore, I will post them.

Free the Captives conference

On Saturday, we went to the Free the Captives conference in Houston.  It was really neat to see a group of people come together specifically to learn more about social justice.  There were some really great topics including personal stories from two women who were exploited in this country, and an FBI agent who worked these kinds of cases here in Houston.  We heard from an organization called Redeemed Ministries that works with the victims of human trafficking in Houston. 

On their website is an eye-opening video about how prevalent human exploitation is in this city.  It really hit home for me when a man from Spring was talking about how he took his kids to their local barbershop and ended up stumbling on a massage parlor right next door in the strip center.

The video is here.

I signed up for more information about a group that ministers to girls on probation from the juvenile detention center, most of whom have been exploited and abused in their lives.

I don't know where God is going to take me on this journey.  But I do know that now my eyes are open and I can no longer go back to where I was.

This chapter of Isaiah 58 has been speaking to my heart lately.  (I know it's long, but it's so good!  Worth reading all the way through.)

¹ “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
   Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
   and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
² For day after day they seek me out;
   they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
   and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
   and seem eager for God to come near them.
³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
   ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
   and you have not noticed?’
   “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
   and exploit all your workers.
⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
   and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
   and expect your voice to be heard on high.
⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
   only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
   and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
   a day acceptable to the LORD?
 ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?
⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness^[a] will go before you,
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
⁹ Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
   “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
   with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
   and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
   and your night will become like the noonday.
¹¹ The LORD will guide you always;
   he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
   and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
   like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
   and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
   Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
 ¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
   and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
   and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
   and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the LORD,
   and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
   and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
            For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Wow.  Last year, before I learned about human trafficking and before I went through the Radical study by David Platt, I read through Isaiah.  I read this chapter and this is what I took from it:

God doesn't want us to pretend to be seeking after Him and yet living our lives just as we please.

That is true but there is so much more to that chapter that I completely skimmed over.  The passage goes on to describe that true spiritual discipline includes

loosing the chains of injustice

spending yourself on behalf of the hungry

clothing the naked

sheltering the wanderer

Do I do any of those things?  No.  I am no better than the Israelites, fasting and praying for God to hear them, all the while living as they pleased and ignoring the plight of the needy.

I am so grateful that God doesn't give up on His children and is constantly working in my heart to open my eyes and draw me closer to Him.

Isn't the Bible neat?  It is truly alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword, and I love how you can pass over a passage one time and then it jumps off the page at you the next!