What do you think, is Rick Warren willing to say or do anything in order to be "America's Pastor"?

The following article by Joseph Farah points out the Christian hypocrisy of Warren that drives people crazy. He seems to stand for anything except his Christian faith and fellow believers. He is willing to trash America and historical Christianity and for that matter history as well. He forgets that far more non-Muslims and other Muslims have been and were slaughtered by Islam not only during the Crusades, but in recent history as well. The Crusades were started only after the threat of Islam became so great that it threatened the bastions of Christianity. Before that, Islam had either bribed or lied to Christian leaders telling them that they were not interested in destroying the Christian faith. Their violent slaughtering of anyone or any nation that stood in their way proved otherwise, and only then did Christianity respond. Before that time, most of the known world had fallen under the sword of Islam. So, what do you think? Does Warren's latest action show him only to want to hog some sort of limelight or do you think he is correct in his actions?

PastorBlastor

Rick Warren Does it, Again
By Joseph Farah, World Net Daily, July 3, 2009

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102848

While millions of other Americans will be celebrating Independence Day weekend, Rick Warren, often called "America's Pastor," will be serving as the keynote speaker for a Saudi-backed Muslim group that promotes a radical strain of Wahhabi Islam in about 80 percent of U.S. mosques.

I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of Rick Warren's bad judgments.

This time Warren will be schmoozing with the Islamic Society of North America, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood – just as are al-Qaida, Hamas and most other Muslim terrorist organizations.

ISNA puts on a façade of moderation, yet, according to terrorism expert Steven Emerson, it "convenes annual conferences where Islamist militants have been given a platform to incite violence and promote hatred."

After Hamas leader Mousa Marzook was arrested in 1997, ISNA raised money for his defense. He was eventually deported.

ISNA condemned the U.S. government's seizure of the financial assets of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad after Sept. 11.

"I think ISNA has been an umbrella, also a promoter of groups that have been involved in terrorism," explains Emerson. "I am not going to accuse the ISNA of being directly involved in terrorism. I will say ISNA has sponsored extremists, racists, people who call for jihad against the United States."

I could go on with many more details about ISNA. Suffice it to say it is no friend of Christianity and no friend of America.

So what is Rick Warren doing speaking at the group's national conference?

I don't know what Warren's agenda is. He would probably say he doesn't have one. But I can tell you the effect of his appearance – it is designed to disinfect and rehabilitate a group that is dangerous and subversive to U.S. national security.

But it should surprise no one, at this point, that Rick Warren will be there. One of the first times I ever wrote about Rick Warren was in 2006 when he took an equally misguided trip to Syria to meet with dictator Bashar Assad and praise him for his pleasant treatment of Christians. Syria was then and remains today one of the world's leading state sponsors of Islamic terrorism. Almost every terrorist group in the world maintains offices there. Nevertheless, Rick Warren said, while in Syria, that the country "does not allow extremism of any kind."

Less than a week after Warren's absurd proclamations in Syria, a Christian leader in Lebanon, former President Pierre Gemayel, was assassinated in the streets of Beirut. Everyone in Lebanon knows who killed him – the Syrian government.

As I wrote at the time, "it is imperative that Christians – and especially Christian leaders – have discernment about evil in our world. And true, unadulterated evil is what you have running Syria today. The government led by Bashar Assad, who met with Rick Warren last week, is anti-American, anti-freedom, anti-Christian, anti-Jewish and pro-terrorist.

"Rick Warren should know this. Yet, he has placed himself in a position of apologizing and excusing the government in Damascus, one of the most evil on the face of the earth.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that government got cover last week as a result of Warren's shameful public relations on its behalf. I won't go so far to say there was a direct cause-and-effect relationship between Warren's embrace of Assad and the assassination of Gemayel yesterday, but it is both a coincidence of striking proportions as well as an illustration of the true character of Damascus' totalitarian police-state regime."

In 2007, Rick Warren was one of 100 or so "evangelical leaders" who signed a document begging forgiveness from Muslims for all the evil deeds perpetrated against them by Christians.

Rick Warren loves to apologize for things he didn't do, for things other people did that weren't wrong, even for things that occurred hundreds of years before he was born – such as apologizing to Muslims worldwide for atrocities committed against their ancestors during the Crusades.

In 2007, he also apologized for American "excesses in the war on terrorism."

And he has apologized for the church because it hasn't done enough about the spread of AIDS and problems like global warming.

Yet, I must observe that despite his predilection for apologies, he has a great deal of trouble owning up to his own personal mistakes.

Once again, just like his trip to Syria, serving as the keynote speaker to the Islamic Society of North America is a very, very bad personal mistake – one that demonstrates a complete lack of spiritual discernment.

How to Stand Firm In the Lord - Philippians 4:1-7
By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 21, 2009 AM

What is to be the main character quality that Christians are to display to the world around them and to one another? When I have asked that question before I get all kinds of answers. However, if we were to look into the pages of Scripture we would find that the one overriding character quality that believers are to display far above all others that, in truth, all others flow from is: the peace of God. It is from this inner confidence that flows from our faith whereby joy, gentleness, and assurance are found. In fact, when you find a Christian that has difficulty with his fellow believers it is because they have no inner peace. They cannot let go and allow God to work in the lives of others.

