Can't wait to get my hands on Rob Bell's new book, "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven , Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived", due to be released by HarperOne on March 29th.

Have you seen the book promotion video narrated personally by Rob Bell?  If not, here's your chance (click here).  This video has generated huge controversy on Facebook, Twitter and blogs.  And, no one has even seen, touched or read the book yet.

Has Rob Bell drifted and become a "Universalist" as one has characterized him and his new (unread) book?

HarperOne says, in a description of the book, "With searing insight, Bell puts hell on trial, and his message is decidedly optimistic—eternal life doesn’t start when we die; it starts right now.  And ultimately, Love Wins." 

What do you think?

Check out the video and come on back to comment.

Here's a link to what was said about his book by ChristianityToday, today (click here).

We like to make a distinction between our private and public lives and say, "Whatever I do in my private life is nobody else's business."  But anyone trying to live a spiritual life will soon discover that the most personal is the most universal, the most hidden is the most public, and the most solitary is the most communal.  What we live in the most intimate places of our beings is not just for us but for all people.  That is why our inner lives are lives for others.  That is why our solitude is a gift to our community, and that is why our most secret thoughts affect our common life.

Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matthew 5: 14-15).  The most inner light is a light for the world.  Let's not have "double lives"; let us allow what we live in private to be known in public.

This morning, John C. Maxwell told me I need to become a better listener.  So, I continued to listen.

He went on to say that leaders tend to be talking, teaching most of the time.  And this is OK, as long as they do enough listening, too.

Maxwell pointed out that you cannot make leadership decisions in a vacuum, that one needs to walk slowly through the crowd, understand your people ... where they are, what their needs and dreams are ... to listen, learn, and then lead.

He concluded that, only after listening and learning, are we qualified to lead.

Are you listening?

A Jewish businessman in Chicago sent his son to Israel for a year to absorb the culture.

When the son returned, he said, "Papa, I had a great time in Israel. By the way, I converted to Christianity."

"Oy vey," said the father. "What have I done?" He took his problem to his best friend, Ike.

"Ike," he said, "I sent my son to Israel, and he came home a Christian. What can I do?"

"Funny you should ask," said Ike. "I too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the rabbi."

So they did, and they explained their problem to the rabbi.

"Funny you should ask," said the rabbi. "I, too, sent my son to Israel, and he also came home a Christian. What is happening to our young people?"

And so they all prayed, telling the Lord about their sons. As they finished their prayer, a voice came from the heavens:

"Funny you should ask," said the Voice. "I, too, sent my Son to Israel . . ."

Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Love has no limits. Love never says, “You’ve gone too far.  I can’t love you now.”  “All things” means everything is included.  Christlike love leaves no doubt in the mind of another that you will continue to love steadfastly.  Do those close to you know that they can fail and do foolish things, yet you will not falter in your love for them?  Are others assured that, even when they hurt you, you still love them, holding nothing against them?

Love assumes the best about others.  If someone inadvertently offends you, you choose to believe the offense was unintentional.  If someone seeks to harm you, you “bear all things,” forgiving unconditionally.  If a positive light can be shed on a difficult encounter, you grasp it.  If someone continually provokes you, you “endure all things.”  You never lose hope in the ones you love.  You practice the same unconditional love toward others that Christ gives to you.

Paul said that he was nothing if he had the faith to move mountains, the tongue of an angel, and the gift of prophecy to understand all mysteries, yet did not have God’s love.  It is unacceptable to say, “Well, I just can’t love people that way!”  When God loves people through you, this is the only kind of love He has!  Read 1 Corinthians 13 with gratitude that God has already expressed this complete and selfless love to you.  Pray and ask Him to express it through you now, to others.

Words, words, words.  Our society is full of words: on billboards, on television screens, in newspapers and books.  Words whispered, shouted, and sung.  Words that move, dance, and change in size and color.  Words that say, "Taste me, smell me, eat me, drink me, sleep with me," but most of all, "buy me."  With so many words around us, we quickly say: "Well, they're just words."  Thus, words have lost much of their power.

Still, the word has the power to create.  When God speaks, God creates.  When God says, "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3), light is.  God speaks light.  For God, speaking and creating are the same.  It is this creative power of the word we need to reclaim.  What we say is very important.  When we say, "I love you," and say it from the heart, we can give another person new life, new hope, new courage.  When we say, "I hate you," we can destroy another person.  Let's watch our words.