Lighting The Way Worldwide

Rick Warren sends E-mails to all of his “flock” and associates urging them to email the president to sign on to U2 frontman Bono’s "One Campaign", forgive billions in African debt, and send billions in aid to Africa without the Gospel.

"Debt forgiveness rewards the corruption and inefficiency of governments who have mishandled loaned funds," writes the editorial board of the Kairos Journal in a letter sent June 6 to Mr.Warren and (annihilationist heretic) Mr. Stott, along with others. "In forgiving the debt of poor nations, we’re not forgiving the debts of those nation’s poor; we’re merely enabling bureaucratic perfidy and incompetence." 6/21/05: Whose Jubilee? – World Magazine

When appearing on the Oprah show Sept 28, 2005 Warren plugged his book but didn’t say a word to Oprah about her destructive teachings.

Warren now over rules God himself and decides that homosexual behavior is not as bad as incest or being a child molester. Melissa Etheridge’s statement below confirms his view.

“I told my manager to reach out to Pastor Warren and say ‘In the spirit of unity I would like to talk to him.’ They gave him my phone number. On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn’t sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn’t want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church; I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife’s struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine.” (Jan 9th, The Huffington Post p.1)

Mr. Warren launched his Global P.E.A.C.E plan coaxing millions of dollars from Christians by telling them that the P stood for ‘Planting Churches’; then he changed it to ‘Participation’, and finally he changed it to ‘Promoting Reconciliation’. 

He started the launch of his Global Peace plan by singing the hit song by Jimi  Hendrix – “Purple Haze” – a song about a man taking LSD.

Continue reading →

The Heresy of Rick Warren

This is written for people who truly believe and trust in the reality that Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten Son of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who created all things. Please be warned there is not a single instance in the Gospels or in the rest of the New Testament where false teaching is treated mildly. The harshest words in the New Testament are reserved not for simply “religious leaders” as many modern pastors frequently state but more specifically to false teachers and hypocrites.  Often, it is these same “pastors” who are leading people to another “Jesus” – a different “Jesus” – a carnal unholy rock and roll “Jesus” who cannot save. We must label what they are: Destroyers. Is Rick Warren a completely wicked agent of the devil, or is he a goodhearted believer who is simply deceived himself?  Only God can know the heart.  Jesus said, “By their fruit you shall know them.” Regardless of his motivations, Warren is steering the American Evangelical ship onto the Rocks of a carnal unbiblical Social Gospel.

Warren’s Background and Secular Accomplishments

In addition to his position as founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, now one of the largest churches in the United States, Warren is also a public figure. He has been called "America’s most influential spiritual leader" and "America’s Pastor.”  He was named one of America’s Top 25 Leaders in the October 31, 2005 issue of U.S. News and World Report and selected by TIME magazine as one of 15 World Leaders Who Mattered Most in 2004 and one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World (2005). This bio taken from Christian booksellers Biblio website explains more of his background.

As an author, Warren is best known for:

* The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 25 million copies, making it the bestselling hardback in American history according to Publisher’s Weekly.

His six books have been translated into over 50 languages.

Rick and Kay Warren have donated 90% of their income through three foundations: 1. Acts of Mercy, which serves those infected and affected by AIDS  2. Equipping the Church, which trains church leaders in developing countries  3.The Global PEACE Fund, which fights poverty, disease, and illiteracy.

Warren’s humanitarian efforts have focused on addressing what he calls the five Global Goliaths:

* Spiritual Emptiness
* Egocentric Leadership
* Extreme Poverty
* Pandemic Diseases
* Illiteracy and lack of education

Warren claims that these problems are so large that every attempt by the public and private sector has failed and that the only organization big enough to take on these problems is the network of Christian churches around the world.

On August 22, 2005, Time magazine reported that Warren has been asked by Rwandan President Paul Kagame to help his country become a "Purpose-Driven” nation. To implement this, Warren has enlisted over 2,000 Saddleback church members to go to Rwanda in small groups to initiate a national strategy and the cooperation of 600 Rwandan churches. Business leaders and leaders of parliament in Rwanda are also involved.

Criticisms by other Christians:
 
Many Christian authors and teachers have expressed concerns regarding Rick Warren’s teachings and writings. While acknowledging some valuable content in his books, these authors and teachers complain that Warren tends to use sloppy exegesis, inaccurate paraphrases of the Bible, ecumenical teachings and a watered-down presentation of the Christian gospel. Many have also complained about pragmatism in his books, alleging that he endorses church practices based on their outcome, rather than whether they are doctrinally sound.

Warren has also been criticized for affiliation with Bill Hybels and his "seeker-sensitive" or "seeker-friendly" approach to church growth. This "seeker-friendly" movement has been disparaged for being more interested with, and catering to, people’s (often self-centered) "wants" rather than their real "need" (the latter representing traditional Biblical preaching). Critics also complain about the quality and content of the teachings espoused within this movement.

Warren is inclusive beyond his Southern Baptist roots, and welcomes pastors and leaders from all denominations to his training programs. Warren claims to stick to the "essentials" of the faith and focus on "loving people into the Kingdom of God” in an attractive way without compromising the essential tenets of his faith. Many critics, however, contend that Warren does compromise on various doctrinal truths in his teachings and that he espouses ecumenical teachings.

Continue reading →