RICK WARREN, AN APOSTLE OF THE ANTICHRIST?
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WHEN THE DEVIL HANGS RICK WARREN’S DISTORTED BODY ON THE WALLS OF HELL AND LAUGHS HIS HIDEOUS LAUGHTER, IT WILL NO LONGER BE A PRETTY SIGHT. From the beginning of Rick Warren’s explosion onto the religious scene, he has been totally apostate. At the early stages only sharp Biblical discernment could see through his false ideas. But now his commitment to ‘CHRISLAM” makes his purpose plain. He is clearly one of the apostles to the Antichrist dedicated to replacing the God and Christ of the Holy Bible. At this point his blasphemy is evident and no Man of God can be silent. We must warn the multitudes still following his words of fantasy.
“A Purpose Driven Life” is a beautiful thought when it is connected to Absolute Truth. Some of the greatest Christians have followed the purpose that God called them to fulfill. Living true to the Bible is a “Purpose Driven Life.” There is no real success in life unless it is living by the pure Word of God. Let’s try to understand the thinking that has driven this entire scheme of Rick Warren… We will deal with four main ideas today on this Broadcast.
1. The first idea he is known for is his dedication to Religious Rock music in the House of God. From his beginning until now Rock Music has become the main style of music in almost the entire Mega Church world. Rick Warren has duped an entire generation of pastors and nearly all Youth Leaders and Religious Celebrates. The mindset of this crowd has fallen so low, and in many cases so vulgar that sensible people are beginning to see the handwriting on the wall.
2. His love for the lying Paraphrased Bibles was the second idea that dominated Rick’s thinking. His first choice was a book called “The Message.” To call this a Bible would be a terrible mistake. This is actually a New Age translation. This book calls the Antichrist, an anarchist. It eliminates the words, “falling away” from the text in II Thessalonians. Here is an example of the King James Bible and then one of the Paraphrased books, first I quota the King James. “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” (II Corinthians 5:18a,). Mr. Warren quotes Jesus Christ as saying, “All this is done by God, who through Jesus Christ changed us from enemies into his friends.” (II Corinthians 5:18a, Today’s English Version). In both of these quotes the strong theological words of “atonement” and “reconciled” are passed over for the empty theology of “friends.” No person that believes in the infallible Scripture can take this carelessly.
3 His third blasphemy was his treatment of the people that were church leaders who resisted the new music or casual style of worship. It was “get use to it or get out of the way.” Millions of people have had to leave the home church of their families, churches they helped pay for or denominations they had spent their life in. The destruction of Churches is continuing daily and multitudes have found themselves without a church home. There are many more doctrinal facts and problems that this man’s books and teaching have caused. He is a wrecking crew in one man. I have fresh documentation that he is a member of the “Council on Foreign Relations.” This put him under the influence of the “One World Order” and explains his effort with “Chrislam.”
4. His ultimate blasphemy is to reduce the great God Jehovah and His eternal Son Jesus Christ to “Chrislam.” To replace our Sovereign God with the radical god of Muhammad is the darkest act of a professing minister I have seen in my lifetime. When the devil hangs Rick Warren’s distorted body on his trophy wall in hell and laughs his hideous laughter, it will not be a pretty picture.
My gifts this week are two Booklets. The first is entitled “Allah is not Jehovah God” and the second is, “THE BATTLE FOR RELIGIOUS MUSIC.”
I am dedicated to helping turn the tide back to Biblical Christianity. The Word Of God is so simple and wonderful. Order a special album on “The Purpose Driven Life” It includes six Broadcast on this subject. Call us at 1 800 338 7884 (704 391 0588) or E-mail jrc@pawcreek.org . Go to our Home page for Sermons, Articles and Broadcasts from several years.
JIM
DEAR PASTOR CHAMBERS,
ALTHOUGH I AM NOT A SUPPORTER OF WARREN AND STRONGLY OPPOSE HIS SUBTLE DECEPTIONS, I THINK YOU GO TOO FAR IN SAYING THAT HE WILL GO TO HELL. NOWHERE IN SCRIPTURE ARE WE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY TO JUDGE ONE’S SALVATION. WE MAY JUDGE BEHAVIOR AND CONDEMN IT BUT WE ARE NOT GIVEN PERMISSION TO CONDEMN THE PERSON AS TO HIS OR HER ETERNAL DESTINY. THAT IS SOLELY WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF GOD. ALSO, RICK WARREN MAY SOME DAY COME TO HIS SENSES AND REPENT.
