Rick Warren Asks for Urgent Donations

(AP)  Evangelical pastor Rick Warren is begging parishioners at his Southern California megachurch to cough up $900,000 before Jan. 1 to keep the parish out of the red.

In an urgent letter posted on the Saddleback Church Web site on Wednesday, Warren says expenses are up because parishioners are out of work and "the bottom dropped out" when year-end donations dropped dramatically.

He asks parishioners to donate before the new year to keep the Orange County church out of debt, The Orange County Register reports.

A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release financial details, so it's difficult to put the $900,000 shortfall in context.

Warren delivered the invocation at the inauguration of President Barack Obama and is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling "The Purpose Driven Life."

[joesixpack31]

Looks to me like the "purpose" of the Rick Warren "purpose driven life" is to stay well-greased by feeding at the Obama "trough" and becoming an ACCOMPLICE in the greatest fraud, extortion and mockery of Gods Law in world history...next to the Crucifixon of Christ.

[tithingtruth]

In regards to tithing, the question is not what is someone?s opinion or interpretation of Malachi 3:10. The question is what does the Word of God say about Malachi 3:10 and other scriptures concerning the tithe? The Word of God is the truth and the Word of God addresses tithing. The tithe command in the Bible was part of the law, which was given by God to the Israelites through Moses. The tithe command had to do specifically with the produce of the land and the livestock (not money). The tithe can be found in the Old Testament (Leviticus 27:30-34) (Numbers 18:20-32) (Deuteronomy 14:22-29).The tithe command can be found in the New Testament (Hebrews 7:5). In Matthew 23:23, Jesus spoke of the Scribes & Pharisees tithe of the produce of the land (mint, anise & cummin). In Luke 11:42 Jesus spoke of the Pharisees tithe of the produce of the land (mint, rue and all manner of herbs). The Israelites followed the LAW which required them to tithe the produce of the land and the livestock as stated in Deuteronomy 14:22-29 and Malachi 3:7-12. There are no percentages placed upon the giver, as shown by Jesus in Mark 12:41-44 as the poor widow gave all she had to the temple treasury. The rich gave to the temple treasury out of their abundance in Mark 12:44, also proving that there are no percentages placed upon the giver. The temple treasury is where the money was given and the people gave freely to the temple treasury. There were no percentages for the giver. The tithe was a food program designed to feed the Levites, strangers to the land, the fatherless and the widows, as stated in Deuteronomy 14:29. The tithe consisted of the Israelites giving 10% of their produce of the land and the livestock. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 5 states: And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham. Numbers chapter 18 verse 21 states (God speaking to Aaron): And behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. How do you give money? FREEWILL GIVING, which has NO PERCENTAGE placed upon the giver, as shown by Jesus in Mark 12:41-44 as there were NO PERCENTAGES placed on those giving to the treasury, and also stated by the Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians 9:7, as Paul said "EVERY MAN according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver". The Apostle Paul said that no one is to give out of necessity, which is the Greek word anagke (an-ang-kay'), which is defined as constraint, and a person is not to give out of having constraints placed on them to give. People are under no command to give any other way than as they purpose in their hearts to give as God has prospered them. The Apostle Paul did not teach the tithe and there are no records in the New Testament showing that the Apostle Paul paid tithes to anyone while following Jesus Christ, and there are no records in the New Testament of anyone in the Church of Jesus Christ paying tithes to anyone, or taking tithes from anyone. The reason that the tithe was not taught was because the tithe is not for the Church. The tithe is for the Levites, Levite priests and the Israelites and this is proven in the Word of God. Sunday paycheck preachers who place an obligation on Christians to pay them tithes are going totally against the Word of God through teaching their lies, and scamming people out of money, just as people were scammed out of their money through lies by Bernie Madoff, the Enron executives, and numerous others.

[thrashd11]

There is the worst recession going now currently since the great depression and over 10% of us are unemployed and trying to keep from having to live on the street but let's all make a concerted effort and give anything we have left for seed money so that Rick can reap a harvest and not have to do his panhandling on some street corner.

[berrymecium]

Oh Rick, how loud you would cry if the government asked the American people to send money to bailout the country from its massive debt. You hypocrit! You see no problem asking people to send money to bail YOU out, do you?

[douvie]

Let him get it from Obama.

[douvie]

Let him get it from Obama.

[consciousnes]

Tell Rick to stay home and quit spending so much money

[aloy69]

Saddleback Church is part of The Family. The Family is the main sponsor for underwriting the radical and outragous policies against gays in Uganda. Aren't these people ashamed to ask for our money in God's name?

[jxknowles]

Cough up the financial details, then maybe we'll think about a donation. What kind of car does Warren drive?

[Skruffy1]

Can't help wondering of God is going to "call him home" a la Oral Roberts if he doesn't raise this money.

[AttentionDeficit]

I believe I had read that Roberts had a friend who had agreed beforehand to make up whatever the donations had fallen short of the million ransom that god was demanding