Imagine a natural disaster is about to happen. The news and local authorities have been talking about it for days (or hours). The disaster could be floodwaters rising above the valley floor or a tornado or hurricane. People need to be ready, they need to prepare, in some instances evacuate.
What do people do? Some party, some pack up, some leave, some stay. Gallows humor abounds. People take comfort, shelter, and encouragement from whatever source they can.
Some people, in every disaster, choose not to evacuate. They choose not to listen to the knowledge and instructions of those who are trained to keep them safe. They choose to stay in their homes and hope that the flood, hurricane or tornado will miss them and their loved ones.
Some people, who are far away from the impending tragedy, will laugh, scoff and make fun of the scurrying masses readying for catastrophe. And in truth, some of the people about to be smack dab in the middle of disaster make fun of those that are safe; those that built their houses away from rivers, harbors, earthquake plates, tornado alley.
So, I’d like you to think of the “Rapture” in terms of a natural disaster; which is quite close to what the aftermath of the Rapture will likely be.
People will have disappeared by the thousands. It’s not clear if physical bodies of the believers will disappear or if there will be streets and buildings strewn with lifeless bodies everywhere. Earthquakes, car crashes, storms and all manner of chaos will occur. It doesn’t matter because we can’t picture in our minds what the disaster will actually look like. Just as every natural calamity that occurs is like no other we’ve seen, the rapture will be like nothing we can imagine. Pictures won’t adequately describe the fear, pain, suffering and horror that will take place.
Those of us on high ground, the believers; we scoff a bit at those that are concerned about their “fate”. We’re safe. We know where we’re going and where we’ll spend eternity. (I won’t argue theology or correctness in this post). So, like the people in the desert who laugh at those that are flooded every single year because they live on the rivers, we feel your pain, but we know we’ve chosen the safety that is available to everyone. For those that continue to live in tornado alley or along the shores of towns that experience hurricanes more years than not, we understand your sorrow and your loss, but cannot comprehend why you willingly put yourself in the path of destruction.
You don’t have to live in a specific place or in a certain home or possess a certain alarm system to be ready for the ‘end of the world’. You have available to you the gift of a lifetime. And, you have the choice to accept the gift or not. You can move to a safe place, and know that you will be safe.
All you have to do is choose the gift, the present, the grace of God who provides for every tragedy with love and power and everlasting life.
It’s your choice. You can celebrate the end of the world while you fear the destruction that is about to come or you can rejoice that you’ll be eternally safe and secure.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should have everlasting life.
Romans 10:9-10 (New International Version)
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Good things about missing the Rapture:
For the purposes of this post, “Rapture” refers to the mysterious disappearing of countless numbers of peoples all over the world. If you’re a Bible believing Christian this is part of the tribulation that is prophesied in Revelation (and other parts of the Bible). I happen to be a person who believes that believers will be raptured PRIOR to the tribulation – making me a “Pre-Trib” believer.
Matthew 24:36 (New International Version)
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
For those of you that have been told that the world will end on Saturday, May 21, 2011; I’d like you to read the verse above and realize that NO ONE knows when the end will come. Not me, not that guy who’s “done the math” and not the man on the street with the picket sign proclaiming the end of the world.
However, in the spirit of fun, and because I’ve got a sense of humor, I thought I’d put together a list of good things about “missing the rapture”:
- You don’t have to worry about your house being in foreclosure anymore.
- Your car tabs will never have to be renewed again.
- Alimony and child-support payments won’t need to be paid.
- Banks won’t have overdraft fees because no one will have any money. Come to think of it, there probably won’t be many banks that are functioning.
- You really can have your neighbor’s house, car, yard, boat and big-screen TV.
- Getting to work may be a challenge due to the earthquake and lack of electricity, but you probably won’t have much traffic to deal with.
- You can have your burger anyway you want.
- Those annoying tele-evangelists on TV will be off the air.
- You can use up all the emergencies supplies you’ve been saving.
- You can find out how long Twinkies REALLY are good for.
- You can nap when you want, where you want and not have to worry about the guy next door mowing his lawn or chain-sawing his trees.
- The church around the corner will stop hounding you with pamphlets and invitations to their Easter services.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
“Love Wins” Rob Bell Detailed Review
Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” I abhor this book because it is evil. It’s evil because I leads so many down the path of “God is Love”; God IS LOVE and power and glory and grace.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is sin? Sin is hatred and disbelief and denial and confusion and evil and lying. Sin is turning away from God and from his Love. Making a choice.
Not making a decision IS a decision. Life is full of choices; decisions: Up or down, left or right, backward or forward, move or stay, believe or not.
“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.” ~ Gary Collins
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever should believe in Him should have eternal life.
That’s pretty inclusive if you ask me; you just have to BELIEVE. In God. In His gift. You’ve been invited to show up to the party and you’re in. FOREVER. But you have to accept the invitation and go to the party.
Mr. Bell states the belief that Heaven and Hell exist is toxic and not the Jesus that is true. Apparently Mr. Bell (I refuse to call him a pastor) hasn’t read the entire Bible. There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. There is no purgatory or limbo or train station where people wait in between for their judgment. Those that choose God and his gift go to Heaven. Those that don’t go to Hell. It’s simple, yet terrifying; like seeing the sign that says “ONE WAY STREET” and choosing to drive the other way. The consequences are deadly when you make the wrong choice. The “rest of humanity” that choose not to believe; choose to deny every evidence of God; choose to DENY HIM; they will be in Hell.
Romans 1:20-21 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.
Proverbs 15:24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.
There is clearly a choice that is made between good and evil, right and wrong, dark and light all throughout our lives. That’s what the Christian life is mainly about (other than preaching the gospel) – that’s what sets us apart from the world. The Christian is to actively work to show and practice God and his teachings on a daily basis. That means living as good stewards, taking care of others, teaching, choosing good, and living according to the commandments. Those that know Jesus (have accepted him as the Master of their life), have chosen to live according to the Word of God. Those that choose not to follow the path that’s laid out have chosen to deny the existence of God’s power, both in good and evil.
Even as children there are choices to be made: Hit your sister, lie to your mother, take that piece of candy, do your chores, not turn in homework. As adults we make choices every day: Drive over the speed limit, lie to our boss, ‘forget’ to return the tool we’ve borrowed, carry hate in our heart for a neighbor’s constantly barking dog. The choices are HARD. The right way is always hard.
“And that question {“of a personal relationship”} raises another question. If the message of Jesus is that God is offering the free gift of eternal life through him – a gift we cannot earn by our own efforts, works, or good deeds – and all we have to do is accept and confess and believe, aren’t those verbs?”
Mr. Bell states that there are no scriptural proofs that we are to have a personal relationship with God; that the words “personal relationship” have only been used in the past 100 years. In this theory, he negates the purpose of Jesus’ life and ministry, death and resurrection. The difference between New Testament Christians and Old Testament believers was the death of Jesus on the cross. Prior to that point, the only relationship believers had with God was through sacrifices, and through “the law”. The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate (and final) sacrifice offered to bring the love of God to all people, not just Jews. The personal relationship however is evidenced throughout both the Old and New Testament, through the belief of Abraham, Sarah, David, Job, Moses and an entire list of people who followed the will of their higher power; even though they couldn’t see him or touch him or hear him.
His theology is also quite circular. Heaven is real, but it isn’t; Heaven is here but it’s somewhere else (on another plane); Hell is on earth but also a threat for people to change their ways. Jesus spoke in parables that were meaningful for the then and there, but not in current, modern day times. It’s confusing; and I’m not sure that if I weren’t a believer that I’d want to take the time to find the truth.
He has some good points about community service, the poor, the rich and good works; I’m not debating that as Christians, there are things we are called to do. But his basis for these works it seems is that they are our way into the Heaven in the future that will be on this earth. He appears to believe that the works that we do while in this lifetime will guarantee our existence in Heaven and the rewards from God. Resurrection and grace don’t seem to appear in his version of the ‘choosing process’ for Heavenly residence; they are just like extra stars on the chore chart of our lives. What really gets us into everlasting habitation with Jesus and God is what kind of a person we are in our mortal life.
“But for Jesus, heaven is more real than what we experience now. This is true for the future, when earth and heaven become one, but also for today”.
He talks about in other places where Jesus believed that heaven was here and now because he talked about it in present tense. This confuses me because it’s always been clear to me that Heaven has always existed and will always exist because it’s where God “lives”. Jesus came from Heaven as a baby and returned to Heaven after he was resurrected and ascended. Of course it’s real. Just as real as the Hell that Satan rules over. Remember that God cast Satan out of Heaven and into Hell because Lucifer (an angel) fought God (free will) and wanted to be more powerful than God (disobedience). And the humans that fight God and choose to go their own way without submitting to God’s power and Love and control will go the same place.
Revelation 1:18 "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death".
Revelation 12:7-12 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
And THEN there’s the “dimensions” section. I had to check that I was still reading “Love Wins” and not some science-fiction novel about time travel. Dimensions?
“To say it again, eternal life is less about a kind of time what starts when we die, and more about a quality and vitality of life lived now in connection to God.
Eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts now. It’s not about a life that begins at death; it’s about experiencing the kind of life now that can endure and survive even death.
We live in several dimensions. Up and down. Left and right. Forward and backward. Three to be exact.”
Dimensions? He definitely lost me there. If I were travelling in a car with this man and he started preparing the car for a time-travel trip, I’d be asking to be let out on the side of the road RIGHT NOW.
Back to Hell; or at least the discussion of Hell…
“Often the people most concerned about others going to hell when they die seem less concerned with the hells on earth right now, while the people most concerned with the hells on earth right now seem the least concerned about hell after death.”
“There are individual hells, and communal, society-wide hells, and Jesus teaches us to take both seriously. There is hell now and there is hell later, and Jesus teaches us to take both seriously.”
He answers the question or position of “is there a Hell” with a political, a religious and a scriptural answer. The political answer is that Jesus was comparing Hell to present (His) times, and “it’s important that we don’t take Jesus’ very real and prescient warnings about judgment then out of context, making them about someday and somewhere else. That wasn’t what he was talking about.”
He cautions (p 81)
“Because of this history [Romans and the Jews and oppression], it’s important that we don’t take Jesus’ very real and prescient warnings about judgment then out of context, making them about someday, somewhere else. That wasn’t what he was talking about.” He goes on to say on that same page that Jesus’ audience – who he was speaking to – were “very devoted, religious Jews”.
So, Jesus, who frequently spoke in parables and stories and gave real life visuals about things people couldn’t understand so that we COULD understand them; was only talking about the soon-to-be uprising. Not Heaven or Hell or the future or the past. Jesus was so one-dimensional; so, incapable of having omniscience; so un-relatable; that he could only talk to his people, the promised people of God, about the then and now.
That one paragraphs neatly places Jesus’ entire ministry into a small, sturdy box and relegates it to the prophetic nonsense of Confucius, Allah and Joseph Smith. Either Jesus KNEW what he was saying was a message for all people, for all time; or he was just some really cool, rebellious guy who conned a bunch of people into believing him. In other words, a religious fanatic; the David Koresh or Jim Jones of his day (minus the ATF and the Kool-aid).
Either Jesus was the answer to the Old Testament predictions, or he was a really good charlatan. Either the Bible is inerrant and infallible (which means it is true and not wrong in any way), or it’s a dictionary that needs to be revised every few years with new words like “ain’t and “fo-shizzle”.
“Jesus did not use hell to try and compel “heathens” and “pagans” to believe in God, so they wouldn’t burn when they die. He talked about hell to very religious people to warn them about the consequences of straying from their God-given calling and identity to show the world God’s love.”
I think Mr. Bell’s entire premise of the promise of eternal life for all is pretty much summed up on pages 85-86;
“According to the prophets, God crushes, refines, tests, corrects, chastens and rebukes – but always with a purpose. No matter how painful, brutal, oppressive, not matter how far people find themselves from home because of their sin, indifference, and rejection, there’s always the assurance that it won’t be this way forever.”
He negates the free will of people to CHOOSE God or not. CHOOSE Heaven and eternity or HELL and eternal suffering. There is always the assurance that it won’t be this way forever; it will either be much better – beyond explanation or understanding – or much, much worse. But it’s a choice we get to make.
He spends a lot of time explaining that things have to be one way or the other, not both. People have choices, God gives them the ultimate show of love by giving everything He has and letting them choose NOT to accept the gift. But apparently the gift is still available after it’s been rejected, time and time and time again. Even after we’re physically dead and the body and mind and soul and spirit can’t possibly make another choice.
Again, if I weren’t a believer and hadn’t been one all my life; I would find this book a lot of circular reasoning and confusing perplexity. He talks about other religions and knowing Jesus, even though they don’t know his name. He talks again about inclusivity, exclusivity, heaven, hell, all religions, and good people getting in and so on.
Hell is a story, our daily life, “our refusal to trust God’s retelling of our story.” (page 170). He ends the book (almost – Chapter 7) with a detailed, drawn-out, overly simplified retelling of the parable of the two sons. Somehow this story pertains to heaven and choices and God’s sacrifice of Jesus and the difference between how we spend eternity. Apparently, we all will be in heaven, but some won’t be at the ‘party’. They’ll be on the outside of the gates looking in, taking photos, talking to people as they enter and exit. Maybe, they’ll even ask for leftovers and autographs from the “in crowd”. Page 190:
“The only thing left to do is trust. Everybody is already at the party. Heaven and hell, here, now, around us, upon us, within us.”
I’d love to be able to recommend this book because there are lots of verses and some scripturally accurate explanations inside the cover. But I struggle with the merry-go-round philosophy that there is no end; there is always another chance and another and another. Biblically, there’s no way around the fact that there are choices and the choices are clear. Either the Bible is a history book that can be revised, edited and modified at the whim of society; or it is inerrant, infallible and the true word of God. You either believe that every part of the Bible is true or you reduce it to a story that has moments of brilliance and pages of incredulity.