I DO THOUGH APPRECIATE YOU FOR YOUR VERY APPROPRIATE COMMENTS ON ROCK MUSIC AND THE INFORMALITY OF WORSHIP THAT HAS PERMEATED THE CHURCH. WE HAVE BECOME WAY TOO CASUAL IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO OUR HOLY GOD. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS MATTER OUT IN THE OPEN TO REMIND US THAT WE WORSHIP A MAGNIFICENT GOD WHO IS WORTHY OF OUR RESPECT AND OUR BEST.
Noreen
Pastor,
I agree completely with you and differ with JIM. We are to judge snd use discernment and we know what will send people to hell. All one has to do is read the scripture. All caps indicates shouting and we don’t find that palatable, JIM.
Praise Our Lord! May He come quickly!
Carole Reyner
I think the scripture makes clear that these apostates will enter hell… here are a mere two verses from Jude:
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever
Jude, v. 12-13
Sally Plemons
Dear Bro. Chambers,
Thank you for tellng the truth, without whitewashing what this man is doing. God tells us to expose them – name names – in order to turn others from following after them, or perhaps to turn them from their sin. Between Rick Warren, Robert Schuller and the 300 other people who signed The Yale Covenant, agreeing that Allah and YHWH are the same god, and Muslims and Christians have “Common Ground”, and the new translation by Wycliffe, Syl, and Frontiers – the bible translators, in which the name “Father” has been replaced with the name “Allah”, this combination provides the “missing link” to the final coming together of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17). When someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit, they have stepped over the line into the unpardonable sin, and by stating that YHWH and Allah are the same, that is calling the Holy Spirit a liar, because it is through His inspiration that the bible was written.
jeff
PLEASE GO TO RICKWARREN.COM AND READ WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF, HIS CHURCH AND CHRISLAM. He denies all of these accusations and has nothing to do with christlam, this was a rumor started by á blogger. He does not believe that Allah and Jehovah are the same God. He does not agree with this movement at all. These are all false rumors, lies and untruthful GOSSIP.
Keith Black
RICK WARREN AND OTHER PORK-BARREL GOSPEL PREACHERS
Dear Joe Chambers,
There are a lot of PORK-BARREL PREACHERS PREACHING THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL. Richard Warren is one of the biggest. There are others too. PETER POPOFF, Oral Roberts, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, an many other PORK-BARREL PREACHERS. These PORK-BARREL PREACHERS IN PROMISING THAT GOD WILL DELEVER 100 FOLD BENEFITS to those who donate “tithes” to them, are just like the POLITICIANS WHO PROMISE TO BRING GOVERNMENT MONEY TO THOSE WHO GIVE THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS. These PORK-BARREL PREACHERS ARE REALY JUST RELIGIONS POLITICIANS. Because so many people believed the false promises of these PORK-BARREL PREACHERS, expecting MORE PROSPERITY in the future, they got WRECKLESS WITH THEIR FINANCES, AND RAN UP HUGE DEBTS, BOUGHT BIGGER HOUSES THAT THEY COULD NOT AFFORD, RAN UP CREDIT CARDS, AND OTHER CARELESSNESS: THIS LED TO THE BANKING CRISES, WITH LOTS OF HOMES BEING FORECLOSED, AND THE BANKS COULD NOT SELL THESE: THE RESULTS IS THAT A LOT OF BANKS GOT CRUSHED. Then the Feds bailed out these banks. If these preachers have preached about BIBLE PROPHECY, THE END TIMES, AND THE HARD TIMES AHEAD BACK IN 2006 WHEN THIS DEPRESSION GOT STARTED, PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO CARELESS WITH THEIR FIANCES. The recession might have been avoided or reduced. But because the people believed the FALSE PROMISES OF THESE PORK-BARREL PROSPERITY PREACHERS (RELIGIOUS POLITICIANS REALLY), it let the unprepared. THE PORK-BARREL PROSPERITY PREACHERS ARE UTTERLY GUILTY OF CAUSING THIS DEPRESSION BY THEIR FALSE PROMISES LEADING PEOPLE ASTRAY!!!!! THE PORK-BARREL PREACHERS EVEN CONTRIBUTED TO DRIVING UP THE FEDERAL DEFICITS TOO, by leading to the financial carelessness of their followers THROUGH FALSE PROMISES OF PROSPERITY. These are nothing but RELIGIOUS POLITICIANS who ask for CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS called “tithes”. They never deliver the promised benefits. OREO ROBERTS Sermons were as sweet tasting as a COOKIE BY THE SAME NAME, but it is bad for your spiritual health. Rick Warren is even worse than most othe Pork-Barrel preaches because he supports the enemies of the Christians, Israel, and even America’s enemies. CHRISLAM is a seellout to our enemies.
