Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

America’s Most Popular Pastor Doesn’t Know The Bible
The Daily Caller ^ | 9-19-2014 | Tristyn Bloom

Posted on 09/19/2014 1:21:41 PM PDT by servo1969

Mega-church pastor Joel Osteen may lead the largest Protestant church in the United States, but a recent Facebook post shows he might need to go back to Sunday school.

A Monday post to his verified Facebook page, Joel Osteen ministries, read: “God said in Numbers 11:23, ‘Moses, is there any limit to My power?’ He was saying, ‘Moses, you saw Me part the Red Sea, stop the sun for Joshua, keep three Hebrew teenagers safe in a fiery furnace, don’t you realize that I can bring water without rain?’ There’s no limit to God’s power.”

Post by Joel Osteen Ministries.

As of Friday afternoon, the post had over 317,000 likes and 52,000 shares.

There’s just one problem: According to the Bible, Moses was dead before Joshua asked God to stop the setting of the sun, and long before the three Hebrew youths were burned in the furnace.

The Old Testament Book of Joshua explains that God appointed Joshua as Moses’s successor after Moses’s death (the first sentence literally begins, “After the death of Moses…”), who led the Israelites into battle against the Amorites, during which he commanded the sun and the moon not to move. “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies,” (Joshua 10:13).

The story of the “three holy children,” as the Hebrew youths are sometimes known, is told in the Old Testament Book of Daniel. According to the passage, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned around the 6th century B.C. (long, long after the projected time of Moses), ordered his people to worship a large golden idol, “and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace,” (Daniel 3:6). The three Hebrew youths refused to worship the idol and were thrown into the furnace, but were not burned.

In many Christian traditions this passage is particularly important because it is understood to prefigure Christ — when the king asked whether the three were burned, one of his counselors replied “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God,” (Daniel 3:25).

Some of Osteen’s followers noticed the error, with one commenter asking “Bro, do you even Scripture?”

Osteen, who has neither a bachelor’s nor a divinity degree, lives in a $10 million dollar mansion in Houston, Texas, and has an estimated net worth of $40 million. Nearly 50,000 people attend services at Lakewood Church every week, and millions more watch his televised sermons. Lakewood, whose “central campus” is a 16,000-seat arena, is notable for its total lack of crosses and other Christian symbols or imagery.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Religion
KEYWORDS: joel; joelosteen; osteen
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-139 last
To: CatherineofAragon

The question is... “What would Jesus do?”

Remember He said several times that he came here to save not to judge.

He also stated that the sinners needed his company more than the devout......

So I ask again, would the Guy who spent time with the criminal tax collectors spend time with a gay couple? I would think the answer would be “Yes.”


121 posted on 09/20/2014 3:24:48 PM PDT by tired&retired
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 111 | View Replies]

To: tired&retired

What would Jesus do...yes, that’s the best measure of all.

Why did Jesus hang out with sinners, though? He did it not to lend approval to their sin-—He was and is completely intolerant of sin, and He rebuked it wherever He found it-—but to bring sinners to repentance.

He didn’t accompany tax collectors on their rounds and smile as they went about their work. But that’s what Osteen would be doing by attending a queer wedding, sitting there and smiling while the sin God called abominable is twisted into a blasphemous parody of God’s institution of matrimony.


122 posted on 09/20/2014 4:20:37 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: tired&retired
He did hang out with sinners, all the while bringing them to an awareness of their sin and to repentance.

I'm pretty sure He would not have attended a gay wedding. Why? That is condoning sin.

123 posted on 09/20/2014 8:34:28 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: CyberAnt
Why the comment that he lives in a $40 million dollar home?

That was mentioned by the DC contributor writer but I replied it maybe pastoral home, I don't think it's a big deal.

124 posted on 09/21/2014 12:38:28 AM PDT by hamboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 120 | View Replies]

To: hamboy

Hamboy, if you’re going to call me an “unreal bigot” because I don’t support attending the “weddings” of sick, deviant, feces-obsessed perverts, then have the guts to do it on the open forum instead of Freepmail.


125 posted on 09/21/2014 7:16:18 AM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 124 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock
Guess you still haven't learned that your mere, flat assertion doesn't make it so.

You're still at it even though after MUCH discussion and debate on previous thread, you failed to even get close to showing a preponderance of evidence in a scripture-based argument to support your accusations, attacks, and character assassination of a fellow Christian. That puts you in the ranks of the Pharisees who were and still are servants of the Accuser of the Brethren.

The more you do this, the more you hurt not Joel who forgives his attackers and moves on. You hurt yourself. The only reason some people focus on attacking and condemning others is they have issues themselves. Hurt people hurt people.

"Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are that judges: for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things" (Rom 2:1).

