Jesus said,
“I say to you that every idle word, That men may speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words
thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37
During a seminar held at
Saddleback Church January, 1998,
Rick Warren
prayed this prayer, “Thank you that
there is a movement,
a stealth movement, that’s
flying beneath the radar
changing
literally hundreds,
even thousands, of
churches around the world.” (R p. 3)
The purpose of this paper
is to take a hard look at this “stealth movement” and at the “leaven” of the
teachings of Rick Warren by looking at his own words.
·
Rick’s own
words are marked with this symbol
*,
are in quotation marks and have the page numbers of the
book being quoted from. I underlined key phrases within his quotes. But, all
other markings within the quotes are from the originals.
· The bullet notes after the
quotes are my comments or those of others.
· The Bible quotes in the
bullet notes are from the King James Bible.
· The
sources I’ve
used and their “codes” are at the end of this paper if you care to
investigate them, and I’d encourage you to do that.
BEFORE WE BEGIN I’D LIKE
TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS FIRST:
Did Moses quote the
Pharaoh for support of the Torah?
Did Jesus quote famous
rabbis for support of His teachings?
Did Peter quote Roman
leaders to validate his writings?
Did Paul
quote the great rabbis of his day to lend credence to the writings he sent to
the church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit?
NO, NO, NO,
and NO! Of course they wouldn’t have quoted people who were in conflict
with them.
So
then why does Rick
Warren chose to favorably quote and thus promote
his teachings in The Purpose Driven Life through the comments of
such people
as:
·
Bertrand
Russell
Purpose
Driven
Life
(PDL)
p 17 (atheist)
·
Bernie
Siegel
PDL p.31(channeler of George the spirit guide/demon)
·
Henry
David Thoreau
PDL p.32 (Transcendentalist)
·
Anais Nin
PDL p.41 (sex maniac and prolific writer of erotic literature )
·
George
Bernard Shaw
PDL p.33 (anti-Christian)
·
Benedictine monks
PDL p.89 (contemplative Roman Catholic mystics)
·
St. John
of the Cross
PDL p.108 (who believes in pantheism and states that his “God” is
in
everything)
·
Gary
Thomas
PDL p.102 (who favors Carl Jung, “Dancing Prayer” and other contemplative prayer
forms)
·
Henri
Nouwen
PDL pps.108 and 269 (whose final book, Sabbatical Journey, declared that
Jesus is not the only way to God and that his call is to help
every person claim their own way to God)
·
Mother
Teresa
PDL pps.125 and 231(who helped people be better Hindus or Muslims and who
wouldn’t give the dying the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ)
·
Madame
Guyon
PDL p.193 (another RC mystic and visionary)
·
Carl Jung
PDL p.245 (psychiatrist who channeled two demons, Philemon and Ka)
·
Aldous
Huxley
PDL p.248 (promoter of LSD and drugs for human evolution)
·
William
James
PDL p.285 (father of modern psychology who says, “I personally gave up the
Absolute…I fully believe in taking moral holidays.”)
Given the list above I’d
ask if Rick is obeying the teaching of, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And
what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with
Belial: or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what
agreement hath the temple of God with idols” 2 Cor 6:14-16
Would Rick have us believe that he couldn’t
find solid, Bible believing, God fearing brothers or sisters in Christ to quote?
When Rick uses such people to
support his beliefs (without any warning about them) you can, by reasonable
implication, assume that Rick is in agreement with them and that he would have
no problem if you got deeper into their writings as well as his.
About the second paper:
For more detail on these
people and others whom Rick is unequally yoked with read the second paper
called “Birds of a Feather…” There you’ll find information about “his friends”
that might make you question his judgment in both his own personal
associations and in giving us such “role models”. I think a case could be made
that Rick is in direct disobedience with God’s Word because of his personal
associations apart from his books.
I say this because he is
“yoked” with enemies of the cross when he teaches at conferences in agreement
with such people, sits on boards with such people, gives his personal
endorsement of their books and thus promotes them and when he accepts their
endorsement of his materials…I call this living in direct opposition to God’s
admonition to “…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,
but rather reprove them.” Eph 5:11 and “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and
bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid
him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil
deeds.” 2 John 9-11
If I had seen any attempt in Rick’s books to
win these people over to the Lord Jesus Christ or even to just warn his readers
about their errors and heresies then I won’t have felt justified in titling the
paper after the familiar saying: “Birds of a feather flock together.”