Folks REMEMBER THAT THE PORK-BARREL PREACHERS CAUSED THIS ECONOMIC DEPRESSION THROUGH THEIR FALSE PROMISES OF PROSPERITY!!!!
Most giant sized churches do not preach the GOSPEL OF THE BIBLE, they preach the PORK-BARREL GOSPEL in order to fill their pews with mostly unsaved people. The even have entertainment in these churches. They have bars, CLUBHOUSES (these country clubs are called “Family Life Centers”). The rock music is nor for true worship but is for ENTERTAINMENT. These are RELIGIOUS NIGHTCLUBS. The reason for preaching PORK-BARREL sermons is to bring in the PEOPLE AND THE MONEY.
If you want to find a church where the REAL GOSPEL is preached, don’t go to giant ones. HARD PREACHING DRIVES A LOT OF PEOPLE OFF, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO LOVE THEIR SINS. The best Philadelphia style churches are more likely to be small or medium sized churches. They are small because the hard preaching drives off the unrepentant, leaving on the TRUE CHRISTIANS there. These are unlikely to be in big cities. These will probably be small country chuches.
Remember: THE PORK-BARREL PREACHERS ARE GUILTY OF CAUSING THIS RECESSION BY MEANS OF THEIR FRAUDULENT PROMISE OF PROSPERITY!!!
Sincerely,
Keith Black
Sue Blake
Why do so many supposedly intelligent people still think Rick Warren is a good Pastor???
He has gone against God and Country and distorted truth.
I feel like if I can see it others should be able to also.
Also Rick Joyner…he actually send me a copy of the booklet on the Knights of Malta !!!
harold stewart
morning pastor, have you ever wondered who sponsored the printing,publishing, distribution and the promotion of mr warren’s book and study guides. the cost must have been monumental.never in the history of the church has such a marketing plan been so successful and the books just keep rolling in at bargain basement prices! who is the backer and what is the end goal? here in South Africa he is more popular than chewing gum and deserves the same fate! the battle against witchcraft in my country is very serious and will reach a fever pitch shortly but we WIN!!like you we will keep up The Good Fight!!
blessings from a very sunny South Africa
Dennis McLelland
Pastor:
It would be wonderful if you could quote from the information you use about people like Rick Warren. Many people don’t believe how this man has changed, but if we could see your sources in video or print, that would go a long way to bolster our testimony
Heather Marsten
Message:
I am disappointed in this post on Rick Warren – I agree, his teaching
is in error, but he will have to answer to God. But this article is in
error for we have NO AUTHORITY to determine who will go to hell or
not, that is SOLELY up to God. We can judge what Rick Warren teaches
but we cannot determine who will or won\’t be in Heaven. How do we
know he won\’t repent in the future. If I ever see another hateful
post like this, I will unsubscribe. I am disappointed.
Sandra
AMEN Pastor Joseph!
It should not be too much longer… The Church will be Raptured, and
The 7 years of tribulation will be underway..
Maranatha!
James Sundquist
Dear Pastor Chambers,
I just wanted to update you on Rick Warren. Our perfectpeaceplan is the antidote to Rick Warren’s Global Peace Plan. re JIM comment, one could add unless Rick Warren repents. But even Jesus said in Matthew that these kind of workers of iniquity that are doing things in Jesus name, like Rick Warren is doing, “Depart from me, I NEVER knew you.”
