Thursday, June 4, 2009

Joel Osteen - Pastor or Profiteer?

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Joel Osteen preaches that "All people can reach their God given potential of health, wealth and happiness." He tells women to tell themselves;"Ten years from now I will be married" and "He's going to be rich and good looking!"

Is that what God is really looking for in our prayer? God's purpose for us is clearly stated in Genesis 12:1-3 and restated throughout the entire Bible. God's children have a Great Commission to be a light to the rest of the world, and preach the Word with the courage he provides through the Holy Spirit. And the Word, the Good News, the Gospel is this: that Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to die for us in order to save us, despite the fact that we are all sinners and don't deserve his gift of salvation. We have been given the gift of salvation, and all we need to do is realize our sinfulness, humble ourselves, repent, ask for forgiveness, and accept His gift.

Where and how do rich husbands fit into this picture?

Osteen chooses to focus on lusting for potential gifts from God rather than repenting from sin. He rarely uses Scripture and instead, claims he is a Christian "life coach." Yet he doesn't use Scripture as a text. At times, he has even seemed to deny that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

Osteen seems to be a saleman and "Christian" events are his marketplace. Note the amount of money spent at his events, and remember that neither Jesus nor any of his true disciples required funds from their listeners. In fact, Jesus fed the lot of them - for free - simply because they needed to be fed.

No wonder Osteen doesn't understand the deity and purpose of Jesus Christ, nor the purpose of Scripture, nor the purpose of Christians. Osteen has never studied theology or even religion at a college of seminary. He attended Oral Roberts University for a short time, but reportedly didn't take the theology courses while there.

Pay close attention to God's warnings in Matt 7:15, Acts 20:29, Romans 16:18, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, and 2 Peter 2-3.
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