O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? (Psalm 4:2)

Mysticism Opens The Door For Globalism 

It’s simply an indisputable fact that, even now, a part of its spiritually lurid legacy of the sinfully ecumenical Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church is its fueling the current fad of Protestant evangelicals practicing corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM) ala Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster—and his spiritual twin Dallas Willard. So a large part of the online apologetics and discernment work being done here at Apprising Ministries has been covering the EC as it’s grown into a full blown neo-liberal cult—an Emerging Church 2.0—now pushing its new form of postmodern Progressive Christianity as “big tent” Emergence Christianity. 

That’s why I’ve so often mentioned before that this spurious CSM—a rebirth of Roman Catholic Counter Reformation spirituality—under the quise of Spiritual Formation, along with it’s main vehicle of Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP)—meditation in an altered state of consciousness—was a core doctrine from the evil inception of the Emerging Church. You may also recall, from articles like Southern Baptist Soul Shaping Return To Religious Bondage and Saddleback Church, Rick Warren, And Spiritual Disciplines, that for quite some time now I’ve been covering the influx of this Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism into the Southern Baptist Convention—allegedly the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.

Now you have a better context through which to understand why Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren can be involved with the men he’s working with in his so-called The Daniel Plan, and virtually no one seems very concerned. For years now Satan’s EC has been very successful in causing the younger sectors of evangelicalism to question virtually everything, which has opened them up for this new postmodern liberalism. In fact, when asked if he sees the seeker-friendly movement—of which Warren is unquestionably a leader within—is a new form of liberalism Dr. John MacArthur replied:

Absolutely.  It is the new liberalism.  It is the new liberalism!  It’s no different than the old liberalism, which was a social gospel.  That’s what this is, only it’s not a social gospel, because it doesn’t reach out to the poor.  It’s not the down-and-outers; it’s the up-and-inners.  It’s a psychological gospel.  So, the psychological feel-good gospel is the new liberalism…

And I’ll tell you, how do you know it’s the new liberalism?  Because you can’t stop a seeker-friendly movement, because it’s going to be redefined, it’s going to be redefined, it’s going to be redefined…  It’s relentlessly being redefined because the culture changes so fast in a media-driven society. (Online source)

What’s at the rotten core of all of this is dominionism; which at its own corrupt heart is the belief that God is bringing about His dream that the Christian faith will make this world “a better place.” Likely you’ll be hearing more about this; but for now, against this backdrop you should be better able to see the dominionism that seems to be at the heart of the ministry of Rick Warren. Consider that I’ve told you Warren has done the foreword to a book Driven By Destiny (DBD) containing the whacked Word Faith mythology of previously unknown pastrix named LaVerne Adams, who bills herself as The Doctor of Destiny. She tells in DBD that it was actually Rick Warren who approached her, which later opened the way for him to do the foreword to her self-published book.[1]

Doesn’t that strke you as a little bit odd; arguably the most famous pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention goes out of his way to promote an obscure woman pastrix and then do the foreword to a book, which she published herself? Perhaps it has to do with her message, and with the connections she has with the people she tells us she learned it from; and further, as you can see in Decade Of Destiny With Rick Warren, Rick Warren kicked off his dream Decade of Destiny very the day her book dropped on 10/10/10. An odd coincidence; well, you might find it interesting that as pastrix Doctor Destiny begins her book DBD, she first praises notorious Word Faith heretic Dr. Mark Chirona—her “invaluable mentor, [and] life coach”—as well as “prayer general” Dr. Cindy Trimm, a female version of Word Faith mogul T.D. Jakes.[2]

Maybe the most interesting of pastrix Adams mentors would be what she calls “the prophetic ministry” of Dr. Chuck Pierce—which “has literally transformed my existence.” Mighty high praise indeed. Previously in Rick Warren, Dr. Destiny LaVerne Adams, And “Apostle” Chuck Pierce I told you that Pierce has a “D. Min. from the Wagner Leadership Institute.”[3] If you’re at all familiar with the heavily dominionist New Apostolic Reformation the name Wagner, as in “Apostle” C. Peter Wagner, should be familiar. Since he’s not the focal point of this article, I’ll simply point out that Wagner was Rick Warren’s mentor for his doctoral dissertation at controversial Fuller Theological Seminary[4] and his discernment is so skewed “apostle” Wagner has also embraced the heresy of Open Theism.

