If you don’t know Joel Osteen’s new book is coming out this week….which is terribly exciting (in the negatvie sense). Joel is a very influential person, he is able to communicate to millions of people. I don’t have time to go on and critique and show what worries me about Mr. Osteen. But I plead with you to be discerning, and ask where he gets his authority from…The Bible, or himself witih support from the Bible. Or is it…The Bible and then that forms his thoughts or does he operate the other way around.
Discernment is not telling the difference from what is obviously right from wrong (Jesus is God and Jesus is a monkey). Discernment is telling what is right from what is almost right (Joel Osteen)
I will show you a quote from his new book and give you a link to where you can read a review of this book as well…
From…Tim Challies at www.challies.com
“We’ve all sinned, failed, and made mistakes,” he says, “But many people don’t know they can receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.” That sounds fair, but he goes on to say, “As long as you’re doing your best and desire to do what’s right according to God’s Word, you can be assured God is pleased with you.”
No Jesus there, no repentance, wrath. THIS IS ALL WORKS. I wonder if Joel even understands the Gospel. I pray that he does.
Here are some videos for you also. Pray for this man, and the people that listen to him. God be gracious.
On the Gospel….
Weak on the Gospel…
Jesus’ Resurrection is about giving us temporal hope, not freedom from Sin. All about giving us things, not destroying sin.
Ok with not using much Scripture..
Wow—that’s some pretty scary stuff!
1 Timothy 6:3-5 seems to be clearly talking about people like Osteen.
These videos make you see the value of discernment.
Saving you the trouble from having to look up the passage in the 3rd video – this is what the New American Standard and English Standard say about the SAME passage!!!
Ephesians 1:4 (NASB) – Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him In love.
Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) – Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
If you put it in context and not pull out the very middle of the passage: (In ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Yeah, I thought was pretty funny….he took a passage out of context…that is always used to talk about election and made it cute and clever. Is it true that God thought about us??? Yep. But in a much deeper and eternal life giving sense than Joel is aware of.
Its sad to see a guy like Joel Osteen, who leads one of the largest churches in America, dance like a fairy around the question of who goes to heaven and who doesn’t.
This brings two feelings for me. I am so extremly angry about the misrepresentation of God’s word and the fact that he is leading so many away from truth in favor of messages that make you feel warm and fuzzy. But another part of me is so sad that he is bringing condemnation on himself. I pray that he would have the truth knocked into him or that he would be stricken mute. It would be better to be mute than to speak lies. This just shows me all the more why it’s important to be in the word, to have a discerning heart, and to read passages from the BIBLE!!! Not the Word according to Joel Osteen, or Gail Fox, or anyone else.
Ouch……….Well, He said only “God knows the heart”, right? Well, God knows his heart……
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father but through me.’” (John 14:6 NASB). So for him not to be sure of weather or not muslims (or any other religion not believing in salvation through the redemption of Jesus Christ) are going to heaven……..You get the point. Well, if he’s just scared to say that verse on TV, then he should read Mark 8:38; he’s ashamed of Christ………
Mark 8:38
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Pray for Joel…….
This is really hilarious! I’ve never liked Joel Osteen because i’ve always felt he was fake, and well now i see that he truly is. How can you possibly not know for sure if someone is going to hell or not? It says in the bible black and white. All have fallen short of the glory of God. The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ.
I think he’s worried his congregation is going to be depleted to very few people if he speaks the whole truth. He’s scared of offending people…maybe he wont be so popular if he starts speaking the way Jesus commissioned us to. His popularity with the world is a clear sign that something is seriously wrong.
I actually met a man who was homosexual that goes to that church. He said it’s the only church he’s found that doesnt make him feel bad about his sexual preference or his lifestyle. I was like….What!?!?.
I’m very afraid of what this means for America. I’m so sick of the American Christian and the American Church. Jesus’ way is not all-inclusive. Very few will be chosen.
The only thing i heard that Joel mentioned that had any validity was the statement, “God knows the hearts of men”.
“He’s scared of offending people…maybe he wont be so popular if he starts speaking the way Jesus commissioned us to. His popularity with the world is a clear sign that something is seriously wrong.”
It’s prosperity gospel. With a guy like Joel, and a church as populated as Lakewood, you can’t feed people heavy, convicting messages or truths anyway. People don’t want to be told they are wrong and/ or are living in sin. Thus… the 52,000 member audience he feeds crap to every Saturday night.
Like every one else has already said… Pray for this man.
woah….this so called “man of God” isn’t on the right track at all!
how can his congregation listen to him and accept this?? do they not read the word for themselves??
obviously…the congregation needs prayer too…that their eyes and ears would be opened to see the truth in God’s word…and not what a mortal man, is saying…
I admit, he preaches a false gospel. One that glorifies positive thinking and the workings of man.
But at the same time, I have to admit he seems very sincere in his message. (even though it is deluded) I also believe he generally cares for people and desires to see people helped. I would say he is a “good” man, but often times good is the enemy of the best, and the best is to preach Christ and Christ crucified.
I can understand people listening because there is a side of his message that preaches hope and comfort to those who are in trouble and in desperate situations. Thousands of people have been helped through his ministry, but often that help doesnt unashamedly point to Jesus, which is wrong.
At the same time, I also see alot of people hate Joel Olsteen. Usually the people that hate him are other Christians, which I find to be odd. “We struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual powers of darkness seated in high places.” I think Joel is a sincere man, if not misguided, and our love for a fellow brother in Christ should compel us to pray for him to have the courage to unashamedly preach the full gospel, and not prayers of condemnation.
Once again, Joel Osteen’s utter failure to uphold Christian truth in an age of apostacy only further supports what is all too clear about his teaching: it is spiritually bankrupt.
Here is a link to articles our ministry has created on Osteen’s heretical compromise that is anointed as “Christianity” today.
http://www.spiritwatch.org/behindsmile.htm
In my search of the pages of God inspired text, evidence of someone who has been tapped to share with others the Word of God include: the full counsel of God. By only providing the methods and means to improve oneself, without the reason (Christ’s death, repentance, and God’s Will) there is no chance that anyone would live the Word, which is only possible out of God’s desire that we might venture to think that we could do so. Just as we know there are not levels of sin, there are no levels of Truth. Two examples of this come to mind, which I hope properly display how God demands we present and represent Him to others in our thoughts, words, or otherwise. 1. When anything is added to water, it is no longer water. And, 2. Should my own child break the law, my child has broken the law.
Similarly, Joel being a Christian does not in any way erase the errors documented here. The truth has been added to and taken away from by Joel, thus we must conclude that it is no longer the Truth – but the ideas of some guy. I cannot, however, move to judge those that listen to him for remnants of encouragement. I must instead, pray that they graduate to relying on God and allow themselves to be placed in a Church home, situation, or among friends that will share the full counsel of His Word. I love Joel, but I am certain that God is bigger than Joel and that God will resolve the issue.