Joel Osteen Denies Christ on National TV

I have to agree - he is just saying what "he feels the audience wants to hear".

He feels Larry King's need not to be judgmental or insist that Christ is the only way to heaven - so he goes there!

He feels the caller's need to say that Jesus is the only way truth and light -- so he goes there.

He is not comfortable saying "you are wrong" in a context where it means that the person he is saying it to - will not pay any money if they hear him say that.

I am one who believes that the Holy Spirit works as described in John 16 and John 12:32 and Romans 2:13-16 on all people -- even non-Christians. But there is a big difference between that and hedging like Joel was doing.

In Christ,

Bob

 

I new there was something not quite right with him the first time I heard him preach. It didn't sit well within my spirit. Joel is not the first preacher to dodge Larry Kings blunt questions. He had some catholic priest on as well a few years back who pretty much said what Joel says. Satan wants to unite the world and the Word of Christ divides it. We can see who's side Joel is on no matter if he feels in his heart he is being kind. He is actually being cruel by withholding the pure word of the Lord. I wonder how all of those who end up in hell will praise his kind words then.

God Bless!

 

Flip-flop-flip-flop

This was an interesting exchange.

KING: But for someone who doesn't share it is wrong, isn't he?

OSTEEN: Well, yes. Well, I don't know if I look at it like that. I would present my way, but I'm just going to let god be the judge of that. I don't know. I don't know.


I didn't see the interview, but Joel initially answers the way he probably really feels, which happens to be the truth as well. It seems that he then catches himself and realizes that he just alienated more than half of the listeners and tries to backtrack. Of course, that wishy-washy style wasn't much of a match for Larry King. Larry smelled blood in the water, so to speak, and went after it, making Joel look silly because he wouldn't take a solid stand for anything.

 

First time I have agreed with Osteen. God can "save" anyone "in" Christ Jesus.

 

Indeed Joel's overriding "core value" was coming out at the expense of looking foolish. His prime directive is "please all".

The crowd he speaks to on Sunday has s certain list of "Things" that he can "preach against" and also "preach in favor of" and still get moneyu from them. He knows exactly what that list is.

But the list for Larry King's audience is "very different" and Larry was trying to push Joel to a sticky point where Joel would have to choose between the prime directive of "lose no money opportunity in what you say" vs ???.

The problem is that if Joel opts to "only please Larry's audience dollars" then his own followers might withhold cash. If he opts to only please his core base - then he misses out on raking in a share of Larry's vast market.

He was truly in a tight spot. No wonder he was conflicted about what POV to actually stick with!!

In Christ,

Bob

 

Very disappointing indeed.

And equally sad is that Billy Graham was on Larry Kings program 3-4 years ago and did the very same thing. When asked about those...hindus, buddhists, etc...who reject Christ brother Graham said something to the effect that "I cant judge their hearts or declare them lost. I'll let God do that."

I remember it specifically because of how shocked I was.

I'd like to give both of these brothers the benefit of the doubt and say that I hope what they mean is that we cant see whether any of these people who haved rejected Christ might...in their heart...surrender to Christ on their deathbeds in the moments just prior to dying.

I hope that is what they mean...but I agree completly that the proper thing to say on national TV is that Christ is the only hope, and if you reject him you have rejected the possibility for salvation.

In a similar vein, Graham...who was very strong against Catholicism in his early years...has done a flip flop in his late years and declared Pope John Paul II a great spiritual leader and said very positive things about Catholicism.

Again...very disappointing.

However, having said that it was still a great thrill to attend a Crusade of Grahams 4-5 years ago. The annointing on Graham and in that stadium as he proclaimed the gospel that night was very discernable and very strong.

God bless,

Mike

 

So, who is Joel Osteen? Never heard of him. Is he a new "saviour of Christianity?" Is he another preacher we have put on a pedestal only to be disappointed?

When will we stop worrying about these little gods and just get about the work God has given us to do in our own little circle?

Cheers,

Jim

 

Osteen is the pastor of the largest church in the U.S., Lakewood Church in TX. He is becoming very popular, especially since his book, Your Best Life Now just came out and is doing good.

Osteen is Word Faith and also teaches New Thought principles -- you must think positive and say things positive or bad things will happen to you. He says in his book that you must declare blessings out loud in order to get them. This is all Word Faith (which has a lot in common with New Thought. New Thought gave rise to Christian Science, Unity, and Church of Religions Science as well as various mind science groups).

Osteen also has taught that Jesus had to go to hell and fight Satan in order to "win" over Satan. This is also taught by Copeland and other WF teachers.

The problems is that Osteen is a smooth talker and makes people feel good. Christians left and right are falling for him.

 

Do you have any "win over satan" quotes from him?

 

Just as I thought. Another bloke not worth the time of day let alone a discussion in here. I have more important things to do, such as weed my garden.

Cheers,


Jim

Thanks Marcia

 

I wondered if he ever preached about sin or how we are all sinners that need Jesus and all.
I don't know much about him really. Surfing the tv myself I saw him for a few minutes and didn't care for it so I kept going.

He is getting more and more popular with everyone so I thought about checking him out. I hear all the time how great he is and that right there concerns me.

Just last week a Christian woman asked on another board if we have heard about him because her husband (an unbeliever) really enjoys his sermons. That's the only preacher he will listen to. So I told her you might want to be cautious there if an unbeliever likes the sermons. And check him out and see what he believes and teaches. I don't think she liked hearing that because she was happy that her husband would watch anything at all.

 

This is a point I would like to expand on. Many times that which a person or a church "officially" states in writing as positional doctrine does not coinside with what they actually promote and teach. And many times there doctrinal statements are sound, but once they have you in, they begin to push false prophets or erronious traditions which destroy the seekers quest for truth. Maybe even destroying any chance for salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

The Mormons have Joseph Smith, the SDA"s have Ellen White, the JW's have the Watch Tower, the Catholics have a Pope.

In the case of the Catholics you have them declaring that anyone who believes that faith alone in Jesus Christ is enough to grant salvation is acursed. Yet when pressed on the issue they hedge and try to embrace all as having salvation through Jesus Christ regardless of this belief in faith alone. What has been declared by them concerning "Faith Alone" has never been retracted. It can never be retracted. For to retract any declaration handed down by the "official church" would mean that they were wrong, and since they are God's chosen authority on interpretational matters, this cannot be, to retract would be the beginning of the end for the catholic church, so they must wiggle around the declaration rather than promote it to it's fullest intent.

We will learn in the future whether or not Joel's "retraction" is genuine. I am sure he will have many more secular opportunities to declare that Jesus Christ is the only God and Savior for the entire world. That without faith in Him alone there is no salvation or heaven awaiting the unbeliever.

I will give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Let's see what his future holds.

God Bless!

 

I've never heard of him. Isn't it grand that we have the Holy Spirit as a check? And we have the Word readily available to check these things?

Peter denied Christ thrice. Christ not only forgave him but called him a rock and promised to build a church through him.

 

I heard Osteen with my own ears give a sermon in which the message was that you can kill someone with your thoughts. He talked first about a woman whose plants died because although she took care of them, they died because she worried about them.

Then he talked about a man who had a lovely wife and young children but he always worried about losing his wife. After a few years, she died (she was still pretty young). Osteen then said something about the power of our thoughts and how we have to be careful.

I recently ran into a friend who had heard this same sermon and was astonished at what Osteen said. He remembered the same things I had remembered about it.

Osteen is New Thought and Word Faith; he believes that you materially create your reality with your thoughts and words (this is similar to the kind of thinking in the New Age, which has also been influenced by New Thought). God is not in charge; you are.

 

It is sad that so many flock to an obvious false teacher...which is yet more evidence that a large Church is not always a sign that God is blessing it. Enter the narrow gate and leave the wide road that leads to destruction to folks like Osteen.

Joseph Botwinick