The Mystic Mush God With A Man-Shaped Hole In Its Heart Seeks Dominion

His commitment to dominionism having to play a part in the church “helping” God bring about his rule is revealed when Wagner dreams:

God decided ahead of time that certain things would happen no matter what, He also decided to leave some other things open that would be dependent on the choices that human beings would make. Consider this: Isn’t God sovereign enough to limit His own sovereignty if He so desires?[3]

So because of His alleged self-limited sovereignty the god of open theism, a pathetic creature who’s but a slightly larger form of man, needs the church to take dominion of this world for him. Leaving this unbiblical musing for another time, let me draw to your attention the fact that “apostle” Chuck Pierce, quite obviously a mentor to pastrix LaVerne Adams—herself recommended by Rick Warren:

also serves as President of Global Spheres, Inc., an apostolic ministry for apostolic, prophetic and intercessory leaders. Peter and Doris Wagner complete the leadership team of this new apostolic wineskin.[6]

In addtion to C. Peter Wagner, who else do you suppose is also a member of this “apostolic” Global Spheres, Inc.; try LaVerne Adams:

(Online source)

Now you’re ready to understand why Discernment Research Group says in their post 3-Legged “Health” Care: The Agenda of Rick Warren’s “Daniel Plan” yesterday at Herescope:

When Rick Warren launched his Daniel Plan prescription for health several weeks ago as a massive campaign to alter the health of evangelicals in American, many discerning saints expressed shock and dismay at his open association with New Age doctors. While this fact is upsetting, there are equally disturbing issues about Warren’s Daniel Plan that cannot be ignored.

With Rick Warren at the helm, the CHURCH is now in the BUSINESS of health care REFORM. This is the 3-legged stool. It is the integration of church/state/corporate that business guru Peter Drucker (Rick Warren’s mentor) proposed as the method for restructuring Society. (Online source)

All of this sheds much light upon why Rick Warren often aligns himself in socio-religious reform with people who are not Christian; for those infected with dominionism, the idea would be would be that because they are “Christians” what they do with unbelievers will somehow be Christianized because it’s helping bring about “God’s plans” to bring about His Kingdom upon the earth. Which brings me to the video below; now you should be able to view it with a proper perpective. Rick Warren tells us that The Daniel Plan: God’s Prescription For Your Health is being run by:

World medical authorities Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mehmet Oz have joined together with our Saddleback Pastoral and Healthcare ministries to create this healthy lifestyle program… (Online source)

Lord willing, I’ll have more upon this another time; but for now I’ll just remind you that in her post Saddleback Health & Fitness Seminar – Infomercial for Sustainable Development Jennifer Pekich of Ponderings From Patmos: Biblical Truth For Modern Day Exiles offered her eyewitness testimony concerning what’s going on with TDP. She tells us:

I about fell off my chair when Dr. Hyman stated, “The key to the success of the “Daniel Plan” is “group living”…”individuals” will not succeed, our only hope lies in “community.” And with that, it was announced that the “Saddleback community” would be an example of “sustainable living” and would set the course to “change this world”… Dr. Hyman said that he is a Jew, Dr. Amen is a Christian, and Dr. Oz is a Muslim. (Online source)

Notice that Pekich informs us that Saddleback Church (SC) was told it is to set the course to “change this world”; and right in line with the quasi-dominionism I’ve been discussing, Warren and Saddleback are fine with partnering with unbelievers in this TDP to try and do so. At 10:54 in of this message below, delivered by Rick Warren January 22-23 2011 at SC, he greets the church and its campuses; then introduces their various pastors, including SC’s new “Internet pastor.” Then at 13:00 Warren tells us that before “we look at God’s Word” he wants to give “an update on the first of “twelve Decade of Destiny initiatives.” The first being “our own physical health” because “all the other changes require energy” so he pointed out he wants to get the SC faithful healthy with “the first initiative called The Daniel Plan.”

