Warren Supports Metaphysical, New Age “Gospel”

Rick Warren has written the foreword of a new book coming out in October entitled “Driven by Destiny” by Dr. LaVerne Adams, which Reveals 12 Secret Keys to Transform the Future.

From the book’s website http://www.drivenbydestinynow.com/

Have you ever taken a destiny detour? If you constantly wrestle with feelings of distraction, frustration, and defeat, these are dangerous signals that you are going in the wrong direction! No matter where life has taken you, NOW you can be guided toward the location and the exact positioning of your divine destiny.

It’s not too late…your destiny awaits.

In this helpful destiny travel guide, your future is presented as a “metaphorical journey” through divine dimensions that usher you into revelation, realization, and realignment with your purpose in life. This dynamic journey to transformation will get on the right road to fulfilling your destiny and cause you to be fully engaged in this dynamic process.

This destiny roadmap is your vehicle to a better life to help you to:

DIALOGUE with the Creator about your divine purpose

DISCERN the road blocks and detours to your destiny

DISCOVER the hidden riches and secrets on the inside of you

DEVELOP new disciplines to help you live the life of your dreams

There is no need to wait! Start today and cross the bridge to a dynamic future as you chart a new course. Activate the keys found in this book and you’ll discover the secret to living a life Driven by Destiny!

Sound familiar? This could be taken from Warren’s sermons and Purpose Driven Life book. The material is rehashed metaphysical, New Age psycho-babble that is disguised as “Christian” because “divine” is mentioned. God or Jesus Christ are not part of this “metaphorical journey”.

There is not even a slight mention of Jesus Christ and His atonement for sins on the cross. Not a word in the fluff piece of Jesus Christ as the ONLY Way to the One True God. Not even a reference to God. I don’t know if Ms Adams is a Christian (probably not considering the rotten fruit coming from her pen), but Mr. Rick Warren (and Mr. John Piper) has a lot of explaining to do.

John Piper invited Warren to his Desiring God conference this year. In this video Piper said he was on the phone with Warren and wrote down what Warren says about the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

The Bible is totally inerrant and valuable in every way
Penal substitution is of the essence of the Gospel
God is sovereign and central over all
People are lost; they’re going to hell. I (Warren) am not a universalist; I am an evangelist
The office of women elders and pastors – the Bible says it shouldn’t happen, I’m committed to the Bible, therefore we’re not going to go there.
Repentance – I totally believe in the necessity of repentance and I totally am committed to the call for repentance, though I may not use the word as often as some would want me to.
Emergent Church – I am not emergent

Ms. Adams is a pastor as you can see on this website. What happened to Warren’s assurances to Piper that “the Bible says it shouldn’t happen, I’m committed to the Bible, therefore we’re not going to go there“? Obviously Warren could care less that Adams is a pastor or what her beliefs are. Is he only trying to get his name in as many publications as possible?

And what about Piper? What’s his excuse for promoting Warren who does not believe that “penal substituion is of the essence of the Gospel“? Warren actions clearly show his proclivity toward New Age beliefs, NOT inerrant scriptural doctrine.

Related Articles:

Rick Warren, Driven By Destiny? by Christine Pack and Cathy Matthews – Sola Sisters

Rick Warren Promoting More Me-Centered Mysticism by Pastor Joel Taylor – 5ptsalt.com

Don’t Bother Mentioning Jesus Christ

On June 16, 2006, Rick Warren spoke at Sinai Temple’s Friday Night Live Shabbat services as part of the Synagogue 3000 program which “aims to revitalize Jewish worship”. And why was Mr. Warren there?

He was there to give a pep-talk to encourage people to worship a false god:

“Warren told [Rabbi Ron] Wolfson his interest is in helping all houses of worship, not in converting Jews……Warren managed to speak for the entire evening without once mentioning Jesus — a testament to his savvy message-tailoring.” (Jewish Journal editor-in-chief)

On page 283 of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life , Warren states:

“These words of Jesus [the Great Commission] are not the Great Suggestion. If you are a part of God’s family, your mission is mandatory. To ignore it would be disobedience….God holds you responsible for the unbelievers who live around you…. your mission is to share Jesus with them.”

