Posted on 11/01/2014 6:38:45 AM PDT by Gamecock
http://www.forgottenword.org/osteen.html
“”Nothing against Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Ric Warren, etc.””
Why would you lump the Grahams in with Osteen? Their ministry has been nothing like Osteen’s and as far as I know, neither has their style of living. Can’t say the same for Rick Warren as his ministry is just as meaningless and I don’t know if he lives lavishly. Warren’s sermons are meant to make you feel good and BE SUCCESSFUL. He really doesn’t care about your soul.
Great article by Theologian Daniel B. Wallace, on the Osteen and Christian narcissism.
As someone has said, ultimately the only tragedy is not to have been a saint. Don't let that happen to you.
But I do know this: Christ never promised us lucrative careers, prosperity, or ease. He warned us of hardship, suffering, and even martyrdom. He declared "Anyone who will not take up his cross daily and follow me is not worthy of the kingdom of God."
And ultimately, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, and not us, who will sit in judgment of those who serve (or pretend to serve) as shepherds of His flock. (And woe betide any pastor who leads his flock away from Christ's pasture!)
Do a FRper mail letter to the Relgion Moderator. Problem solve.
My vision is that God wants all to be Saved, and that he sends his message out in ways that those who will be saved can accept. He also gives every Believer what they need to successfully follow the Plan God has for their life. So I take from the growth of Joel Osteen’s ministry that there are a lot of people who need encouragement. That, clearly, is Joel’s gift, despite his initial resistance to coming out from behind the TV production console.
The late Chuck Smith gave a very good explanation of how God uses different ministers to approach different types of people in his sermon on Galatians.
http://cts.cdn.scaleengine.net/sestore1/vodstore/cts/c2k/c2271.mp3
Chuck’s entire Through the Bible series is at http://www.twft.com/?page=C2000.
Note that Chuck Smith spent 17 years trying to be an evangelist before he gave up and became the pastor God wanted him to be. Of course there are all kinds of people who attack Calvary Chapel for various reasons.
All of these attackers think that they know what God “really” wants to be taught, and that their attacks are “helping” God do what He wants better and faster. I know that I can never understand God’s methods, but only have to listen for His guidance in MY life and let Him take care of everything else.
Yeah, Osteen encourages people and makes them feel good, and clearly it sells.
People want to hear it.
Sadly, he’s not doing them any favors by preaching on sin and salvation.
I don’t care how often someone repeats a *sinner’s prayer*. There’s nothing in Scripture that says repeating a *sinner’s prayer* and *inviting* Jesus into your heart will get you saved. Especially for you to have a better life in the here and now.
I know people who have *prayed* to accept Christ and have not shown one iota of evidence that they were saved, and for some people that’s enough that they spoke the words.
They deem them saved, regardless of whether there was ever any fruit at all from it, even 40 years later.
**So I take from the growth of Joel Osteen’s ministry that there are a lot of people who need encouragement. That, clearly, is Joel’s gift, despite his initial resistance to coming out from behind the TV production console.**
Or, based on what Scripture teaches and not on my fallible feelings, there are many people with itchy ears and we know they will be easily led astray.
Very Good! The Apostle Paul would be happy with this level of discernment.
He is a bright young man with a good future ahead of him and I'm glad he ir on our side.
Yep...
“And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” John 2:16
Those thousands every Sunday, the majority are not simply being innocently deceived by him, they’re just like him, they are there because they want him on that stage, they require someone with the same message tickling their ears, a message even Oprah could wipe away a tear at,
I’m sure all these mega pastors earn their salaries from books, buts that’s no different than the pharisees allowing money changers in the Temple, having some pretense that their book sales have nothing to do with their pulpit duties, and even if we all took that view as seemingly being valid, then what are we to believe when we see how carefully they choose their words when being interviewed on CNN/MSNBC, where merely answering from the Bible a straightforward question posed about certain favored subjects would cause the mainstream crowd to quit loving them, so they always opt to please man rather than God lest their books fall off the NYT bestseller list and their invitations to oval office gets cancelled,
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:18-19
If John the Baptist had preached a smiling ambiguous airy ‘God is love and love is God’ happy feel good message for which even the most despotic politician could clap halleluiahs at, then he would’ve never been beheaded and maybe even been asked to preach at Herod’s wedding,
“For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” Mark 6:20
The ‘message’ of those like Osteen should be enough for anyone to recognize them, that we should all be ‘increased with goods and in need of nothing’ this is the last days Church of Laodicea about which Jesus specifically had nothing good to say,
Here are some scriptures for your consideration:
1 John 5
1 Whoever believes that †Jesus is the Christ is †born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and †keep His commandments. 3†For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And †His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For †whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that †has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1181). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
John 21
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I clove You.” He said to him, †“Feed My lambs.” 16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” †He said to him, “Tend My †sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you glove Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, †You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18†“Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” 19This He spoke, signifying †by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, †“Follow Me.”
20Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple †whom Jesus loved following, †who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” 22Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain †till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” 23Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
Nelson, Thomas (2009-02-18). Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1056). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
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