"So Close to Hell That I Can Smell It"

Hell?

The reality of a place called hell is an rather unpleasant thought, for it is a place where God is forever unreachable.  If hell has a smell, it would likely be more unpleasant that anything we know in this world.  Strangely, in his article, 8 Acts of a Healthy, Growing Church, by Rick Warren, he states that he wants "to get so close to hell that he can smell it." It's a rather weird thing to say, but then, in light of scripture, so are some of the other things Rick touts.

In, 8 Acts of a Healthy Church, Rick  uses the book of Acts in the bible, to show his readers the characteristics of the early church, and teach how, (if we want God's blessing,) we can do the same as they did, (Note: this is not necessarily what the bible says, but what is being taught by Pastor Rick.)  Rick's catch on the deal with God, is that you have to learn these 8 "acts" (of a "healthy" church,) from Rick. 

"There are a lot of churches that want to play it safe. They get as far away from unbelievers as they can so they don’t get tainted. I want to get so close to hell that I can smell it!" - Rick Warren

Rick accuses churches, a "lot" of them, of "playing it safe," being unwillling to take risks, like Rick, who evidently is so risky that he's willing to get close to "hell" then those other churches and Christians dare to get.) 

Rick, who claims to know almost everything, is out to convince you that he knows all about The book of Acts, but more importantly, that he knows how to get God's blessing.  The key to getting the blessing of God is apparently doing church like it was done in the book of Acts, with a catch..... it must be interpreted for us, by Rick. 

He begins the article by dropping names like B.H. Carroll, C. Peter Wagner, and G. Campbell Morgan.  You might not even know who those people are.   Rick probably never met B.H. Carroll or G. Cambell Morgan personally, but he did know C Peter Wagner well.  Droping the names of some popular names, one of which is a personal friend, Rick hopes the legacy of these men will validate what he has to say about the book of Acts.  Promising you and me a "blessing," from God.... IF....  we accept his wisdom about the early church.... validated by those three men of course, Rick teaches:

"If we echo the actions of the early church, we can expect God’s blessing on our church."  

Now that he has you trusting that he knows so much about this, and has validated it for you and me who are impressed with his wise associations of Carroll, Wagner and Morgan, it is expected that you will see...as Slicky Ricky teaches...that the Holy Spirit living inside of you is not sufficient.  

Nope.  you need to have Rick's teaching.  He says:

"If you’re a Christian, you already have the Holy Spirit living inside you, but...."  -Rick Warren

 But?...  

But what?  What follows is a long list of things that you MUST do in order to be "blessed" by God. 

Here is his list of things YOU (he says "we" so he himself is included....) "must" DO, (besides receive the Holy Spirit, because that is not enough:)

"We must maintain a warm fellowship."

"We must multiply small groups."

"We must magnify our vision of God."

"We must maximize the power of prayer."

"We must model Christ-like generosity."

(Must... must..... must.... must...must...must....must... and....)

"We must move out with God’s mission." -Rick Warren

8 Acts of a Healthy, Growing Church, By Rick Warren, October 10, 2013

Rick  has a long list of things for the Christian with the Holy Spirit "living in side of them," to get busy doing.   The thing is, those are Rick's commands, use here  to get you on his own programs.  there is no loophole, no rest... not even a choice on your part.  The Holy Spirit living inside of you when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, is not enough.  You MUST also do all these things Rick mentions.... as MUSTS.

Rick has people running themselves ragged, moment by moment doing their best to please God by maintaining warm fellowship with people in their small groups.  They must also be working to multiply and grow their groups, as well as be busy "magnifying" the "vision of God", (What is "God's vision" by the way?  Is that in the Bible or one of Rick's books?)  They must also be busy "maximizing the power of prayer," (as if we possess that power in and of ourselves.) and we must also be "modeling" of "Christ-like generosity." (Perhaps he means tithing?) As for  "mobilizing God's mission," this means promoting Rick's "movement of God."   

In his Purpose Driven materials he claims, "This campaign is all about the Kingdom of God, fulfilling his agenda in His world. Nothing brings more glory to God than having his churches, small groups, and his people fulfilling His Purposes. Because 40 Days of Purpose is about God's Kingdom, it is much bigger than any individual, church or denomination. We must work together "to serve God's purpose in our generation." (Acts. 13:36)   I hope and pray that your church won't miss out on this movement of God. I invite you to join us. We're waiting to partner with you on the journey of a lifetime!"  -Rick Warren

                                                                                   (Check Acts 13:36b here for meaning.)