My father taught me something I have never forgotten. It was after Ed and I had fought about whatever. All I remember is that I had said some pretty harsh things to Ed, and he had with me as well. My father grabbed me and told Ed, “I will speak to you later.” We both knew what that meant. I protested loudly that the fight had not been my fault and that I had not started it. Imagine my surprise when he said, “Lee, you can be right as rain and still be wrong as dirt.” Perhaps this was the case for Euodia and Syntyche. They evidently needed to be able to find the peace of God in their lives. Let’s discover what Paul related to them about how to stand firm in the Lord.

Paul wrote the Philippians: “Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:1-7) Standing firm in the Lord for Paul meant several things.

My father had a great sense of humor and he loved to tease us kids. He often laughed and loved a good joke and liked to make up nonsensical rhymes and songs. Have you ever been around someone who is joyful? It can either be irritating or a blessing. It can be irritating when it is phony and a blessing when it is true joy. I hate false joy that is concocted. It is shallow and shows that the person truly does not have the Sprit in their lives but is trying to pretend that they really do. God does not like phoniness either and neither did Paul. This is why…

First, Paul wanted them to know the power of joy in the Lord! Joy is not trying to be nice or even a sense of happiness. Rather, it is an inner quality that bubbles up from the wellspring of God. Why would Paul want them to experience this? The Philippian church meant a lot to the Apostle Paul. We read how he felt about them in almost every line of his letter to them. We discover it in Paul’s main concerns for them. As the RSV translates what Paul writes: “I ask you also, true yokefellow, help these women… .” He desired that the Philippians “help” these two members to discover the peace of God. He wanted their faith to be characterized by joy. This is why he tells them to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) He had written the Thessalonians to “Be joyful always!” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) Jesus had taught that His followers to “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:12) And He related to them to “rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20) Standing firm in the Lord means you know the power of the joy of the Lord in your life!

My Dad was a quiet man. He never cursed, he hardly ever lost his cool, and he usually thought out what he was going to say before he said it. Sometimes, this caused us great anxiety while we waited for his answer! However, for some folks they think that the more softly they speak or the more unassuming they are, then they are being “like Jesus.” This is simply not true. Jesus was the most stand out guy you could be around. He was noticeable. And so should believers be as well. However, Christians are to display a sweet spirit that is punctuated by inner spiritual strength. This is why…

Secondly, Paul wanted their gentleness to be evident with everyone! Gentleness is not limp-wristed weakness or acquiescing your convictions! It is standing firm in true humility with Christ. Paul wanted  Euodia’s and Syntyche’s “gentleness” to be “evident to all.” When the Christian does this, he stands as a servant first and foremost. True humility comes from true servanthood. Just as Jesus came to serve, His followers should seek to serve others first as well. Paul would write his pastor friend Titus to “slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.” (Titus 3:2) The attitude that Paul wanted these two Christians to show one another was one whereby they forgave one another even when they were unjustly provoked, to be ready to forgive any slight, be kind in judging others and to judge themselves by a tougher measure thereby showing a sweetness of spirit. It is an outward quality that is readily evident. Kind of like Jesus related when He said that people do not “light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:15-16) And that is what gentleness does. It reflects the light of Jesus and takes no credit and it is more than happy to do so! As Gill wrote: “Blessed are the meek,.... Who are not easily provoked to anger; who patiently bear, and put up with injuries and affronts; carry themselves courteously, and affably to all; have the meanest thoughts of themselves, and the best of others; do not envy the gifts and graces of other men; are willing to be instructed and admonished, by the meanest of the saints; [and] quietly submit to the will of God.” Standing tall in the Lord means allowing gentleness to rule your life.

Fathers have a lot to worry about but not when it concerns things they have no control over. Jesus asked His followers if their worrying had added even one inch to their height, and of course it had not. We would like to think that the more we worry about something, shows our true concern for it. This is simply not true. In fact, for the believer it can show a weak faith. This is why…

Third, Paul desired that they not worry needlessly! Personal strife often comes from senseless worrying! Perhaps this is what Euodia and Syntyche suffered from. As believers we are to be concerned in how we live our lives before the Lord; we are to be concerned for how we take care of the bodies God has given us; we are to be concerned how we conduct ourselves in front of others; and we are to be concerned in how we spend our time, talent, and treasure. However, we are not to worry about the things we have no control over in life. God is in control. He knows our beginning and our end and the very number of hairs on our head! (Even though some of us have less for Him to count!) In fact the saints of God should not be anxiously distressed or concerned for the things of this world, but be content with what God provides! The answer for Euodia and Syntyche that Paul would give any believer that becomes obsessive in their worry was: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6) The answer to worry is prayer mixed with thanksgiving, and then you can go before the Lord with just about anything. However, the person who is possessed by the worries of life cannot clearly pray because they cannot hear God as they do. Those who are in an attitude of praise and thanksgiving have the mind of Christ and can hear Him rather than focusing on their worry. Standing firm in the Lord means allowing Him to worry about the things you cannot control.

The outcome of a life that is joyful, gentle, and confident in the Lord has “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding!” It is this peace that would “guard” their “hearts and… minds in Christ Jesus.” It is a life that stands firm in the Lord.
---
This article is the copyrighted 2009 © property of Lee Hemen and may not be copied or reproduced in any way shape or form without using the full text of this entire article, and getting the permission of its author.