.. as are 99% of 'em.
Posted on 01/10/2014 1:06:21 PM PST by Gamecock
For "America's Pastor," everything seems to be going extremely well right now in the USA. Lakewood Church is bursting at the seams. Pastor Osteen continues to be invited to speak on TV shows such as Larry King Live. AIROST will soon be adding routes to five new cities. Your Best Life Now has set numerous sales records. And now his new book (Become a Better You) is ready to come into stores all over the USA.
One problem remains for Pastor Joel. His books are not selling well in a large part of the world: the "10/40 window."
The "10/40 window" is the part of the world in the eastern hemisphere that falls roughly between 10 degrees and 40 degrees north latitude. You can clearly see it on the map above. This is the section of the world A) where most of the unreached people groups live, and B) where most of the non-Christians live. For these two closely related reasons, this part of the world is a primary focus for international missions.
The 10/40 window is also the area of the world where Christians face the most persecution. The worst persecutors, such as China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Sudan, all fall into this critical window of the world.
TBNN has learned that Christians who live in these countries just do not find Pastor Osteen's books relevant. For example, despite the fact that "Your Best Life Now" was translated into Korean, the North Korean Christians just do not want to read it.
North Korean Pastor Kim Sung-Wei (named changed for security reasons) told TBNN, "North Korean Christians face great difficulty each day. If the authorities find out that we serve Jesus, they will take away our homes and jobs. If they find us meeting together for worship, they will throw us in jail. As a pastor, I have been beaten three times already this year. This man, Osteen, writes about things that we do not understand."
"Your Best Life Now," while being a best-seller in the USA, sold five copies in Pyongyang, and three in the remainder of the country. We have heard of similar stories in much of the rest of the 10/40 window.
Although Lakewood Church denies it, TBNN has also learned that "Become a Better You" has had almost no advance orders from inside the 10/40 window.
TBNN recently made a trip to Jiddah, Saudi Arabia to meet with Christians there. We took an advance copy of "Become a Better You" with us to get a local pastor's thoughts on it (obviously, it had been translated into Arabic).
We told pastor Abdul al-Mansur (name changed for security reasons) that Lakewood Church's website said this about the new book: "Joel Osteen offers seven simple yet profound action steps that will help readers discover the better things they were born realize."
We then shared Osteen's 7 steps: 1. Keep pressing forward. 2. Be positive toward yourself. 3. Develop better relationships. 4. Form better habits. 5. Embrace the place where you are. 6. Develop your inner life. 7. Stay passionate about life.
Pastor al-Mansur's reaction was typical of what we have seen from Christians who face significant persecution. He told TBNN, "I feel sorry for this man Osteen. He writes all about making yourself better. This is not what the bible says. We know that only God is good, and that He sent His son, Jesus, to die on the cross. We know that if our sufferings bring glory to Him, then it is worth it. Only God sustains us. Pastor Osteen seems to be reading his own books more than he reads the bible."
TBNN has also found out that although the Osteen books have not done well in the 10/40 window, they have found surprising success in Western Europe. Paris, in particular, appears to be a hub of Osteen book clubs.
No word yet as to whether or not AIROST will be scheduling flights to Beijing, Damascus, or Tehran any time soon.
If only he did so, as opposed to denying Jesus on national TV.
North Korean Pastor Kim Sung-Wei (named changed for security reasons) told TBNN, “North Korean Christians face great difficulty each day. If the authorities find out that we serve Jesus, they will take away our homes and jobs. If they find us meeting together for worship, they will throw us in jail. As a pastor, I have been beaten three times already this year. This man, Osteen, writes about things that we do not understand.”
I’m sure Osteen would say that their hardships are a sign that their faith just isn’t strong enough.
.. as are 99% of 'em.
As a missionary to India who lived in the slums with Christian brethren for half of last year - the Health/Wealth Gospel that Osteen preaches has absolutely no worth in a land and area where a majority of Hindus have never even heard the name of Christ to begin with.
For Christians who face a lifetime of caste and religious persecution, poverty, misery and even death for their faith - such doctrines as Osteen preaches are American-crafted concepts and entirely foreign to their biblical understanding, some say no better than fairy tales for a people who under severe persecution are more faithful to God than anything I’ve ever experienced stateside.
Having struggled with my own faith after watching brethren I love suffer repeatedly without relief - sometimes compounded by beatings and even killing - I fear Osteen’s brand of Christianity will cost many Christians here in the West their faith once they experience what most of our Christian brethren face in the third world.
America has created a God and Jesus in it’s own likeness, and when that image fails - I worry about how many are going to hold onto their faith. I’m not an adherent to Osteen’s gospel, and even I got angry at God because my American-centric view on my faith was tainted because of the blessings of wealth and prosperity we have known our whole lives.
One rule of thumb about any advice is, if you can remove Jesus from the advice and still follow it, it probably isn’t Biblical.
TBNN went to Jiddah? Why? There is nothing there for Christians or Americans. I lived in the KSA for five years.
Jiddah's only claim to fame is its being the "gateway" to Medina. We Christians/infidels weren't ALLOWED into Mecca OR Medina, so why bother to TRY to go there?
Besides, it's spelled Jeddah. Jaddah is the Arabic word for grandmother.
It IS one of the less BLAZING hottern Hades places in the KSA but that's not saying much. The entire non-city country is incredibly dusty. There is almost nothing green. No trees, plants, shrubs, except in the "oasis" towns, which stink of poo-poo since latrines were NOT part of the Bedouin society. Bedous in the Big Sandy wiped their butts with, as THEY say, "clean sand."
The entire KSA is ICKY!!
India, there's ANOTHER third world sewer.
So, quit sugar-coatin' it and tell us what you REALLY mean. :o)
My view is that TV evangelists have turned more people away from Christianity than they’ve brought to it. About the only two that seem mostly genuine to me are James Robison, and Charles Stanley.
(I hear she likes to brag about her $100M ministry...)
I ended up in the afternoon with a double whopper with cheese & "evil" onion rings.
(Forgive me Ms. Elmer Gantry)
For Christians who face a lifetime of caste and religious persecution, poverty, misery and even death for their faith - such doctrines as Osteen preaches are American-crafted concepts and entirely foreign to their biblical understanding, some say no better than fairy tales for a people who under severe persecution are more faithful to God than anything I’ve ever experienced stateside.
True again. Hindus have some 330 million deities in their pantheon, human, animal, objects and mixtures thereof. THEIR faith is equally foreign and incomprehensible to US.
Having struggled with my own faith after watching brethren I love suffer repeatedly without relief - sometimes compounded by beatings and even killing - I fear Osteen’s brand of Christianity will cost many Christians here in the West their faith once they experience what most of our Christian brethren face in the third world.
I don't believe that our brethern in the third world will lose their Christianity. I started going to DAILY Mass (I was normally a Sunday Mass goer) in Saudi Arabia. It was quite an interesting experience for me, but that's another story.
America has created a God and Jesus in it’s own likeness, and when that image fails - I worry about how many are going to hold onto their faith. I’m not an adherent to Osteen’s gospel, and even I got angry at God because my American-centric view on my faith was tainted because of the blessings of wealth and prosperity we have known our whole lives.
I must say that the America I know and love has NOT created a God and Jesus in its own likeness. The wealth and prosperity we have WORKED for wasn't come by easily. Maybe it was in YOUR family but not in mine. We all worked like dogs for what we had. I DIDN'T know those "blessings" but am ETERNALLY grateful to my parents for inculcating a strong work ethic in me.
I count my blessings ALL THE TIME and thank our good Lord EVERY day of my life. I go to daily Mass and am ADAMANT about my gratitude.
(the devil made me do it)
My bad not being more clear in my post. I meant AMERICAN CHRISTIANS losing their faith when we begin to experience what brethren int he 2/3 world suffer given how much of the health/wealth Osteen-ish gospel is in our cultural DNA.
As I said, I grew angry at God and called my own understanding into question because I was raised in the faith to believe God will save us out of every trial if we have faith. I learned that what Jesus said in Matthew 24 is not something that applies to other people in some distant future - but that it was meant for us.
Sadly, most Christians in the USA do not believe what Jesus said in Matthew 24 applies to us. When it does, those raised on the kind of doctrinal churchianity that Osteen preaches, are going to have a much harder time holding onto their faith than I did in the midst of misery and OBSERVING persecution of his faithful servants in India.
I must say that the America I know and love has NOT created a God and Jesus in its own likeness. The wealth and prosperity we have WORKED for wasn't come by easily. Maybe it was in YOUR family but not in mine. We all worked like dogs for what we had. I DIDN'T know those "blessings" but am ETERNALLY grateful to my parents for inculcating a strong work ethic in me. I count my blessings ALL THE TIME and thank our good Lord EVERY day of my life. I go to daily Mass and am ADAMANT about my gratitude.
I had to admit to myself in the midst of misery and sickness over there that indeed I myself had to rethink certain aspects of my faith. I had believed in an American-centric Jesus that my church culture had taught me was the proper biblical understanding for a Christian.
That way of learning and preaching works in America and the West. it does not work in much of the 2/3rds world.
For example, how the gospel is spread here and preached does not work in the third world, I found that out the hard way. Osteen would win few if any to Christ with his prosperity gospel, outside of attracting some for the social gospel of obtaining sustenance and welfare for converting to Christianity. They would have no root, and as I discovered talking with pastors and churches in India, most leave the church to return to Hinduism the moment the welfare stops or the blessings do not materialize as expected.
While we may work hard for what we have and are grateful for the blessings God gives us, much of the brethren in the world do not even have access to an opportunity to provide a better life for themselves. Witnessing the mind-numbing poverty, sickness and denigration the brethren are forced to live in was enough of a shock. But when the added brutality of persecution fell upon them - my American-minded view of how God answers our prayers and saves us from trials was truly tested.
It's a hard thing to admit - but the church in America has indeed crafted an image of Christ that fits within our cultural comforts. Being grateful is indeed one of the hallmarks of a Christian people and I submit that it is because of those who continue to offer thanks and humility that God has held up this nation. But overall, even in the churches here - the entitlement mentality has creeped in. Finding a church has become what the church can do for me, not what the church can equip me to do for others. Just my own observation.
In my opinion, Osteen is a flop.
You are to kind.
And an apostate.
Osteen is going to be terribly upset come judgment day. In my opinion he is not preaching the gospel but telling every one how prosperous they can be if they only follow his directions.
There are truly poor people in this world, and people with to many other problems to mention. Sure, you can be comforted by the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit can bring you much needed solace, but no where in my Bible does it say that Believers will not have problems each day to deal with.
God allows you to go through those valleys so you can feel the joy when you do reach a mountain top.
Joel should read the second chapter of 2 Peter to find out what the Apostle Peter had to say about those who would preach a false Gospel and their fate. It’s not pretty.
He will not take a stand on homosexual “marriage”. He just grins at the person asking the question and says “I don’t get into things like that, it’s for God to sort out”.
What a shyster.
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.