I hope and pray you stop.

126 posted on 09/21/2014 3:15:36 PM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate over unjust law & government in the forum of ideas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies]

To: PapaNew

All you have to do is read what Osteen says to know he is a charlatan.

I don’t need to say anything. What he says speaks clearly for the fact he is in way over his head.


127 posted on 09/21/2014 3:18:47 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: PapaNew

As far as Osteen being a great preacher: He is neither an exegete, nor is he schooled in the Biblical art, nor is he a theologian, nor is he a minister, nor is he an elder. Other than that, he’s a great man of God.


128 posted on 09/21/2014 3:28:02 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: PapaNew

HE. DENIED. JESUS.

That is all I need to know.


129 posted on 09/21/2014 3:30:30 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

He’s a marketing guy who took over his father’s televangelist ministry upon his passing. His father had a few peculiar and tenuous beliefs. I’ll say it was decent of him to honor his father and carry it on, but he is entirely too evasive of anything negative, with sin and the consequence of it being chiefly among the matters he evades. There’s a Larry King interview wherein he evades homosexuality being a sin, several others. Osteen may have good intentions or he may just know his audience well enough to keep things positive because that’s what they want to hear. Nothing wrong with that in a motivational speaker, even a nominally Christian one. But, it’s a definite problem in a presumed Pastor leading a church.


130 posted on 09/21/2014 3:35:56 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: RegulatorCountry
Nothing wrong with that in a motivational speaker, even a nominally Christian one. But, it’s a definite problem in a presumed Pastor leading a church.

That.

131 posted on 09/21/2014 4:03:11 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

bump


132 posted on 09/21/2014 4:04:17 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 131 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock
The problem is you don't know that Joel ever denied Jesus. All you know is he stumbled a bit at a question he had a hard time answering for which he later apologized. It is obvious you don't know that Joel does not deny Jesus if you followed his weekly Lakewood services which you can online.

So you have utterly failed to support your accusations by at least a preponderance of evidence and Scripture-based reasoning.

But let me ask you a question. Have you ever denied Jesus? Have you ever been accused of denying Jesus? Have you ever accused or condemned yourself for denying Jesus? Would Jesus condemn you if you did? NO. He has promised that because of Jesus' perfect and eternal sacrifice on the cross he will "remember your sins and iniquities no more."

"Wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things" (Rom 2:1).

I honestly believe you don't know what you are talking about but you've joined modern-day Pharisees in the sport of attacking and trying to take down a fellow Christian and minster. It may seem harmless enough to you to do this on FR and all. But God sees this. He says "touch not my anointed and do my prophets not harm." He doesn't say that in vain. I believe God loves you, but if you don't stop this stuff, I think maybe God will have to, possibly with a "strong hand".

The Bible says your actions already leave you self-condemned, which is unnecessary because the Bible says that we as Gods people are under no condemnation.

"For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people" Isaiah 8:11.

If I'm right and this happens to you, try to remember that God is not condemning you are even punishing you. He's simply trying to deliver you from judging and condemning others so you will be a happier, more joyful person, not one who feels self-condemned.

133 posted on 09/21/2014 5:39:14 PM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate over unjust law & government in the forum of ideas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 129 | View Replies]

To: PapaNew
He did so. I posted it for you once before and you choose to ignore the evidence.

BTW, you know a few days later he apologized to his gathering for doing so, don't you?

If he didn't deny Jesus why did he apologize for doing so?

134 posted on 09/21/2014 7:08:47 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: Gamecock

Not going to keep rehashing all this stuff we’ve already been over. You don’t even read my posts or you would see in the last post and earlier posts where I talked about him apologizing. You’re not paying attention and I won’t waste any more time with you.

I pray you stop and I pray for God’s grace and mercy on you if you don’t.


135 posted on 09/21/2014 9:24:58 PM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate over unjust law & government in the forum of ideas)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies]

To: servo1969

” Osteen attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he studied radio and television communications, but did not graduate and did not receive a degree from a divinity school”


136 posted on 09/21/2014 9:49:40 PM PDT by Pelham (California, what happens when you won't deport illegals)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PapaNew

I stop reading your posts when your first line is nothing but you repeating yourself.


137 posted on 09/22/2014 3:31:07 AM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 135 | View Replies]

To: CatherineofAragon

I don’t want to clutter the thread. Yeah you’re bigot and clueless. That’s what I PM you.


138 posted on 09/22/2014 10:34:52 AM PDT by hamboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: hamboy
"I don’t want to clutter the thread. Yeah you’re bigot and clueless. That’s what I PM you."

When did you pick up the idea that being against perversion is bigotry? Have you always held such a liberal view?

139 posted on 09/22/2014 12:03:05 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males---the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-139 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson