Speaking the Truth in Love to Rick Warren

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Speaking the Truth in Love to Rick Warren -->

Posted to Jans_Articles for November, 2006

November 28 - Speaking the Truth in Love to Pastor Rick Warren

If you have followed this ministry for some time, you know that I have made the issue of "America's Pastor", Rick Warren, a lesser focus than other issues with which we deal. I have had a radio debate focusing on both sides of the "Purpose Driven" movement and have mentioned some other "Purpose Driven" issues occasionally. I have received hundreds of emails over three years, most expressing sorrow about church splits and being tossed out of a church for not approving of PDL coming in, but also emails that talk about remarkable spiritual and numerical growth due to the PDL plan for church growth. To be perfectly honest, the negative emails outnumber the positive ones twenty to one.Several stories have been developing over the last ten days that at the very least must be reported on. I will highlight some for your consideration. I encourage all to pray for Rick Warren, as a pattern is developing that is most troublesome.

* Sen. Barack Obama will be speaking at Saddleback this Friday, December 1. The purpose is their mutual concern for AIDS. Barack Obama is on the far left. He has already been to Iowa scouting out presidential opportunities for 2008. He is pro abortion including partial-birth abortion. But can we really provide help for AIDS' victims if we don't give them the Word of God first and the plan of salvation? Without that we are left with the social gospel of Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo. They and dozens more including Warren signed on to the Evangelical Environmental Network in February saying that had to become one of the primary concerns of evangelicals. What am I missing or maybe I should ask, "What is evangelicalism missing?"

* The December 1 seminar at Saddleback is titled, "We Must All Work Together." No, Pastor Warren. The Bible says "what fellowship has light with darkness?"But there is more. . .

* Pastor Warren made a trip to Syria in the last two weeks and made some statements that were not accurate. Many are speaking out including Lebanese-Americans such as Brigitte Gabriel and Lebanese-Syria-American journalist Joseph Farah, one of my conference speakers in October. Here are some of Brigitte's thoughts. She has been on my radio show about fifteen times

.* Gabriel: "Warren may have confused religious tolerance with religious freedom (when he praised Syria), but this is not an excuse for 'enabling and defending evil.' "* Gabriel: "He misrepresented facts about an evil regime when calling Bashir Assad a 'wise leader.' "* Gabriel: "Warren's comments about Syria are an insult and a slap on the face of every Christian who ever lived under that regime."* Gabriel: "Under Syrian control and protection, Muslims in Lebanon went on a killing spree against Christians."* Gabriel: "To call Syria moderate or peaceful as Warren did is nothing more than ignorance and a lack of understanding of the Middle East conflict."

* Ergun Caner, Arab-American, prolific author, professor at Liberty Theological Seminary, and also a radio guest of mine says, "Warren was not shown a single Muslim who converted to Christianity. If he would have seen a Muslim convert, the scene would have been different, and tragic. He would have seen one of my kinsmen buried up to his waste in burial cloth and then stoned to death. That is religious genocide, not freedom."

* Warren told Joseph Farah, one of my 2006 conference speakers and frequent radio guest, that he, Warren, better understood the Middle East because he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Why would Warren join a blatantly anti-Christian, globalist organization? Perhaps to help develop his global P.E.A.C.E. plan. To better understand that I encourage you to visit Warren's Web site as space is limited here.

* Pastor Warren made a public statement that Syria is not an extremist nation, rather, a moderate nation. The clip can be heard here: http://www.fromthelighthouse.com/blog/index.php?p=392&more=1&c=1 He calls Saul/Paul a Syrian. There is "less tension" than in most places. The fact is it is as brutal a regime as Libya, Iran, the Taliban, and Iraq before Saddam. It should have been a part of the "axis of evil." Why President Bush left it off I do not know. However, when Warren's people learned this statement was posted to the Internet, they saw to it that it was taken down in less than 24 hours.

* Syria supplied Hezbollah with missiles and other weapons that allowed Hezbollah to wage war with Israel. Syria has now re-supplied Hezbollah with more weaponry to once again go to war.

* The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a report that Christians in some parts of Syria report that the government has "confiscated their property without compensation."* In the interest of space the last issue I raise is the assassination of Pierre Gemeyal, Cabinet member of the Lebanese government and a Christian. He was slain by Syrian-backed terrorists as Syria is trying to once again regain dominance over Lebanon and crush its budding democracy.

It would be helpful if Pastor Warren would back down from some of these statements and cancel the appearance of Barack Obama this Friday. Warren has replaced Billy Graham as "America's pastor" according to many but Graham, though he made some troubling statements over the years as well, always focused on winning souls to Christ for eternity. The new "America's pastor" seems to be much more focused on the social gospel, his global P.E.A.C.E. plan, and even denouncing America to Syria's President Bashir Assad saying that 80% of Americans oppose the war in Iraq.Many are now speaking out against these issues who, like me, have held back for many reasons. To speak against a Christian brother is seen as divisive but to not speak the truth as to the facts stated above would be far worse. Hopefully all will speak the truth in love.