On the Topic of Hell

Purpose Driven....

It's a different religion than Christianity.  

For example, the Bible is very clear" about hell.  It is something reserved for the Devil and his angels.  It is the very thing that Jesus came to save us human beings from. 

Regarding hell. here are some verses.  Read for yourself what the Bible says about hell.  It is:

Matthew 18:8, 25:41....everlasting fire — 

 Matthew 25:46...  everlasting punishment —

Jude 1:6...everlasting chains — 

Mark 3:29...eternal damnation — 

Hebrews 6:2...eternal judgment — 

 Jude 1:7...eternal fire —

Matthew 3:12...unquenchable fire — 

Mark 9:43, 44, 45, 46, 48...the fire that never shall be quenched — 

 Luke 3:17...fire unquenchable —

 2 Peter 2:17...mist of darkness is reserved for ever —

Jude 1:13....the blackness of darkness for ever —

Purpose Driven Rick Warren says that he believes Jesus spoke the truth about hell, but Rick won't represent Jesus' view and will not speak with authority given to him by Jesus on that matter; he will only let Jesus speak for himself.   This sounds so wise doesn't it? Yet, it really shows us who's side rick is really on.

 Rick, while saying he believes Jesus told the truth about hell, has his own definition of hell and his own belief about this matter....

"Let me tell you what my definition of hell would be. Hell would be if God were to show me all the blessings in life that I've missed because I was selfish or afraid. To me that would be hell. I missed that just because I was afraid, just because I was insecure.” ~ Rick Warren

Making a Difference With Your Life  40 Days of Peace Sermon,  Sept 17-18 2005

Do you think you deserve missing blessings on earth... hell,
or that anyone deserves "hell" for that matter
 for being either "afraid" or "insecure?"

Hell?
This is not biblical in the least.

Do you wonder why Pastor Rick makes up his own definition, rather than repeat the Bible? Do you wonder why it is that his personally belief... about this biblical concept, hell, is completely different from scripture?  It is because Rick is not honest. about what he believes about scripture.  

John Piper and Rick Warren speaking...Piper to Warren, "What is it? What is hell?" 

WARREN: "Well, I believe that literal hell. Jesus believed in a literal hell. Jesus talked about flames of fire. I believe in that. But to me, hell is eternal separation from God. It’s ultimate loneliness. "

Rick talks about Jesus and about what Jesus said, but why 
does Warren persist in giving his listeners his own ideas?
Does he really think that he knows better than Jesus?
Does hr think that he can improve on what Jesus said
by making hell more than the judgement of God for sin?

Didn't he just say that Jesus believed in a literal hell...

 and that Jesus himself talked about "flames of fire?"

Rick says, "I believe that literal hell," then he .

interrupts himself to interject what Jesus believed and talked about
then Rick affirms his own belief... and then he continues by saying,

"BUT TO ME, hell is eternal separation from God."

Does he mean that "hell" (to him) is something different?

Why is he compelled to assert his own belief?

 Rick continued:

"This myth that people are going to see each other in hell. That they’re going to party in hell, that’s just—  it is unloving to not tell the people the truth when you know it’s there.  And so we cannot wage on this. And I can say with a clear conscience that in all of the public interviews, every time I've been asked about hell, I shoot straight on it. Yes, it’s real. Yes, Jesus talked about it. People will go there."

Yes, Rick will tell you, Jesus believed it and taught on it....people are going here.

He "shoots straight" on that for Christians. But Rick circumvents that for himself.  

For the Christians who knows no better, for the unbelieving person too, 

Rick Warren also shoots straight in telling you his very own ideas 

which differ from the bible or some greater dimension or 

"value" to what the scriptures says, even to what Jesus taught.

Same interview... Rick Warren to John Piper....

"I have tried for 32 years to teach people to be self feeders, not just simply listen to the word of God.  I don't think that is enough."

He does not think that simply hearing the word of God is enough.  He says that people need to be "self feeders."

Rick has not read, or does not care what it says in Jeremiah 23...

"Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord."

Who's idea was it it for pastors to feed the sheep?      God's

Who's idea was it for them to preach the word of God?     God's  

Who's idea is it for God's people to be self feeders?               Not God's

But the purpose driven soup thickens... as people at Saddleback church...

those "self feeders," have no idea what is really going on.

Destruction is coming.

