The Smokescreen

The world of blogs has opened up a whole new dimension of learning for me. Since my sphere of influence is mainly among true believers, it's interesting to me to read others' opinions of what is happening around the world from a not-so-conservative point of view. This morning, I happened upon one such blog. At the risk of appearing to endorse the author (which I do NOT), I want to share some of what she wrote and make some comments.

The title of the blog in question is, "Why Rick Warren is a Problem: Gee, Can't We All Be Friends?" written by the author of "Lingual Tremors". I found the blog because the words "missionary outreach" were picked up by my daily Google search. Sadly, it had nothing to do with a missionary outreach. I was, of course, also interested to see what was being said about Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. So, I took the plunge and read it.

The blog discusses the announcement that Rick Warren would be speaking at the inauguration in January. The author of this blog, very obviously a nominal (in name only) Christian, labels Warren as an anti-gay/lesbian, anti-abortion conservative pastor of a mega-church. Let me quote a paragraph from the blog…

Rick Warren's Saddleback Church is highly contentious in the progressive Christian community.  His stance on homosexuality, on women, on conception are based on a debatable biblical literalism that more progressive churches eschew.  He has deep connections to the "ex-gay" movement.  His deeply conservative theology compares homosexuality to pedophilia, for example.  He publicly attacks theology of the social gospel, the idea of faith through good works, something Warren calls "Marxism in Christian clothing."  In short, Warren doesn't represent anything like the mainline Christianity that I practice.  And so in Warren, we have the typical problem with Evangelicals:  he is primarily interested in salvation.  He is primarily interested in a literal interpretation of the Bible, yet one that chooses selectively what to follow.  And, although in more recent years he has been involved in missionary outreach, his mission work follows his conservative agenda.  Let's put it this way:  his AIDS ministry in Africa isn't about the gay community. [Lingual Tremors]

Regardless of this particular blogger's comments on "mainline Christianity" she practices, and regardless of my opinion of Warren and his "purpose", the deeper point in this quote is that BHO seems to have set himself up as some kind of peace-maker between conservative evangelicals and the liberals by using Warren. Who is compromising more? Warren for aligning himself with the most liberal administration shrouded in lies, deceit, and cover-up ever to take over the reins of this nation? Or, BHO who based his whole campaign on inclusivity rather than exclusivity?

What I see is more deception … someone wanting to appease both sides of the Christian issues. Two years from now (or three or four … or possibly less than one), BHO will make use of his choice of Warren to gain the trust of the evangelical Christian population, luring them into his snare. Sadly, many will buy into it … more sadly, many already have!

As a conservative evangelical Christian, I feel warned in my spirit—warned not to accept any attempt to lull the true Body of Christ into a vulnerable stupor thinking BHO isn't all that bad. I feel warned to be alert, to stay on my spiritual toes, so to speak, and to be very watchful and aware of the turn of the tide. The signs are all around us … things are changing; the world is aligning itself and fulfilling prophecy one minute detail at a time. Everything the prophets of old foretold as led by the Spirit of God when they penned their words on those ancient scrolls is coming to pass right before our eyes. Sadly, however, too many conservative evangelical Christian eyes are blinded to that fact and are willing to consider BHO as a good choice for the future of this nation.

It's time to wake up, to open our eyes, and to stand firmly fixed on the infallible Word of God and its literal interpretation. God is not a God that would give us His Word as a simple framework for some unachievable ideal, but He gave us His Word in the person of Jesus Christ (the LIVING Word) as an example of righteousness, holiness, and a lifestyle pleasing to the Father. That's the Christianity I practice—it's the Christianity any true believer will practice. We have the Word of God to use as our "Plumb Line" for life, very clear and concise guidelines that keep us on the straight and narrow path. Once the Word of God is interpreted through liberal, self-serving, self-pleasing, self-consuming motives, it becomes powerless.

Personally, I feel bad that Warren has allowed himself to be played by the BHO administration, being set up as a false icon of peace, a clay link between the true Body of Christ and the anti-Christ agenda of the liberal population. He's being used. But more than that, he is being promoted as a true representative of the true Body of Christ which, sadly, he is not. His participation in the inauguration as a means to bring together this country on spiritual grounds is nothing more than a smokescreen. I pray true believers will see through it and not get caught up in BHO's liberal, anti-Christ agenda.

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© 2008 Jan Ross
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