Please
remember Rick’s target audience for his two most popular books are people with
basically no Biblical background. These are people he believes will join his
movement as new believers. Problem is that these people whom Rick quotes
will do nothing
to draw these baby believers into a growing personal
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ
because they don’t even claim to be born again believers themselves. Rick could
have chosen a whole lot better group of people to expose these new believers to
had he been thinking as an authentic, godly pastor.
I
hope that these two papers might cause you to wonder what Rick is really up to.
In other words, what are his purposes with his “purpose driven”
movement?
As we
proceed, if you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ I hope you’ll pray for
spiritual discernment as you go with me in this paper as we talk a hard look at
the teachings (words) of Rick Warren as presented in The Purpose Driven Life
(PDL) and parts of The Purpose Driven Church (PDC).
LET’S
BEGIN: FROM RICK’S MOUTH TO YOUR EARS,
so to speak:
*
“Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purpose,
he took 40 days:…The spies were transformed by 40 days in the wilderness…Jesus
was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.” PDL p.9-10
-
You’ll
find Rick often uses strong words like “whenever” to push his agenda. The
use of “whenever” makes what Rick is saying either an overstatement or a
LIE. These two examples aren’t true and the others in his book aren’t
either!
-
I’ll just give you
two examples from his own list;
1.
The spies, he mentions, if anything were
transformed into cowards after 40 days. Not a great example to start your
program off.
2.
Rick seems
to forget that Jesus already had all the power He needed.
Jesus wasn’t given more power because He spent 40 days in the wilderness…where
did Rick get this idea? The Bible tells us that Jesus was already fully God
from His birth. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
-
So,
where did he get this idea about Jesus being “empowered”? Here’s a thought:
Rick is on the board of Ken Blanchard’s Leading Like Jesus with
fellow board member Laurie Beth Jones. Jones teaches that Jesus wasn’t
the “I AM” until he had his 40 days in the wilderness. Maybe she
influenced Rick? She also takes great pride in teaching that she is “I AM”
as well.
She
also declares that God is male and female. (O p.2-4) This verse clearly
comes to mind: jesus
said,
“Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying,
‘I am Christ’; and shall deceive many’.” Matt.24:4-5
-
Frankly, why is Rick even on a governing board with a woman like Jones
or well known, open new agers, Mark Victor Hansen
and
Jack Canfield? (G p.1-2) Boards and authors who promote each other are
typically of like mind wouldn’t you agree? (Hansen and Jack Canfield
co-author the “Chicken Soup” books. Personally I wouldn’t recommend
those books because of the worldview of their authors.)
-
I’d like to give you a
personal testimony as to the type of “bird” Canfield is because I was in
a weekend seminar lead by him. I had innocently gone to this seminar to
fulfill the last required course to get my Master’s Degree in counseling. I
knew I was in enemy territory the first night and called my family
during a break and asked them to call our prayer partners to cover me in
prayer.
-
On Saturday Canfield
tried to lead us in a guided visualization to meet our spirit guide but I
was praying the whole time to the Lord Jesus Christ for His protection from
this evil. Finally on Sunday Jack told us that he was teaching what he had
learned from Betty Pritchard who channeled it from her spirit guide! As a
result of that experience I wrote a paper for the Christian Educators
Association to warn other teachers about Jack. I’d encourage you to
“Google” Pritchard or any of the other people or concepts in this paper for
lots more information.
-
So, Jones, Hansen,
Canfield and Warren are all on the “Leading Like Jesus” board run by Ken
Blanchard. Given what you’ve just read can you see how such people could
possibly glorify the Lord Jesus Christ with this “ministry”? I think its
safe to say that they don’t actually know the Lord Jesus Christ though they
put His name on their letterhead.
-
Where did Rick get the
idea about the “magical” quality of “40 days”? James Sunquist, the author
of the *3 book in my documentation, noted in an e-mail to me that this
number is very important in mythology. His research confirms that in
mythology Buddha was enlightened after 40 days, then 40 days of human
sacrifices were done to get Zeus to answer some prayers, and Islam’s
Muhammad says that Allah left Adam’s body to ferment for 40 days.
Interesting. Just a coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
-
And what about the
promise that “the next forty days will transform your life”? Is this a
promised Rick can keep? Is Rick’s teaching that it took 40 days for David,
Isaiah, Paul or perhaps your born again Mother or Father or you to
“nail down what your life’s purpose would be”? Doesn’t the Lord lead us one
day at a time? There is NOTHING magical or Biblical about 40 days in spite
of what Rick tells us.
*
“Real spiritual growth is never an isolated,
individualistic pursuit.” PDL p.11
-
Again with the
“never”, dogmatic, “I’m the authority” approach. Rick put the word
“never” in italics, not me. He really believes this I guess.
-
I’d like to see Rick
tell this to Richard Wurmbrand who grew in the Lord even while in a Romanian
prison for 14 years…7 of which were in solitary confinement. I meet
Richard Wurmbrand and he told us what the Lord did in his life while
he was in prison. He removed his shirt to show us his back. What an
inspiration for me and everyone else. God can and does grow us even in
isolation. Maybe even because of isolation.
-
And Rick, tell your
doctrine to all the brothers and sisters in prisons in this day and age for
the sake of the gospel. People like Brother Yun, the “heavenly man” who was
in and out of communist Chinese prisons for many years (www.backtojerusalem.com)
and the three women in Indonesia today who are right now in prison for 3
years for teaching Bible stories to children. God doesn’t need groups to
grow His children. Do you really think God is going to leave His children
there alone in those prisons to rot on the vine without His presence. The
Holy Spirit who teaches us all things individually or in groups would
be in the prison with the believer and that alone tells us He will comfort,
teach, strengthen and care for us as we endure and grow even in this
situation.
-
And Rick, tell this
doctrine of yours to Elijah or Moses or David or Paul (isolated for 3 years
in preparation for his ministry) or John (on Patmos).
-
Dear reader, please
ask yourself the obvious question: Why would a leader tell his followers
that they must stay in a group that answers to him or the other church
management? Hmmm.
*
“…let’s sign a covenant together. There is something significant about signing
your name to a commitment….’With God’s help, I commit the next 40 days of my
life to discovering God’s purpose for my life’.” PDL p.12-13
“I say unto you, Swear not
at all; neither by heaven;…by earth;…by thy head…but let your communication be,
Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”
Matt. 5:34-37
Why is Rick ignoring this
direct teaching of His Savior? A true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ
doesn’t disregard His Savior’s teachings for any purpose.
“But above all things, my
brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into
condemnation.”
James 5:12
-
Is God even obligated
to help a sinner find their purpose in life because they sign some
vow? Rick assumes that the reader is unchurched, as he prefers to call
them, yet he yokes himself to them with a vow promising that his book
will change their life. Amazing promise.
*
“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below,
visible and invisible, … everything got started in him and finds its
purpose in him. Colossians 1:16 The Message”. PDL p.17
-
“Above
and below” is an occult phrase.
(*2 p.8, 29-31) (“Google” it or it’s alternate form, “as above so below”,
and you’ll see.) So, why are “heaven and earth” from a translation
transformed into “above and below” in the paraphrased The Message
here and in the Lord’s prayer too? Why use this version with
this phrase with its unsavory association? This version introduces
clear and blatant New Age terminology like using the term “Master” in place
of “Lord” when speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. New Age writings use
“Master” as a common New Age designation for transcendence. (*8 p.11)
-
Listen to God’s words,
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of
devils.” 1 Tim.
4:1
-
Warren Smith, formerly
deep into the New Age Movement and “The Course in Miracles” picked up on
this new age phrase right away. Warren, by God’s grace, is now a
repentant, born again believer and because of his background he critiqued
the “Purpose Driven” movement for its New Age connections in his very
helpful book, Deceived on Purpose (*2 on my documentation list). Is
this a naïve misjudgment call on Rick’s part or is it a “stealth move”?
-
Do you still think
this is much ado about nothing? Note this: The “New Age Journal”
put
out a book entitled, As Above, So Below which has chapters on
the following subjects revealing their world view: shamanism, goddess
worship, and contemplative prayer. (*6 p.48)
-
Another thing about
this version of the “Bible” is it’s rendering that everything got started in
Him. The Bible, (Genesis 1 and John 1), tells us that with His words Jesus
created it all. It was a whole lot more than just started in
Him. In a word-for-word Bible translation this ONE VERSE says of Jesus that
“by him were all things created” and “all things were created by him, and
for him.” You’ll see many such “reductions” of the deity of the Son of
God by the constant use of paraphrases throughout Rick’s book.
