Posted on 08/10/2005 7:54:28 AM PDT by TBP
On any given Sunday, 100 million households from Australia, Europe, and across the USA will tune in to view Joel Osteen broadcasting from the 30,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Rated as the #1 inspirational television program by Nielson Media Research, Joel Osteen is preaching a message that certainly seems to be touching home with people all over America. In his much respected best selling book, Your Best Life Now-7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, Osteen outlines a seven-step process for effecting profound change in your life. He speaks in terms of the positive in everyday life. Expect God's favor, live your full potential, realize your God-given right to prosperity, including being happy, building a good marriage, and having good relationships. Accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative are really the basis of Osteen's message. His true gift is in speaking directly to the viewer, almost to the point that the viewer feels that Osteen knows him personally. He talks about everyday real-life issues, using self disclosure from his own experiences and subsequent lessons learned in order to relay a powerful message.
Osteen's story has been often told in recent years. His father was the much-loved and revered Reverend John Osteen, founder and longtime pastor of the Lakewood Church. Father John authored 45 books and was know as the "pastor's pastor," leading seminars and conferences around the country along with running a successful television ministry. Joel Osteen's first experiences were in business and media, becoming a successful producer of his father's television ministry. Upon his father's untimely death in 1999, Joel humbly stepped up to fill his father's shoes, and the rest is recent history.
The amazing phenomenon that we are witnessing with the rise of Osteen is that he has seamlessly incorporated and integrated the long-practiced prosperity principles of the century-old New Thought movement (principles derived from the teachings of Jesus and even earlier teachings) into a mainstream Christian message. A mere decade ago, most of the TV preachers and hometown pastors delivered a message that those in the flock are sinners, undeserving, dust-of-the-earth folks, who could not expect much from God other than a beautiful afterlife. The common teaching did not recognize that we are empowered with making a good life for ourselves. In fact, many would have called Osteen's teachings blasphemy. And some very vocal mainstream Christianity proponents are saying just that. The internet is littered with "outing Joel Osteen" messages, stating that he is card carrying metaphysical teacher not unlike Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and Neale Donald Walsch. They say that he speaks the same lingo as the well known self empowerment gurus of today, adding a Christian tint and point of view.
When Osteen is asked who inspires him, he is vague in his responses. When asked which books he reads, he replies that he reads many books and has no particular favorites. When interviewed about gay marriage and other liberal ideas, he has replied that he doesn't get into that. Regardless of where the basis of his message comes from, it is powerful and fulfilling to his large audience. It is quite apparent to any knowledgeable viewer who may have studied New Thought and other metaphysical writings, that Osteen is preaching what philosopher William James called "the religion og healthy-mindedness." He is delving far beyond the power of positive thinking of the Sixties and Seventies. He discusses our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and belief systems. Some metaphysical teachers are feeling cheated, for Joel Osteen is bringing mainstream Christianity down a parallel path of teachings. But what does it really matter? If mainstream Christianity can transform its ages-old "fire and brimstone" fear-based message into one of self empowerment and practical positive living , then it is all the better for humanity. The world's Christians can now feel empowered and happy without the prerequisite guilt that was so prominent in the past.
Joel Osteen is touching a chord in the human spirit in teaching empowerment, betterment, positive thinking, optimism, and gratitude toward God. The overwhelming response is evidenced by blockbuster book sales and skyrocketing television ratings. And this very same phenomenal response is commensurate with the need of the seekers that he is reaching out to.
On a more reflective note, the melding of practical spirituality and Christianity may not be good for the long-term "brand" equity of Christianity. If you can watch presentations by Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson and Joel Osteen side by side and see little difference in the teachings other than terminology, what will be the outcome of the loyalty to one particular religion? All of these teachers are offering a similar message in different packaging. The real outcome of Osteen's rise is yet to be seen. The present conclusion is that he is greatly helping to uplift humanity by teaching self-empowerment, negating victim-hood, and relieving people of the propensity for guilt in striving for prosperity and abundance.
