Mocking Truth: Rob Bell’s False Hope

Book review: Love Wins by Rob Bell – Mocking Truth: Rob Bell’s False Hope, Worldly Heaven, and Earth-Based Hell
For almost 2000 years, human civilizations have had opportunities to grow “progressively” in generosity, forgiveness, etc. The fact that today’s culture is no closer to perfection suggests that [Rob] Bell’s utopian vision is merely an illusion based in man’s lofty imagination. - Berit Kjos

by Berit Kjos
Kjos Ministries

“Mocking Truth: Rob Bell’s False Hope, Worldly Heaven, and Earth-Based Hell”

Popular emergent Pastor Rob Bell [2] has a unique ability to make God’s Truth sound dubious as well as detestable. Then, having raised doubts about our holy God, he offers comforting counterfeits that fit today’s quest for unity and community.

Mocking the true Church as narrow and offensive, he promotes alternatives that resemble the vision of the sixties. His popular heresies are fast luring seekers away from God’s Truth to a new kind of “gospel.”

This is spiritual warfare! And we need to be prepared for the rising spiritual war on God’s Word. Remember this warning:

“…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day…” Ephesians 6:12-13

In the Preface of his new book, Love Wins, Pastor Bell describes the current clash between biblical Christianity and today’s postmodern, pluralistic values. Guess which side he has chosen:

“I’ve written this book for all those, everywhere, who have heard some version of the Jesus story that caused their pulse rate to rise, their stomach to churn, and their heart to utter those resolute words, ‘I would never be a part of that.’

“You are not alone. There are millions of us.

“…A staggering number of people have been taught that a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better…. This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness, and joy…” [Preface]

How dare this “pastor” rage against the words and ways of the sovereign King of the universe? Bell’s arrogance reminds me of the tempter’s seductive message in Genesis 3. There we see Satan in the form of a serpent whose main purpose is to block God’s plan, twist His Truth, and deceive His people. Notice how deviously he twisted God’s guidelines:

“Now the serpent…said to the woman, ‘Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?

“And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

“Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. ” Genesis 3:1-6

Might Pastor Bell have been blinded by similar lies? He seems to pick from the Bible whatever fits his values, then blends the truths with heresies that sound reasonable to those who don’t know God’s Word. The result is a corrupted message that feels right to a world that’s fast trading God’s absolutes for an evolving social gospel.

As Bell said, “there are millions of us.”
Click here to continue reading and for endnotes.
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/011/bell.htm

More on Rob Bell:

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?s=rob+bell
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Japan: A Tragedy of Biblical Proportions
“[T]he message of Brian McLaren and Rob Bell, and the whole camp of the neo-liberal “Emergents” is a death sentence for anyone caught in their web of deceit.”

By Steve Blackwell
Indywatchman

Christians on both side of the aisle debate the goodness of a God who would permit the kind of death and suffering we see in the aftermath of Japan’s 9.0 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown.

All over the world the main topic of discussion is the Japan tragedy, and now we learn that the worst is yet to come. Both Christian and non-Christian people are confused. People can’t understand how a “good” God could allow thousands upon thousands of innocent people to be killed. It is not necessary to present another theological or philosophical debate to explain what, and why, these things happen, or to try and justify God; John Piper has done that; and Brian McLaren’s philanthropic love has cornered the market on empathy. With those bases covered the question of “why?” still remains, and will not go away. After the prayers are over, and the aid exhausted, the mothers, fathers, and children, who have lost so much, return to their homes, and keep asking, “Why?”

Christians don’t have to have all the answers, but answers help, especially now; and you can do no better than opening up the Bible.

How do we balance the mercy and love of God, with His justice? I say “we” because God doesn’t do a balancing act, nor does He juggle His emotions, trying to keep some kind of equilibrium between good and evil. God is God, even when we don’t understand Him. God is perfect, and man confused; it is man that walks the tight rope wanting to know “why?” It is “we” who are out of balance and stumble, proposing our question in hopelessness, when the answer is right there, in the Book. God has spoken!

God has anticipated the question and has included the answer, in His book of answers, the Bible. We will look in vain going anywhere else.
Click here to continue reading.
http://www.indywatchman.com/suffering/japan-a-tragedy-of-biblical-proportions/#ixzz1IskkyL8W