Some Links of Note on the Day After Christmas . . .
Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at 08:34AM 
Hope that you all had a blessed Christmas! Here are a few things which may be of interest from around the blogosphere on this day after Christmas . . .
For all of you cat lovers out there, here is yet another news story proving the superiority of dogs. This dog gave his life to save his owners, while the cat (which probably started the fire) "escaped unharmed." Click here: Dog dies after saving Pullman, WA family from fire | Local News | kgw.com | News for Oregon and SW Washington
Many of you know that my family owned a Christian bookstore, in which I was raised, and which I managed for a number of years before the days of CURE and my call to the ministry. Yes, I have repented for all the Christian trinkets we sold (we did sell a lot of good Reformed books, however). In any case, while secular retailers may complain about this year's sales, the Christian bookstore industry is doing quite well. The only problem is that these "bookstores" now sell mostly blasphemous action figures and other accoutrements of the evangelical sub-culture. Click here: The Denver Post - Jesus may save, but Christians spend
Our Lutheran friend Gene Veith has a series of interesting posts on St. Nicolas (defender of the faith) and a defense of the proper date of Christmas as falling on December 25 (and not part of the pagan celebration of the winter solstice). Not sure I'm convinced, but interesting nonetheless. Click here: Christianity, Culture, Vocation — Cranach: The Blog of Veith
By the way, did anyone one else watch Rick Warren's Christmas Eve "service" from Saddleback on Fox? Was that positively awful???
To refer to the gospel as a "do-over" (a clean slate so that we get a second chance) and equate it with a "mulligan" (a golfing term for erasing a bad score) was typical of someone who becomes totally irrelevant the cooler he tries to be. The music, and the staging, and the repeated plugs for his 120 acre campus, his wife's new book, the Purpose-Driven everything, etc., was tacky as it gets.
I guess as long as Murdoch owns Fox and Zondervan, we'll get this inane drivel and trivializing of the gospel every year. As an old Christian bookstore owner who knows how Christian marketing works, Warren's Christmas Eve "service" was nothing more than an hour-long commercial for his "Purpose-Driven" empire. Sad.
Reader Comments (51)
I have a question for you.
How is it possible for you to believe that Rick Warren is doctrinally orthodox when he habitually twists, misquotes and misapplies God's word?
That's like believing that it's possible to accurately know the balance in my checking account even if I never accurately enter the amounts of my checks, debits and deposits in my register.
Do you also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?
> Do you also believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny?
Yes. Don't you?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
R. Abanes
P.S. You forgot the Tooth Fairy. She's very wonderful.
Yeah, that's about what I expected from you.
Apparently, it is too difficult for you to defend Pastor Rick's Bible mangling. Even if you tried to defend it I already know what your argument would be. You'd end up saying something like this.
"Rick Warren isn't twisting the Bible in any way that has a direct impact on sound Christian Doctrine. Although, some of the paraphrases he quotes do not accurately convey the meaning intended by the biblical writers or the Holy Spirit, What Warren is doing is still being used by God to draw unbelievers into a relationship with Jesus. I personally know Rick Warren and can tell you from firsthand experience that the only thing he cares about is reaching the unchurched for Jesus. Therefore, anybody who would condemn how Rick Warren uses the Bible is nit-picky, unkind, unloving and overly critical and not in tune with how the Holy Spirit is using Rick Warren"
There.
That sounds like a genuine Richard Abanes argument to me.
ME: Yeah, and sigh, that's about what I expected from you. And really, tbh, did you expect me to respond seriously to someone who equates my support of a particular pastor with a child's belief in the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus?
Neverthelss, it's a brand new year. Let's stop going aorund in circles. Instead, let us all call the world to Christ and see what happens.
:)
R. Abanes
I don't think we believe in the same Christ or the same Gospel. Since you are defending a man who mangles God's word and teaches a false and man-centered Christianity I doubt that we are brothers in Christ.
BTW, I attended Saddleback for over 2 years. I think I even met you once because you were teaching a class there. I credit my leaving Saddleback to the Holy Spirit and a good friend of mine who helped open my eyes. It wasn't until that friend invited me to a church where the pastor actually teaches from God's word, in context that I realized that I was spiritually starving to death and not being taught sound doctrine at Saddleback. There is no pop-psych or self-help or therapy taught at my new church. In fact I hear and learn more scripture in one sunday at my new church than I did in six months at Saddleback.
>I don't think we believe in the same Christ or the same Gospel.
ME: I can't believe you just said I am not a Christian. You leave me speechless. I suggest you read any one of my nearly 20 books on apologetics and the defense of the Christian faith, then demonstate where I believe in a different Jesus and a different gospel.
see http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?rs=1000&page=1&rh=n%3A1000%2Cp_27%3ARichard+Abanes&sort=daterank)
I do rejoice, however, in your having found a church where you feel spiritually fed and nourished. I will be the first to say that Saddleback, like any church, is not for everyone.
grieved,
Richard Abanes
I don't think you fully appreciate how angry and pissed off I am that I wasted more than two years of my life at a church where I was barely fed God's word and what little measly verses that Rick Warren tossed our way were so mangled and disfigured that they could hardly be called Bible verses.
My point is not that Saddleback isn't for everybody. My point is that nobody should be going to Saddleback because Warren doesn't preach or teach the truth. Calling Saddleback a church is a gross overstatement.
Sir, I do not wish you peace. I wish you repentance.
If you have read my interaction w/ Richard, you have observed my concern over the theology of Rich Warren.
However, I do think you reveal James, that perhaps there is still some bitterness residing in your heart over your experiences at Saddleback.
James, I too was bitter at one point. I am not talking about two years, but upset w/ my mother and myself for being raised in a KJV Only, Hell-Fire Brimestone church that taught us little more than how to be a self-righteous Pharisee / legalist. For my first 25 years, this was my only church exposure.
I was 25 before I realized I didn't know anything, and was so miserable, because I didn't know where to turn for help.
God is gracious; he used people that were bridges for me, to get to Reformational Theology. John MacArthur, Warren Wiersbe, A W Tozer, then J I Packer, R C Sproul, White Horse Inn, Modern Reformation etc.
God has been gracious to you; you are being fed / nourished in a better place.
Remember, you can't just blame them, you must take responsibility yourself because you made choices based upon what your will desired to do at the time.
Regarding your attitude to Saddleback?
Pray for them rather than be pissed off with them and you will be a better ambassador for Christ.
Brother Banes, I am waiting for your further response to the Blog after the 27th of December.
Did you continue here or somewhere else.?
Blessings in Christ to all.
James
I have a slightly used Purpose Driven Lawn Furniture set (one of the many PDL accessories available) in case anyone is interested.