Posted on 07/07/2006 12:59:52 PM PDT by The Lumster
While North Korea was gearing up to launch a long range missile and five rockets into the Sea of Japan this week, sending a grim message to the entire world, out at Saddleback Church Rick Warren was announcing that he will soon be bringing his message of purpose to North Korea where he reportedly will be addressing an audience of 15,000.
God is using Rick Warren to be a messenger of peace! gushed one Saddleback member. There is great hope in Lake Forest that Rick Warren's message in that stadium will cause Kim Jong II to drop his nuclear purposes and embrace some kinder, gentler ones.
But who exactly will be sitting in that stadium when Mr. Warren steps up to the podium? Given the level of government induced starvation in that country, the average North Korean would be lucky to have the strength to walk to the stadium to hear him in the first place.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldviewweekend.com ...
All Christians sit together at ONE TABLE 200 years long. Your choice to disparage your brother across the table is tantamount to taking up the bread and wine and having a food fight with it, with Christ himself reclining at the head of the table looking on.
A "fight for truth" would be appropriate if Rick Warren were a participant in this forum, actively lining out his stance and speaking in his own behalf.
As it stands, that is not the case, he is not here to speak for himself, and I defy you to provide any shred of scriptural authority for you smearing him behind his back.
So.
Put down the cup.
Put down the bread.
Sit down.
Apologize to Rev. Warren.
And beg forgiveness from Our Lord.
If your dispute is with Rick Warren, keep it between the two of you.
Exactly what I was thinking. And when he has to use "The Message" to make things fit....
Wow, that's a pretty big accusation to make. I'm assuming that you have heard him say that he's "bigger than the Son?" My Bible tells me that anyone who accuses the brethren falls under Judgment themselves. I'm sure you didin't hear Warren say that, and since you have spoken these words for all to see, and if they cause others to repeat your words to even more people, it could cause non believers to believe that Warren "thinks he's bigger than the Son." But wait, that would be gossip, and God warned us to watch the words of our mouths, and to "guard our tongues." Could be this is Why HE said it! IF, you didn't hear him say it, then you have slandered a brethren, and passed Judgment on him. Now, God will Judge you! See how that works? Shame on you!
FYI, I don't know much about Warren, except that he is a Christian, and now I know that he's taking the Gospel into a Communist Country. Could it be that God is sending him, because he has the reputation of being a "peace maker" and God sees that as the opportunity to get the Gospel into North Korea? God is bigger than Warren, and HE can direct Warrens words. HE said HE would put the words into our mouths when we preach the Gospel. Could it be that HE will do it again? We don't know what God's purposes are, and you should not speak against the brethren, for this reason!
Some people only want their "felt needs" met. So the touchy feely warm & fuzzy, tell God where to kiss your boo boo type of gospel is very appealing. Of course it's not the true gospel of Christ. But if it puts behinds in the pews who cares? Just as long as some books, Bible covers, T-shirts, mousepads, calendars & coffee mugs get sold.
Oh & aren't YOU doing the very same thing you're complaining about? Ironic, ain't it?
He has also gone Useful Idiot for Stalinist Dictator.
I stand by my statement, so we can dance around this crabapple tree all night long. You do understand there is probably an ulterior motive for him being allowed in NORTH Korea, right? Christianity is prohibited. They are likely attempting to draw people out of hiding so they can be punished. Rick Warren knows this.
I, I, I...me, me, me...now just which personage in the Bible does THAT remind me of? It sure isn't Jesus...
"Rick Warren knows this."
Actually, he is probably on such a P.E.A.C.E. plan ego trip that he likely pushed any thought of the atrocities committed or to be committed by his hosts to the far recesses of his self-absorbed mind.
There are going to be some mighty surprised people in the afterlife when crowns are handed out. Again, I don't particularly always subscribe to Rick Warren---or many other---minister's specific theology, but it's always best to let God deal with anyone you think is a false prophet, because if he is, he will take himself down, and if he's not, you (not you personally) will never take him down.
Perhaps but will Warren's words be censored?
LATE NIGHT HERE!!
ASKING FOR COMMENTS!
5 SOLAS!
The last I heard of preachers in NK, they were tortured and their heads were run over with a steam roller while their parishioners were force to watch.
Maybe some changes going on now in NK.
A question I've always asked myself and one other should ask is what kind of Christianity is booming in China, there's a lot of Christian Cultures in the United States, many of which I wouldn't give a hoot for. My gut feeling is that most of the booming Christianity of China is of that sort I wouldn't give a hoot for.
There is the Christianity that changes Cultures and then there is the tent revivals Christianity that keeps having to revive the dead, they also keep having these retreats.(retreating Christianity).
Is that Rick standing on top of his own mountain.
All Rick believes in is Rick. Dissenters must be removed from the PD church.
Sounds like he and Kim have a lot in common.
Absolutely incredible but not out of character for Pastor Warren. I suppose since Rawanda isn't going as well as planned he needs to move on.
My comment to the author:
Graham said at the time of his historic Russia visit, "They're using me; I'm using them". We can critique whether he allowed himself to be used too much or not, but he had an understanding of advancing the Gospel that this author lacks. Who can forget the subsequent fall of the USSR, and astonishing articles in CT such as "Praying with the KGB"?
Nor does it matter that plump NK children will not be Warren's hearers. If it's just the Communist Party apparatchik, God can use that too.
Truth is, we don't know what good may or may not come out of this trip. But from this distance, it seems to me that the potential up side far outweighs the downside.
In fact, it's likely that the major part of the downside will be harsh criticism from Christian observers.
It's tradition to bash Warren here. Particularly on the part of . . . some . . . well entrenched forces and voices.
Given God's confirmations of Rick's ministry in a diversity of ways, I agree with God about Rick.
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