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Understand The Times
Radio Commentary
by Roger Oakland
www.understandthetimes.org

Some are predicting that an army over one billion in number will eventually be recruited to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth. While such an effort may be noble, is it biblical? Or how about this question – could it be ecumenical?

I would like to begin this program with a question. What if Protestant evangelicals who have believed in the gospel according to the Scriptures, became sidetracked into promoting a humanistic “social gospel” that is not scriptural? Could this be another possible path to an ecumenical unity with Rome?

Consider Rick Warren’s purpose driven P.E.A.C.E. plan designed to win the world to Christ. Before you get upset, please listen carefully to the facts that will be presented in this program.

First, to get some background on Warren’s program to help build the Kingdom of God here on earth, I will quote from an article written by Mark Kelly from the Biblical Recorder titled “Rick Warren launches global initiative”:

Thousands of churches around the world will be setting out to eradicate five “giant problems” that oppress billions of people, Rick Warren told a crowd of 30,000 celebrating Saddleback Community Church’s 25^th anniversary April 17 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. “Billions of people suffer each day from problems so big no government can solve them,” said Warren, Saddleback’s pastor. “The only thing big enough to solve the problems of spiritual emptiness, selfish leadership, poverty, disease and ignorance is the network of millions of churches around the world.” [1]

Or for an additional perspective, we can quote from Dan Wooding’s article “Rick Warren Hits Home Run with Announcement of Global Peace Plan to Battle Giants of Our World.” Wooding stated:

Rick Warren, author of the best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life and founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, hit a home run with a dramatic announcement on Sunday, April 17^th, before 30,000 members and attendees at the church 25^th anniversary celebration in Angel Stadium, home of the Angels baseball team. Warren unveiled the church’s commitment to a new reformation in Christianity and vision for a worldwide spiritual awakening in the 21^st Century through the PEACE Plan that he believes will mobilize one billion foot soldiers from the Christian church in missions by the year 2020. [2]

According to Wooding, Warren laid out a very ambitious plan for a “new reformation” and a “worldwide spiritual awakening” at the Anaheim anniversary meeting. Further, Pastor Warren announced he was joining hands with Chuck Colson to assist him in his goal to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth. According to Mark Kelly, reporting for the Baptist Press News:

Warren also introduced Charles Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship, who announced a new partnership that will introduce Warren's Celebrate Recovery programs into prison ministries in 108 countries. The new agreement, signed April 16, also will mobilize congregations for Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree ministry to the children of prisoners and promote Colson's Worldview Studies Program, which helps believers apply Christian values to a wide range of issues in daily life. [3]

It can be documented that Chuck Colson previously agreed to join hands with the Roman Catholic Church when he signed a document called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium.” [4] So, if Rick Warren joins hands with Chuck Colson who has already joined hands with Roman Catholicism, what does that mean? Time will tell.

I am Roger Oakland. This has been a biblical perspective to help understand the times.