Rick Warren clamored for his Global Peace Plan and touted it to included Muslims. He even changed the P from Plant Churches to Promote Reconciliation in order diffuse any chance of offending Muslims. Even tried to invoked Scripture to justify it including Muslims…long before the recent uproar in the OC Register. What does he take us all for…fools? Who does he think he is kidding? And as you both point out he signed the Christian Response long before the OC uproars. This is beyond the pale!
BOTTOM LINE:
THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE PRINCE OF PEACE IS GOING TO FORGE HIS GLOBAL PEACE PLAN WITH THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS (RICK WARREN’S GLOBAL PEACE PLAN HE IS FORGING WITH MUSLIMS)
“Rick Warren Caught Fibbing?” World Net Daily
JOHN WESLEY DISAGREES WITH RICH WARREN’S BRIDGE TO NOWHERE
Islamic Jesus vs. Biblical Jesus video online Methodist Church defiles its sanctuary and defies founder John Wesley on Islam
JOHN WESLEY ON ISLAM:
“Ever since the religion of Islam appeared in the world, the espousers of it…have been as wolves and tigers to all other nations, rending and tearing all that fell into their merciless paws, and grinding them with their iron teeth; that numberless cities are raised from the foundation, and only their name remaining; that many countries, which were once as the garden of God, are now a desolate wilderness; and that so many once numerous and powerful nations are vanished from the earth! Such was, and is at this day, the rage, the fury, the revenge, of these destroyers of human kind.” Doctrine of Original Sin, Works (1841), ix. 205.
WARREN JESUS, MUSLIM JESUS, OR BIBLICAL JESUS – YouTube
► 59:44► 59:44 minutes
BereanBeacon
Shariah Law Being Used in U.S. Courts to Decide Cases …
Muslim Jesus vs. Biblical Jesus in Arabic Language: مسلم يسوع …
RICK WARREN’S CHRISLAMIC GLOBAL PEACE PLAN VS. SCRIPTURE book available at:
MAKING MERCHANDISE OF MEN’S SOULS film documentary documents Islamic confiscation of the promised land and ultimate boundaries of Greater Israel trailer can be
Also see: ISLAM VS. CHRISTIANITY: THERE IS NO COMMON WORD BETWEEN US:
On Feb 26, 2012, at 11:58 PM, Paula Coyle wrote:
Sincerely in Christ,
James Sundquist
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Travis
People wake up!! Rick Warren has clearly blasphemed the Holy Ghost and has done so way before he brought this Chrislam about. And I don’t care what Rick says on his website, he is a liar!! Kenneth Copeland posted on his site that he doesn’t believe in a born again Jesus so he can avoid the scrutiny yet we have all the audio and video in the world that proves otherwise. People like this are clearly apostates and repenting isn’t an option for them. The spirit of deception is strong, Chambers said it himself that Warren is on the CFR. New World Order is their goal. USE DISCERNMENT!! Great article Pastor.
Judy
I’ve heard lots of things about Rick Warren, but have never heard him preach.
As far as NT translations go .. why is the word “Easter” there, when there was no such
holiday in Paul’s time? Did you know the Bible wasn’t given to the ‘church’ until a
THOUSAND YEARS after Calvery? Only clergy were allowed to possess the first copies of Gospel writings.
Jesus, Paul and all disciples preached from Torah scrolls.
Greek translators of new scripture all had political agendas.
God will teach us HIS ways during the Millennial Sabbath (1,000 year reign of Christ)
“Your ways are not My ways”
gathoni
We began using his book in a workplace Bible study a couple of years ago. At some point I became very uncomfortable with some of the translations in the purpose driven book. Needless to say I dropped out. Later, I started reading about how dangerous this book is and threw out my copy. Warren is quite big in Kenya and a number of big churches use his book. But I thank God for the truth. Surely He is merciful and will not allow His own to be deceived. Let’s fight the good fight. The end is in sight!
Mark Steiner
I agree we cannot judge one’s salvation. That finality belongs to God alone. However Jesus did say that ye shall know them by their fruits. Being mentored by Robert Schuller, et. al. took him away from God, not toward Him.
