Daily Devotional for Friday July 25, 2008

Who We Associate with and Compromising God's Truth to

(Amos 3:3, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Who we associate with and compromising God's Truth to appeal to this lost world. On Saturday, August 16, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California will host the "Civil Forum on Leadership and Compassion" with Senators Barack Hussein Obama and John McCain. The forum will be moderated by Pastor Warren, who says he also will be addressing what he calls "pressing issues that are bridging divides in our nation, such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, climate, and human rights." So much for dealing with the destruction of traditional values that is ripping out the soul of our society.

The two-hour forum is co-sponsored by Warren's Saddleback Church and the liberal social justice group Faith in Public Life, whose board president is Meg Riley, a Unitarian Universalism minister who previously ran the denomination's homosexual advocacy office. The group's board members include other theological liberals, among them a pro-abortion Muslim leader and a Jewish rabbi. The author of The Purpose Driven Life says he does not believe the Biblical gospel is compromised when he teams up with non-Christians in efforts to promote the "common good." What a load of garbage!!!!

Warren, who will be the only person allowed to question Senators Obama and McCain during the two-hour event, says he will deal with issues that Americans care deeply about, including faith, values, character, and leadership. Warren also announced that in conjunction with the McCain-Obama event, he will convene an interfaith meeting at his Saddleback Church for approximately 30 Muslim, Jewish, and Christian leaders to discuss cooperation in projects for "the common good of all Americans."

Warren has often allowed into his church those who deny the Truth of the Scriptures, faith in Jesus Christ, giving credibility and a platform to people whose beliefs are totally inconsistent with Biblical Christianity. He has desecrated the alter of his church so often by allowing Godless people to spew their perverted views of life from his platform, that slaughtering pigs on that altar every Sunday wouldn't be any worse!!!

This is just what the church needs. A forum co-sponsored by a group of true tools of satan who make a mockery of the Lord, the Bible, and of God. Why would any man of God associate with such people? Why would any man of God bring into his church "leaders" of false religions that deny Jesus Christ other than to save their souls? This is the great "the ends justifies the means" lie from hell so many have bought into. The reality is, this is nothing but compromising the Truth of God's Word! Did Paul ever associate with the heathen of his day except to preach the Gospel to them?

I truly believe that Saddleback Church was a true sovereign move of God. It was one of those God-breathed moves that no man can create or orchestrate. Sadly, Warren cashed in on this move of God with his watered down "Purpose Driven Life" book that became a model for his "Purpose Driven" business to market this move of God at his church to other churches and pastors. Just like when Willow Creek failed miserably in marketing the sovereign move of God that occurred in that suburban Chicago church back in the late '80s, so has Warren's attempts failed to market his Purpose Driven model to other churches. As I have stated so often, you can't market, duplicate, and sell a sovereign move of God's Spirit!

After Warren's "Purpose Driven" business failed, he launched his PEACE plan to rid the world of poverty, hunger, and disease. Let me just say up front, these are all noble causes, but Jesus Himself stated that, "the poor you will have with you always." The church DOES need to be involved in these issues. However, in order to accomplish his PEACE plan, Warren has once again ignored God's Word regarding who we associate with to join forces with any false religion and heathen government official in the world who would give him the time of day and be part of his "plan."

In the meantime, right down the street from Warren's church, men are now legally marrying men and women are now legally marrying women. I have not heard ONE WORD or seen ANY leadership from Warren on this issue that is occurring right in his own backyard! I have also never heard Warren speak a word about working to do away with the killing of innocent babies, another plague on our culture that occurs every day just miles from his palatial Saddleback "campus."

He won't deal with these issues because he feels they are to divisive. The fact is, Warren has chosen issues that unite him with every false religion and group that has denied the Bible and faith in Christ in order to pursue his global ambitions, while he fails to even speak out against or deal with the real issues robbing the soul of our nation that are happening in his backyard!!!

Sadly, I have NO illusions that his "forum" with Senators Obama and McCain will even attempt to hold these men accountable for their spiritual beliefs. Warren will allow Senator Obama to lie to people that he is a Christian and won't even question the FACT he believes the universalistic lie that you can be saved outside of faith in Jesus Christ, making the work of Christ on the cross a meaningless act. It will be the same with McCain. Warren will not ask him any hard questions and ask what he really believes about his faith.

I love you and care about you so much. What this forum will be is a sick and sad portrait of how to sell out Christ, water down the Gospel, and compromise the Truth of the Bible to appeal to a lost world. It will be Rick Warren putting himself on center stage as the one who has the answer to the world's problems, when his agenda has nothing to do with souls, or leading this nation back to Christ, or dealing with the pressing social issues of our day. This is about Warren pursuing his liberal social theology, laying down the Absolutes of the Bible to join Christians with the ungodly to advance a global plan that has nothing to do with saving souls.

Listen, the fact Senator Obama agreed to appear at this event is all I need to know. The Liveprayer family sent over 100,000 emails and made over 10,000 phone calls to the Obama's campaign office regarding him sitting down for an interview with me to answer questions about his beliefs. Not ONE person I know of got a return email or call. We have sent tons of emails and made many calls as has our public relations firm. Not even the courtesy of a response. The fact is he is never going to put himself in a position where he has to be held accountable for what he believes and his actions in the context of his claim to be a Christian. The same is true for Senator McCain.

Pastor Warren is not going to press either man, but simply give them a forum to lie to people. Sadly, Warren is more interested in pushing forward his liberal global agenda to further his PEACE business, rather than taking a stand for the Truth of the Bible and dealing with the hard spiritual issues that plague our land. I have to credit a guy like Warren. He is a much smarter men than I am. He preaches a watered down, non-committal message to attract crowds of people who don't want to be confronted with sin or the cost of giving their lives to Christ. He is more of a motivational speakers than preacher and only talks about issues like hunger and AIDS since even the hardest hearted heathen is in agreement on these problems, while making boat loads of money doing it

I actually pray daily that I am NEVER like Warren, since one day I have to stand before God. In the end, it is not anyone else who will judge my life but God. He is the only one I must please. I have really only one job, and that is to be faithful to the message of the Gospel. You also have only one you must please, and that is God. God will judge you on your faithfulness and obedience.

My word for you today is to never worry about what other men may say, only worry about what God will say. He loves you. He cares about you. We show our love for Him by taking our stand each day in this lost world for Him. Your only association with the ungodly is to try to save their souls. The Truth of the Scriptures is never going to appeal to a world that rejects the Bible, but it is the ONLY hope and answer for this world and each lost soul.

***With 6 days left in July, we still need just under $20,000 to cover all of July's financial obligations.. I am asking you today to be praying about what God is calling you to do to help me at the end of this month as we look to keep this great outreach moving forward each day to reach more souls for Christ while bringing His Truth into the marketplace. It is your love, and prayers, and sacrifice that make it possible.

Thousands have sacrificed over these past 107 months as Liveprayer has impacted tens of millions of lives all over the world. This is your opportunity to join that faithful group as you give to help impact lives for all eternity. I am not asking you to make ridiculous pledges out of emotion, I am not going to pervert the Scriptures to give you false hope just to get you to give, I have no "love gifts" to offer you, nor am I asking you to give what you don't have.

I am simply asking you to pray and let the Holy Spirit guide you in taking your stand with me as we bring the hope of Christ to the lost and hurting. For some it may be a gift of $10 or $20, for others a gift of $50 or $100, and still others can give $200, $500, $1,000 or more. Simply give as you are able and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com, or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Fl 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

Thank you for being faithful and being OBEDIENT, since our blessings flow from our obedience!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller