Repentance

We live in a superficial age, and nowhere i superficiality more evident than in the religious realm.  Generally people do not want their conscience disturbed, so the message of repentance is seldom preached.  Militant conservatives and destructive liberals alike are guilty of the abandonment of any truth distasteful to the ears of the self-satisfied, or that which is difficult to enforce.

It is contended that our forefathers placed too much emphasis on poignance of grief as a necessary element in true repentance, in so far as they permitted any idea of merit to attach to the experience.  Yet surely they were right in insisting on a deep and genuine upturning of the soul.  In our age we have swung to the other direction.  We seldom hear the old prophetic cry, “Break up your fallow ground, sow not among thorns” 

(Jeremiah 4:3).  This generation, with all its religion, has lost the sense sin and pays preachers to “Prophesy smooth things.”  Repentance is robbed of its true significance.  The plow of conviction is never driven deep into the human soil.  So-called “revivals’ and “evangelistic efforts” produce shallow results because of the shallow repentance preached.  Deep mourning for sin, hot scalding tears of repentance, souls writhing in agony because of their burden are not common as they used to be.  Saved and unsaved alike are not over-awed by the august holiness of God, and the filthiness of their own evil nature.  the sob of anguish, “Woe is me, for I am undone,” is seldom heard in a religious service today.  Instead, young people and others walk down our aisles to make a decision for Christ with a giggle on their faces.  Statistically-minded, the church counts numbers.  God give her numbers that count!  We go out for quantity.  God seeks quality.

Wherever true repentance is preached and insisted upon, however, solid results accrue.  Those saved under such preaching usually make robust Christians.  While, of course, faith ini Christ is the great characteristic in gospel preaching, repentance toward God must also be strongly pressed.  All who proclaim the truth must pray and labor for the Spirit’s convicting work in the conscience.  If sin is slurred over and repentance belittled, there cannot be depth or stability.  The more thoroughly conscience is disturbed and stung on account of sin, the more solid and enduring the results when the Gospel is preached.  It must be shown that repentance is indispensable to salvation (Luke 13:3).  The prodigal must return in sorrow if he is to be reinstated - the rebel must submit before clemency can be exercised and favor bestowed - the sinner must repent before relations with an offended God can be restored.  This is why...the call to repentance rings out in resonant tones from the pages of Scripture. ...

There are those who cry repentance down, calling it a legal doctrine, but the Bible is full of this basic doctrine.  Christ preached it!  At His farewell, when He was about to ascend to heaven, He commanded that repentance should be preached in His name (Luke 24:47).  Repentance may be a bitter, drastic pill for our sin-sick generation to take, but it is necessary if the needed spiritual healing is to be experienced.  May God raise up fearless witnesses who will preach repentance until men repent and turn to the Savior!

Herbert Lockyer, All the Doctrines of the Bible, pp.169, 170

It Is Well With My Soul

A very good hymn was sung in church today; one of my wife’s favorites.  The hymn is titled, It Is Well With My Soul.  There is a very interesting - and sad - story behind this hymn, which demonstrates the faith of its author, Horatio G. Spafford (1828-1888).  Let me cite the history from, The One Year Book Hymns.

Horatio G. Spafford, a forty-three-year-old Chicago businessman, suffered financial disaster in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.  He and his wife were grieving over the death of their son shortly before the fire, and he realized they needed to get away for a vacation.  Knowing that their friend Dwight L. Moody was going to be preaching in evangelistic campaigns in England that fall, Spafford decided to take the entire family to England.  His wife and four daughters went ahead on the SS Ville du Havre, and he planned to follow in a few days.  But on the Atlantic Ocean the ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and sank within twelve minutes.  Two hundred and twenty-six lives were lost - including the Spaffords’ four daughters.  When the survivors were brought to shore at Cardiff, Wales, Mrs. Spafford cabled her husband, “Saved alone.”  Spafford booked passage on the next ship.  As they were crossing the Atlantic, the captain pointed out the place where he thought the Ville du Havre had gone down.  That night, Spafford penned the words “When sorrows like sea billows roll...it is well with my soul.”

Here, then, are the words to this wonderful, meaty hymn.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well, with my soul.”

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin - O, the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin - not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
O, trump of the angel! O, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so” - it is well with my soul.

The Last Sin Eater

This is a movie I highly recommend.  We saw it when it came out in the theaters in early 2007, and then purchased the DVD when it was released.  A couple days ago we sat down to watch the movie for the first time in at least a year.

Let me tell you about the story from the DVD back:

Cadi Forbes is not only mourning the recent loss of her beloved grandmother, but she also feels responsible for the earlier death of her little sister.  In her quest for redemption, Cadi seeks out the one man she feels can take away her sin - the Sin Eater.  But when she uncovers a dark secret about the mystical practice, it threatens to divide her family and her community.  Ultimately, the young girl discovers the truth about absolution.

This story will tug at the heart-strings, and has some powerful messages, not the least of which is the Gospel, which overtakes all the Celtic superstition of the people of the story.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, be sure you put it on your list of things to do!

Modern Hymns

“Speaking to yourselves in...spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19).  “Admonishing one another in...spiritual songs.” (Colossians 3:16).  To remember that we are spiritual, and must sing spiritual songs excludes a good deal of worldly trash from our repertoire.  These particular songs are those inspired by the Spirit and employed in the joyful and devotional expression of our spiritual life.  There are some who declare that the Psalms are alone inspired, and to be used as songs, but Paul’s reference to “psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs” excludes a narrow compass.

Many of our modern hymns and choruses are not worth the paper they are printed on.  They are purely doggerel, and nothing divine about them whatever.  

Herbert Lockyer, All the Doctrines of the Bible, p.115

I’d hate to see what Lockyer would be saying now, almost 50 years later!  So much of what passes for choruses are 24/7 jingles - 24 words said 7 times (or sometimes 7/24 - 7 words said 24 times!).

O Church, Arise

Another great contemporary hymn is one we have on a CD, and yesterday was presented by a young couple as special music in church.  The writers of this one have put out several excellent hymns.

O church, arise and put your armor on;

Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is “Love!”
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev’ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict’ry march continues till the day
Ev’ry eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev’ry stride,
Give grace for ev’ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

The Importance of the Virgin Birth

Doctrinally it must be repeated that the belief in the virgin birth of Christ is of the highest value for the right apprehension of Christ’s unique and sinless personality.  Here is One, as Paul brings out in Romans 5:12, who, free from sin Himself, and not involved in the Adamic liabilities of the race, reverses the curse of sin and death brought in by the first Adam, and establishes the reign of righteousness and life. Had Christ been naturally born, not one of these things could be affirmed of Him.  As one of Adam’s race, not an entrant from a higher sphere, He would have shared in Adam’s corruption and doom - would Himself have required to be redeemed.  Through God’s infinite mercy, He came from above, inherited no guilt, needed no regeneration or sanctification, but became Himself the Redeemer, Regenerator, Sanctifier for all who receive Him.

Dr. James Orr, The Virgin Birth of Our Lord, as cited by Herbert Lockyer, All the Doctrines of the Bible, p.39

I wonder how the Mormons will respond to this?  They don’t have a virgin birth; at least not in fact.  As noted in my articles about their doctrine, their Mary had sex with their god to produce Jesus.

Don't Forget Doctrine!

All doctrines need periodic restatement no matter what their subject matter may be.  This is why preachers should plan a course of Bible doctrine.  Too many present-day congregations are fed on scraps, and because they fail to receive the strong meat of the Word (Hebrews 5:14), the spiritual life of the people is somewhat anemic. ... Perhaps we would have fuller churches, if only theological students were taught how to prepare and preach the august doctrines of Scripture.  Too many preachers shear the sheep, instead of feeding them.  Herbert Lockyer, All the Doctrines of the Bible, preface

This was written in 1964.  Think of how far the church has fallen away from teaching the doctrine since that time!  Churches are being filled today, but filled for feel-good messages instead of the meat of the Word.  When the largest church in the USA is Joel Osteen’s self-esteem, weak Word of Faith church, that demonstrates what happened by not following Lockyer’s advice.

Great Men of God

My wife had purchased a DVD a while back which I just got around to watching, and it was well worth it!  The movie was, “A Man Called Peter.”

The movie told the story of Peter Marshall, who eventually - in his last two years of life - became the chaplain to the U.S. Senate.  I know movies take quite a bit of liberty with the truth, but if what this movie showed was only half accurate, it depicted a real man of God, strong in his faith and strong in his convictions.

As I watched the movie I couldn’t help but wish I had such strong faith.  I think of other great men of God - preachers of the faith such as H.A. Ironside, D.L. Moody, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and even, currently, John MacArthur.  There have been many throughout history (not to mention Paul of Tarsus!) who spoke mighty messages, never compromising their teachings to delight men with itching ears, but teaching the whole counsel of God no matter what arguments were put up against them.

While I am uncompromising when it comes to the Word of God, sometimes I find it hard to have the unwavering faith as these men had; there is always that occasional doubt as to whether God really hears my prayers.  And then there is also the fact that I probably don’t spend as much time in prayer as I know I should - and as I know these men did.

Today we have too many preachers who are NOT great men of God, but appear to be more about promoting self and tickling ears.  I don’t mean rank heretics such as in the Word of Faith crowd, or the likes of Joel Osteen and Robert Schuller; I mean men who should know better, such as John Piper, Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll and a host of other very public preachers who have thousands of people following them.

That’s the interesting thing about our society also.  The old preachers - those true men of God - drew thousands to hear a solid, meaty, no-nonsense teaching from the Word;  teaching that called sin what it is, challenged people to live godly lives, taught a solid gospel message of only one way of Salvation.  Today’s preachers who draw thousands draw them because the people want to hear a feel-good message, one that speaks softly of sin (if at all), rarely speaks to practicing a worldview, and teaches a social gospel or one of many paths to God.

I look to these men of God as men to emulate, and as men from whom we can learn great lessons from the Word.  I encourage everyone to study the teachings of these men of God and leave the feel-good stuff behind.

Thoughts on Ministry and Discernment

Some more excellent thoughts about discernment, as well as worship and youth group thoughts from Spiritual Junk Food, by Cathy Mickels & Audrey McKeever.  The first citation is by the authors on p.55, while the others are cited throughout the book.  The book is old - I first read it when I bought it in 1999 - but the information is good and should be a wake-up call for those especially in youth ministry.

Today the emphasis has radically shifted from meeting together to worship God and to study God’s Word, to meeting together to learn to relate to others.  Missing in the early church were terms as opening up, mutual trust, affirmation, feedback, and experience. Mickels & McKeever

[A] truly biblical ministry must hold forth truths that are absolute... We must take an unmovable stance on all issues where the Bible speaks plainly... Sound doctrine divides, it confronts, it separates, it judges, it convicts, it reproves, it rebukes, it exhorts, it refutes error.  None of those things is very highly esteemed in modern thought.  But the health of the church depends on our holding firmly to the truth.

John MacArthur, Reckless Faith: When the Church Loses Its Will to Discern, p. 52

It is vitally important that we think soundly about God.  Since He is the foundation of all our religious beliefs, it follows that if we err in our ideas of God, we will go astray on everything else.  

A.W. Tozer, This World: Playground or Battlefield, p.104

No matter how attractive the movement may appear, if it is not founded in righteousness and nurtured in humility, it is not of God.  If it exploits the flesh, it is a religious fraud and should not have the support of any God-fearing Christian.  Only that is of God which honors the Spirit and prospers at the expense of the human ego.  “That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

A.W. Tozer, The Divine Conquest: God’s Pursuit of Man, p.120

We must reform our view of the qualification for - and even the legitimacy of - a “youth minister.”  The normative pattern in the Scripture implores young people to emulate the values of their elders.  They must respect them, be instructed by them and follow their example.... Thus, older men in the church bear the first responsibility for training youth; the older women to follow “likewise” in their steps.  We must therefore reject the appalling notion of the model of youth minister as a recently graduated extrovert who looks and acts just like a high schooler himself.  If our youth cannot “relate to” older men, then we are seeing evidence of older men having dropped the ball years ago. ...

Ministering to children of unbelievers need not be as difficult as it seems.  These children should be drawn to associate with Christian families rather than Christian youth ministries.

Christopher Schlect, Critique of Modern Youth Ministry, p.15, 22

Rick Warren - Dangerous False Teacher

Commentary by Lighthouse Trails Research and Roger Oakland
www.understandthetimes.org

On March 7, 2011, Roger Oakland, founder of Understand the Times, International, and two other members from his ministry attended the Peace in a Globalized Society forum at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, which featured Rick Warren and special guest, former UK prime minister Tony Blair. Roger Oakland and his co-workers obtained eye-witness seats at the event that included well over 2000 people in attendance. Although cameras and recorders were not allowed in the main sanctuary where the interview took place, the UTT team took notes.

What Oakland and his team heard caused them much concern – thus the reason for this special report. Warren and Blair spoke about Warren’s PEACE Plan and his “Three Legged Stool Plan.” Tony Blair spoke about his inter-faith Faith Foundation. Both speakers were noticeably excited about what they were doing for the world. According to a 2010 UK Observer report, “Tony Blair is preparing to launch a “faith offensive” across the United States over the next year, after building up relationships with a network of influential religious leaders and faith organisations.” Blair’s foundation is “develop[ing] a US arm that will pursue a host of faith-based projects.” Given the fact that Warren joined the  advisory board of Blair’s foundation, it is safe to assume Saddleback will be part of Blair’s US interfaith arm.

At the forum, both Warren and Blair stated that the only way a global peace could happen on planet earth in the future would be for all faiths to work together and do good together. The audience at the forum appeared to be mesmerized and awe-struck as they were wooed with discussion on faith, good works, democracy, and coming together. Beneath the vernacular, however, was another story.

Blair and Warren also mentioned they have been partnering with the President of Rwanda in an effort to develop a Purpose Driven country as an initial step to establishing a Purpose Driven world. In 2005, Rick Warren announced his global P.E.A.C.E. Plan to his congregation and then in 2008 announced that Rwanda would be the first Purpose Driven country. In 2003, he said of New Age sympathizer Ken Blanchard that he had “signed on to help with the Peace Plan, and he’s going to be helping train us in leadership and in how to train others to be leaders all around the world” (35-37 min mark).* Blanchard is just one of many “new” spirituality leaders whom Warren has turned to for assistance in building his Peace Plan globally. While Blanchard’s name is not mentioned much publicly by Rick Warren these days, Warren still sits on Blanchard’s Board of Advisors with a number of New Agers at Blanchard’s Lead Like Jesus organization. Blanchard has been promoting New Age mystical teachers for many years and even today sits on the Board of the New Age Hoffman Institute. In 2007, Blanchard wrote the foreword to a book that was “inspired by Hindu swami Paramahansa Yogananada. Will this Warren/Blair Peace Plan be one that is driven by mysticism?

It seems apparent that neither Rick Warren nor Tony Blair understand that their Peace Plan goals are fulfilling Bible prophecy, which speaks of a peace that is not from God but will deceive many. By appearances, the majority of the people who were attending the forum last week appeared mesmerized and awe-struck by what was being said. Do they not realize that a three legged stool (the joining together of government, business (or economy), and religion) plan will be a plan by man and not by God (see Faith Undone)?

Rick Warren has also partnered with Chuck Colson, the Christian leader who authored the Evangelicals & Catholics Together document in 1994 and the Manhattan Declaration in 2009. Former Catholic priest Richard Bennett documents the embedded Catholic agenda in the Manhattan Declaration as does Chris Pinto of Adullam Films.

At the Global forum last week, two standing ovations were given to Tony Blair for his support of the USA in the war against terrorism. Mention was made that Blair is now involved in trying to broker a peace plan with the nation of Israel with his faith-based program. He thinks he can do this in time. But what will an inter-faith peace plan look like in Israel? What will it look like in the world?

While Rick Warren is a Baptist and Tony Blair is an ex-Anglican, now-Roman Catholic, neither showed any concern about the major doctrinal differences between Evangelicals/Protestants and Catholics. “It’s all about working together to do good,” Warren stated. In a 2005 interview with broadcast host Charlie Rose, Warren stated that there are over 2 billion Christians in the world, and said that this number includes hundreds of millions of Catholics. He said that “minor doctrinal differences” should not keep the two groups separated. “What I am interested in is bringing the church together … we are never going to agree on a lot of things, but I found we do agree on purpose.  Of course, there was no mention at the forum last week about the papacy’s plan for a world-wide Eucharistic (Catholic) “Christ”who will come on the scene to be worshiped by the world. Will this inter-faith Purpose Driven peace plan include that eucharistic false christ?

In the Charlie Rose interview in 2005, Warren said that we don’t have to have the same religion or moral beliefs to work with people on poverty, disease, etc. As an example he said he had met with the President of the gay-activist group ACT UP, and asked him, “Eric [Sawyer], how can I help you get your message out?” Sawyer answered, “Use your moral authority” (29-31 min mark). Warren then said to Rose, “I’m working with these guys … I’m looking for a coalition of civility, which means let’s get back to the original meaning of tolerance. Will this Purpose Driven peace plan and new reformation include practicing homosexuals? Warren seems to believe his new Purpose Driven world will be all inclusive. But how can this be called a reformation from God?

Both Blair and Warren have a vision to see churches with like-minded vision planted all over the world. These churches will be ones of any faith and all faith as long as they have some kind of faith in some god. “These churches will be like lights shining in a dark place and bring light to the world,” Warren stated. Warren said the more lights, the brighter the world will be. His view that a “second reformation” is needed and that people of various faiths can be part of it has been documented time and again. Listen to Warren’s description of this new reformation:

Who’s the man of peace in any village – or it might be a woman of peace – who has the most respect, they’re open and they’re influential? They don’t have to be a Christian. In fact, they could be a Muslim, but they’re open and they’re influential and you work with them to attack the five giants. And that’s going to bring the second Reformation. Rick Warren, May 23, 2005, Pew Forum on Religion

When Warren says “second reformation,” he is contrasting with the first reformation when Christians broke away from the Catholic church 500 years ago. How can he say that a reformation from God could include Muslims and those of other religions? And practicing homosexuals? What kind of reformation would that be? Will it be like the one the Bible warns about that will come in the last days when mankind will bow down to one leader – the Antichrist. Many, many centuries ago, man attempted to reach God ( because he considered himself equal to God) through the tower of Babel (Genesis 11). God dispersed man and confounded his plans because they were not plans that gave glory to the Creator of the Universe. Is not an inter-faith plan to unite all faiths together in order to “reach God” and heal planet earth, equally displeasing to God? These tower of Babel plans do not bring glory to God – they attempt to deify man. And in this newest effort by man, has not Jesus Christ been left out? Only through the acceptance and faith in His blood atonement can any man or woman be united with God. All other attempts are attempts to enter in through another door: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

During the time that Roger Oakland and his co-researchers were at the Blair/Warren forum at Saddleback this past week, the team only heard one Bible verse mentioned. It was quoted so quickly it was hard to recognize if it was a verse or a paraphrase of a biblical verse. Clearly the Word of God was not included as a crucial element in this inter-faith plan to save the world.

While the UTT team was in attendance at the forum (they did leave a little early), there was nothing mentioned about Jesus Christ in this global peace plan, although Blair did say the phrase “Our Lord,” on one occasion. The shed blood of Jesus and the finished work of the cross were never mentioned, and there was NO gospel message given.

Although Saddleback is considered to be a “Christian” Church and its pastor considered by many to be America’s foremost and most influential pastor, it was hard to tell if this was really the case at the forum. “It seemed like we were in Babylon,” one member of the UTT team stated as he listened to the inter-faith discussion and looked at the flowing fountain that forms a downhill river provided as a special attraction for those who were lining up to enter the sanctuary. Strict security measures during the forum gave an even more foreboding atmosphere. Roger Oakland was reminded of the heavy security that the pope is protected by with his own secret service in Rome. By the way, many who read this article may not be aware that Tony Blair has special entrance to see the pope of Rome now that he has become a Roman Catholic converted away from the Anglican Church.

Indeed, Tony Blair and Rick Warren are very important players in the coming One World Religion.

As an aside, Rick Warren seems to be getting thinner by the day. People entering the sanctuary were handed an advertisement for the Daniel Diet Plan that has been inspired and created with Rick Warren’s own New Age gurus: Dr. Oz, Dr. Amen, and Dr. Hyman. All three Saddleback health experts are advocates of eastern meditation. According to New Age leaders, meditation is the vehicle through which the masses of people will enter into an Aquarian world where man realizes his divinity and that God dwells in all things (see A Time of Departing). Roger Oakland believes that this one world government and one world religion that Rick Warren and Tony Blair are pushing will come about through such means (read Faith Undone). Warren himself has been promoting contemplative mystical teachers for many years. Will this contemplative mysticism he advocates help to bring about his Purpose Driven world?

As to Warren’s Daniel health plan, this brings up another question: can a Baptist become a Roman Catholic while he or she is on the Daniel weight reduction plan if it is based on New Age methodology? How many Christians really understand what is taking place here? Is mainstream Christianity becoming corrupted for the sake of a PEACE Plan and the formation of the system preparing the way for an antichrist? Is this “new” Christianity an apostate church that will lead the way to deceiving millions? The woman who coined the term New Age, occultist Alice Bailey, (believing that we were on the threshold of a new spiritual awakening) said that this new enlightened age would come, not around the Christian church, but rather through it. She said the outer layers would be initially kept intact (i.e., Christian terminology would still be used) but the changes would take place obscurely from the inside.1 Is this not what we are witnessing happening today through the Purpose Driven, contemplative, emerging, interfaith church?

Rick Warren and Tony Blair share much in common when it comes to plans for the world. One thing they share is their views on the problem with what they term fundamentalism or extremism. Blair states that “religion must be rescued from extremism and irrelevance and used as a force for good at a time of global turmoil.” Rick Warren “predicts that fundamentalism, of all varieties, will be ‘one of the big enemies of the 21st century.’ ‘Muslim fundamentalism, Christian fundamentalism, Jewish fundamentalism, secular fundamentalism – they’re all motivated by fear. Fear of each other.’” Blair and Warren discussed their views on extremism and fundamentalism at the forum last week. Will Bible-believing Christians be included in their definitions of fundamentalism and extremism in the near days to come? The answer to that is becoming more clear every day.

In a 2008 video statement, Tony Blair described his ambition to help bring about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG). In view of Saddleback’s recent day-long health seminar promoting the Daniel Plan where U.N. Agenda 21 ideas such as “sustainable living” “going green,” and “smart growth” were used, how interesting to note Blair’s appearance just a few weeks later at Saddleback. Is Rick Warren allowing the influence of the United Nations into his church and possibly into tens of thousands of other churches around the world? At the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2008, Rick Warren claimed that he “lead[s] a very small network of about 500,000 churches.” (40 min mark - That’s a potential of well over 200 million people!).

Roger Oakland and his team found the Peace in a Globalized Society Forum utterly troubling, to say the least. “We will have to warn that a judgment is ahead for a “Christianity” that is not Christianity at all,” Oakland stated after the forum. “Judgment is coming and few seem to be ready. Titus 2: 13 tells us that “we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” and we should have an expectancy of Christ’s return, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” It will be glorious for those who are ready; for the others it will be terrifying.

What is becoming more obvious everyday to some seems amazingly hidden to mainstream Christian leaders. Not one well-known leader has called out Rick Warren and publicly challenged him. On the contrary, there is either silence from these leaders or worse yet a public display of embracing and resonance (e.g.: popular teacher John Piper invited Rick Warren to speak at his Desiring God conference. Calvary Chapel founder Chuck Smith stood in front of thousands at Greg Laurie’s Harvest crusade and introduced Rick Warren as his friend, allowing him to pray with the crowd). Has there been any outcry by Christian pastors or leaders to these occurrences? No, and the silence is deafening.

The Bible makes it clear there is coming a false peace plan that will be headed up by 

the antichrist sometime in the future. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” I Thessalonians 5:3

Some readers may be asking, “Why did Roger Oakland and his co-workers attend this forum?” or “Why did Lighthouse Trails and Roger Oakland write this report?” The answer is simple: Because we love the Gospel and know its message is the only hope for any person. In connecting the dots as this report attempts to do, we believe it is a biblical mandate for believers to contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 1:3) and warn those who are in spiritual danger. For the Bible-believing Christian, there is no alternative, though the cost for taking a stand can be high, resulting in the loss of friends and associates. But is it not a small price to pay in comparison to what our Lord has done for us on the Cross?

But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. Ezekiel 33:6

There is a peace plan coming on the earth; but it is not the Lord’s peace plan. There is a false peace, and it will deceive many.

Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; Ezekiel 13:10

Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. Ezekiel 7:25

And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries. II Chronicles 15:5

* For a detailed account of Rick Warren, Ken Blanchard, and Lighthouse Trails, read A “Wonderful” Deception.

Notes:

1. Alice Bailey, The Externalization of the Hierarchy (New York, NY: Lucis Publishing, 1976), p. 510; from page 123 of A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen, 2nd edition.