Ed Wood
Good for you, Pastor Joseph, for calling it like you see it!
Warren is nothing more than a carnival barker looking to cash in, in my opinion. The supposed Christian church is full of these people these days and the biblically-illiterate are the perfect targets for them.
“Hurry, hurry, hurry, gather ’round and I’ll tell ya what ya wanna hear, only a quarter, folks!”
Of course, with inflation the price has gone up monetarily. But the biggest cost of all could very well be one’s soul if he or she buys into what these hucksters are peddling.
Paul saw it coming in many places but 2 Timothy 4:3-4 really makes it clear in two verses. Yet how many people today have ever bothered to read his warnings?
Not many, by the looks of it.
Donna Byrd
Pastor Chambers is correct. The Purpose Driven junk came into our Church.The very first thing done was to change the music.Next,find out who is opposed to this teaching and get rid of them.Changed to casual dress, they started with the youth, allowing shorts and flip flops.Use the NIV not the KJV Bible. Rules were changed behind closed doors.I bought “Deceived on Purpose” from Paw Creek to try and inform people.Boy, did that backfire, they came after me like a pit of vipers.I have done my research on Warren and what he is doing is evil. His teachings are destroying Churches.I taught Sunday School at our Church for 18 years, I was told by the Deacons you will teach what we tell you or you can resign.I resigned. It broke my heart and now the class is falling apart.I have been asked by class members to come back and teach, I cannot and will not use any of his material.After I resigned the Preacher did not call or come by, nor did the Sunday School director.This is a new Preacher, only started at our Church a year ago. They don’t want us to come back, we rock the boat.
mike chapman
could you fixe it so a person could print just your articl and not the responses. i use a library computer?
Georgette Lents
“You really know your stuff… Keep up the very good work!”
James
I was sponsored by the church I was ordained with, to attend a church planting seminar in Pasadena, California in 1985. Rick Warren was one of the speakers at that seminar. At the time I thought he was doing a great work for the ministry and for the Baptist denomination. I have since followed this persons words and actions, who led the prayer for Obama’s inauguration. I have come to agree wholeheartedly with your assessment, Pastor Chambers, of this “holy terror” and wolf in sheeps clothing, that has pulled the wool over the eyes of so many people.
Bruno Depp
What would Satan say when somebody catched him lying, he would lie again and again and again. Rick Warren is a liar that doesnt becomes red when cached.
Bruno Depp
Who want to be decieved will be decieved.
jaimie
Dear Pastor,
Amen, please continue to expose those wolves in sheep’s clothing. Carole R.’s got it right, the people that Jude speak of have to come from somewhere, they are right in front of us. And there are so many of them! Jim please consider the subtle way the sneak in on us.
i shut the T.V. off about 15 years ago. It helps with my discernment.
God Bless
jaimie
Bill Andrews
Dear Pastor Chambers,
This is a masterpiece article in every sense !
I love a minister that names names, not a fence rider.
Please keep exposing the works of false teachers and their dark agendas. This is so vitaly important.
God bless ! Bill
Brenda
Message:
Your comments about Rick Warren, I believe, are based on rumors &
spewed pure hate & slander. You sound like Westboro Baptist Church in
Kansas. If you believe those things about Rick Warren, instead of
seemingly taking pleasure in the thought of him going to hell &
encouraging your people to viciously attack him & pass on the rumor –
maybe the \\\”Christian\\\” thing to do would be to pray for the man.
So for that reason I am unsubscribing to your email.
Sally
Dear Bro. Chambers,
Here\’s a copy of an article concerning Chrislam – notice the
statement about Paul Crouch, of Trinity Network (TBN), I actually saw
and heard him declare that Muslims worship the same god as Christians.
I had foot surgery and was flipping through the TV. I NEVER watch that
apostate channel, but he was holding up a bible in one hand and
another book in the other one and raving to \”our Muslim brothers and
sisters\”, about how we all worship the same god. This was about 7
years ago, so it\’s getting stronger.
