God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. (Psalm 53:2-3)

The Purpose Driven Prophet

On her former blog Slice of Laodicea which would later become Christian Research Net Ingrid Schlueter posted an piece called “Rick Warren Announces Third Revival in Korea” where she said:

Rick Warren doesn’t believe that revival is the sovereign act of the Holy Spirit. He believes revival can be announced ahead of time at press conferences and that’s what he did yesterday on his Asia tour. Here’s a quote:

“The churches in Korea have already experienced twice a time of great revival — in 1907 through a great revival movement and 1970’s when there was a sudden growth,” Warren said Wednesday. “Today’s churches in Korea will have a 3rd movement with the upcoming 100th anniversary of Pyongyang Revival.”

The article she references is Rick Warren Hopes for 3rd Revival Movement in Korea from the Christian Post. In it we learn that “Rick Warren, senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of ‘The Purpose Driven Life,’ suggested Wednesday the strong possibility of a 3rd revival of the churches in Korea.” Further we read:

At a press conference held shortly after arriving in South Korea, Warren expressed his hopes for another movement similar to the 1907 Pyongyang Revival, what many say established the base of Korean Christianity. The megachurch pastor is in South Korea to attend leadership seminars Thursday and Friday in Seoul and Pusan, respectively, before heading off to North Korea, where he was invited to meet with church and business leaders in preparation for a speaking engagement next year.

And then follows the quote Ingrid included in her post at Slice where “thus saith” the purpose driven prophet Rick Warren who proclaims:

“The churches in Korea have already experienced twice a time of great revival – in 1907 through a great revival movement and 1970s when there was a sudden growth,” Warren said Wednesday. “Today’s churches in Korea will have a 3rd movement with the upcoming 100th anniversary of Pyongyang Revival.”

The New Father Of Semi-Pelagianism Revival

For the benefit of those who haven’t seen her post let me point out that Ingrid then goes on to say:

Does Rick Warren have some sort inside track to know when the Holy Spirit will move in hearts to save souls? No. He’s talking about the kind of revival where millions more Koreans will buy the Purpose Driven Life and implement the 40 Days of Purpose in their churches. That’s the kind of revival you can predict ahead of time in front of the world’s media. This man’s audacity knows no bounds.

What I am going to do in this piece is to briefly elaborate on the comment I posted at Slice concerning Ingrid’s article. First I wrote:

This is excellent where you ask: “Does Rick Warren have some sort inside track to know when the Holy Spirit will move in hearts to save souls? No.” He certainly doesn’t, and as matter of fact, you quote this false prophet as saying: “The churches in Korea have already experienced twice a time of great revival — in 1907 through a great revival movement and 1970’s when there was a sudden growth…”

Here God reveals that Warren doesn’t even know what a revival actually is. In line with other pelagians like Finney he attributes it to “numerical” growth. However as you know, the Lord teaches us that real revival is within the hearts of true believers when God the Holy Spirit works within us bringing conviction and power.

In The Purpose Is Driving God Away I share that in my view Warren has inherited the mantle of religious icon from another Southern Baptist Billy Graham. If you read the aforementioned article you’ll see that unfortunately Graham’s “star” has faded considerably as more information has come to light in later years concerning his “shaving of corners” in Christian doctrine in order to “reach” more people. Another thing both Warren and Graham have in common–although in different forums–is Charles Grandison Finney, known to many the “father of modern revivalsm.”

Indeed he was; Finney was the father of a rebirth of semi-pelagianism which elevates the nature of man well past what the Bible reveals as his true totally depraved nature apart from Christ. The purpose of this work is not to discuss Finney’s humanistic approach to the Christian faith, it is rather to bring to your attention to yet another rotten root from which neo-evangelicalism would finally come emerging today into a whole other religion of purpose driven postevangelicalism. As a matter of fact the In Touch the website of another fading star Dr. Charles Stanley confirms for us, “Finney laid a well-paved road for mass evangelists who would come after him—Dwight L. Moody, Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham.” (Online source)

Counterfeit Conversions Only Pad Sinner-Sensitive Statistics

To avoid wrestling with the serpent here we leave aside discussion of the above mentioned men and simply point out that it is this same “well-paved road” that Rick Warren is currently on as he promotes his “purpose” anywhere anyone will listen to him. However, in equating “revival” to “a sudden growth” in churches as Warren clearly does, I further commented on Slice that:

Numbers prove nothing. Those who follow these new evangelical prophets in this new religion of purpose are at odds with Christ Himself Who most clearly said: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Now can you see the eternally fatal flaw in the semi-pelagianism so widespread within the seeker sensitive Church Growth Movement philosophies of the postevangelicalism? In his 1996 devotional Unto The Hills, one of the fathers of evangelicalism Billy Graham expresses early dominion theology as he tells us:

The Christian, of course, must live his life in the world. He must infiltrate this world with a purpose–to help win the world (244, emphasis mine).

It is interesting to note the phrase “with a purpose” which reveals the obvious influence of one of his spiritual sons upon his father. Now here’s what Billy Graham and Franklin Graham (an actual son) have to say on the back cover of my personal copy of Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life:

Make sure you’re not missing the point of your life–read this book! The Purpose-Driven Life will guide you to greatness–through living the Great Commandment and the Great Commission (emphasis theirs).

Come To Your Senses Dear Christian

You know, when I read this kind of man-pleasing self-centered “point of your life” teaching that is allegedly going to “guide you to greatness,” I can’t help but think about the Apostles James and John, aka “the Sons of Thunder,” and how they might paraphrase our Lord and say: “You don’t know what you are saying. Can you really drink the cup we drank or be baptized with the baptism we underwent?” Today I encourage you to read Mark 10:35-39 and then repent of this spiritual lunacy. Men and women, if you have become caught up in this new purpose driven religion based on men’s foolish philosophy yourself (see–Colossians 2:8), then let me implore you to come to your senses through the rest of what I said on Slice:

If someone is among those taken in by this counterfeit Christian move they’d best read on in Matthew 7 because this is no light matter. Actually it is the reverse; a matter of no light:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”

“Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (vv. 15-21, KJV)

In closing, might I remind you further of something Christ Jesus of Nazareth said that comes cutting as a sharp Sword right straight across the gratuitous grain of this whole man-pleasing, centered on self, new evangelical humanism in Christian garb:

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”

“From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?”

“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:49-57)

And if you still disagree with me…you know right where I can be found…