Pastor Rick Warren Takes in $2.4M After Donations Plea

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 2, 2010
We find this to be an utter outrage, Just two days after Rick Warren made known a steep financial shortfall of hischurch / ministry his well meaning followers choked up the money he requested. We feel we need to remind out readers that Rick Warren has become a multi millionaire through his church and ministry.

First this man makes a princely sum as pastor of his church.

Second he is a highly sought speaker making millions every year on the christian circuit traveling from church to church, in Christian organizations and businesses, as well as to bible collages and such.

Third this man is a multi millionaire just on his annual books sales.

Where have we heard these things before?
Oral Roberts who recently died more than likely a billionaire. Famously in the late 1970’s announced that if his followers did not give him 100 million dollars God would take him home.\

One can not help thinking here of all of the christian evangelist scam artists and christian megachurch scam astist preachers and teachers. Led by Benny Hinn and Joel Osteen who run greedily after the error of Baalim.

We have posed the question elsewhere: When is enough, enough? When do these evil corrupt ministries come to the place that they see we have fleeced and devoured the flock of God enough, and we will now ministry for free and support ourselves and our ministry from our ill gotten mountain of spoils? The answer is never, multi-millionaire Kenneth Hagin like all of his kind continued to shill and devour his blind flock till the day of his death. And it should be of no surprise to note that even after his death his ministry continued to pull in millions.

Matthew 10:7-9 And as ye go, preach (Jesus here COMMANDS that those that would be his disciples as they go out in the footsteps of the traveling levite. [Rather than build for themselves synagogues and collect money from those who enter their door]) saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give (This is a sign and the fulfillment of true ministry as esqoused in Isaiah 551-3) Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, (Here Jesus COMMANDS his followers that they are not to provide for themselves and the ministry of the Lord – as confirmed in numerous other passages. Sell all thou hast and follow me! Passages that are scoffed at, made fun of, and explained away by the greatest majority of bible beleiving and spirit-filled preachers. The meaning here for those who can not grasp it is if you do not preach and teach and travel as the teaching levites preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, at least praying for the sick, going out on foot, penniless in the elements rain shine snow or blow – You can not be my disciple, Ye are not my follower but hirelings, devouring wolves dressed in sheeps garments. Christ demands a faith life of all who would be His preachers and teachers. And all that would be His disciples.

Where your treasures are so is your heart! This is why Jesus said: The rich are barred from the kingdom of heaven, that it is impossible for such to enter in. that they shall never enter therein (In the KJV that reads how hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdom of heaven) Yet every bible teacher teaches instead that beleivers can thread that eye of the needle and get into heaven while being rich, wealthy and filled with all manner of goods. Jesus again speaks of this in the Rich man and Lazurus – in the parable what crime did the man commit, what was the sin that this man do to end up in hell. It does not say he was not a believer in Christ, it does not say he was not a devout Jew. It does not say he did not tithe, it does not say that he did not go to church sing songs pray fast or do any number of good works, The only thing that was mentioned is that he was rich and ate sumptuous meals. So therefore we conclude rightly that for being rich alone the richman entered into hell. In another place it says that Peter and the apostles were amazed as they understood what Christ was saying and cried out who then can be saved.

When O when shall the flock of God awaken? When O when shall the flocl of God recognize its devourers from within and without? The answer is never.

Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? (My people love deception and hate truth – and so it shall be in the last days and believers by the millions will be slaughtered and die of sickness disease and starvation, And it shall be as the days of Noah when people were eating and drinking and being given in marriage [living in riches and a lavish lifestyle] right to the day of the closing of the door of the ark and the floods came to sweep away all sin and unrighteousness from the earth.)

Isaiah 55 1-3: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (AP) -- Evangelical pastor Rick Warren's plea for donations to fill a $900,000 deficit at his Southern California megachurch brought in $2.4 million, Warren announced to cheers during a sermon at the church on Saturday.

Warren said the amount raised after the appeal was posted online Wednesday included only money parishioners brought in person to Saddleback Church by New Year's Eve. More was arriving by hand and by mail, he said.

''This is pretty amazing,'' Warren told his congregation. ''I don't think any church has gotten a cash offering like that off a letter.''

The pastor said he planned to talk further about the response in a Sunday sermon called ''The Miracle.''

''We're starting the new decade with a surplus,'' he said. ''It came from thousands of ordinary people. This was not one big fat cat.''

The posting on Warren's Web site read: ''With 10 percent of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated.''

Warren said the church had largely managed to stay within its budget during the year, but ''the bottom dropped out'' when Christmas donations were down.

The letter cited the church's accomplishments in 2009 and detailed how the donations would be used, including the church's food pantry, homeless ministry, counseling and support groups.

Warren is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling ''The Purpose Driven Life.'' He was named the top newsmaker of the year for 2009 by the Religion Newswriters Association, gaining attention with his invocation at the inauguration of President Barack Obama and comments in the aftermath of California's Proposition 8, which overturned gay marriage.

He founded Saddleback Church in 1980 in Lake Forest, about 65 miles southeast of Los Angeles.