Chrislam is an attempt to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between
Christianity and Islam. While it began in Nigeria in the 1980s,
Chrislamic ideas have spread throughout much of the world. The
essential concept of Chrislam is that Christianity and Islam are
compatible, that one can be a Christian and a Muslim at the same time.
Chrislam is not an actual religion of its own, but rather is a
blurring of the differences and distinctions between Christianity and
Islam.
According to a recent blog post from The Last Crusade, congregations
in several metropolitan areas — Houston, Atlanta, Seattle, and
Detroit — preached sermons and held Sunday school lessons recently on
the founder of Islam, Mohammad, whom Muslims consider a prophet.
Qurans were also placed in the pews next to Bibles.
For many years now, Paul Crouch, president and founder of TBN, has
presented Christians and Moslems as soul mates, as well as the Holy
Bible and the Koran as Volume I and Volume II of the same basic
religious orientation. Crouch has stated again and again that
Christianity and Islam have more in common than what separates them.
Chrislam!
Just recently, Rick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Community
Church in Orange County California, addressed the convention of the
Islamic Society of North America. Warren stated that Muslims and
Christians must work together to combat stereotypes, promote peace and
freedom, and solve global problems. Christians and Moslems – faith
mates, soul mates and now work mates! Chrislam!
Donna Byrd
To Harold:
Rupert Murdoch is the money man behind the publishing company, owner of Fox News.
RobiMac
All’s I can say is the ‘great falling away’ is well underway.
Kevin Robertson
Dear Kevin,
I agree!! Here is your presentation and following is a presentation sent by someone else. The second is from the “World Net Daily”. Everyone should read both.
Joseph
Dear Pastor Chambers,
In all fairness, there’s always two sides to a topic. Many, many things regarding Pastor Warren have been taken out of context. This was from an interview in the Christian Post where Pastor Warren explains he is not promoting and does not believe in Chrislam. To be fair and balanced one must present all parts of a story and let Christians compare all the components with what the Bible says.
QUESTION: Do people of other religions worship the same God as Christians?
WARREN: Of course not. Christians have a view of God that is unique. We believe Jesus is God! We believe God is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Not three separate gods but one God. No other faith believes Jesus is God. My God is Jesus. The belief in God as a Trinity is the foundational difference between Christians and everyone else. There are 2.1 billion people who call themselves Christians . . . whether Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Pentecostal, or Evangelical . . . and they all have the doctrine of the Trinity in common.
QUESTION: A recent newspaper article claimed you believe Christians and Muslims worship the same God, that you are “in partnership” with a mosque, and that you both agreed to “not evangelize each other.” You immediately posted a brief refutation online. Can you expand on that?
WARREN: Sure. All three of those statements are flat out wrong. Those statements were made by a reporter, not by me. I did not say them . . . I do not believe them . . . I completely disagree with them . . . and no one even talked to me about that article! So let me address each one individually: First, as I’ve already said, Christians have a fundamentally different view of God than Muslims. We worship Jesus as God. Muslims don’t. Our God is Jesus, not Allah. Colossians 2:9 says “For in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Second, while we urge our members to build friendships with everyone in our community, including Muslims and other faiths, (“Love your neighbor as yourself”), our church has never had any partnership with a mosque. Friendship and partnership are two very different levels of commitment. Some of our members have hosted a Bible study with Muslim friends, which I applaud, but I’ve never been to it, and a Bible study certainly isn’t any kind of partnership or merger! It’s just crazy that a simple Bible study where people explore scripture with non-Christians would be reported as a partnership and others would interpret that as a plan for a new compromised religion. Just crazy! Third, as both an Evangelical and as an evangelist, anyone who knows me and my 40 year track record of ministry knows that I would never agree to “not evangelizing” anyone! I am commanded by my Savior to share the Good News with all people everywhere, all the time, in every way possible! Anyone who’s heard me teach knows that my heart beats for bringing others to Jesus.
QUESTION: That same article mentioned that you ate an Iftar dinner with Orange County Muslims. What is that all about?
WARREN: It’s called being polite and a good neighbor. For years, we have invited Muslim friends to attend our Easter and Christmas services and they have graciously attended year after year. Some have even celebrated our family’s personal Christmas service in our home. So when they have a potluck when their month of fasting ends, we go to their party. It’s a Jesus thing. The Pharisees criticized him as “the friend of sinners” because Jesus ate dinner with people they disapproved of. By the way, one of my dear friends is a Jewish Rabbi and my family has celebrated Passover at his home, and he attends our Christmas and Easter services. I wish more Christians would reach out in love like Jesus.
