Word-of-Faith Rick

Apparently, the Christian church is and has been wrong..... and Rick Warren (and Buddy Owens who helps him write devotionals for the Daily Hope)  offers both believer and unbelievers a 

"new way of thinking about life, God, yourself, hardship, your family and your world?"  

Yes, you can think in a NEW WAY about God,  yourself, hardship, your family, and your world.  All it takes is a redefining of words.... (and the good news is that  it can be completely wrong... if you like it that way. ) All that matters is that you are feeling special and happy about who you are!  The idea is you just say things and make them true because you said them.....

It's a little like having a Word of Faith doctrine in your pocket to use whenever it seems like a good thing to do.  If you do not like  confession. If you'd rather not talk about how you have lied... no problem.... just redefine it.  No longer does confessing mean admitting you had done something wrong and are ready and willing to admit your fault.  Nope.  Rick says,

"Stop confessing lies. Confess your faith!"

 Stop confessing lies.

 Instead confess your faith.

Weird huh?

In fact, just saying "what God says" is "confession," and did you know, repentance is not having remorse for your sin?  At least it's not with the NEW way of thinking,  No, repentance is simply thinking what God thinks; you know, thinking just like him.

"When you say what God says (confession), you begin to think what God thinks (repentance)"

Believe who God Says You Are, by Rick Warren, Daily Hope with Rick Warren, May 21 2014

God is asking you to believe he is who he says he is, believe you are who he says you are, and then live like you believe those things."  -Rick Warren

Believe who God Says You Are, by Rick Warren, Daily Hope with Rick Warren, May 21 2014

How vague can you get?  This is no gospel.... just meaningless babble.


 It sounds remarkably like Rick and friends at Daily Hope, would next have you repeat the mantra of false teacher, Joel Olsteen....

" This is My Bible, I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess, My mind is alert My heart is receptive. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living, seed of the Word of God. I will never be the same…Never, never, never, I will never be the same in Jesus name!"  

And then, yes, listen to these messaged, redefine words to suit yourself, make up your own doctrine instead of watch them closely like the apostles did and you would "never... never, never..... be the same in Jesus' name" certainly not the same as those who confess and repent properly.



 

The Communists and Rick

Rick Warren's 40 Day of "Community" campaign, like his  many other campaigns, were made to sell with a specific target for sales... the church.  They became so popular that now, sometimes,  you can even get them "free".  The goal in marketing these "campaigns" was intentional, and the goal was to move the church into a NEW way of thinking.  It's wasn't always obvious, because, as Warren says, the Purpose Driven movement was "stealth."

Warren has "thanked" God in prayer for what he calls a “stealth movement flying beneath the radar that’s changing literally thousands of churches around the world.” He describes himself saying,  "I've been the stealth evangelist."  Stealth?  Really????  In a world where the heaven's declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the world of his hands,  is it likely that God's desire is for Christians ( or pastor's like Rick) to be "stealth?  No, it's not very likely. Do you put a lamp under a bushel?  (Matthew 5:15)  No. YOu pur it where it can be seen. However, Rick calls what he has done, a "stealth operation" and he's on a mission.  His intention is that of changing churches all over the world. 

 Part of the "stealth" behavior on the part of Pastor Rick is to change the very foundation n which the church  has been established. " Good-bye"  to simple faith in Jesus and "hello" to  purpose!

"Healthy churches are built on purpose! " 

~Rick Warren  ,Forget Church Growth, Aim for Church Health,  5/07/2013

"Strong churches are built on Purpose!" ~ Rick Warren
 (Link above is now obolete, please see, Sermoncentral.com The Purposeful Church by Rick Grimes, who quotes Rick Warren on this..
 

"Nothing precedes purpose." ~ Rick Warren

The Purpose Driven Church, Chapter 3

(Readers might do well to examine, Matthew 16:18; John 15:5; and John 1:1)

Nothing precedes purpose?  ("In the beginning... Purpose"?)

It is part and parcel of the  paradigm shift implemented in  a "stealth operation" flying under the radar, and thus begins a whole new way of thinking for the "church."

"But the word “repentance” is a wonderful word—metanoia—which means in Greek “to change your mind.” Repentance is just changing the way we think about something by accepting the way God thinks about it. That’s all repentance is. The new words for repentance are “paradigm shift.”  ~Rick Warren

Nine Preaching Tips That Will Change Lives by Rick Warren, Sermon Centraal, Radicalis Conference, 2011

The Purpose Driven Church book cover  reads, " Rick Warren believes that in order for a church to be healthy it must become a purpose-driven church, built around the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus." So incredibly popular, how could Rick be wrong when he says that you must do this if you want to be healthy?  And did you notice, if you do not then, then you are the opposite of "healthy," which is unhealthy, sick, or  diseased. 

In case you think Rick's wrong, he has added that these are "the five New Testament purposes given to the church by Jesus."  If you are not on board with Rick, you will look to both believers who buy into the principles in his book, and those who have no idea what Jesus actually taught, as if you are not doing what Jesus said to do if you are not enthusiastic about being purpose driven.

Jesus was not stealth, and Rick's ideas, like his 40 Days "campaign" ideas didn't come from the Bible.
Rick learned how to do "campaigns" he says, from Douglas Hyde.  

"You know, by- by-- by doing these, um, "campaigns.... I-I actually learned the idea of a  campaign, from the communists,  of all people.  Years ago, there was a book written, called, Dedication and Leadership.  It was written in the fifties, by the head of the Communist Party of England, who converted to Christ.  He actually became a Catholic.  And he wrote this book on what the Church could learn from the Communists... not about "doctrine"...but you know, we know our doctrine, but "what were some of the tools that they used to help win converts to Communism," and he wrote this book called Dedication and Leadership.  It is still in print, by, a Notre Dame Press.  It's not a very well-known book.... but it's Douglas Hyde--if you are a pastor and you want to pick it up..." ~ Rick Warren, Interview with George Wood, AGTV, March 2, 2009

Ir's also where he obtained his philosophy of "Purpose"

"In the book Dedication and Leadership by Douglas Hyde a former communist who became a
Christian (he was head of the communist party in England), he talks about the communists know
you attract people by requiring a big commitment and by offering a big goal to go for. The best-kept secret, I think, in motivation is that vision is a tremendous motivator. People are looking for something to give their lives to. That is the best-kept secret in the world. People are looking for a goal, for a purpose, for a vision, for a mission in life that makes their life meaningful and worthwhile. Anybody that comes along will attract people like that if they have vision."

                                                                                                                                  ~Rick Warren
                                                                                                      How to Communicate Your Vision, Lessons for Leaders on Vision, Leadership Lifter  PDF

If your're looking for purpose, Rick will be happy to sell you his book to help you find yours.
He learned it, from all people, the communists!

....and there were GIANTS

 "How do you defeat the giants that are keeping you from being the man God wants you to be?" 

                                                            ~Rick Warren, Daily Hope with Rick Warren, Steps to Defeating the Giants By Rick Warren — January 30, 2015 

How do you? You can read his article, here.

He is being metaphorical, right?  As one contemplates the "giants" that are keeping them from being the man or woman that God wants them to be, that would be your first thought.  Warren must have forgotten that David's giant in 1 Samuel 17 that Rick refers to in this devotional, was quite real.  A taunting, bloodthirsty "giant" wasn't metaphorical for David.

And what did David do? He killed Goliath.  With one small stone loaded into his slingshot, he hit the giant of a man squarely in the forehead and knocked him out dead cold and then he cut off his head. 

Rick  has some wrong ideas.  David's experience with Goliath was not about the giant keeping David "from being the man God wanted David to be."  David didn't have an identity crisis about who he was. He was a shepherd who tended sheep and protected them from danger.  David was a man with faith in God. 

Rick does point out that David had faith and God, and that you should too.  He even puts several bible verses in this devotional page, but unfortunately, they are all used to prove Rick's points.... not the other way around.  Also,Rick neglects to mention Jesus Christ and no mention of our biggest, most enormously giant  problem that plagues us all.... sin.  

Sin is quite a giant.... in fact it is so big and oppressive that it makes us all, even the best of men, "fall short of the glory of God."

Instead of using the story of David and Goliath to reveal who Jesus is and what he has done for us, encouraging readers to see Jesus in some way, Rick relates the story a completely different light.  He says that if you want to be "great" like David, if you want to be a person with a great faith, a great dream and a great lifework.... all you got to do is... do the very things that David did.  David did four things and you can do them to:

1.  Remember how God helped you in the past. 
2.  Use the tools that God has given you now.
3.  Ignore the dream busters
            and 
4. Expect God to help you, for His glory.
 Then you storm the battlefield shouting, and slay your giants.

Notice that with Rick, it's all about you.... your greatness your great faith, your great dreams and your great lifework... and about you slaying the "giants" that keep YOU from your potential.

And notice how that giants, (in fact, all things big,) are a bit of theme with Rick.

 At the implementation of Warren's P.E.A.C.E. Plan, Rick's "global mission" was to slay the five evil giants  that plague the world.  This would be accomplished by listening to Rick and doing the five things  that, Rick said, he believes that "Jesus wants us to do" ... (under the leadership and direction of none other than... Pastor Rick!) 

Referring to Jesus, Rick said, 

 "He wants us to go into all the world and Plant faith communities, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick, and Educate the next generation. These five things make up what I call the PEACE Plan."

That's odd.  The part about "going into all the world" sounds familiar; Jesus did say "go unto all the world and".... but what Jesus reportedly said to his disciples was, "Go unto all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."  (Matthew 28:19)  Rick takes a bit of liberty in using those same words that are familiar and changing the directive that follows in order to tell us the things that "Jesus" wants us to do today.  Apparently, Rick has been having personal conversations with Jesus, conversations that have lead Rick Warrren Jesus new directive into, what Rick calls, "the PEACE Plan!

The P.E.A.C.E. Plan would attack the 5 evil GIANTS of spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy. How is this done?  According to the plan, it's done by:

1.  Planting  faith communities. 

By "faith community" does he mean Christian church?  The word is broadly applicable. Churches have, all along been planting churches long without the help of Rick.

2.  Equipping  "servant leaders."  

Isn't this modern business term, a bit of an oxymoron? 

 Rick said of this "evil giant" to be tackled:

"Not only have these leaders not gone to seminary or Bible school, they haven’t even gone to high school or primary school. They have no training whatsoever -- and yet they lead the church. This must be remedied." ~ Rick Warren, Peace Plan Unveiling, Nov. 2003, Notes\

So we see how these  "egocentric," "self serving" and "corrupt" leaders were not really described as evil, just uneducated.  Their crime is that they "lead the church."  It's odd, isn't it, that Ricks description makes this "evil giant" looks a lot like Peter and John.... you know, "ordinary" "unschooled" men.  (See: Acts 4:13.)  Rick wanted to remedy this situation by training them to be "Purpose Driven."

and it's rather remarkable to note that the next three things has been done by Christian mean and women for years... without Rick's plan or leadership.  He, however complained that the church was nothing but a big mouth, (unless of course, you were Catholic Relief Services.)
3.  Assist the poor  
4.  Care for the sick
5.  Educate the next generation.

In short, his plan for killing those giants (all five of them) was and still is a daunting task.  All he needed to do was to get the church behind his plan  and he would have it harnessed, working together, hand in hand with the rest of humanity, and together they could save the world.

Unfortunately, his plan was not to make disciples and baptize them.  He did mean that he wanted to plant churches.  Having noted publicly, that the church was the greatest distribution method for aid and material distribution, (since there was already a church to be found most everywhere on the planet.) What Rick wanted was to build "Faith communities," and make no mistake, a "faith communities" can refer to any religion on the planet.   Now that he is selling diet books, he pushes the notion that this great  distribution center called church is a great place for people get healthier... by doing the Daniel Plan.

In reality, (not metaphorically speaking here) there are big problems that plague the world.  The ultimate being our complete separation from God in our death.  But there is good news!  Jesus Christ, the one who died and rose again, an put and end to evil by dying on the cross.   Jesus Christ, God's promise made and kept, is God's plan of peace as he freely gives his love and offers salvation to a dying world. People can have more than purpose when the gospel is not hidden or obscured.  They can have a Savior with a promise, one who is with them always and gives them a real hope when facing "giants"of any kind.  By trusting in God and believing in the one whom he sent, Jesus Christ, we can not only be courageous when facing difficulty, but have peace, because of Jesus, and Jesus  has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

"You don't need to be a giant to slay one.  You just need to shoot straight.  Remember David.

Rick Warren tweet, Jan 21, 2011

No. 
Lets set the record straight.  David had faith and the Lord was on his side. The Lord gave David victory over Goliath, not his ability to shoot.   Also, you don't need to be  a person with a great faith, a great dream or even a great life work...to be GREAT, like David, all you have to do is believe in Jesus through the preaching of the Word.

As for your great lifework.. Your works won't save you no matter how great or good they are.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.    Ephesians 2" 8-10

As for those great dreams.... Don't let those big dreams make you forget the truth about your God.
Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.  Jeremiah 23:27
 
As for that great faith...  How big a "faith" do you need before it's great? 
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you   Luke 17: 5-6

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." ~ Jesus....                                                        John 15:5