Joel Osteen: Why?

[LadyEagle]

So did any of you critics/bashers watch the video I posted the link to in the News Forum?

That's what I thought.

 

[superwoman8977]

But heres the thing..hearts are hurting...People need to hear common sense spoke in a loving Christian attiude. One reason I get into what Joyce says and have read almost all of her books is because she backs up what she says with scripture. I even have her everyday living bible which is her insights backed up with scripture. We live in a world of hurting people I cannot stress that enough i know I am one of them I have lost everything in the last 18 months whats going to happen? God is in control. And people need the word they need the word spoken to them in a way they are going to understand it. Joyce has lived through years of abuse and torment and she chose to share her story in Beauty for Ashes as a way to help those who are hurting. There is no prosperity message about it its about seeking the Lord with healing the emotional scars. With Joel what he says makes alot of sense as well. Fridays devotional really spoke to me. It was called taking off the limits and it talked about taking the limits off of God and really letting Him work in your life I know we are all guilty of that okay God I dont think you can work this out or that out. I am not a person that can just open the bible and study I have tried but I am not built that way so thats why I listen to Joel and Joyce and then back up what they say with the scriptures.

 

[superwoman8977]

They need to know that Osteen won't be there with them through any tough time they face, but the local church will. Osteen won't be standing with them at the graveside of a loved one, but the local church will. No TV preacher can take the place of the local church in people's lives.

But, if all the local church does is point out what everyone is doing wrong, and never teaches the Word of God, the lost don't need that either. They might as well be watching Osteen.

It wouldn't do any good to knock Osteen to them, but they do need to know the importance of the local church.

no your local church is going to be sitting there with people treating you like you are a 2nd class citizen behind your back with a sunny smile to your face. Thats why hurting people dont want to be in churches anymore and get more comfort from churches on TV and their own time with the Lord.

 

[LadyEagle]

Picture it, 2000 years ago. Paul is wasting away in a filthy Roman prison. In pops Joel Osteen, who says "don't give up Paul, your best life is NOW!


Puleeese.

To the best of my knowledge, Joel Osteen has never claimed our best life is NOW. When you read through Paul's epistles, Paul gives instruction but also a message of hope to the church. Phil. 4:19 comes to mind. So does Romans 8:28. The Good News is a message of hope.

 

[SBCPreacher]

no your local church is going to be sitting there with people treating you like you are a 2nd class citizen behind your back with a sunny smile to your face. Thats why hurting people dont want to be in churches anymore and get more comfort from churches on TV and their own time with the Lord.

Not every local church. Not this one. If you've had bad dealings with a church, I'm sorry, but don't lump them all together.

Again, let trouble come, and these TV preachers won't be there. But a local pastor will (at least this one will!).

 

[righteousdude2]

So!!!

There you go again....Obama this, Obama that.

Sopranette

And your point of judgment is???:sleeping_2:

 

[Martin]

So did any of you critics/bashers watch the video I posted the link to in the News Forum?

That's what I thought.

Are you talking about the 60 minutes episode? If so, old news. I've seen it and it only backs up my position on Joel Osteen.

I am happy to be labeled a critic of Joel Osteen.

What I find really sad is that Christians no longer want to hold teachers/preachers up to the light of Holy Scripture. Instead many are willing to accept a teacher without examining them in the light of Scripture as long as that teacher makes them feel good. That is dangerous, very dangerous indeed. How many people are feeling good about their "best life now" but are heading to the eternal pit? It is a tragic situation. So far there has been no popular "fad" preacher, like Osteen, teaching soul damning heresy. But, mark my words, it will happen. Joel Osteen, Joyce Myers, TD Jakes, and Paula White are just another step towards that horrible end.

I firmly believe that popular, modern evangelicalism is heading towards theological disaster. Why? Because critical examination of a person's teachings is frowned upon. Therefore there is less and less theological accountability. That is exactly what we see when Osteen goes on Larry King or 60 Minutes. He waters down the Gospel to avoid offending people. He does not want to stand for the truth. He only wants to give people warm feelings about themselves. We need people who will stand for the truth even if that means offending people.

 

[Martin]

Not every local church. Not this one. If you've had bad dealings with a church, I'm sorry, but don't lump them all together.

Again, let trouble come, and these TV preachers won't be there. But a local pastor will (at least this one will!).

AMEN to that brother!! There are some fine churches out there with fine pastors. :thumbs:

It is fine to watch tv preachers, but there is nothing like having a personal pastor. A man who will visit you when you are sick, pray with you, teach you the Bible, and guide you. I thank the Lord for my pastor who, without a doubt, is that kind of man.

 

[LadyEagle]

I firmly believe that popular, modern evangelicalism is heading towards theological disaster. Why? Because critical examination of a person's teachings is frowned upon. Therefore there is less and less theological accountability. That is exactly what we see when Osteen goes on Larry King or 60 Minutes. He waters down the Gospel to avoid offending people. He does not want to stand for the truth. He only wants to give people warm feelings about themselves. We need people who will stand for the truth even if that means offending people.

Wow, Martin. Isn't this the opposite of what you said about witnessing to muslims, that we needed to understand their beliefs so we could witness to them better. And I said we needed to present the simple gospel and the truth and brought up the Jesus Film Ministry. Not trying to hijack this thread or be offensive, but there seems to be a disconnect in your posts where now you are say people need to stand for the truth even if it means offending people.

Well, anyway, back to the OP. The question was posed why people are watching Joel Osteen and I tried to answer. I don't advocate not belong to a local church, but there are a lot of hurting people in the world who just don't feel they "fit in" to our traditional churches and would rather stay home in solitude and scrape their boils with shards than sit at the gate of the city (traditional church) and be spurned or gossipped about or feel lonely in the crowd.

 

[Amy.G]

To the best of my knowledge, Joel Osteen has never claimed our best life is NOW. When you read through Paul's epistles, Paul gives instruction but also a message of hope to the church. Phil. 4:19 comes to mind. So does Romans 8:28. The Good News is a message of hope.

I'm sure you're aware that "Your best life now" is the title of one of JO's books.

Yes, Paul gives a message of hope and that hope is our Lord, Jesus Christ, not positive thinking.

 

[Amy.G]

So did any of you critics/bashers watch the video I posted the link to in the News Forum?

That's what I thought.

I watched it. He couldn't bring himself to say that Christ is the only way to heaven.

 

[LadyEagle]

I'm sure you're aware that "Your best life now" is the title of one of JO's books.

No, I wasn't aware of that.

Yes, Paul gives a message of hope and that hope is our Lord, Jesus Christ, not positive thinking.

I wasn't aware that JO says differently, that our hope is positive thinking, not Jesus Christ, as you are implying. JO always gives an invitation to accept Christ at the end of each service.

I watched it. He couldn't bring himself to say that Christ is the only way to heaven.

I must have missed that part of the video where he was asked about the way to heaven. Did you watch the 60-minute video I posted or the Larry King video?

 

[Amy.G]

I must have missed that part of the video where he was asked about the way to heaven. Did you watch the 60-minute video I posted or the Larry King video?

I've watched them both and it was the same in both interviews. He will say that he personally believes in Christ, but will not say that He is the only way to the Father. When asked about Muslims or Buddists, he won't commit to anything. He say it's not his job to judge hearts. And he is right about that, but that is not what the interviewers were asking. They asked, "do you believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven?". His response was something like, "well you know, I can't really say. that's something that God has to decide."

 

[Martin]

Isn't this the opposite of what you said about witnessing to muslims, that we needed to understand their beliefs so we could witness to them better.

==No. Understanding what a person believes in order to know how to witness to them is not the same as telling people what they want to hear. When I talk about understanding Muslims I am talking about understanding what they believe so we can refute it and answer any questions they may have about the truth. That is hardly the same as making people feel good. In fact, it can be rather offensive when you try to explain to a Muslim or Hindu that they are not worshipping God.

The question was posed why people are watching Joel Osteen and I tried to answer. I don't advocate not belong to a local church, but there are a lot of hurting people in the world who just don't feel they "fit in" to our traditional churches and would rather stay home

==They are not obeying God's Word (Heb 10:25). Feelings have nothing to do with it. We are commanded to attend Church.

 

[LadyEagle]

I will watch the video link again, but I don't recall him saying "well you know, I can't really say. that's something that God has to decide."

 

[Martin]

I will watch the video link again, but I don't recall him saying "well you know, I can't really say. that's something that God has to decide."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfwYU2pmWYQ

Btw, Osteen later issued a public apology over this portion of the interview. Sadly, however, he has not changed his tune when asked that question.

 

[LadyEagle]

We are commanded to attend Church.

There is no disputing that. The Pharisees had issues about commandments, too, but Jesus said "the greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' And the second is: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' The rest of the commands hang on those two.

Again, I don't advocate not attending church, but have tried to answer the question "why" about Joel Osteen.

Maybe it's not a matter of itching ears as some here would like to call it. Maybe it's a matter of a broken heart or wounded spirit that needs hope and healing. Maybe someone is fighting depression and can't bring themselves to drag themselves out of bed, but there is Joel with a message of hope on the television. Maybe someone is a shut-in. Maybe someone has just lost a son or daughter by suicide and just can't face people right now because of their own shame or self-imposed guilt. But Joel is a click away and offers hope.

And maybe some people just can't cope with Pharisees when they are emotionally scraping their boils with potshards.

 

[donnA]

If he doesn't tell people the only way to heaven is Jesus, what kind of hope can he possibly offer anyone. Only a false hope.

 

[LadyEagle]

If he doesn't tell people the only way to heaven is Jesus, what kind of hope can he possibly offer anyone. Only a false hope.

From his web site:

WE BELIEVE…the entire Bible is inspired by God, without error and the authority on which we base our faith, conduct and doctrine.
WE BELIEVE…in one God who exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to this earth as Savior of the world.
WE BELIEVE…Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. We believe that salvation is found by placing our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We believe Jesus rose from the dead and is coming again.
WE BELIEVE…water baptism is a symbol of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ and a testimony to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
WE BELIEVE…in the regular taking of Communion as an act of remembering what the Lord Jesus did for us on the cross.
WE BELIEVE…every believer should be in a growing relationship with Jesus by obeying God’s Word, yielding to the Holy Spirit and by being conformed to the image of Christ.
WE BELIEVE…as children of God, we are overcomers and more than conquerors and God intends for each of us to experience the abundant life He has in store for us.

 

[Gershom]

Joel has and does serve a purpose in my own life and was pivitol in my turn around in a certain area where I was lacking, but I couldn't sit under that same teaching week after week.

:godisgood: