Sunday, December 21, 2008

SELLING OUT

Rick Warren says: "You Don't Have To See Eye To Eye To Walk Hand In Hand"

But that is not what God’s Word says:

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? Amos 3:3

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-15 KJV


With Rick Warren selling out to the Obama administration, and, yes, I mean selling out because it is, in the eyes of the World, his acceptance of the invitation for the prayer at the “coronation” is an endorsement of Obama who stands openly for abortion and the gay agenda as well. Warren’s failure to condemn Obama’s stand on abortion amounts to agreement.

I say this just as I stated it was true with TD Jakes who was present at the Saddleback meeting when Obama was asked about abortion, and he foolishly replied that it was above his pay grade. TD Jakes, a pastor of a predominately Black congregation in Dallas, Texas, sold out by not condemning Obama. Instead, he chose to “let it slide,” thus, giving the impression that he stood in agreement with Obama’s stand on abortion. TD Jakes endorsed ethnic genocide, yet, remains in high standing among the “Christian” community as well as the Black community across the nation.

In the news currently, one of the so-called leaders of the NAE seems to agree and now must step down, and I must add, none too soon. ( See article below)

When so-called Christian leaders fail to take a stand against the world, then what is the world to think about Christians.

Is it any wonder that Christians are laughed at and criticized as hypocrites, which in such cases as presented are evidently a true reflection?

Selling out for gain is certainly not what Jesus had in mind.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Mark 8:36

If you are not outraged by the actions of these so-called leaders, then I suggest that something is wrong in your thinking.

If you think that one can straddle the fence on these issues, then understand what Jesus has to say about those who are lukewarm. In Revelation 3:15-16, He is very adamant about such and spoke so to the church at Laodicea.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

There is but one path that Christians can follow and that is the path of the teachings of Jesus. Jesus didn’t say that there are many paths to follow, but one and only one. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

How much clearer can the Word be, yet we have so-called leaders who do not adhere to what Jesus has said.

A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
Malachi 1:5-7

Someday an answer must be given, not only by these leaders but by all. Where will you stand?

___________________

Evangelical leader resigns amid controversial comments

Jim Brown and Jody Brown - OneNewsNow - 12/12/2008 7:00:00 AMBookmark and Share

The controversial Washington lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) has resigned after he created a stir by expressing support for homosexual civil unions.

Richard Cizik has resigned as vice president for governmental affairs for the NAE. In a statement to NAE board members, acting president Leith Anderson cited "a loss of trust in his [Cizik's] credibility as a spokesperson among leaders and constituencies."

On December 2, Cizik acknowledged -- during an interview on National Public Radio's Fresh Air -- that he voted for Barack Obama in the Virginia primary, and suggested that Christians should not be afraid to vote for candidates who support abortion and same-sex "marriage." He also admitted on that broadcast that he was "shifting" on the issue of marriage and that he supports homosexual civil unions.

In addition, Cizik has found himself at odds with most evangelicals on the issue of global warming, which he believes is a climate crisis created by human activity.

Mark Tooley with the Washington-based Institute on Religion & Democracy welcomes Cizik's departure from the NAE. "Cizik has been very outspoken and in some ways 'off the reservation' for the last five or six years in terms of his global warming activism, which the board of NAE had initially somewhat disavowed -- but that had not discouraged him," he notes.

"So it left the impression that the board and the president of NAE were somewhat passive and that Richard Cizik pretty much could say and do almost whatever he wanted to do in Washington. But clearly that was not the case -- at least this time."

Tooley says Cizik's support for same-sex civil unions appears to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Reaction to Cizik's comments
In an interview before Cizik resigned, Tooley said he found it especially troubling that Cizik would consider the issue of same-sex marriage an evolving one for evangelicals, and in particular, younger evangelicals.

"The National Association of Evangelicals has official positions strongly supporting traditional marriage and opposing same-sex marriage, and certainly by implication same-sex civil unions," he pointed out. "So it seemed to be a very clear case where Cizik was ignoring the very obvious and official positions of his own organization, for which he is supposed to be the chief spokesman and lobbyist in Washington."

Tooley was not alone in his criticism. Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for America, considered Cizik's views to be "not anywhere close to biblical orthodoxy, traditional Christian theology, nor the bulk of Evangelicals who ground their faith in the Bible." She suggested that may be why the NAE vice president shared them on a forum to which most of his supposed "constituents" do not listen.

At least one Christian radio commentator delivered some biting criticism of Cizik in the wake of his remarks, suggesting that the NAE officer's comments are one of the reasons for the moral decay in America. "The moral anarchy in America worsens daily largely do the refusal of evangelical Christians to stand for biblical truth in all areas of life," said Ingrid Schlueter, co-host of Crosstalk America. "Those who are at war with God, the author of life, should be publicly confronted by evangelical Christians. Instead, they are aided and abetted in their evil by craven leaders like Cizik."

Earlier this week, The Christian Post published an interview with NAE acting president Leith Anderson, who suggested that listeners were confused by Cizik's words. His vice president's comments, Anderson admitted, "did not appropriately reflect the positions of the [NAE] and its constituents. Our...stand on marriage, abortion, and other biblical values is long, clear, and unchanged."

(Perhaps if Anderson is confused by very direct statements made by Cizik then he should step aside as well. )

TIME magazine had named Cizik one of its top 100 most influential people in the world for 2008.



ADDENDUM on Rick Warren:

I was scrolling the Yahoo web and ran across this article by Mellisa Etheridge in which she tells about her conversation with Rick Warren. If there was ever a question about this man "selling out", compromising his beliefs for the sake of a few moments of fame in the national spotlight on inauguration day this will certain cause one to put all doubt aside. Rick Warren has bowed to the "golden idol " of secular progressivism . Here is what Ethridge had to say about that conversation: "I told my manager to reach out to Pastor Warren and say "In the spirit of unity I would like to talk to him." They gave him my phone number. On the day of the conference I received a call from Pastor Rick, and before I could say anything, he told me what a fan he was. He had most of my albums from the very first one. What? This didn't sound like a gay hater, much less a preacher. He explained in very thoughtful words that as a Christian he believed in equal rights for everyone. He believed every loving relationship should have equal protection. He struggled with proposition 8 because he didn't want to see marriage redefined as anything other than between a man and a woman. He said he regretted his choice of words in his video message to his congregation about proposition 8 when he mentioned pedophiles and those who commit incest. He said that in no way, is that how he thought about gays. He invited me to his church, I invited him to my home to meet my wife and kids. He told me of his wife's struggle with breast cancer just a year before mine....."

A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’

A lot of folks would like to hear your answer Rick!


9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder what happened to everyone that grew up with "Love the Sinner, HATE the sin?"

I have listened to Warren before and I think maybe he may pull a fast one on Obama and decry the support of gay marriage and abortion, wouldn't that be something. Then again another old saying comes to mind... "I ain't holdin' my breath."

Good post Ticker, thanks for saying it.

Ticker said...

Perhaps it is the other way around and Obama invited Warren to lull Christian conservatives to sleep. That 's the way politics are played in Chicago and the rest of the country it seems.

Anonymous said...

"That 's the way politics are played in Chicago and the rest of the country it seems."

Well, there is THAT! :-(

Anonymous said...

This is an interesting post, Ticker . . . I’m just not sure I’m qualified to comment on it. I am a very small stone in a very large universe. I’m not qualified to sit in judgment of others who seek to do the work of God. I do seem to recall that John admonished us not to associate with the wicked; but how can we do the work that Jesus did if we do not go to the wicked and show them the error of their ways?

Ticker said...

Mustang, no one is saying not to associate with those who are sinners for indeed Jesus did so. The point is that the secular progressive's in this country are doing all they can to bring about the demise of any thing even remotely related to God.
The abortion issue is one that God frowns upon. It is indeed murder, genocide or anyother horrible name one wishes to stick on it.
The same with the marriage issue. God made man and woman, Adam and Eve and not Adam and Steve to be one together and to populate the earth, raise children and commune with him daily.
When the secular progressive's can use a situation as the coronation of Obama to give the impression that "Christians" are now approving of our agenda and when "Christian" leaders do not speak out on those issues, calling them what they are, which is SIN, they they have sold out. When they attempt to fence sit to appease anyone group or both groups despite what the Word of God says, then they have not honored God nor their position. That is stated in the last scripture found in Malichi that I posted.
Warren and other " Christian leaders" who were at Saddleback during the campaign time failed to do their job when it came to Obama's stand on abortion.
Once again they have failed to take a stand and are attempting to appease those who call sin ,sin and those who would force their agenda on the rest of the people who belive what God says in his Word. I have offered scripture to show, not the same old rah, rah that some who truely hate not only the sin but the sinner but scripture that is very direct in what God expects. You may or may not remember the story of "the fiery furnace" where the three young Israelite men were thrown for not bowing to the "golden idol " that the King had erected and commanded all to bow to. Those who do not take a stand on these issues are bowing to the "golden idol" and that is just exactly what the secular progressives in this country want.
There is an old Country song, done maybe by Randy Travis, can't remember exectly that goes something like this and with this I will conclude, having made my point:
He’d say you got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.
"You’ve got to be your own man, not a puppet on a string.
Never compromise what’s right. Uphold your family name;
You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything."

Bob Grenier said...

The pastor's actions are troubling, indeed, but let's see how it might actually play out when the Obama administration gets underway.

Warren's GOT to be a better influence than Wright, or God forbid, Farrakhan, and worse.....

EDGE said...

Merry Christmas to you and your family Ticker!

Ticker said...

Bubba, this doesn't sound as if Rick is going to "do better".

Some think that I am being unfair toward him but I am simply stating what is that one can not serve two masters , which is what the scripture says. Now it seems that others have looked at what Warren said and is saying and come to the same conclusions that I have.

Here is an interesting link that a reader sent to me via e-mail.

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletter122208.htm#LETTER.BLOCK24

Ticker said...

Hope your Christmas was as good as mine Edge. Erin and the kids made mine a very happy one as well as having the other kids and families here to celebrate with us.