Friday, November 30, 2007

Purpose Driven Purgatory

It's amazing!

It's dumbfounding!

It's breathtaking!

And it's TRUE!

Purpose Driven Puppet Master Rick Warren is in fact setting himself up as the Protestant Pontiff of The New Catholicism. My short piece entitled Purpose Driven Deceit pointed toward Warren's take no prisoners attitude toward so-called "resisters" within the professing church. In Rick Warren's perverse theology disunity is Satan's greatest weapon against the church. Where does Warren get his information? It certainly doesn't come from the Holy Bible. As the discernment resource Watcher's Lamp correctly states: "Satan's greatest weapon is deception, which causes disunity and division in the Scriptures, and ultimately the destruction of souls."


Warrenism = Ecumenism = Rome
Unity.

Unity at all costs.

Unity at the expense of truth.

It would be understandable for the non-discerning to come to Warren's defense and say, "Hey, Pastor Rick just wants unity for the Body of Christ, that's a good thing, that's something God desires and something we ought to be working toward!" Yet the truth is that all regenerate, truly born-again Christians are already in spiritual unity together in Christ; this is the mystery of the true church, the true Bride of Christ!

No my friend, Warren is so obsessed with a false temporal unity obtained at the expense of Biblical truth that he's willing in his capacity as Protestant Pope to excommunicate serious, discerning, Christ-centered brothers and sisters in Lord in order to ensure the absolute, unquestioned authority of his Purpose Driven Pulpit Puppets - those who will undoubtedly soon be known as his "Bishops". Amazingly Warren is so eager to spiritually prostitute himself to his idol god unity that he's signed an open letter to Muslims extolling the common virtues of the Christian and Islamic faiths emphasizing "the absolutely central commonality between both religions: love of God and love of neighbor".

Another Gospel
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

Warren's non-gospel of nothingness is in fact the bondage of religious works righteousness. In Warren's upside down spiritual world men are to earn "rewards" from God Almighty based upon their works of righteousness in the flesh. This is so far removed from the truth of Christianity as to make the Gospel According to Pastor Rick another gospel.

Purpose Driven Purgatory
As defined by Wikipedia:

Purgatory is the process of purification by which, according to Roman Catholic belief, those who die in God’s grace and friendship achieve the holiness necessary for heaven. It is also called the "final purification of the elect". Catholics believe that Purgatory is experienced only by those souls judged by God at the moment of death to be destined for heaven, and only by those that are not yet perfectly holy.

There’s no doubt that Rick Warren plainly teaches a variant of the false and heretical Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory to his itching ears adherents. As part of The New Catholicism Warren teaches - just like Rome does! - that friends of God (i.e. "seekers") have achieved the holiness necessary for heaven (i.e. they have recited the so-called "sinner's prayer" and/or have walked down the aisle and/or gotten dunked in a tank of tap water), BUT (notice the big BUT in practically all of Warren's 100% works righteousness teachings) "seekers" within Warren’s Purpose Driven Purgatory must add to their holiness by perfecting their heart toward God through a complex system of works righteousness.

Warren teaches his seeker audiences that "life is a test and a trust". Where does the Bible say that about the Christian life, Rick? The true Christian's life is hidden in Christ alone! In truth Warren has made numerous documented statements and given entire sermons on the subject of the requirement of works righteousness to perfect the holiness of his "seeker" audiences. You can see and hear the would-be Protestant Pope vomit forth his heretical works righteousness doctrines here.

Warren teaches that God endows and entrusts men with money, time, intelligence, and other temporal gifts and that God demands a return on that investment. Warren says that God Almighty will temporally and eternally mete out rewards to those who properly exercise their faith. Warren actually teaches his deceived followers that their works in the flesh will result in the accrual of heavenly rewards and position! Rick Warren's carnal Christianity makes rewards the focus of his man-centered worldview and relegates the Infinite Creator and Judge of the universe to the position of a Monkey-god. Read Matthew 20 verses 1-16 and see how Warren's false teachings vaporize like the mist they are in the light of infallible scripture. Or read the account of Mary and Martha and note which chose the better part. If Rick Warren's teachings are true then the thief on the cross must live in the heavenly equivalent of skid row!

Rick Warren is not teaching the truth!

Rick Warren is twisting the scriptures!

Therefore Rick Warren is a false teacher!

In point of fact Rick Warren relentlessly twists and wrests scripture entirely out of context in order to bolster his false doctrines with Biblical references so that his teachings will sound spiritually authoritative. The Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons do the exact same thing. Rick Warren is also notorious for using variant and questionable Bible translations so that he can pick and choose the phrase that best suits his demonic agenda.

The New Catholicism
In the barren, desolate spiritual landscape of Warren's New Catholicism the grace of God is turned into an occasion for lasciviousness and worldliness. Warren takes salvation through faith by grace and tramples it underfoot by espousing a Romish faith plus works soteriology. Warren is guilty of adding fleshly works as a requirement to finished work of the cross. This practice is an abomination and an affront the absolute holiness One True Living God.

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. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Like his mother Rome, Warren teaches friendship with the world by signing letters of spiritual unity to Muslims and he is more than happy to share his Purpose Driven Techniques to cultists:

Warren’s pastor-training programs welcome Catholics, Methodists, Mormons, Jews and ordained women. “I’m not going to get into a debate over the non-essentials. I won’t try to change other denominations. Why be divisive?” he asks.

"Why be divisive?"
What does Rick Warren do with the myriad verses which call true born-again Christians to be separated from the world, to earnestly contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered unto the saints, and to rebuke and correct false teaching when it contradicts sound doctrine? He does what he always does, he ignores or twists their meanings to suit his own Purpose Driven Agenda.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 1:3)

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)

"The church door opens to trouble by saying, "Let's not nit-pick about doctrine. Let's not dot our I's and cross our T's so particularly." Believers compromise with the counterfeit to a certain degree because it basically looks good, then the door opens to more counterfeits. When the people of God know little about the word of God, they are not able to be discerning when they examine counterfeits."

"Destructive heresies are secretly introduced. Different opinions are brought along side with the truth. These heresies and opinions are destructive. They lead to destruction. It is a serious matter. As soon as you depart from the word of God, you are on the road to destruction.
It is no minor issue; eternity is at stake. Departure occurs in one area, then another, and soon the teachers themselves are leaders in this road to destruction. Where does the heresy lead? Even to the point of denying the Master who bought them!" (By Gil Rugh from his sermon "Destructive Heresies in Today's Church".)

Doctrine Divides
“Doctrine divides!” That’s the popular belief of our culture today, as its sails on the shifting sea of modern day relativism. Our generation shouts out, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere,” yet the Bible portrays a very different message.

We have to admit that doctrine does in fact divide. It divides truth from error, the true prophet from the false prophet, and the real Christ from the counterfeit.

Some say “all I want is a relationship with God” not some dead creed or theology. I am all for knowing God intimately, but we need to know the difference between the real God and the many false ones. If someone wants to know Jesus, they first need to make clear which “Jesus” they are referring to: the “Jesus” of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) who is the spirit brother of Lucifer, the result of God the Father’s sexual union with Mary?; or perhaps the “Jesus” of the Watchtower organization (Jehovah’s Witnesses) who is a created though highly elevated god?; or perhaps the “Jesus” of Islam who was never the Son of God but merely a highly esteemed prophet, who was whisked away from the cross and never suffered death? Exactly which Jesus - for there are many out there? (By Pastor John Samson from his work entitled The Importance of the Creeds.

The modern professing church is a mile wide and an inch deep. Guided by their father the devil false teachers like Rick Warren and his spiritual pimp Robert Schuller have woven a massive web of spiritual deceit within which they've taken many captive. These men and their ilk flee from the light of scripture and rail against the truth demanding unquestioned obeisance from their spiritually impoverished and imprisoned followers. Like a common drug dealer who keeps giving his strung out addicts just enough narcotics to keep them slavishly returning for more, Warrenism yokes its adherents under the bondage of the keeping the law and maintaining a right standing before God and men.

Idolatry
Let it be known that the worldview espoused by Rick Warren and his kind is wholly unbiblical and is in truth a man-centered false gospel that feeds sinful man's notion that he is god.

They practice idolatry.

They practice cheap grace.

What is cheap grace? It is the opposite of costly grace. Cheap grace is prevalently taught in the churches that lure people to adhere to the false gospel of “Health, Wealth and Prosperity.” This heresy says it’s okay to seek self-gratification rather than obey Jesus. It teaches salvation by grace, but without adherence to the Lordship of Christ. It also teaches the believer decides to be saved then he or she accepts salvation rather than it coming completely by God’s grace through faith.

God designed us so we have to be fulfilled with His presence. Nothing else will do it. However, at the fall, man became corrupt and an enemy of God because of sin. Man is born Soul-led with a deadened Spirit. No contact with God is possible. So what does man do for fulfillment? Man seeks fulfillment in religion, work, money, sex, love, relationships, possessions, and entertainment; you name it. Nothing works.

Adherents to cheap grace are deceived and are participating in idolatry and a false gospel which can not save. The believer who has believed on Jesus as Lord and Savior has taken on costly grace. Yes, it costs them all, but it gains them all.

You noticed I put religion on the list didn’t you? Religion is not necessarily based on a relationship with God. Religion not based on a relationship to God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and savior is a false religion. It does not matter how sincere a religion is, if it is not based on this then it is false and will not fulfill. In fact, they are idolatrous because they teach a false concept of God based on what man wants instead of who God is. Any act of attempted fulfillment not based on a correct relationship with God through Jesus Christ is idolatrous. Any religious activity based upon self-gratification is idolatrous.

The history of the Christianity is full of heretical beliefs. All are idolatrous because they teach a false view of God, Jesus and salvation. Man naturally falls for “works” salvation. “Works” salvation teaches that working hard and keeping rules earns salvation. This places our salvation in our hands rather than in God’s. The reason we fall so easily for this heresy is our huge inner drive to be gods ourselves.

The only religious activity which is not idolatrous is based upon a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and savior.
by Mike Ratliff taken from his book Possessing the Treasure.

In Conclusion
It ought to be patently clear to those with eyes to see and ears to hear that Rick Warren and his kind within the seeker sensitive, doctrinally averse broader professing church teach another gospel. It's long past time for sincere, true born-again Christians to stand boldly on the Word of God and expose these false teachers to the light of inspired scripture and soundly and roundly rebuke them in the Lord.

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:6-9)