People under Rick's tutelage, must do, do, do.  If you remember, the church, according to Rick, for the last fifty years, has been nothing but a big mouth, (better known for speaking than doing,) that is..... until Rick came with new insight from God.  Rick was tired with the big mouth church that never did anything to help people....and was always negative.

" The problem for the last fifty years is that the church has been the body of Christ, but the hands and the feet have been amputated and all that’s left is the mouth. Most of the time, we’re known for what we say and not for what we do in culture. And we’re more known for what we’re against than what we’re for. I’m tired of that and I intend to change it. "  ~Rick Warren                     The Purpose-Driven Student, An Interview, Jan. 14th, 2007

So people must now do everything perfect... perfectly balancing the five purposes laid out by Rick .  Churches and Christians are by default, labeled not "healthy."  And evidently, you should never be tired or feel ill for this is certainly a sign that God is not with you, because, as Rick states,  that:

 "one of the characteristics of people who try to minister in a church without God’s Spirit is simple – tiredness, fatigue."         8 Acts of a Healthy, Growing Church, By Rick Warren, October 10, 2013

This is a problem.  It's not the truth.

 We do get tired and weary..  Jesus himself got tired.  This does not mean Jesus did not have the power of God with him.  Christians are to live lives by faith and trust the Holy Spirit living in side of them always, not listen so some man who puts himself up on a pedestal and who does nothing but find fault with the church so that he can, by his own ideas and programs, improve upon it.  

According to Rick in this article, the early church in the book of Acts, chapter 8, did not even do church right.  "They didn't spread the gospel." 

"They didn't spread the gospel. So God applied pressure by allowing persecution to get them to spread. The Bible says, 'On that day a great persecution broke out against the church of Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered through Judea and Samaria.' Notice that: the pastors stayed home but all the people were scattered into Judea and Samaria. Why? Because that’s where He wanted them to go..." -Rick Warren

8 Acts of a Healthy, Growing Church, By Rick Warren, October 10, 2013

The disobedient church refused to share the gospel with others.  Persecution didn;t come because they refused to share the gospel, rather, it came because they did share.... after all, Saul, who later became Paul, was out to destroy the church.   He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison, (Acts 8:3) and this while all the while thinking he was doing a good service unto God. Saul was wrong. Meeting Jesus personally and realizing his sinful errors and repenting of them, Saul became a Christian himself and leaving the old man behind, he became known to the church, not as Saul, but as Paul.


The way to be "church"  according to Rick, has nothing to do with people having faith in Christ Jesus as Lord. 

"We will be the New Testament church when we magnify the vision of God, pray like they prayed, when we are filled with the Spirit and when we are generous with each other." -Rick Warren

8 Acts of a Healthy, Growing Church, By Rick Warren, October 10, 2013

...and while Rick talks about being "filled with the Spirit," note that he does not say, be tilled with the "Holy Spirit."  

Filled with what "spirit?"   (1John Chapter 4) 

It would be easy to assume, he means the Holy Spirit, but he is vague.  HE a pastor, he talks about Jesus and he even says that he himself is a "believer."

"I am a believer and I know I’m going to heaven. Nothing can take that away from me. But between now and when I go to heaven, I want to take as many people with me as possible. I hope you’ll commit to that same thing."
 

Rick's words, are like clouds without rain.  His words are all about himself, and the object of true Christian faith is invisble.  while he claims that he wants to "take people to heaven with him,"  he does not give any opportunity for someone reading this article to put their faith in Jesus Christ.... even though he hopes they will "commit" to the same thing he's committed to, (a thing that is undefined and ambiguous.) We find him not sharing the gospel, but soliticing  people to follow his teaching  and do,do, do, do, all the things he says that  they "MUST" do to be  the "church" ....without any mention of the Savior.

 
People of all faiths can be classified as "believers" for they all "believe" in something.   

Religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Mormonism and other various cults all have their followers and their own particulars of what one is to "believe" ( and do) to be called of that religion.  Rick's a "believer?"  In what?  