In my opinion, there is a heaven, a hell, a right way and a wrong way. There is a time when every person has to make a choice for or against God; the only God – not Allah, Joseph Smith, Buddha or Krishna. And, if you make the choice against God, you have to pay the consequences for that choice of everlasting pain, anguish and despair. Because you’ve had every chance you’re ever going to get while your body is alive on this earth.
Heaven or Hell, Turn or Burn.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is sin? Sin is hatred and disbelief and denial and confusion and evil and lying. Sin is turning away from God and from his Love. Making a choice.
Not making a decision IS a decision. Life is full of choices; decisions: Up or down, left or right, backward or forward, move or stay, believe or not.
“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.” ~ Gary Collins
“A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place call heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better.”
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever should believe in Him should have eternal life.
That’s pretty inclusive if you ask me; you just have to BELIEVE. In God. In His gift. You’ve been invited to show up to the party and you’re in. FOREVER. But you have to accept the invitation and go to the party.
Mr. Bell states the belief that Heaven and Hell exist is toxic and not the Jesus that is true. Apparently Mr. Bell (I refuse to call him a pastor) hasn’t read the entire Bible. There is a Heaven and there is a Hell. There is no purgatory or limbo or train station where people wait in between for their judgment. Those that choose God and his gift go to Heaven. Those that don’t go to Hell. It’s simple, yet terrifying; like seeing the sign that says “ONE WAY STREET” and choosing to drive the other way. The consequences are deadly when you make the wrong choice. The “rest of humanity” that choose not to believe; choose to deny every evidence of God; choose to DENY HIM; they will be in Hell.
Romans 1:20-21 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.
Proverbs 15:24 The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below.
There is clearly a choice that is made between good and evil, right and wrong, dark and light all throughout our lives. That’s what the Christian life is mainly about (other than preaching the gospel) – that’s what sets us apart from the world. The Christian is to actively work to show and practice God and his teachings on a daily basis. That means living as good stewards, taking care of others, teaching, choosing good, and living according to the commandments. Those that know Jesus (have accepted him as the Master of their life), have chosen to live according to the Word of God. Those that choose not to follow the path that’s laid out have chosen to deny the existence of God’s power, both in good and evil.
Even as children there are choices to be made: Hit your sister, lie to your mother, take that piece of candy, do your chores, not turn in homework. As adults we make choices every day: Drive over the speed limit, lie to our boss, ‘forget’ to return the tool we’ve borrowed, carry hate in our heart for a neighbor’s constantly barking dog. The choices are HARD. The right way is always hard.
“And that question {“of a personal relationship”} raises another question. If the message of Jesus is that God is offering the free gift of eternal life through him – a gift we cannot earn by our own efforts, works, or good deeds – and all we have to do is accept and confess and believe, aren’t those verbs?”
Mr. Bell states that there are no scriptural proofs that we are to have a personal relationship with God; that the words “personal relationship” have only been used in the past 100 years. In this theory, he negates the purpose of Jesus’ life and ministry, death and resurrection. The difference between New Testament Christians and Old Testament believers was the death of Jesus on the cross. Prior to that point, the only relationship believers had with God was through sacrifices, and through “the law”. The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate (and final) sacrifice offered to bring the love of God to all people, not just Jews. The personal relationship however is evidenced throughout both the Old and New Testament, through the belief of Abraham, Sarah, David, Job, Moses and an entire list of people who followed the will of their higher power; even though they couldn’t see him or touch him or hear him.
His theology is also quite circular. Heaven is real, but it isn’t; Heaven is here but it’s somewhere else (on another plane); Hell is on earth but also a threat for people to change their ways. Jesus spoke in parables that were meaningful for the then and there, but not in current, modern day times. It’s confusing; and I’m not sure that if I weren’t a believer that I’d want to take the time to find the truth.
He has some good points about community service, the poor, the rich and good works; I’m not debating that as Christians, there are things we are called to do. But his basis for these works it seems is that they are our way into the Heaven in the future that will be on this earth. He appears to believe that the works that we do while in this lifetime will guarantee our existence in Heaven and the rewards from God. Resurrection and grace don’t seem to appear in his version of the ‘choosing process’ for Heavenly residence; they are just like extra stars on the chore chart of our lives. What really gets us into everlasting habitation with Jesus and God is what kind of a person we are in our mortal life.
“But for Jesus, heaven is more real than what we experience now. This is true for the future, when earth and heaven become one, but also for today”.
He talks about in other places where Jesus believed that heaven was here and now because he talked about it in present tense. This confuses me because it’s always been clear to me that Heaven has always existed and will always exist because it’s where God “lives”. Jesus came from Heaven as a baby and returned to Heaven after he was resurrected and ascended. Of course it’s real. Just as real as the Hell that Satan rules over. Remember that God cast Satan out of Heaven and into Hell because Lucifer (an angel) fought God (free will) and wanted to be more powerful than God (disobedience). And the humans that fight God and choose to go their own way without submitting to God’s power and Love and control will go the same place.
Revelation 1:18 "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death".
Revelation 12:7-12 "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."
And THEN there’s the “dimensions” section. I had to check that I was still reading “Love Wins” and not some science-fiction novel about time travel. Dimensions?
“To say it again, eternal life is less about a kind of time what starts when we die, and more about a quality and vitality of life lived now in connection to God.
Eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts now. It’s not about a life that begins at death; it’s about experiencing the kind of life now that can endure and survive even death.
We live in several dimensions. Up and down. Left and right. Forward and backward. Three to be exact.”
Dimensions? He definitely lost me there. If I were travelling in a car with this man and he started preparing the car for a time-travel trip, I’d be asking to be let out on the side of the road RIGHT NOW.
Back to Hell; or at least the discussion of Hell…
“Often the people most concerned about others going to hell when they die seem less concerned with the hells on earth right now, while the people most concerned with the hells on earth right now seem the least concerned about hell after death.”
“There are individual hells, and communal, society-wide hells, and Jesus teaches us to take both seriously. There is hell now and there is hell later, and Jesus teaches us to take both seriously.”
He answers the question or position of “is there a Hell” with a political, a religious and a scriptural answer. The political answer is that Jesus was comparing Hell to present (His) times, and “it’s important that we don’t take Jesus’ very real and prescient warnings about judgment then out of context, making them about someday and somewhere else. That wasn’t what he was talking about.”
He cautions (p 81)
“Because of this history [Romans and the Jews and oppression], it’s important that we don’t take Jesus’ very real and prescient warnings about judgment then out of context, making them about someday, somewhere else. That wasn’t what he was talking about.” He goes on to say on that same page that Jesus’ audience – who he was speaking to – were “very devoted, religious Jews”.
So, Jesus, who frequently spoke in parables and stories and gave real life visuals about things people couldn’t understand so that we COULD understand them; was only talking about the soon-to-be uprising. Not Heaven or Hell or the future or the past. Jesus was so one-dimensional; so, incapable of having omniscience; so un-relatable; that he could only talk to his people, the promised people of God, about the then and now.
That one paragraphs neatly places Jesus’ entire ministry into a small, sturdy box and relegates it to the prophetic nonsense of Confucius, Allah and Joseph Smith. Either Jesus KNEW what he was saying was a message for all people, for all time; or he was just some really cool, rebellious guy who conned a bunch of people into believing him. In other words, a religious fanatic; the David Koresh or Jim Jones of his day (minus the ATF and the Kool-aid).
Either Jesus was the answer to the Old Testament predictions, or he was a really good charlatan. Either the Bible is inerrant and infallible (which means it is true and not wrong in any way), or it’s a dictionary that needs to be revised every few years with new words like “ain’t and “fo-shizzle”.
“Jesus did not use hell to try and compel “heathens” and “pagans” to believe in God, so they wouldn’t burn when they die. He talked about hell to very religious people to warn them about the consequences of straying from their God-given calling and identity to show the world God’s love.”
I think Mr. Bell’s entire premise of the promise of eternal life for all is pretty much summed up on pages 85-86;
“According to the prophets, God crushes, refines, tests, corrects, chastens and rebukes – but always with a purpose. No matter how painful, brutal, oppressive, not matter how far people find themselves from home because of their sin, indifference, and rejection, there’s always the assurance that it won’t be this way forever.”
He negates the free will of people to CHOOSE God or not. CHOOSE Heaven and eternity or HELL and eternal suffering. There is always the assurance that it won’t be this way forever; it will either be much better – beyond explanation or understanding – or much, much worse. But it’s a choice we get to make.
He spends a lot of time explaining that things have to be one way or the other, not both. People have choices, God gives them the ultimate show of love by giving everything He has and letting them choose NOT to accept the gift. But apparently the gift is still available after it’s been rejected, time and time and time again. Even after we’re physically dead and the body and mind and soul and spirit can’t possibly make another choice.
Again, if I weren’t a believer and hadn’t been one all my life; I would find this book a lot of circular reasoning and confusing perplexity. He talks about other religions and knowing Jesus, even though they don’t know his name. He talks again about inclusivity, exclusivity, heaven, hell, all religions, and good people getting in and so on.
Hell is a story, our daily life, “our refusal to trust God’s retelling of our story.” (page 170). He ends the book (almost – Chapter 7) with a detailed, drawn-out, overly simplified retelling of the parable of the two sons. Somehow this story pertains to heaven and choices and God’s sacrifice of Jesus and the difference between how we spend eternity. Apparently, we all will be in heaven, but some won’t be at the ‘party’. They’ll be on the outside of the gates looking in, taking photos, talking to people as they enter and exit. Maybe, they’ll even ask for leftovers and autographs from the “in crowd”. Page 190:
“The only thing left to do is trust. Everybody is already at the party. Heaven and hell, here, now, around us, upon us, within us.”
