A born-again author writes to expose deception in the Church. Warren Smith, once a New Ager and now author of Deceived on Purpose, says famed Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church “is in the process of leading the church astray,” by his New Age teachings—God is in everyone, even without their having satisfied the Holy Bible’s requirement of repenting and believing in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, and receiving Him into their life as their personal Savior and Lord (Mark 1:15; John 3:16-18). According to Mr. Smith, Pastor Rick Warren deceives people in the church by cleverly mingling New Age teachings with Christian doctrines.

God dwells in those who have repented and believe in Jesus Christ –His Holy Spirit does not dwell in everyone.

A born-again author writes to expose deception in the Church. Warren Smith, once a New Ager and now author of Deceived on Purpose, says famed Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church “is in the process of leading the church astray,” by his New Age teachings—God is in everyone, even without their having satisfied the Holy Bible’s requirement of repenting and believing in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, and receiving Him into their life as their personal Savior and Lord (Mark 1:15; John 3:16-18). According to Mr. Smith, Pastor Rick Warren deceives people in the church by cleverly mingling New Age teachings with Christian doctrines.

In my article “Being Enlightened”, I began a report on Mr. Warren Smith’s efforts, to expose “New Age implications” of Pastor Rick Warren’s book—The Purpose Driven Life. This article furthers that report on Smith’s endeavors to expose and warn us about the spiritual dangers of Pastor Rick Warren’s New Age teachings and his connections with leaders of the New Age movement.

Mr. Smith says, Pastor Rick Warren denies being associated with or influenced by the New Age movement or its leaders; while he demonstrates an exceptional ability to mix unbiblical New Age ideas with Christians teachings. “Because the people of God are being deceived,” Smith felt he must talk about what Pastor Rick was doing to deceive God’s People.

Due to Pastor Rick Warren’s denial of his connections with the New Age movement and his great influence in the Church community, Smith said he had to do research and diligent observations to show us the connections.

Warren Smith exposes Rick Warren’s association with New Age Leaders:

Pastor Rick had high regards for New Ager Bernie Siegel

Warren Smith enlightens us about an instance where Rick Warren showed his high regard for a recognized New Age leader, while Pastor Rick disparaged two Bible heroes. In a comparison of New Ages leader Bernie Siegel to Job and Isaiah, Pastor Rick labelled Bernie as a man who viewed life with “hope” and “purpose”; while he portrayed Job and Isaiah as complainers who saw life “without purpose” and “without God” (48-51).

Bernie Siegel connected with New Ager Pastor Robert Schuller

Smith wondered why Pastor Rick Warren would introduce his readers to a New Age leader like Bernie Siegel. And he wondered why the Pastor was citing Bernie in reference to “hope” and “purpose” in life. When Smith searched the internet and other sources of information he discovered that Pastor Robert Schuller was influential in the matter having to do with Bernie Siegel.
He found that in one of Schuller’s sermons, he had cited Bernie Siegel in reference to “hope”. He also found that Bernie Siegel had endorsed one of Robert Schuller’s books.
Going even further back, he found that Schuller had written about “hope and purpose” in a 1982 book, Self Esteem: The New Reformation. Smith believed it was Pastor Robert Schuler’s high regard for Bernie Siegel, and Rick Warren great respect for Pastor Robert Schuller that caused Rick Warren to reference Siegel in The Purpose Driven Life.
Smith said he found that Pastor Rick had a tendency to cite people “who are quoted or cited by Schuller.” Furthermore, he reports on Rick Warren using “unattributed Schuller material” in several of his own writings (chapter 10).

Pastor Robert Schuller’s used his Crystal Cathedral to teach a New Age “Course in Miracles”

What caused Pastor Robert Schuller to lean toward the New Age? This was a question that Warren Smith had, particular in view of Pastor Schuller’s influence on Rick Warren. Smith discovered that Robert Schuller reported having an out of body encounter with “Jesus Christ” as early as 1977. He said the encounter resulted from using relaxation and meditative techniques.
Smith said people like himself who came out of the New Age movement understood how Schuller could unwittingly have opened himself up to spiritual deception.
Shortly after his spiritual encounter, Schuller involved his Crystal Cathedral in the false New Age techniques of A Course In Miracles.
He even went further to conducting workshops on A Course In Miracles with recognized New Age leader Jerry Jampolsky.

Mr. Smith exposes Pastor Rick Warren’s as an instructor of New Age doctrine:

Pastor Rick Warren Became a Student and teacher of Schuller’s New Age Doctrine

According to Smith, Rick Warren and many apparent Bible Pastors and religious teachers came to the Crystal Cathedral to learn Pastor Schuller’s principles of church leadership. Smith believed they were hoping to learn how to build a big “successful” churches like Schuler’s church–They did not come to learn how to defend and promote true Christian faith.
Rick Warren was one of the Pastors who achieved “success.” He graduated from Schuler’s institute for successful church leadership and taught there. He instructed others on how to use Schuller’s principles of combining traditional Christianity teachings with New Age ideas.
Using the same principles—mixing Christian and New Spirituality ideas– Rick Warren built his big “successful” Saddleback Church.
However, the Holy Bible emphatically denounces the practice of altering the Word of God– mixing truth with untruth (Galatians 1:8; Revelation 22:18-19).

Pastor Warren built New Age deceptions into a Global PEACE Plan

We are informed by Smith that Rick Warren developed a 5-step “Global PEACE” plan to teach his New Age doctrines—New Spirituality mixed with Christianity– to the world.
Much earlier Neal Donald Walsh, a prominent New Age/Spirituality leader had purposed a 5-step PEACE plan that was to bring differ religions of the world together (p125). This plan is contrary to the Bible which says, Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father and eternal live, John 14:6; John 3:16.
Pastor Rick used New Age leader Bruce Wilkinson to launch the “Global PEACE” plan at the Pastor’s Saddleback Church. In launching the Global plan, Wilkinson used the term “God Dream” that Pastor Robert Schuller had introduced years earlier.

Warren Smith agrees with the Bible that people of the spiritual light of Jesus Christ and those of New Age spiritual darkness cannot have true fellowship with one another:

Smith has enlightened us about Pastor Rick Smith’s Purpose Driven Life and Global PEACE plan having untruths which are contrary to the traditional Bible.
Smith says mixing even the slightest bit of untruth with the truth can ultimately result in great deception. He said that is how he ended up with the false “God” and “Jesus” and “Holy Spirit” of the New Age.
Scripture tells us that “a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (Galatians 5:9)
We are advised to follow the example of the Berean Christians in Acts 17:11 who studied the scriptures to see if what they were being taught, even by the Apostle Paul, was in line with the whole truth and Spirit of the Scripture.
The Holy Bible clearly instructs us “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship have light with darkness” (2 Corinthians 6:14).