Joel Osteen is definitely a mover and a shaker of the highest nature. His charm and charisma packaged with a succinctly delivered message will only propel him to even greater heights. Expect his to be a household name around the world in the coming years. Whereas Billy Graham delivered a powerful sermon and saved millions of "sinners," Joel Osteen is sure to uplift and elevate the lives of many millions more.
What group teaches that the fulness of the Holy Spirit is gone?
Bless you Dr Eckleburg,
You always see the truth.
Thanks. Right back at ya.
Your tag was the first line of Scripture I memorized as a child. It got me through a lot of math tests. 8~)
sad
What's sad about it? The guy's reaching thousands of people and spreading the good news.
Not at all. Ther eis much tha is beyond material prosperity in this world, but that is clearly part of the Kingdom, and it is clearly God's intention that we should be abundant in this life as well as the afterlife, whatever form that takes.
And he's right. Jesus thought so, too, if you read him. But too many "Christians" insist on taking the other tack -- and declare you "unholy" and "damend" if you don't take that tack too.
That's one of the reasons that more of the world is not Christian.
"The world has never followed hte simple teachings of Jesus, yet it is loud in its proclamation that it is Christian." -- Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind.
The temptation to be a "holier than thou" person is too great for some. What they don't realize is, that the church is God's family, one big disfunctional, sinful family, saved by GRACE. That kind of message would welcome people into salvation far more than "repent you evil, worthless sinner!!!!!!"
That's one of the reasons that more of the world is not Christian.
I heard a great, GREAT message done once, on the source of all the great revivals in history. NOT coincidentally, they didn't start by someone screaming "REPENT!" in people's faces. They DID start with just a few people understanding that "the just shall live by FAITH", and "the GOODNESS OF GOD leads us to repentance", not punishment. When God blesses me, I turn around, believe me. I've seen it over and over again in my own life...
The examples of past Christian steadfastness in the face of persecution are good ones. However, August 11, 2005, is a day of persecution for Christians in the Sudan, Ethiopia, and for those being beaten savagely in Chinese jails. They are the newest martyrs for the faith, and they make our faith seem very flabby indeed. But our time will come for persecution as well. Woe be to us if we think the way to Heaven is broad and easy, as Jesus warned (Matt. 7:13-23). That easy way leads to Hell and many there are that are being deceived by Satan into following this pernicious feel-good "success theology." Jesus wants us to be diligently strengthening ourselves in His Word so we can withstand the fiery darts of the Devil when our time of suffering and self-denial comes. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life," He promises (Rev. 2:10).
but,....Jesus is building His 'Church',.....there in lay the DIFFERENCE!
Ephesians 1:11
Amen.
But no one will ever bow to us. Jesus alone is the exalted One. Jesus is Lord. God gets the glory. Making it about exalting us or bring us some right of prosperity is just slimy and wrong.
Luke 14:11 "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
1 Peter 5
5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
5:7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Is that what you meant?
"Is that what you meant?"
Exactly!
God is looking to make us holy. This self-esteem thing got out of hand.
"But no one will ever bow to us. Jesus alone is the exalted One. Jesus is Lord. God gets the glory."
I agree with that in complete fullness. There is a thing called honor which we must understand. I honor and respect those in the body of Christ who are over me (namely my pastor), but many in the church are simply following men who are following themselves.
"Making it about exalting us or bring us some right of prosperity is just slimy and wrong."
I think the Lord does want His church to prosper. It's just that people abuse that and get rich off of it.
They make merchandise of God's Word.
The great gift to us from God is the redemption of our soul from death. By His wonderful grace, through the gift of His Son, He saves us from sin and eternal death (what we really deserve). What's a little earthly pleasure compared to that? It just doesn't matter.
Jesus was able to teach St.Paul and some of His close discipiles how to take up the cross daily (or die daily - the man body with arms stretched resembles the cross)but Jesus is not able to teach any of us how to rise above body consciousness now.Why?
This is because Jesus is not the only Saviour sent by God to help mankind. If He were the only Saviour what are the fates of those born before Him. He told us He was not the only Saviour.He said:
As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.(St.John 9:5)
St. Luke likewise echoed the above point when He said:
As He spoke by the mouth of His Holy Prophets which has been since the world began.(St.Luke 1:70)
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