I’d love to be able to recommend this book because there are lots of verses and some scripturally accurate explanations inside the cover. But I struggle with the merry-go-round philosophy that there is no end; there is always another chance and another and another. Biblically, there’s no way around the fact that there are choices and the choices are clear. Either the Bible is a history book that can be revised, edited and modified at the whim of society; or it is inerrant, infallible and the true word of God. You either believe that every part of the Bible is true or you reduce it to a story that has moments of brilliance and pages of incredulity.
In my opinion, there is a heaven, a hell, a right way and a wrong way. There is a time when every person has to make a choice for or against God; the only God – not Allah, Joseph Smith, Buddha or Krishna. And, if you make the choice against God, you have to pay the consequences for that choice of everlasting pain, anguish and despair. Because you’ve had every chance you’re ever going to get while your body is alive on this earth.
Heaven or Hell, Turn or Burn.
“Untied” Meredith Baxter Book Review May 2011
Mrs. Keaton is a lesbian? An “out & proud”, cruise-boat vacationing, paid speaking engagement lesbian? But, she was married to David Birney (and two other guys). She has five children. She’s 60 years old. I’m stunned.
I don’t normally read memoirs/autobiographies. Most memoirs; in my opinon are fodder for those enquiring minds that need to have trash to talk about. There are some people I’m interested in reading about but usually they are biographies about people that were historical individuals; however, there have been several memoirs that I’ve put on my list in the past month; this is the first of the ones I’ve read.
I have to admit I almost put the book down and took it back to the library after the first page. As it’s no secret (you don’t have to wait until the end of the book to figure it out), Meredith tells us point blank that she’s a lesbian in, like the 2nd paragraph of the book. Well, she infers she has a partner of four years and then starts talking about coming out and a lesbian cruise. Let’s just say I did the math.
But, I thought, there has to be more to the book than that, otherwise why would she put it in the first chapter? Fortunately (for me), she doesn’t really discuss her conversion to lesbianism again until the last few chapters of the book.
What I liked about the book:
I’m impressed that through the entire book she doesn’t place the blame elsewhere for her decisions, choices, relationships or addictions. She talks about her fault in the end of the marriages, the relationships to begin with, her mother’s lack of nurture and family ideals (which she tried not to model in her family), her poor choices in men, her feelings about her father, stepfather and other men in her life and her decisions to change how she goes through life with therapy and 12-step programs.
What I Didn’t like about the book:
I think it’s amazing that she doesn’t lay any blame for the failed relationships on the other half of the relationship pair. She doesn’t blame her step-father, Jack, for his tendencies to come-on to her; she doesn’t blame her mother for her lack of mothering skills, and she ‘excuses’ David Birney’s behavior in their relationship as ‘the only way he knew’. Maybe it’s the way he was raised, but he, like all of us have the options, the self-help section at the library and bookstores, therapists and other avenues for changing ourselves. I think she lets them off easy.
I find it interesting that she suddenly finds women she’s attracted to physically and spiritually only after three ended marriages, alcoholism and a 12-step program. Without wanting to sound hateful and uncaring, I think she diminishes the learning and understanding she gained about her former relationships by changing the playing field, so to speak. I also am a bit irritated by the stock photo of her with a cross on and her use interchangeably between swear words and praying about events in her life.
It was a good book; I enjoyed her openness without blaming, her self-decision on keeping her children’s stories out of the mix (she does talk about them, but only in the smallest of ways and never in a way that I would consider hurtful).
I still just can’t quite reconcile myself to Mrs. Keaton being a lesbian. It would be like saying that Mrs. Brady is a transvestite.
I don’t normally read memoirs/autobiographies. Most memoirs; in my opinon are fodder for those enquiring minds that need to have trash to talk about. There are some people I’m interested in reading about but usually they are biographies about people that were historical individuals; however, there have been several memoirs that I’ve put on my list in the past month; this is the first of the ones I’ve read.
I have to admit I almost put the book down and took it back to the library after the first page. As it’s no secret (you don’t have to wait until the end of the book to figure it out), Meredith tells us point blank that she’s a lesbian in, like the 2nd paragraph of the book. Well, she infers she has a partner of four years and then starts talking about coming out and a lesbian cruise. Let’s just say I did the math.
But, I thought, there has to be more to the book than that, otherwise why would she put it in the first chapter? Fortunately (for me), she doesn’t really discuss her conversion to lesbianism again until the last few chapters of the book.
What I liked about the book:
I’m impressed that through the entire book she doesn’t place the blame elsewhere for her decisions, choices, relationships or addictions. She talks about her fault in the end of the marriages, the relationships to begin with, her mother’s lack of nurture and family ideals (which she tried not to model in her family), her poor choices in men, her feelings about her father, stepfather and other men in her life and her decisions to change how she goes through life with therapy and 12-step programs.