"One of the verses that dominates Saddleback for 31 years is Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” However, knowledge is not enough." 

                                                                                                                                     ~Rick Warren

Was that destruction that came upon those people unjust?

What else did/do those people lack? 

Rick does not say, nor does he use the "verse" 

(as he calls the partial verse,) in it's entirety. 

Did their destruction come because of something more than a lack of "knowledge"?,

Is there something Hosea forgot to mention?

Knowledge, according to Rick, is  not only not enough.... but it's also on a different level than what he finds important, "perspective."  Rick improves upon the idea in Hosea:

"I actually believe that there are levels of scripture—I mean, levels of understanding the scripture. That we start with knowledge, which is knowing the what of scripture, but then we must move to perspective, which is knowing the why, okay. The Bible says about Moses, it says in Psalms, “The people of Israel knew the acts of God, but Moses knew the ways of God.” I differentiate between knowledge and perspective"  ~Rick Warren

Rick, once again, demonstrates that has his own way of looking at the Bible. 

He believes... but he believes what he wants to believe, not what it says.  

Rick then teaches his own ideas to people using the Bible, all the while he himself neglects to sit under the teaching of what Jesus says

 or of what the scripture teaches.

When it comes to hell as everlasting punishment , Yes. the bible teaches that... 

 Rick, however believes it is really eternal separation from God 

(and all your friends.) In hell,, there are no parties... and truth is,

without your friends you will  be lonely, 

so go head, buy Rick's books, (a.k.a. feed yourself.)  

Join one of his small group studies and make some friends.

Here is what the bible says, "my people perish for lack of knowledge,"

Being a master agent of change... 

He will tell you what the bible says, and change it.

Same interview....

Rick Warren is not believing upon Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior... he is simply "betting" that Jesus was not a liar.
Rick Warren :
"Everybody’s betting their life on something,” okay. Atheists are betting there is no God. Buddhists are betting on Buddha. I’m betting my life that Jesus Christ was not a liar, that Jesus Christ was telling the truth. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father, but by me.” Now I didn’t say that, he said it. “I am the way”—not a good way, not the best way, not one of the ways, not a nice way—“I am the way, the truth and the life.” No one comes—I’m betting my life that he was telling the truth. Now see what I did? I took it off of me and making me the authority and, well, that’s your word against mine. I said, wait a minute. I’m just saying I’m putting my trust that Jesus, who split history into AD and BC, is not a liar. "  ~Rick Warren

Rick strategically (and deceptively) removed himself out from 

being under the authority of Jesus, likely for fear of persecution....

lets Jesus stand alone.... and suggests that other 

pastors use this very same technique.

Watch and listen or read, this interview yourself.

Maybe it's not Rick Warren, but John PIPER, that should be pictured here on the cover of this book.  More recommended reading @ www.inplainsite.org;Rick Warren New Age

God's wrath.... will fall.

Judgement is coming.

And you cannot simply wager a bet that Jesus knew what he was talking about or telling other people that Jesus was not a "liar."

You must believe he came, sent by God, to save you from the judgement that you... in your sin

so justly deserve.

God is merciful.  Jesus died and he was raised again from the dead....and he did so, just as God had described for us in the scriptures.

You cannot count upon your good deed that you have done to save the world to save you. You cannot even expect all your attempts to be just like the most high is to save you in the end.

You can learn from Saddleback pastors how to grow into being like Jesus, or  learn to preach transformation, just "like Jesus," (Since "practically every communicator understands and  uses this principle except pastors! says, Rick Warren) at "Christianity .com"

You can learn to

lead like Jesus,

or over a persiod of time, study the life of JEsus  (in books or movies from Rick Warren) where you  learn how to  apply the the lessons from events in the life of Jesus  to your own and "change the world"....but this won't save you.... even if you find purpose, one of your very own.

The Christian message... the gospel of Jesus Christ, is not about YOU finding the Jesus in you,

 but  it is about YOU believing on the one whom God sent. It is about you and confessing your faith in Him who is the  Lamb of God who died in place of you.

Your sins will be forgiven.  you will be saved.  And you can rest assured that when all is said and done, and you come to the end of your life ...dearly beloved of God, your name will be found written inthe Lamb's Book of Life.... you would be found  "in Him."

"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, 

which is of the law,  but that which is through the faith of Christ, 

the righteousness which is of God by faith"

Philippians 3:8,9