QUESTION: Why do you think people who call themselves Christians sometimes say the most hateful things about Muslims?
WARREN: Well, some of those folks probably aren’t really Christians. 1 John 4:20 says, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” And 1 John 2:9 says “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.” I am not allowed by Jesus to hate anyone. Our culture has accepted two huge lies: The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear them or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.
QUESTION: Let’s talk about evangelism. In the past 10 years, Saddleback Church has baptized over 24,000 new believers. No other church comes close to that record. You are likely the most evangelistic church in America. What’s the key?
WARREN: We are willing to do what many other churches are unwilling to do. We are willing to go beyond our comfort zone.
QUESTION: For instance?
WARREN: Because Jesus commanded us to take the Gospel to everyone, I spend much of my time with groups of people who completely disagree with what I believe. I’m constantly trying to build a bridge of love to nonbelievers, to atheists, to gays, to those I disagree with politically, and to those of other faiths. We don’t wait for these people to come to church; we go to them and share with them on their turf, not ours. Every member is a minister and a missionary. Saddleback was a missional church 30 years before the term became popular. We just called it being “purpose driven”.
QUESTION: “Building a bridge” sounds like compromise to many people.
WARREN: Building a bridge has nothing to do with compromising your beliefs. It’s all about your behavior and your attitude toward them. It’s about genuinely loving people. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Before people ask, “Is Jesus credible?” they want to know if you are credible. Before people trust Jesus they must trust you. You cannot win your enemies to Christ, only your friends. It’s part of what Paul calls “the ministry of reconciliation.” It is Christ-like to treat people with dignity and listen to them with respect.
Sent by James
Newspaper catches Rick Warren fibbing?
When an Orange County Register article about Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church’s mission to heal differences between evangelical Christians and Muslims was published, some of the pastor’s critics saw it as more evidence of a blurry vision of “Chrislam,” a blending of Christianity and Islam, despite his repeated denials.
The Feb. 23 article cited Saddleback documents that see similarities between Christianity and Islam. One co-authored by Jihad Turk of the Christian-Muslim Consultative Group in Los Angeles and Abraham Meulenberg, pastor of Interfaith Outreach at Saddleback claims the two religions “worship the same God.”
Many supporters of Warren insist that claims in the article are false, the Register reporter and an editor at the paper told WND that Saddleback Church leadership confirmed that the article was “factually accurate.”
“Folks at Saddleback initially made but then withdrew a request for a clarification to the story’s first paragraph,” reporter Jim Hinch told WND in an email.
“Instead of the words ‘Muslims and Christians worship the same God’ they wanted the story to read ‘Muslims and Christians believe that God is one.’ The rest of the story, they said, is factually accurate.”
WND calls and emails to Warren were not returned.
Despite his staff’s acknowledgement to the Register that the article is factually accurate, Warren denied claims in the article by pointing the finger at the reporter for “getting it wrong.”
“This is an example of why I always doubt what I read in newspapers and blogs about ministries,” Warren said in a statement sent to church members.
“Secular reporters trying to cover churches and theological issues often get it wrong,” he said.
“But then Christian bloggers, instead of contacting the ministry, blindly believe, quote and repost the errors made by secular reporters. Then those errors become permanent, searchable, and global on the Internet,” he continued.
“I couldn’t count the number of times a secular reporter has gotten a story about Saddleback wrong but then it is perpetuated by Christians who never fact-check. And the three factors I mentioned about the Internet make it impossible to correct all the misperceptions, and outright lies that get repeated over and over.”
The Register’s Hinch, who has worked as a senior editor at Guideposts magazine, told WND that numerous pastors at Saddleback were contacted about his article, and each one of them told him Warren would not be made available for comment for the story.
One pastor even emailed Hinch to say that “leadership decided they don’t want the work of King’s Way to be published.”
Read The rest of Article.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/03/newspaper-catches-rick-warren-fibbing/