*
Day 1 Rick’s first words are, “It’s not about you.” PDL p.17
-
Ask people who have
read the book if they came away with a deeper understanding of and love for
the Lord Jesus Christ or if they came away feeling better about
themselves instead.
-
The
vast
majority of people I’ve spoken with say Rick starts with that 5 word
sentence but to them the rest of the book is clearly about “you”.
It’s hard to actually read this book and honestly think otherwise. In one
chapter he actually leads you to believe that some people’s eternal destiny
is in completely in your hands. (see the comments on PDL p.283,
285)
*
“God prescribed every single detail of your body….He custom made your body just
the way he wanted it…He planned the days of your life in advance…scheduled
each day…God left no detail to chance.” PDL p.22-23
-
So, God
planned
that my great-grandmother should be born with no arm OR God planned
that a murderer should kill my friend Joe’s only daughter? This is a sin
cursed world and God doesn’t deserve all the credit for the problems brought
about by sin and disease and what people chose to do, like steal, kill, or
maim.
-
Frankly, if this is
the truth we should close up all the prisons because God made them “do it”,
so logically He’s to blame. Is this Biblical teaching??? Do we have a
freewill? The fact that God knows everything doesn’t mean that God decided
everything.
*
“Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty, and pointless….This
is why people try dubious methods, like astrology or psychics, to
discover it.” PDL p.30
-
I’d say “dubious is
not strong enough given Ex. 22:18; Lev. 19:31; 20:6 and Gal. 5:19-21
-
So, having just said
this then how does one explain why on the very next page Rick
promotes Bernie Siegel, who openly channels a spirit guide? Isn’t
channeling in the same category as the “dubious” things Rick mentions?
Amazingly, in spite of this activity Siegel is quoted and befriended by both
Robert Schuller and Rick Warren…read on.
*
“Hope is as essential to your life as air and water. You need
hope to cope. Dr. Bernie Siegel found…” PDL p.31
-
Here we have an
endorsement of Dr. Bernie Siegel, the channeler of George his spirit guide
since 1978. Siegel is favorable promoted just three paragraphs from
Rick’s statement on page 30 about using “astrology or psychics. Does
Rick think a man who channels a spirit/demon is the best person to give
credibility to his movement and doctrines?
-
Does this mean
anything to Rick? “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were
before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the
grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and
our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 4
-
Siegel’s book
Love,
Medicine, and Miracles tells you that he channels a “spirit guide”
(demon) named “George” (p.18-20), that he recommends using a kind of yoga
that is very occult and is used to connect you with the serpent force or
power [called “Kundalini Energy” meaning energy from the god within you.
p.148-150 and *6 p.50] and that you should try to communicate with the dead
through séances (p.220-222).
-
NOTE: In spite of
those obviously occult teachings of Siegel’s spirit guide Dr. Schuller and
his protégé, Rick, still choose to quote and promote Siegel. Would Paul
support his writings with those of Simon the Magician or those of Caesar?
Can’t Rick find godly men and women to quote? Warren and Schuller surely
know about Siegel, wouldn’t you think?
-
Siegel loves
Schuller’s teachings too. How do we prove this? Why else would he endorse
Schuller’s book on prayer on its opening page (*2 p.55).
-
Rick Warren is a
graduate of Schuller’s Institute and was a teacher there as well. (CC
p.1-2) He was so thick with Schuller that Schuller endorsed his first book,
The Purpose Driven Church., right up in the front. Rick’s wife is a
big Schuller fan as well. (V p.1)
-
I could go on but does
this Schuller-Siegel-Warren connection trouble you as it does me?
*
Rick then quotes anti-Christian George Barnard Shaw who writes, “This is the
true joy of life: the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a
mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little
clot…” PDL p.33
-
“yourself as a
mighty one, a force of nature”??? Why does Rick keep quoting these
enemies of the faith who do and/or say things that should make us blush
to say the least! Does Rick mean for us to see ourselves like this, a
mighty one, a force of nature…heaven forbid!
-
“Take heed therefore
that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” Luke 11:35
-
Is this Biblical…I’m a
mighty force of nature! John MacArthur deals with the whole issue that
Biblical teaching is found wanting in Rick’s movement. (C p.1-2 and X
p.2)
-
FYI: Rick
doesn’t
correct or rebuke Shaw or his teaching or for that matter any of the
others mentioned in the beginning of this paper. He just favorably quotes
them thus giving them credibility and an endorsement of their world views
too.
