Rick Warren’s Blind Spot

An interview this past week with mega church pastor Rick Warren in The Wall Street Journal caught my attention.  I have great respect for Pastor Warren regarding his biblical stands and the great work for Christ he’s done worldwide. Few pastors have so effectively had an impact on their generation. His grace under the pressure of having lost his son to suicide this past year has been a remarkable witness to faith in action. His bold stand for orthodox Christianity is to be admired, considering what so many prominent preachers have done with their public platforms to dishonor the Gospel. This interview was to promote his new book about weight loss, The Daniel Plan. In an age of rampant obesity, good for him to set an example of leadership on the issue of healthy living. But in spite of all the great things Rick Warren has done he has a blind spot. In the Journal interview he is quoted as saying, regarding the need for a more nutritional approach to eating, that one of Jesus’ three key tenents was “healing,” and that, “One-third of His ministry was health care.” Great. What a wonderful way to present the importance of a healthy lifestyle. I presume that Pastor Warren is implying that another third of Christ’s ministry was preaching the Good News. And the other third? Please, Pastor Warren, you’re a courageous man, so don’t skirt the issue because it’s a “politically incorrect” topic with evangelicals — casting out demons! In the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, one third of the chapters contain an instance of Christ encountering demons. Preaching, healing, and deliverance are the three emphases of Christ’s ministry. To quote the classic work In the Name of Jesus by Graham H. Twelftree, Ph. D University of Nottingham and distinguished professor of New Testament at the School of Divinity at Regent University:”. . . all healing involves God’s adversary being defeated. As exorcism was included in Luke’s use of the phrase ‘signs and wonders’  . . . readers would assume that exorcism was included in the ‘signs and wonders’ of his [Luke’s] followers . . . Also since exorcism and the kingdom of God were so closely tied in the ministry of Jesus, readers could assume that exorcism was involved when Luke says that the early Christians proclaimed the kingdom of God.” Pastor Warren, after The Purpose Driven Life and The Daniel Plan, both great books, I can’t wait to see your next tome entitled The Purpose Driven Exorcist – Jesus of Nazareth.

An encouraging word:  KEEP YOUR FOUNDATION STRONG

God is limited. That statement might be shocking, but the fact is that God is limited by what we humans do with the world he has given us. “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” David asks in Psalm 11:3. We may expect God to bless us as a nation, as a church, as a family, or even as an individual. But if collectively or individually we allow moral foundations to be destroyed, we hinder the blessing God would otherwise give. Make sure that your foundation of character, ethics, honesty, and morality are not destroyed so God continue to work in your life.