What I Didn’t like about the book:
I think it’s amazing that she doesn’t lay any blame for the failed relationships on the other half of the relationship pair. She doesn’t blame her step-father, Jack, for his tendencies to come-on to her; she doesn’t blame her mother for her lack of mothering skills, and she ‘excuses’ David Birney’s behavior in their relationship as ‘the only way he knew’. Maybe it’s the way he was raised, but he, like all of us have the options, the self-help section at the library and bookstores, therapists and other avenues for changing ourselves. I think she lets them off easy.
I find it interesting that she suddenly finds women she’s attracted to physically and spiritually only after three ended marriages, alcoholism and a 12-step program. Without wanting to sound hateful and uncaring, I think she diminishes the learning and understanding she gained about her former relationships by changing the playing field, so to speak. I also am a bit irritated by the stock photo of her with a cross on and her use interchangeably between swear words and praying about events in her life.
It was a good book; I enjoyed her openness without blaming, her self-decision on keeping her children’s stories out of the mix (she does talk about them, but only in the smallest of ways and never in a way that I would consider hurtful).
I still just can’t quite reconcile myself to Mrs. Keaton being a lesbian. It would be like saying that Mrs. Brady is a transvestite.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
A few words about golf…
Prior to Monday, my only golfing “experiences” were living on the 18th hole of a golf course for 11 years in California; miniature golf at Family Fun Center and two or three stimulating rounds of golf on Wii Golf. So, imagine my surprise, horror and amusement when I was asked to join a golf ‘tournament’.
I tried (unsuccessfully, apparently) to avoid this event during the auction that I attend annually. I ‘forgot’ to put my bidder number down until it was too late and they said they’d put it on later, but they didn’t, so I thought I jumped slick.
A couple of weeks before the event I talked to the event coordinator (a teacher at the school, and a friend) and she told me someone had donated a round of golf and they immediately thought of me. I have to admit my first thought was akin to my first thought when meeting a blind date – “What EXACTLY made you think of me?” SO, I checked my calendar – Monday? Okay, not too many kids and Hubby is home (dang) so, I guess I don’t have an excuse, er, um, I mean a reason not to. Excitement on the other end of the phone; anxiety on my end of the line.
And, I do mean ANXIETY. First of all, I’m not a vain person. I rarely look in the mirror or “do” my hair or remember to put on jewelry. My daily uniform is jeans, shoes (if I have to), warm socks, a sweatshirt and a couple of shirts. Add my glasses and my cell phone and I’m dressed for the day. Not exactly country-club-golfing-attire. WHAT DO I WEAR, I anxiously asked mytormenter friend. She responded “Oh, casually. You know; a collared shirt, khaki pants.” Oh. Of course. A collared, what now?
Do yourself a favor. IF you’re ever asked to golf with a friend and you’re not a golfer, DON’T look up “Golf Attire” on the internet. You just did, didn’t you? Yeah, well, so did I. Okay, so I settled for a pair of khaki pants that I have and one of my husband’s polo shirts. With a long sleeve fleece underneath; I also brought a sweater (not sweatshirt) and a raincoat.
I also sneaked a peak at the “correct” way to hold the golf club.
The day is here, and I nervously drive to the Club; giving myself pep talks all the way there. My friend doesn’t golf well either, she tells me. This either means she’s being nice or just trying to make me feel better. Either way, I’m not buying it (but it actually is true, she wasn’t that much better than I). We are a threesome – the only female team in the tournament and the match is called “Scramble”. The idea is each player on the team hits the ball, and the ball that lands the closest to the pin (hole) is the one all players advance to and hit again, until you eventually (hopefully) get the ball into the hole. I won’t go over the basics of golf here; you can look those up while you’re viewing golf grips, gloves, and attire.
We have a box lunch, purchase our drinks (soda for me and water), get in our carts and off we go. Each team starts at a different hole, so we’re not all tangled up at the beginning waiting for each other. We start at the first hole; I watch my teammates to see which club they choose and follow suit (I don’t have my own set of clubs, I’m borrowing theirs). I manage to put the ball on the tee and attempting to remember my quickie instruction on grip, I assume the stance and think “Holy crap, what am I doing!” I swing; (whiff) and my teammates say “Nice Practice Swing!” ha ha. On my 2nd swing I make contact and the ball veers left, but makes it a fair ways toward the goal. Not a bad first shot. I also note that my compatriots have swing issues as well, so between laughs and giggles, we continue on our way. This was basically the entire day (four and a half hours) in a nutshell:
• Put the ball on the tee (or drop at the spot we’re driving from)
• Attempt to look like I know what I’m doing
• Miss the shot completely (practice swing x 2)
• Remind myself it’s OKAY to hit the grass
• Use a new swear word “OH DIVOT!”
• Walk back to the cart, take a drink (soda or water)
Repeat for another 80 or so shots.
I have no idea what our final score was, we lost track after 6 on most holes. We did manage to make par on a couple of holes, but really, it was mostly just a lot of walking, replacing divots, laughing, and commenting on which tree and which house we were ‘aiming’ for (we weren’t REALLY aiming at houses, it was more like the broad side of a barn to attempt to scatter shot at).
At the end of the day I can say I have played, in real life, 18 holes of golf. I’m pretty sure the LPGA won’t be calling me any time soon, but I’m also pretty sure when asked I’ll do it again.
I have another year to practice. I wonder if it’s possible to wear out the Wii Golf mechanism?
Have you ever noticed what golf spells backwards? ~Al Boliska
I tried (unsuccessfully, apparently) to avoid this event during the auction that I attend annually. I ‘forgot’ to put my bidder number down until it was too late and they said they’d put it on later, but they didn’t, so I thought I jumped slick.
A couple of weeks before the event I talked to the event coordinator (a teacher at the school, and a friend) and she told me someone had donated a round of golf and they immediately thought of me. I have to admit my first thought was akin to my first thought when meeting a blind date – “What EXACTLY made you think of me?” SO, I checked my calendar – Monday? Okay, not too many kids and Hubby is home (dang) so, I guess I don’t have an excuse, er, um, I mean a reason not to. Excitement on the other end of the phone; anxiety on my end of the line.
And, I do mean ANXIETY. First of all, I’m not a vain person. I rarely look in the mirror or “do” my hair or remember to put on jewelry. My daily uniform is jeans, shoes (if I have to), warm socks, a sweatshirt and a couple of shirts. Add my glasses and my cell phone and I’m dressed for the day. Not exactly country-club-golfing-attire. WHAT DO I WEAR, I anxiously asked my
Do yourself a favor. IF you’re ever asked to golf with a friend and you’re not a golfer, DON’T look up “Golf Attire” on the internet. You just did, didn’t you? Yeah, well, so did I. Okay, so I settled for a pair of khaki pants that I have and one of my husband’s polo shirts. With a long sleeve fleece underneath; I also brought a sweater (not sweatshirt) and a raincoat.
I also sneaked a peak at the “correct” way to hold the golf club.
The day is here, and I nervously drive to the Club; giving myself pep talks all the way there. My friend doesn’t golf well either, she tells me. This either means she’s being nice or just trying to make me feel better. Either way, I’m not buying it (but it actually is true, she wasn’t that much better than I). We are a threesome – the only female team in the tournament and the match is called “Scramble”. The idea is each player on the team hits the ball, and the ball that lands the closest to the pin (hole) is the one all players advance to and hit again, until you eventually (hopefully) get the ball into the hole. I won’t go over the basics of golf here; you can look those up while you’re viewing golf grips, gloves, and attire.
We have a box lunch, purchase our drinks (soda for me and water), get in our carts and off we go. Each team starts at a different hole, so we’re not all tangled up at the beginning waiting for each other. We start at the first hole; I watch my teammates to see which club they choose and follow suit (I don’t have my own set of clubs, I’m borrowing theirs). I manage to put the ball on the tee and attempting to remember my quickie instruction on grip, I assume the stance and think “Holy crap, what am I doing!” I swing; (whiff) and my teammates say “Nice Practice Swing!” ha ha. On my 2nd swing I make contact and the ball veers left, but makes it a fair ways toward the goal. Not a bad first shot. I also note that my compatriots have swing issues as well, so between laughs and giggles, we continue on our way. This was basically the entire day (four and a half hours) in a nutshell:
• Put the ball on the tee (or drop at the spot we’re driving from)
• Attempt to look like I know what I’m doing
• Miss the shot completely (practice swing x 2)
• Remind myself it’s OKAY to hit the grass
• Use a new swear word “OH DIVOT!”
• Walk back to the cart, take a drink (soda or water)
Repeat for another 80 or so shots.
I have no idea what our final score was, we lost track after 6 on most holes. We did manage to make par on a couple of holes, but really, it was mostly just a lot of walking, replacing divots, laughing, and commenting on which tree and which house we were ‘aiming’ for (we weren’t REALLY aiming at houses, it was more like the broad side of a barn to attempt to scatter shot at).
At the end of the day I can say I have played, in real life, 18 holes of golf. I’m pretty sure the LPGA won’t be calling me any time soon, but I’m also pretty sure when asked I’ll do it again.
I have another year to practice. I wonder if it’s possible to wear out the Wii Golf mechanism?
Have you ever noticed what golf spells backwards? ~Al Boliska
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