Warren doesn’t live according to his own words, but he expects others to “do as I say/write, not as I do”? Warren makes it clear at the beginning of the PDL book “It’s not about you”. But of course it is, in more ways than one. It’s about YOU, the people who read the book, but it’s not about ME, Rick Warren, because I’m above all that nonsense (the Great Commission). He obviously does not believe his own words and does not live them.

He goes on in the PDL book (page 284):

“Your mission has eternal significance. It will impact the eternal destiny of other people, so it’s more important than any job, achievement, or goal you will reach during your life on earth.”

More important than any goal? More important than the P.E.A.C.E. plan, Warren’s dominionist goal to achieve world peace? Obviously, the Great Commission takes a back seat (or no seat at all) to his P.E.A.C.E. plan.And he calls himself a Christian? Good works and mentioning Jesus (when it’s “appropriate”) doesn’t cut it.

The Jews today do not worship the true God, the One with a Son, Jesus Christ. They rejected Jesus Christ, God Incarnate. The Jews do not acknowledge the One God in three persons, The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit. They may call him the same as they did before rejecting Jesus, but they worship a false god, one who cannot hear.

NO ONE helps someone worship their false god and then claims to be a Bible-believing Christian. Warren only has faith  in his purpose-driven program and PEACE Plan. His dirty, rotten, stinking, gnat-covered fruit is an abomination.

Parameters of Faith

In June 2005, Rick Warren met with the Synagogue 3000 Leadership Network (Jewish synagogue leaders) to discuss “the challenges and strategies of building a compelling spiritual community”. The Network had videoed the session in short clips. One of the clips is entitled “The Parameters of Faith” and is a very interesting piece. In it, Warren says

“Every faith has parameters… so you need to decide what the parameters are in your particular congregations and stick with them… Congregations that grow have clearly-defined parameters, whatever they are… and I’m not saying even if the parameters are right or not.”

(video added 4/23/10)

So this is how Warren “evangelizes” those who worship a false god? How spiritually weak and pathetic. “…in the last days…men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers…Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” 2 Timothy 3:1-5. How can anyone, who is supposedly a follower of Jesus Christ, uphold and seek to further the teachings of people who DO NOT accept Jesus as the Messiah? Using the purpose-driven “mold”, a leader of a group (Christian or not) can decide what are the beliefs/faith/doctrine of that group and run with it. Doesn’t anyone find that scenario to be ungodly and deficient in God’s Truth?

Purpose-driven does not have its own doctrines or faith parameters. It is a shell of a program that ANYONE can use – corporations, Hindus, Episcopalians, Baptists, Muslims, Catholics, Charismatics. Rick Warren has purposely created “a monster” because he refuses to preach the Gospel. He does not believe that repentance is required, only “changing your mind”. What apostasy!

Rick Warren has developed a P.E.A.C.E. plan that is being used to spread the purpose-driven/self-help sewage around the world. Rwanda, a mostly Catholic country, is in the process of being morphed or changed into a purpose-driven nation. What does that mean for the Catholic people? Do they need to “convert” to PD? Of course not! They can continue as they are, worshipping their idols, praying to Mary, ignoring the Bible. The purpose-driven program will HELP them be stronger Catholics since PD is a very Catholic-style program. The emphasis is on good works, covenants, paying the church (tithing).

John Piper: Why I Invited Rick Warren to the DG Conference

John Piper, the Preaching Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN, has invited Rick Warren of Saddleback Church to speak at Piper’s annual Desiring God Conference to be held in October of this year. This is a very odd coupling, to say the least. Piper is a Calvinist and bas been known for his sound doctrine; Warren has wandered further away from basic biblical teachings and is now a national (international?) poster-boy for progressive, liberal “christianity”.

