Posted on 03/27/2009 12:20:55 PM PDT by Terriergal
Saddleback Church's Warren calls on believers to make history Church expects to bring 3,000 new believers into its flock Saturday.
LAKE FOREST – In what Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren calls historical, the church hopes to bring 3,000 new members into its flock on Saturday.
"I'm not sleeping much. I'm too excited," the megachurch's pastor wrote in an e-mail to his congregation this week. "THIS SATURDAY, March 28, will be THE GREATEST DAY in Saddleback's history. OVER 2,000 people have already signed up to become members of our church family on a single day."
Citing the Bible, Warren challenges prospective believers to match the 3,000 who were baptized 2,000 years ago on Pentecost.
"If you'll join us this weekend, history could be repeated at Saddleback," he said. "I was asked, 'Rick, If you could wish for anything to celebrate your 30 years of service at Saddleback, what would you dream of?' I said, To experience a repeat of Pentecost - and see 3,000 people affirm their faith and join our church family on a single day.' "
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Hmmm...
He still tells us to love one another. You don’t have to agree with what they do, and some will be pretty nasty, but God’s way is not man’s way.
Yes, He loved them. But we do know that God is also a just God and HE will take care of them and their fruits.
I read your words, I think in my head what are you telling me love is. Please give me examples of God's way in demonstrating this love you are telling me I should have. God says to spare the rod you spoil the child (I am NOT talking about beating the child) but I am talking about discipline that to teach a two year old NO means NO because that hot stove is going to burn you if you touch it. OR no means no you cannot ride your tricycle in the street, else you are going to get run over.
So when I hear a person tell me to love one 'another', I want them to be literal in explaining it to me.
This church knows about as much about Pentecost as E.W. Carter knew about being president.
Loving doesn’t mean letting your child get away with bad behavior. As a parent, we are the ones chosen by God to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, to teach them God’s way. God also disciplines and chastises His children, for our good. He’s a God of justice as much as He is a God of love. Loving others does not mean talking or gossiping about them behind their backs. Loving others means you go to that person and speak the truth to them—in love, not judgement like goes on here on FR regarding evangelists. They are still God’s anointed, even if they make mistakes and slide away. HE will deal with them.
We have a disagreement regarding who it is that God anoints.... This guy is making claims he cannot from Scripture back up such as 'making history'. And if he knew the Scripture he would know that it is not him nor his building that 'saves' anyone. And these are just the 'light' weight claims he preaches that tells the student in the WORD that he does NOT speak for the Heavenly Father.
Saul was anointed by God and David knew it and wouldn’t touch him. God anoints but people can refuse to follow God. I don’t think the anointing goes away but God uses them less and less because they won’t obey or walk the way they should.
Yes Saul was initially 'anointed' to be king. But actually God never intended for a 'king' to be over His people. He first established 'judges', but the people saw 'kings' around their neighborhoods and demanded to have one of their own. So yes technically God 'elected' and anointed Saul, but it came at a very large price.
Paul says that some were predestined before the foundation of this earth age, and so it is that for the 'positive' and the 'negative' we find such individuals put in their places and positions to fulfill that plan.
But IF one is a student in the WORD, and knows that one of these I speak for God people is fulfilling the 'negative' part of the plan, that person is going to be held to a higher account for participating in the negative work.
Christ warned that many would come in His name and claim this and that and cast out demons in his name etc., and Christ said of some of them get away I never knew you. Now how does one be sure to NOT be seated in that I never knew you pew?
I recently read about a great saint in the 9th century that when asked if he could perform one miracle what would it be, he answered, "If I could ask God but to do one miracle, I would ask Him to make me a good man."
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