*
Then Rick goes on to tell us that, “One day you will stand before God, and he
will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity.
The Bible says, ‘Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment
seat of God….Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.’
Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in
advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial
questions: First, ‘What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?’ God won’t ask
about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that
will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn
to love and trust him?….Second, ‘What did you do with what I gave
you?’….Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book.” PDL
p.34
-
Where do we even begin
with this section? To begin with there is not one judgment but
two. One is for believers only and it is called the Judgment Seat of
Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10). Believers will have their names
written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. No questions need to be asked about
what the believer did with the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
The
other judgment
is for unbelievers and it is called the Great White Throne Judgment
of Revelation 20:11-15. Only those whose names are not found in the book of
life will be there. With all of his seminary training it is hard to
understand why Rick just lumps them both together.
-
Rick may “surmise”
these questions from the Bible but he gives absolutely no Biblical
references to support this concept yet, he says “Preparing you for these
two questions is the goal of this book”. Rick’s whole explanation of man’s
finally judgment is hardly consistent with Biblical Christianity. Might I
add that my Moslem friend, Zora, tells me that Allah asks two questions at
your graveside that determine your eternal destiny…your destiny is
determined by them and by what mood Allah is in. Is the God of Abraham,
Isaiah, and Jacob going to do the same thing as Allah? Hardly!
-
“But there were false
prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many
shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall
be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not,
and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Pet. 2:1-3
*
In the “Verse to Remember” we read: ‘You, LORD, give perfect
peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in you.’ Isaiah
26:3 [TEV]” PDL p.35
-
First of all, TEV is a
paraphrase and is not to be counted as the Holy Word of God
A
translation says nothing of the sort. A translation tells us that
perfect peace comes from keeping our mind on the Lord NOT from
keeping your purpose firm. Of course this TEV paraphrased version supports
the whole “purpose driven” movement, so it is used often. But if that one
doesn’t do the trick then Rick uses 14 other “versions of the Bible”, as he
calls them…so he’s bound to find one that supports his doctrines.
-
So that being said,
what does God’s Holy Word really say about having perfect peace…keep
your purpose firm or keep your mind on the Lord?
Obviously “purpose” and “mind” are not equal. One is right and one is
wrong.
-
A
second very significant issue is that of Rick’s continual insistence that a paraphrases is on an equal level with translations. In terms of
detriment to the next generation this stealth maneuver may be the worst
outcome of all from Rick’s teachings. Such unjustified elevation
of paraphrases and even dynamic equivalent versions is a real
“Trojan horse issue” sneaking into the church, coming in under the radar.
-
Does anyone remember
that God says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither
shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye my keep the commandments of the
Lord you God which I command you.” Deut. 4:12
-
OR “For
I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of
the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are
written in this book.” Rev. 22:18-19
-
Care
to imagine the loss of Biblical authority already with over 300 English
“Bibles” available today to promote anyone’s particular doctrine??? We’re
rapidly heading back to the “every man did that which was right in his
own eyes (read in his “Bible” version).” times of Judges 21:25.
-
Let me show you how
Rick is playing fast and loose with this now. Out of the 650 verses that
Rick uses in these 40 days of readings 53% of the time he prefaces the
quotes from paraphrases or dynamic equivalents with “The
Bible says,” or “God says,” or “Jesus says,”. He’s trying to train his
readers to consider anything that calls itself a “Bible” to actually be
God’s Word. Who said, “If you tell a big lie often enough people will
believe you.”?
-
Amazing to note that
out of 650 such quotes he uses a word-for-word translation a mere 19 times.
Not once does he preface the quote from a translation with “The Bible
says,”. I’ve done the math on this information and I’d gladly show you
my notes. Rick says he uses about 1000 verses…but he only identifies
the source of 650, I know I’ve counted. Wonder why he didn’t identify the
other references?
*
“Tragically, many people will have to endure eternity without God because they
chose to live without him here on earth.” PDL p.37
-
Furthermore, Jesus
did say that people were condemned already if they don’t believe
in Him (John 3: 18) but you won’t find any sort of “negative” teaching like
this with Rick. He learned from his mentor Dr. Schuller to NEVER use any
negative Scripture, just stay positive. And Rick is teaching this to
the pastors who are joining the “Purpose Driven” movement. So more and more
men in the pulpit are failing to tell the whole truth. (M p.8 and R p.2 and
8). But, what about declaring “all the counsel of God” to those you
are preaching too like Paul did? (Acts 20:27) Shouldn’t this be the
standard for all preachers?
-
Unbelievably Schuller
even says in a TIME interview, “I don’t think anything has been done in the
name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more
destructive to human personality and hence, counterproductive to the
evangelism enterprise than the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian
strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful
condition. (M p.7).
-
Schuller goes on to
say in his book on self-esteem that, “once a person believes he is an
‘unworthy sinner’ it is doubtful is he can really honestly accept the saving
grace God offers in Jesus Christ.” (M p.10)
I’m not making
this up dear reader.
-
It’s clear to me that
Schuller is teaching a another gospel.
-
Rick sounds more and
more like his mentor Schuller as he declares his own gospel.
-
Schuller claims he had
a major role in Rick’s training. (E p.1) and Rick’s wife, Kay, is enamored
with Schuller too, so I’d think she’d agree. (E p.1).
-
This connection is
more fully developed in the second paper “Birds of a Feather…”
*
“How I manage my money (‘worldly wealth’) determines how much God can trust me
with spiritual blessings (‘true riches’). Let me ask you, ‘Is the way you
manage your money preventing God from doing more in your life? Can you be
trusted with spiritual riches?’ ”PDL p.46
-
Where is this in the
Bible? Note that Rick has to make this point because he has a great
“solution” to this coming up. Rick requires every member of
Saddleback Church to sign a covenant with the church to give 10% of their
money to them. (PDC pps.321-322 and 381-382)
-
That required covenant
has other demands too and one can lose their church membership if they don’t
live up to what they signed on to do.
-
This whole covenant
deal is putting all of Rick’s new converts into serious legalism,
which I find tragic. This covenant stuff is expected of any church going
“purpose driven” too. (PDC p.321-322 and Time magazine 3/29/2004
page 56)
-
Do you, dear reader,
think that God demands this membership requirement of signing a
covenant forcing a saint to give 10% of their income just to join a local
fellowship of believers? I hope you know better. Would you agree that
there is no Biblical basis for demanding that this set of man-made
requirements be required to join a fellowship of believers!
-
To see where this is
heading all you need to do is look on the inside front cover of The
Purpose Driven Church where we read this, “in order for a church to be
healthy it must become a purpose-driven church…”. Didn’t Jesus say
He would build His church? If this rather dogmatic statement by Rick is the
future of the church then we’re in trouble as we’ll all have to pledge our
money, be psychoanalyzed for service in the church and promise not to
question anything our leaders do.
*
“Living the rest of your life for the glory of God ….will
sometimes mean choosing a difficult path instead of an easy one. Even Jesus
struggled with this. Knowing he was about to be crucified….Jesus stood at a
fork in the road. Would he fulfill his purpose and bring glory to God, or would
he shrink back and live a comfortable, self-centered life? You face the same
choice.” PDL p. 57
-
I find this
extremely insulting to our Lord and Savior! This is one of many places
where the Lord Jesus Christ is reduced to just another man like us.
To speak of the agony the Lord faced before His crucifixion in this
way is heinous.
-
Jesus didn’t struggle
in the garden of Gethsemane with dumping His Father’s plans so that He could
live a comfortable, self-centered life! Shouldn’t a Baptist preacher know
better?
-
Would anyone who reads
their Bibles think that Jesus was living a comfortable, self-centered life
on this earth to begin with??? He had told His disciples over and over that
He had come to die. He was not at a “fork in the road” in the garden.
-
Unfortunately, when
you turn the page Rick continues with another gross misinterpretation of
God’s Word and of the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ.
-
Rick’s teaching is
pathetic. Peter knew, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,
when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eye witnesses of his majesty.” 2 Pet.1:16
*
“It’s time to settle this issue. Who are you going to live for—yourself
or God?”
PDL p.58
-
The
issue is not who you will live for!
This may appeal to a self-centered adult but, even a child in a Sunday
School class (where the Bible is the authority) knows that the real
issue is about being a sinner, deserving Hell because of our sin, knowing
that the blood of the Lamb must be shed for the remission of sins,
repenting, believing that Jesus shed His blood as He died in our place
on the cross, and that He rose from the dead having completed all that His
Father required for total forgiveness and that this justification and His
righteousness are offered to us as a free gift if we’ll receive it.