In this video, Piper tries to answer the question “Why Rick Warren @ the Desiring God 2010 National Conference?”.

Piper was on the phone with Warren and wrote down what Warren says about the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

The Bible is totally inerrant and valuable in every way
Penal substitution is of the essence of the Gospel
God is sovereign and central over all
People are lost; they’re going to hell. I (Warren) am not a universalist; I am an evangelist
The office of women elders and pastors – the Bible says it shouldn’t happen, I’m committed to the Bible, therefore we’re not going to go there.
Repentance – I totally believe in the necessity of repentance and I totally am committed to the call for repentance, though I may not use the word as often as some would want me to.
Emergent Church – I am not emergent

Questions Piper should have asked:

The Bible – Which Bible?
Warren uses The Message written by Eugene Peterson as one of his bibles. The Message is a paraphrase, a man’s liberal interpretation of scripture that doesn’t come close to being God’s Word.

Universalism – If you believe “people are lost and going to hell”, then why don’t you follow Jesus’ command to preach the Gospel?

Repentance – Where is the evidence that repentance is actually part of your overall theology?
See video above, plus many others on youtube.

Piper takes Warren’s words at face value, doesn’t regard any of his errant teachings as red flags. He completely ignores Warren’s blatant waffling on basic Gospel tenants and ignores his inability to present the Gospel to unbelievers.

Rick Warren with Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie (Calvary Chapel)

At Calvary Chapel’s 20-year anniversary Harvest Crusade (8/16/09), Chuck Smith, founder of Calvary Chapel, introduced Rick Warren as “my good friend who pastors Saddleback Church” and asked him to lead in prayer (see transcript of prayer at end of post).

Full video:
http://www.harvest.org/crusades/2009/anaheim/webcast/player.php?id=136

In 2006, Chuck Smith denounced the teachings of Rick Warren. http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/recall.htm

The teachings and positions of Rick Warren have come into conflict with us at Calvary Chapel. Pastor Chuck has directed us to discontinue this product [Purpose Driven Life] effective immediately.

So what has happened behind the scenes in the last 3 years? Apparently, a lot. The fact that Smith can say “my good friend” in public ministry after stating that his good friend’s teachings are in conflict with Smith’s beliefs, is extremely suspicious. I am not a Calvary Chapel member, but I would never trust anyone who does such an obvious spiritual back-flip.

Chuck Smith’s response to a caller on the next day’s Pastor’s Perspective radio show: [K-WAVE.org click on Podcasts, then 8/17/09]

Caller’s (John’s) Question: Should pastors share a platform at an evangelical event with someone who typifies the Emergent Church, a minister?

Smith: [chuckle] That’s difficult, John, because, you know, you might say in a sense that last night I was on the platform with a minister that they say that he is a part of the Emergent Church, that he has, you know, sort of a different emphasis in his ministry, more of a social emphasis on what the church should be doing socially for people rather than the spiritual emphasis, and so I was on the platform with him but, you know, I think that it would be divisive. Now the man, I’m convinced, loves the Lord, has a large church, and is, you know, feels that he is called of God to really deal with the social problems of our world today. Now it could be that God IS calling him to that, but that isn’t why God has called ME to do and so, but I can still look at him as a brother in Christ – he believes that Jesus died for our sins and he just has a different emphsis as far as what he feels should be the priority of the church today..
We were both invited to be there but we were on the platform together, sat next to each other, and he is a brother in Christ, and so I didn’t really have any real problem with sharing, being on the same program together with him.

According to scripture, the spiritual emphasis is everything. There isn’t a secondary “emphasis” that someone can pick and choose to focus on. Warren is apostate and unfortunately Smith won’t call him on it because he doesn’t want to be “divisive”.

*********************

Rick Warren’s prayer:

Father, I want to thank You that every person here tonight is here because You wanted them to be here, because You never made a person You didn’t love, You never made a person You didn’t have a purpose for, You never made a person that Jesus didn’t die for. And I ask You tonight every person here will see a clear picture of Jesus, what He can do in their lives. Father, there are people here tonight who are confused. Would You help them realize that Jesus is the Truth. And I’m sure there are many people here tonight that feel guilty and ashamed, maybe about their past. Help them to experience the freedom of forgiveness so they can start over with You, a new life.

Lord, we know that there are probably some people who have a tough week, or a tough month, or a tough life, or maybe they’ve been out of work for six months and they’re feeling discouraged and depressed. I ask You to help them to experience the joy of salvation. Lord, there are other people here who are worried and are anxious and are stressed out about the future and about their job. Help them to discover the peace that passes all understanding.

And Father, tonight all of us who know you and are Your children we pray that there will not be a single person exiting this stadium tonight that doesn’t know You. Thank You that You know everything about us and You still love us. And our prayer is that every one of them here tonight who don’t know You will accept You into their heart. Jesus, only You can make the changes that we want to see in our lives. Only You can restore our loneliness and relieve it and heal our past. Only You can give meaning and purpose and only You can give us a home in heaven.

So Father, I ask that You speak through Greg again tonight as You have every night for 20 years. Speak through him with clarity, with simplicity and with power. Anoint his words so that they’re like arrows piercing our hearts all the way into the furthest seats. We thank You in advance what You’re going to do in lives tonight. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Perfect Life Can Be Found in Heart’s Desires

From Slice of Laodicea:

Thank you, Rick Warren, for providing the rotten root producing this rotten fruit. The article is from the Wausau Daily Herald. How’s this for a life’s philosophy? The columnist, Mary Duwe writes:

 

I began to redesign the view from a new point of view. My new slogan, dated 3-03-03 and inscribed in the back of the book “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren, became, “My perfect day starts gradually waking up in the morning, wherever I am, at any age, bounding out of bed because there is something waiting for me that I love to do, I believe in, I am good at doing; a purpose bigger than me. I can hardly wait to get out of bed to begin again today.”

(Bold emphasis mine.)

Well, think of all the Purpose-Driven guys out there, bounding out of bed, to do something they love, something they’re good at, serving a purpose bigger than themselves—members of the Taliban, for example, or the Mexican drug cartel that is currently turning the southern border of the United States into a war zone, North Korea’s Kim Jong iL or Fred Phelps as he prepares his latest “God Hates F-gs” assault on a grieving family at a funeral. They love what they do. They serve a purpose bigger than themselves (the devil), and they’re really, really good at it. Come to think of it, Hitler would have qualified rather well for this new way of looking at life. Who would deny he was good at genocide, loved taking over countries and enslaving his people?

The Purpose-Driven columnist says she learned things on her new life’s journey:

• Only your heart knows true desire.

• Only your heart sees life as a sacred experience.

• Only your heart can identify your sacred moments.

• Only your heart comprehends the conditions needed for perfect possibilities.

• Only your heart surrenders to the awesome wonders of impossible accomplishments.

Yes, just like the guys flying planes into the World Trade Center whose hearts were set on killing thousands of Americans and whose “sacred moment” came as they entered eternity supposedly to get great rewards from Allah for their efforts. The heart, Scripture tells us, is a dangerous guide for us to follow.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

–Jeremiah 17:9

Rick Warren has not bothered to inform his interfaith and secularist followers that only hearts that are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, can be given right desires by the Lord. He has informed millions that “finding a cause bigger than yourself” and “finding out what you’re good at” is enough to give you a fulfilled life. Rick Warren has misled so many by denying the true Gospel that calls us to follow Christ alone and His desires for our lives. Warren is a celebrity as a result. But some day before God, the souls of these misled people will be on his hands. We’ve done all we can to warn.

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Isaiah 53:3-5

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

John 20:1-18

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,

And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

Gay Rights Supporter

Does Warren oppose the Redefinition of Marriage? Does he oppose Gay Marriage?

No.

From a video Warren made in December 2008:

I oppose the redefinition of the meaning of marriage. (at 3:45 and at the end of the video)

From October 2008:

Now let me say this really clearly: we support Proposition 8 — and if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8. … So I urge you to support Proposition 8, and pass that word on. I’m going to be sending out a note to pastors on what I believe about this. But everybody knows what I believe about it.

From April 2009:

I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. Never have been, never will be. During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going.

How can anyone know what Warren actually believes? In an article by Berit Kjos:

So where does Pastor Warren actually stand on this issue? What is the source of his moral cues? God’s Word — or forceful leaders who have traded His unchanging Truth for today’s evolving moral pragmatism?

In October and December 2008 he was opposed to gay marriage, drumming up support for a traditional marriage proposition. In April 2009, he denied his own claim, unable to keep his stories straight, exposing himself as a public hypocrite and a gay-rights supporter.

Warren Apologizes for Support of Prop 8

From OneNewsNow:

Rick Warren disavows support for Prop. 8

Jim Brown – OneNewsNow – 4/8/2009 7:00:00 AM

California mega-church pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life Rick Warren says he apologized to his homosexual friends for making comments in support of California’s Proposition 8, and now claims he “never once even gave an endorsement” of the marriage amendment.

 Monday night on CNN’s Larry King Live, Pastor Rick Warren apologized for his support of Prop. 8, California’s voter-approved marriage protection amendment, saying he has “never been and never will be” an “anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist.”
 
“During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never — never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop. 8 was going,” Warren claimed.
 
However, just two weeks before the November 4 Prop. 8 vote, Pastor Warren issued a clear endorsement of the marriage amendment while speaking to church members. ”We support Proposition 8 — and if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8,” he said.
 
The following is a complete transcript of Warren’s comments just weeks before the Prop. 8 election:

“The election’s coming just in a couple of weeks, and I hope you’re praying about your vote. One of the propositions, of course, that I want to mention is Proposition 8, which is the proposition that had to be instituted because the courts threw out the will of the people. And a court of four guys actually voted to change a definition of marriage that has been going for 5,000 years.
 
“Now let me say this really clearly: we support Proposition 8 — and if you believe what the Bible says about marriage, you need to support Proposition 8. I never support a candidate, but on moral issues I come out very clear.
 
“This is one thing, friends, that all politicians tend to agree on. Both Barack Obama and John McCain, I flat-out asked both of them: what is your definition of marriage? And they both said the same thing — it is the traditional, historic, universal definition of marriage: one man and one woman, for life. And every culture for 5,000 years, and every religion for 5,000 years, has said the definition of marriage is between one man and a woman.
 
“Now here’s an interesting thing. There are about two percent of Americans [who] are homosexual or gay/lesbian people. We should not let two percent of the population determine to change a definition of marriage that has been supported by every single culture and every single religion for 5,000 years.
 
“This is not even just a Christian issue — it’s a humanitarian and human issue that God created marriage for the purpose of family, love, and procreation.
 
“So I urge you to support Proposition 8, and pass that word on. I’m going to be sending out a note to pastors on what I believe about this. But everybody knows what I believe about it. They heard me at the Civil Forum when I asked both Obama and McCain on their views.”

During his CNN interview on Monday, Warren expressed regret for backing Prop. 8. ”There were a number of things that were put out. I wrote to all my gay friends — the leaders that I knew — and actually apologized to them. That never got out,” he admitted.
 
Additionally, Pastor Warren said he did not want to comment on or criticize the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision last week to legalize same-sex “marriage” because it was “not his agenda.”

Warren Denies Anti-Gay Activism on Larry King Live

I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist. Never have been, never will be. During the whole Proposition 8 thing, I never once went to a meeting, never once issued a statement, never once even gave an endorsement in the two years Prop 8 was going.

.

See full video on Larry King Live

Related post:
Playing Both Sides of the Gay Agenda