He does not say.

Rick also says knows he is "going to heaven,"but so does a Muslim who practices jihad.  Meanwhile, he never mentions the way to heaven is only one way, nor tell you that Jesus is the only door.... and he wants to sell you his books and programs and ways of thinking about the book of Acts.  Apparently some people are not only perfect as doing everything God demands, but are also busy working to make converts.  Unwilling to be open about the truth of God, they simply make clones of themselves... or worse.  


Christian pastors proclaim the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  They encourage others to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation from sin and death ( and without hypocracy, this faith is the same that they believe.) Their hearers, actually have the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and receive God's gift of eternal life and thereby, with sin forgiven, be able go to "heaven."  Rick Warren, has his own agenda.  To get you interested in his programs and his P.E.A.C.E> plan and his teachings, like a bully, Rick paints churches in a negative light.  He is also quick to tell you that he is so much better than they are.

"There are a lot of churches that want to play it safe. They get as far away from unbelievers as they can so they don’t get tainted. I want to get so close to hell that I can smell it! "

Weird.    

Sweetwater and Bitter

"Hi Everybody, I'm Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in southern California and author of the Purpose driven Life, and I just wanted to be able to say Congratulations Catholic Relief Services  on 70 years of being the hands and feet and heart of Jesus all around the world"... "Catholic Relief services is helping people tin ways that no one else is helping others."    - Rick Warren 


Here, in May 2013, we see Rick Warren congratulate Roman Catholics "for 70 years of being the hands and feet of Jesus" meanwhile for the last few years he has taken opportunity to denounce the church for being nothing but a big mouth with those hands and feet being amputated (for the last 50 years.

Which is it?

"The Bible calls the church the body of Christ. And, in my opinion, for about the last 50 years at least, the, the legs and the arms, and the hands, and the feet of the body of Christ have been amputated, and all that's left was a big mouth. We're better known at, at speaking than doing. And usually we're known more for what we're against than what we're for. "                                                                                                                                                                       

Interview With Rick Warren, Prayer in America, the Duncan Group. 2007

"Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?"  James 3:11

For People Who Hate Church

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."   -JESUS  John  13:34

In front of the Muslim Affairs Council, March 2013, Rick Warren reminisced about how he started his church. He recalls:

"We were driving to this little condo, and I said, Don, do you go to church anywhere?"

He said," No, I hate church."

I said, "Great. You're my first member.. I'm starting a church for people who hate church." ~ Rick Warren 

Spoken to the Muslim Affairs Council, March 7,  2013, C-Span.org, Video and Transript.

People who hate church?
He recalls the story offten over the years:

"So then I asked myself, what kind of church are we going to be? And I decided, why don’t we be a church for people who hate church? There are plenty of good churches around here. Why don’t we have church for people who hate church? "  ~ Rick Warren

Rick Warren, Pew Forum, Myth of the Modern Megachurch , 2005, 

Faith Angle Conference on religion, politics and public life.

See also, Prophet of Purpose by Jeffery L. Sheller, book cover (click "read more")

Or read the book free;

and 

 In the Name of Purpose by Tamara Hertzell, quoting Rick warren Chapter 10, pg 135.

and read, 

News with Views,Hating Church, by Paul Proctor, June 19, 2005

And how does Rick do this?  

First you abandon thinking and speaking in a godly fashion and learn how to think and speak differently than "Christians" do:

"If you look at most church advertising, it’s obvious that it was written from a believer’s viewpoint -- not from the mind-set of the unchurched. When you see a church ad that announces, “Preaching the inerrant Word of God!” who do you think that ad appeals to? Certainly not to unbelievers! Personally, I consider the inerrancy of Scripture as a non-negotiable belief but the unchurched don’t even understand the term. If you’re going to advertise your church you must learn to think and speak like unbelievers. The spiritual terminology that Christians are familiar with is just gibberish to the unchurched." ~ Rick Warren

Rick Warren, "We Must Learn To Think Like Unbelievers" originally posted at Pastors.com, Ministry Toolbox 

You do not, according to Rick, start with scripture texts, (ever though Paul said to preach the word both in and out of season.) Instead he recommends you ... um.... basically trick people with something they, (in their unregenerate state of being) like, and then you can give them what they don't like, the Bible:

"The ground we have in common with unbelievers is not the Bible, but our common needs, hurts, and interests as human beings. You cannot start with a text expecting the unchurched to be fascinated by it. You must first capture their attention, and then move them to the truth of God's Word. By starting with a topic that interests the unchurched and then showing what the Bible says about it, you can grab their attention, disarm prejudices, and create an interest in the Bible that wasn't there before."

  ~ Rick Warren

, Purpose Driven Church, p. 295

He also recommends that  churches, during the worship service, ditch the traditional "Christian music"  they are using for music that unregenerate people want to hear:

"Although music is usually the most controversial element of a seeker service it is a critical element that cannot be ignored. We need to understand the incredible power of music, and harness that power by being willing to set aside our own personal preferences and use the music that will best reach the unchurched for Christ."                                                                                         ~ Rick Warren

Rick Warren, Selecting Worship Music, July 29, 2002

This is odd, because if you look in the Bible, taking Daniel as an example, we see how diespite the commands of the king, Daniel worshipped God, He kept on doing exactly what   he had always done, praying and worshiping and obeying God as a believer in Him, and not trying to please or perform for man, even the king. It got him put in a firey furnace.

Rick also tells the church that they must " be sensitive to the hang-ups of unbelievers" when it comes to the worship of God:

"We must be willing to adjust our worship practices when unbelievers are present. God tells us to be sensitive to the hang ups of unbelievers in our services."   ~ Rick Warren

The Purpose Driven Church  by Rick Warren, pg 243

And did you know, few people can think?  Rick says people cannot be converted on intellectual grounds,and this, while the Bible says, "Come, let us reason together,"

 Rick teaches pastors and leaders that you want to forget about actually reasoning with people.  Forget communicating in words that can reach their intellect.... instead,  use the music most appealing to them, (see above) for this will help them feel the presence of God.
Then of course, you help them feel better about themselves and provide for their felt needs."
Telling people that mmusic is the important part of service, not prreaching or teaching is antithetical to Hebrews 4:12 that teaches us, 

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. "

Meanwhile, Rick says, 

"Worship is a powerful witness to unbelievers – if God's presence is felt, and if the message is understandable. God's presence must be sensed in the service. More people are won to Christ by feeling God's presence than by all our apologetic arguments combined. Few people, if any, are converted to Christ on purely intellectual grounds. It is the sense of God's presence that melts the heart and explodes mental barriers."   

                                                                                                                                       ~ Rick Warren

Pastors.com, Ministry Toolbox article, quoted in "Church Growth Gone Mad,"by Clay Miller, Associate Pastor, 

Outreach Ministries, Grace Community Church

Faith comes by hearing.... the word of God, not music of anykinds that one just happens to prefer.

And what is Rick warren's goal with the writing of his book?

"The goal of 'The Purpose Driven Life' is to help people develop a heart for the world." ~ Rick Warren

The Purpose Driven Life helps readers determine the focus of their lives, by Rick Warren; pastors.com)

It is rather unfortunate, for Rick and some of his friends, that the stated goal of what they are doing in the purpose Driven movement is not to help people develop a heart for God. Nope, there is evidently, and according to Rick himself, something completely different in mind. 

His statements are telling.... if you have ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the churches, (Revelation 2:7 and other places.)  Rick's goal is to "help people develop a heart for the world," and this via.... a congregation of people who "hate church,"  

1 John 2:15-17

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.   For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Five Things Jesus Did While Here On Earth

Promoting his P.E.A.C.E. Plan,  Rick says,

"The Scripture shows us that Jesus shared the Good News, trained leaders, helped the poor, cared for the sick, and taught the children..... Our plan does the five things Jesus did while He was here on Earth."  -Rick Warren

http://www.rickwarrennews.com/peace_plan.htm paragraph 5, PEACE Plan Online Newsroom. See also: Peace Initiative, PDF here.

The five things Jesus did?

Jesus did five things, (according to Rick..) Funny.... Rick  doesn't tell his listener the really important thing that Jesus did... how Jesus died for our sin.  But  we learn how esus did "five things".... and so does Rick's "plan," (Which he calls, "our plan.")

  "Our plan does THE FIVE THINGS JESUS DID WHILE HE WAS ON EARTH."

And note too, it is not "five of the things" Jesus did, but "the five things."
 Death and ressurection,
being the Lamb of God,
is not even mentioned as one of them.

Remembering Rwanda - 2014

In 2005, TIME Magazine reported that Rick Warren had been asked by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, to help his country become a "Purpose-Driven nation".[ In response to Kagame's request, Warren enlisted over 2,000 Saddleback Church members to go to Rwanda . Business leaders and leaders of parliament in Rwanda were also involved.   Well it's 2014 and Warren is in Rwanda again, with an update on the project of making Rwanda a Purpose Driven nation.  The Christian Post, recently reported on his visit and the "Purpose Driven Church Congress" that met there.  

"I have been working with and watching the churches of Rwanda for nearly 10 years, and I believe now is the time for them to be a model to the world. It would be just like God to take a small nation like Rwanda on which the world turned its back 20 years ago in its greatest need and use it for God and for good." - Rick Warren

Rick Warren in Rwanda Announces Plans to Host All 54 African Nations at Purpose Driven Church Congress

by Alex Murashko, CHRISTIAN POST 8//13/1204

What happened in Rwanda?  20 years ago?  How did the world turn it's back on Rwanda? 

It was a  terrible thing that happened, 20 years ago.   In case you do not know or understand, what happened was that within 100 days, approxamately 800,000 people were murdered in what can only be described as genocide.  Wikipedia records that "the genocide was planned by members of the core political elite known as the akazu, many of whom occupied positions at top levels of the national government."  "The atrocious acts were carried out by the "ranks of the Rwandan army, the National Police (gendarmerie), government-backed militias including the INterahamwe and Impuzamugambi, and the Hutu civilian population."  

It was a nightmare.

"The militia typically murdered victims by machete, although some army units used rifles. The Hutu gangs searched out victims hiding in churches and school buildings, and massacred them. Local officials and government-sponsored radio incited ordinary citizens to kill their neighbors, and those who refused to kill were often murdered on the spot."  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide

Back to the article:
The Christian post article reports, 

"The 12 pastors who serve on the Rwanda PEACE Plan Board of Directors joined Warren for today's press conference along with eight of more than 25 leaders that serve as Master Trainers for PEACE."

"Master Trainers?"  That's a new one... a new "title."  They are not bishops or pastors or teachers, but "master trainers. Not only that, in the article, Rick says, (emphatically so you will agree with him on the matter,)  they are "world leaders."

"These men, whether you realize it or not, are world leaders. What they are doing with churches in Rwanda is being watched by churches all around the world."- Rick Warren

Rick Warren in Rwanda Announces Plans to Host All 54 African Nations at Purpose Driven Church Congress

by Alex Murashko, CHRISTIAN POST 8//13/1204

Which churches in Rwanda?
What kinds of churches and religions are there?

Wikipedia reports that according to 2012 census, it looked like this:
56.9% Roman Catholic
26.0% Protestant
11.1 % Seventh Day Adventist
4.8% Islam
1.8% Indigenous and others 

It's interesting that the Roman Catholic Church is largest in Rwanda.  They were pretty big in 1994 too. In fact there's a lot of criticism of the church's involvement in the genocide.  

 Chris McGreal's recent litetary publication, “Chaplains of the Militia: The tangled story of the Catholic church during Rwanda’s genocide,” digs deep into the events that took place during the genocide from the perspective of those who actually witnessed the 100 days of massacre. The story doesn't paint a pretty picture of the churches, especially the Roman Catholic church.  Interestingly, now all these "churches"  whichever ones they are, are working together.  It's a P.E.A.C.E. thing .. and they are all (apparently) working together with their government and business leaders ... under the influence of Pastor Rick.

And would't you know, Rwanda has been selected by Rick, to be the example for the world of his P.E.A.C.E. Plan?  It is also being dubbed by Rick and Kagame as, 'the First Purpose Driven Nation." The video at the previous link tells us, the President Paul Kigame, read Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life, and being "Purpose Driven" himself, invited Rick Warren, to come over and do 40 Days of Purpose.... with 600 churches.   (Eh.... Which ones?)