-
Again, the real issue
is our sin and ignoring its existence doesn’t make it go away. It’s
knowing that our own righteousness is like filthy rags to God and that only
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can cleanse us from sin. Again, the sad
little prayer on this page with the “welcome into the family” by Rick is, if
not another gospel, certainly is an anemic, lukewarm version that I doubt
any born again believer would say was adequate. Yet, because of Rick many
of his readers now believe they have, by this vague knowledge and
unrepentant prayer, come into eternal life.
-
“I
marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace
of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Gal. 1:6-7
*
“The moment you were born into this world…..You are a child of
God and you bring pleasure to God like nothing else he has ever created.” PDL
p.63
-
It is not our first
birth that satisfies God. “It is us being born again
(literally, ‘born from above’) that gives God His greatest pleasure” and
even the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents and receives God’s free
gift of salvation through the shed blood of His Son. (*3 p.58)
-
It’s our adoption into
His family that is “to the good pleasure of His will”. Eph. 1:5
*
“Anytime you reject any part of yourself, you are rejecting God’s
wisdom and sovereignty in creating you.” PDL 75
-
This blanket statement
can’t be the whole counsel of God. For example, we are told about the
deceitfulness of our hearts, the lust of our flesh and the pride of life.
We certainly aren’t told in God’s Holy Word to embrace these parts of
us.
-
We’re told to “crucify
the flesh” (Gal 5:24), be sure that we don’t preach “with (the)
enticing words of man’s wisdom” (I Cor. 2:4) and to ask the Lord to
“search me, O God,…see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me
in the way of everlasting.”
(Ps. 139:24).
We are
to reject the old nature, the flesh and we are told not to lean on our own
understanding.
-
The Bible has a lot to
say about rejecting the “old, carnal man” and embracing the “new, born again
man”. God offers us a new birth because we need it and we’re not “just
fine” without it.
-
“For such are false
apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of
light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transform as
the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their
works.” 2 Cor. 11:13-15
*
“If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at Christ
with his arms outstretched on the cross, saying, ‘I love you this much! I’d
rather die than live without you.’ “ PDL p.79
-
To liken the death of
the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross to what sounds like the pitiful whining
of a lovesick teenager frankly saddens and sickens me. What a hideous
distortion of the cross of Christ. This demeans my Savior.
-
In His death the Lord
Jesus Christ became sin, He Who know no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him, He conquered death, and sin and hell. He
crushed Satan as was prophesied in Genesis, He destroyed the works of the
Devil, He became the propitiation for my sin, He paid the awful price that I
might be justly, legally reconciled to God. Jesus wasn’t some lovesick wimp
who’d be miserable without you or me in heaven. Humans may
flounder about when their love is rejected but that is not what the
outstretched arms of the Lord Jesus Christ were telling us!
-
“Take heed therefore
unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath
made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own
selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them.” Acts 20:28-30
*
“Jesus…prayed, ‘God, if it is in your best interest to
remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your
purpose, that’s what I want too’….In Jesus’ case he agonized so much over God’s
plan that he sweat drops of blood. Surrender is hard work.” PDL p.81
-
Note that
this so
called quote is from some kind of “Bible” that is NOT IDENTIFIED in
Rick’s Notes. That’s likely because Rick couldn’t find this verse with the
word “purpose” in any of the 15 versions he used. Would he stoop to just
make it up? Hmmm?
-
Then consider that it
wasn’t the physical suffering, it wasn’t the plan that was hard to accept
and it wasn’t some kind of surrender that caused the Lord to agonize.
It
was the fact that by taking the sin of the world on Himself the Son of
God would for the first time ever have to endure separation from His
Father for this span of time on the cross. How does Rick miss this? More
fables from Rick.
-
“For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And
they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into
fables.”
2 Tim. 4:3-4
*
Now Rick makes sure he gets this paraphrased verse into his
book. “The Bible says, ‘He rules everything and is everywhere and is in
everything.’ “ PDL p.88
-
This is the NCV
version of Eph. 4:6 and with these simple 13 words Rick introduces immanence the fundamental doctrine of pantheism! The KJV states, “One
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in you all.”
Do you see the difference?
Paul is addressing the
“faithful in Christ Jesus” see Eph 1:1 Paul is not addressing the
whole world. Yes, God the Holy Spirit is in all believers. To
change this to “He…is in everything” is to teach heresy.