He says it really “took off quickly” as SC held the “first launch rally last Saturday,” which I mentioned above was attended by Pekich, who filed a report on what she saw when she personally attended this “launch” of TDP. Warren next explains at 13:30 that this plan involves “three nationally known doctors,” whom Warren proudly tells us, “I recruited”; and who “agreed to help us for 52 weeks.” He also informs us that “they’re going to be here four times during this year” at SC. After thanking the SC volunteers who assisted with that initial launch rally for TDP Warren says that thousands from SC have registered at DanielPlan.com to track their weight loss, etc. Then at 14:48 Warren promotes the doctors of the TDP:

I mean, where else are you gonna get Dr. Memit Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Mark Hymen to be your personal coach for a year? These guys are putting stuff on the website every week… We’re having a monthly webcast…

Warren goees on to announce that the next TDP rally will be march 19; he even mentions at 15:54 other churches now also want to do TDP, but Warren says he told them, “next year; said, we want to do it frst.” Then at 16:03 Warren says to his SC congregation:

It’s kind of like when we did 40 days of purpose. You know, after we did it, the rest of America—over 30, 000 churches—ten percent of the American church did 40 days of purpose. And, so all eyes of America are on you; so, you better not screw up. That’s all I’m sayin’.

Ever the marketer, next at 16:24 Warren announces another unusual wrinkle in this TDP:

I’m very excited, we’re talking with a number of national grocery chains who are getting behind this plan, and I can’t announce it to you right now. But let me just say, some very exciting things—you’ll probably be reading about it in the newspapers—about the healthier foods at more affordable prices, with some national chains, some exciting things that have happened, because of the Daniel Plan.

After these announcements Warren has SC take up their outlines so as to continue along “in our study” on “A New You For A New Decade.” I plan to have more on this particular sermon next time; however, you probably know that the seeker-friendly movement, which John MacArthur says above preaches a “psychological feel-good gospel,” can be traced to Fuller Theological Seminary and its professors like C. Peter Wagner. You may also remember that FTS alumnus Dr. John Piper is said to have met Rick Warren at the funeral for Ralph Winter, who was also an FTS instructor along with Wagner. According to a report by Ingrid Schlueter, host of the Crosstalk radio program, this led to Dr. Piper’s ill-advised decision to bring Warren into the Desiring God Conference 2010 as the keynote speaker.

When Dr. Piper now asserts that Rick Warren “is theological and doctrinal and sound”[8], one may wonder, could there be more to this FTS connection than we first realized? 

_____________________________________________________________________________
Endnotes:

[1] Dr. LaVerne Adams, Driven By Destiny: 12 Secrets to Unlock Your Future [LaVerne Adams, 2009], x.

[2] Ibid., ix.

[3] http://www.gloryofzion.org/chuckpierce.php, accessed 2/11/11.

[4] See: Influences: Rick Warren And C. Peter Wagner Of New Apostolic Reformation.

[5] C. Peter Wagner, Dominion!: How Kingdom Action Can Change the World [Grand Rapids: Chosen, ], 81.

[6] http://www.gloryofzion.org/chuckpierce.php, accessed 2/11/11.

[7] http://tiny.cc/bh01l, accessed 2/11/11.

[8] http://tiny.cc/du8kn, accessed 2/11/11.

See also:

RICK WARREN WANTS YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR ULTRAMIND

RICK WARREN PRESENTS US OUR DESTINY DOCTOR

RICK WARREN, DR. DESTINY, AND DR. CINDY TRIMM

ECUMENICAL APOLOGETICS WEEKEND OF RICK WARREN

RICK WARREN AND HERESY

RICK WARREN AND ROMAN CATHOLICS

SADDLEBACK CHURCH, RICK WARREN, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES