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News Alert April 8 - Rick Warren: Change Your Body if You Want to Change Your Life

Article: Unbiblical Christianity

News Alert from Understand the Times:

“America's Pastor,” Rick Warren, has made another profound and unbiblical statement. The new teaching he is now promoting, in addition to numerous other unbiblical statements promoted by his Purpose-Driven Model, will take "Christianity" to a new low.

In the Bible, when human beings follow the teachings of other humans rather than the teachings of Jesus Christ, they are no longer following Jesus. They are following man and his methods.

By definition, a cult has been formed. When Christianity digresses towards a cult, there is no turning back. Those who refuse to remain in the cult are shunned. Those who remain in the cult get deeper and deeper into the cult and don't see any problem developing.

In the above mentioned article about Rick Warren, it states:

"Your muscles affect your moods and your motivation. Your physiology can actually affect your psychology," Warren writes, pointing to Romans 12:1, which calls on Christians to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice to God.

To offer yourself to God and achieve change, you need discipline and commitment, Warren continues. "We offer ourselves to God, and then we take ourselves back. This is not a once-for-all offer. You've got to do it four, five, or maybe 10 times a day!"

There are three guidelines to follow when physically changing yourself, Warren continues, including cleansing your body, caring for your body, and controlling your body.

Quoting Ephesians 5:29, which calls on Christians to care for their body just as Christ cared for the church, Warren encourages readers to stay in shape because it is "an act of worship to God."

The purpose of this alert is to get our readers to think. While keeping the body in shape so one can be healthy and serve God is not wrong, a Christian can become so earthly minded that he or she is no longer focused on the things of Heaven. [1] We are presently passing through this temporal life on earth that will end in death for each one of us. No number of pushups, Yoga repetitions, or Pilates exercises will get you into heaven. In fact, if you relate physical strength and stamina to your spirituality and the stepping stone to nirvana, please think again.

Rather than wasting your time and your body on a plan to increase physical superiority, wouldn’t it be better to spend your time searching your soul and finding out why you are making all the wrong decisions. Just read the Bible and follow Jesus and His Word.

In short you might end up being the strongest, healthiest man or woman in hell but miss the simple gospel because you were so enamored by yourself.

The article below about Rick Warren refers to the Daniel Plan, a health plan that Rick Warren brought to Saddleback Church created by three doctors—Dr. Amen, Dr. Hymen, and Dr. Oz. All three of these doctors are strong proponents of eastern-style meditation. By the comments made by Rick Warren in this article, it appears these doctors may have influenced him beyond the normal care of our bodies and our physical health. [2]

[1] See Colossians 3:2.

[2] For more on the Daniel Plan used at Saddleback Church, read Warren B. Smith’s article: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=11628.

“Rick Warren: Change Your Body if You Want to Change Your Life”

For Christians to experience change in their life, they need to start with changing their body, evangelical pastor Rick Warren wrote in a devotional this week. The founding pastor of the 32,000-member Saddleback Church in Orange County, California wrote that any change, whether it be "financial, vocational, educational, mental, or relational," begins with the physical because "your body affects your behavior."

"Your muscles affect your moods and your motivation. Your physiology can actually affect your psychology," Warren writes, pointing to Romans 12:1, which calls on Christians to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice to God. To offer yourself to God and achieve change, you need discipline and commitment, Warren continues. "We offer ourselves to God, and then we take ourselves back. This is not a once-for-all offer. You've got to do it four, five, or maybe 10 times a day!" There are three guidelines to follow when physically changing yourself, Warren continues, including cleansing your body, caring for your body, and controlling your body. Quoting Ephesians 5:29, which calls on Christians to care for their body just as Christ cared for the church, Warren encourages readers to stay in shape because it is "an act of worship to God."

"No matter what kind of change you want to make in your life, it will require energy. To have the energy to meet your goals, change has to start with your body," Warren concludes.

In 2011, Rick Warren led Saddleback Church in a weight loss challenge and about half of the megachurch, or 15,000 people, participated. Collectively, the church loss more than 250,000 pounds and Warren lost 60 pounds after the first year. Warren had shared when introducing the church's weight loss initiative, that he had realized in November 2010 he needed to lose weight when he baptized more than 800 people and immersed thousands of pounds of weight into the water, "I had a thought – it wasn't spiritual – that we are all overweight. Then I thought, 'I am overweight. I am a terrible example to our people.'"

Saddleback Church used the Daniel Plan, a fitness program Warren collaborated on to design with cardiac surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, brain expert Dr. Daniel Amen, and metabolism expert Dr. Mark Hyman.

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