-
People who believe
this doctrine of immanence think God is the dirt, the rocks, the bugs, the
“you name it”. My Hindu friend once told me that she could make her microwave oven God.
(“Google” the word immanence and pantheism if you
don’t believe me.)
-
Perhaps you think that
this is just a minor mistake or oversight on Rick’s part? Think
again. When you read the Foundations Participant’s Guide : 11 Core
Truths To Build Your Life On that goes with the course at Saddleback
here is what the manual says on page 46, “God….is both transcendent (above
and beyond his creation) and immanent (within and throughout his creation)”
(J p.5) Rick’s wife co-authored this as well.
-
This is a BIG deal. This is leaven!!!!
This is heresy!!!!!!
(I
p.6-7)
-
This
heresy of God
being in everything is taught by Schuller and Siegel as well. (J p.5 and
*2 p.78) And so now we have the Schuller-Warren-Siegel-New Age connection.
The New Agers have been teaching that GOD IS IN EVERYTHING for years because
then “God” is not a personal being!
*
Rick now works to get another questionable practice into the
minds of his followers as he begins with, ”The Bible tells us to ‘pray all the
time.’ How is it possible to do this? One way is to use ‘breath prayers’
throughout the day, as many Christians have done for centuries. You choose a
brief sentence or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath…’I
receive your grace’…’You are my God’….Pray it as often as possible…you must force yourself to think about God at different times in your
day…Benedictine monks use the hourly chimes of a clock to remind them to pause
and pray…Sometimes you will sense God’s presence; other times you won’t….We
don’t praise God to feel good but to do good.” PDL p.89
So, Rick you’re telling us to
repeat the phrase as often as possible. But then you go on to say:
*
“If someone approached you and repeated ‘I praise you!’ ten times you
would probably think, For what? You would rather receive two specific
compliments than twenty vague generalities. So would God.” PDL p.104
Yikes, is anyone else confused?
-
First point: this
paraphrase, The Message, that is quoted on page 89 has changed the
meaning of I Thes. 5:17 when it says ‘pray all the time’. A translation,
KJV, tells us to “pray without ceasing”. “Pray all the time” is not the
same as “pray without ceasing”. If someone tells us not to forget them
(in other words don’t cease to remember me) that doesn’t mean they are
telling us to think of them every minute of the day. Rick hand
selects this paraphrase because it sets the reader up for a ritual that
makes them get into this wrong kind of pagan style prayer that Rick is
promoting…”breath prayer”. More on this in the second paper under
Contemplative Prayer Movement.
-
Second point: “Google”
breath prayer and you’ll see that this practice, which is encouraged
by Rick, is NOT promoting Biblical Christianity, it is the kind of pagan
practice that Jesus warned His disciples about. (A p.3-4) It is from the
“eastern religions”. And now, in the “western religions” this is coming
from Roman Catholic mysticism. The problem is that the Catholic church
teaches another gospel and as a result their practices can not be considered
to automatically be those of authentic Christians. A Christian is one who
comes to God by faith alone. By faith alone! So, why is Rick telling us
that “believers” have been doing this for years and years? Yes, some Roman
Catholics have been doing this for years but a practicing Catholic who
honors their Pope is not a “born again believer”.
-
The Roman Catholic
church even today teaches another gospel because they don’t preach or
practice salvation “by faith alone”. Their mystic monks, Benedictine and
others, have been doing this type of praying but that’s no good reason to
teach this mystical approach to baby believers, or anyone else. Is this
so called approach to our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible? You won’t find
it.
-
Shouldn’t Rick be teaching about prayer from the Bible,
not from inventions of mystics over the centuries? It has been said by
those who practice it, that breath prayer is a bridge to lead the western
religions into the east. Is that a bridge we should cross? Does saying
“Jesus” or “God is love” over and over and over really make this now some
kind of Christian or Biblical practice that the Lord Jesus Christ would
accept? (*6 p.49)
-
Third point: the
underlined phrases in these quotes certainly could leave a person scratching
their head as you’re first told to “repeat this” do this as “often as
possible” you “must force yourself” and then you’re told not to repeat
something 10 times. Which is it? God is NOT the author of confusion.
-
If Rick practices his
own preaching and he does it well, when he empties himself and sits in the
silence waiting for God don’t you wonder just “who” is showing up?
-
“Ye did run well; who
did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh
not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”
Gal. 5:7-9