Rick gets credit for boldly... although occasionally, talking "about" Jesus Christ and for talking about forgiveness, and for personally reaching out to help a hurting world.  Seriously. But something sure seems odd when his work and talk is not focused there and instead is focused on a uniting of different churches.   Even odder is Rick Warren in the spotlight with an emphasis on the wonderfulness of Rick's Purpose Driven Life book and plan for P.E.A.C.E. in the world.  And Rick, even after these many years, still sticks to the slogans we have already heard, about the uniqueness of his special P.E.A.C.E.  plan.... and of course telling us all how "the church" might actually be able "to do good..."
if 
....he is able to mobilize the church.

"What makes The PEACE Plan unique is that it is done by local churches, in local churches, in the community," said Warren. "I could take you to 10 million villages around the world where the only thing there is the church. The church is the biggest organization on the planet and has most potential to do good if mobilized."- Rick Warren

Rick Warren in Rwanda Announces Plans to Host All 54 African Nations at Purpose Driven Church Congress

by Alex Murashko, CHRISTIAN POST 8//13/1204

Apparently, out of all the organizations... on the planet.... the church  has the most  "potential" to "do good"....  IF.

Then, speaking about the current Middle East conflict, Warren urged other countries to draw lessons from, no, "emulate," Rwanda. Warren said,

"The Middle East countries should emulate Rwanda. If the world wants to find peace and reconciliation then we can use Rwanda as a case study. The country has reconciled in the shortest possible time (after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed over 1 million people), and rebuilt itself to what it is today." -Rick Warren

Rwanda: 'Rwanda Shima Imana' Attracts 34 Countries by Athan Tashobya  8/11/2014, www.AllAfrica.com

Well, that is interesting.  Rick talks about peace and reconciliation and wants people to see "Rwanda" as the example.  Christian Pastors usually talk peace and reconciliation and use Jesus as our example.  Rwanda is still working on lots of issues.

 Rick is known for picking whatever fanciful bible version Rick thinks happens fits the particular moment and using what sounds good to support his own ideas of things, rather than coming under the jurisdiction of any one particular text.  He evidently thinks it sounds good to make Rwanda "a case to study" and learn about peace and reconciliation, but is it? 

No.  The "peace" in Rwanda, is fragile.  People still hurt and mourn.  Rwanda is not known for "freedom."  

The 2013 Amnesty International report on Rwanda says, "There was almost no space for critical journalism in Rwanda. The aftermath of a 2010 clampdown on journalists and political opposition members left few independent voices in the country. Private media outlets remained closed. Efforts to improve media freedom through legislative reform, technical improvement and private sector investment, were undermined by the continued imprisonment of journalists for their legitimate work. Defamation remained a criminal offence."  In other words, to speak or act, it is expected that one be "politically correct."

And that Paul Kagame.... the current president of Rwanda.  Who is he?  What do people see in the man and his leadership?  Why had he called upon "America's Pastor," Rick Warren, to come and help him in his cause?  You have to wonder.


Rick did award Kagame with the "International Medal of PEACE" in 2009.

Rick has called upon Rwandans to create a national "Thanksgiving" holiday, 'Rwanda Shima Imana.  (Shimi Imana, translated, means, "Thank God,") and the holiday, inaugurated in 2012, by Warren, (according to Athan Tashobyu, of allafrica.com,) now has a presence in most Christian churches in Rwanda.

Rick says, 

"It is my prayer that this day becomes a national holiday just as it is in some parts of the world. Twenty years after the genocide, we are now a new Rwanda. We have seen the country develop and have nothing to hold against God, other than celebrating what He has done for our country."- Rick Warren

Rick Warren in Rwanda Announces Plans to Host All 54 African Nations at Purpose Driven Church Congress

by Alex Murashko, CHRISTIAN POST 8//13/1204

A couple of questions:

Rick declares, "We" are a new Rwanda." and he says, "our country."  Is this just friendly talk or is he this tight with the President?  Is Rwanda really Rick's "country?"  

And another question,( as Rick talks about God.)  It's really nice that the people have "nothing to hold against God" and that now they are giving thanks to God for the new beginning and the country's development; but, "God" who?    

Does this "God" have a name?  

 ......Just wondering.