Osteen Arms Thousands with Hope, Not Doctrine| Christianpost.com.
When we see people like Joel who was basically the last one standing when his father died become so popular, we understand that the great falling away means that society as a whole will fall away from searching for God. People like to fell good about themselves, that much is evident. What hope is there but in Jesus Christ and his Church? What is the Church? Among many things, it is the keep of the Doctrine. Joel is the latest in the heap of preachers that have no problem telling people something that will no convict them.
Call it what you want, but Joel is a false prophet.
WASHINGTON – “God has the power to meet your needs,” Joel Osteen told some 19,000 people Friday night. “ He not only has the power, He has the desire to meet your needs. He wants you to live this abundant life.”
Pastor of one of the largest churches in the country whose messages are heard by millions around the world, Osteen preached his signature uplifting message at the Verizon Center during his “A Night of Hope” worship event.
His visit comes less than two months before the nation chooses its next president, but the popular Lakewood Church pastor didn’t come to the nation’s capital to talk politics, let alone rally Christians behind a candidate.
“I try not to weigh in a lot on [politics],” Osteen told The Christian Post. The only political rallying he does is to make sure people vote and do their part. “I always encourage our congregation to search their own heart and vote what they feel God wants them to. I think if we do our part, God will put the right person in office.”
Still undecided on his personal pick for the next White House leader, Osteen noted, “There’s good and great things in both candidates (Barack Obama and John McCain). They’re both great leaders.”
He also commended Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., for hosting the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates at his church for a civil forum last month.
“It gave good insight into who they are,” Osteen commented. “Nobody more qualified to do [the forum] than Rick Warren, so I think it was great.”
Osteen, whose podcast messages consistently rank in the top 10 on iTunes, keeps politics out of his church. He doesn’t preach on political issues; he also doesn’t teach theological doctrine or try to explain every detail in the Bible.
That’s not his calling, he says. And that has drawn critics.
“Just the fact that we’re presenting hope, that we present the Gospel as good news, as God being good, some people think that …” Osteen said as he paused to try to identify what he feels is most misunderstood about him. “I don’t know if it’s misunderstood. That’s what I feel like my calling is.”
“I’m just one part of what God wants us to do on the earth so I really feel that I’m running my race and maybe people don’t necessarily see that,” he continued.
Some pastors and theologians have criticized Osteen’s failure to talk about sin, suffering and the message of the cross.
But the Lakewood megachurch pastor stresses, “I’m called to plant a seed of hope in people’s hearts,” as he wrote in his latest book, Become a Better You.
If congregants want to dig deeper into Scripture and learn core theological doctrines, Osteen says Lakewood Church offers classes during the week.
“I think, again, my gift is to help people to live out the Christian life because you can have a lot of knowledge but if you don’t know how to forgive when people hurt you, have a good attitude, expect good things … I feel like that’s my main gifting,” he told The Christian Post. “But I do believe we need to know what Jesus did when he died, what it all meant, and we have people that teach that.”
Doing what he does best, Osteen reached out to thousands Friday, arming them with hope and positive thoughts.
“Sometimes in my own life when I’m having difficulties I like to just come back to the fact and just say to myself ‘God, You created the whole universe … God, I believe you can give me $4 for a gallon of gas, You can help me pay rent, heal my back.’ See what I mean? I’m talking about keeping it all in perspective,” he said to a roaring applause.
“I can’t say that I understand it all but I can always come back to the fact that God is good.”
Visiting 18 cities this year, Osteen hits Dallas, Texas, in October for “A Night of Hope.”
Joel Landon Watts is a Masters of Theological Studies student with a focus in Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific ideals of the past century. Currently, he is a TA for Old Testament at United Theological Seminary under Dr. Vivian Johnson, Associate Professor of Old Testament. His first book, Rhetorical Strategies of the Evangelist: Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark, is expected to be published by Wipf and Stock early next year. He is currently co-editing a book on moving from Fear to Faith (Energion, 2013).
I have no particular interest in pastor Osteen, there are enough troubles in my own part of the church to spend much time examining other parts. But you did provoke the following thought:
Whenever I am tempted to receive the idea that the “goodness of God” dictates that a life free of temporal struggles is available for all who love Him, I am reminded of the prophet Jeremiah. Given his life, and how he suffered for the sake of accurately conveying God’s message. I very much doubt that Jeremiah would agree with the idea that, since God holds all things, and loves me, He therefore wishes right now to give me everything.
Much more likely that God does desire all joy for us (not all things), and intends to bring it about. But only He knows what that will need, and when, and how. I can speculate, but at the end of it all, I must simply trust, knowing that He alone is the true fulfillment of my needs, and at the end of all things, I will joyfully exclaim that “He has done all things well!”
very good polycarp. glad to know someone else can see through his cotton candy gospel!
I actually hurt inside when passing by his channel. I think it may be well someone preach on suffering for Christ’s sake. My bible is full of it. A lot more suffering taught than, diamond bracelets, a new lexus, and a million dollars to those that believe. It is no doubt we are very important to God, but not in the way he proclaims. God, a magic geany?
Bro. Lanis,
That is my point. Everything in the Gospels slow to a snails pace when it comes the Passion of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Then Paul spends a great deal of time explaining what happened! Yet, Joel does care enough to preach on it?
Okay Polycarp, well, I am going to be the one to disagree.
You know a little about what I have written and I see what is being said differently than most because of the life of abuse at the hands of family members and churches alike that has made up my history.
First, one night about a year ago after being judged by everyone imaginable, rejected because I would not act as they did, I felt suicidal, felt unwanted and unloved. I turned on the TV after reading some scripture and it actually not helping. There was Pastor Osteen smiling, offering words of hope to me, saying that God had good for me and that my life had a purpose and God’s plan will be wonderful no matter what I go through in getting there. He also said God was faithful to keep me. I needed hope that night, it broke through the barrier and the word of God became alive to me again.
I know those who have been raised in good christian homes think that this is cotton candy gospel, but I, because of what I went through, find it reminds me that the goodness of God is that I am still live and my past does not determine what God has for me, or has for me to do in the future. I have tried 3 times to kill myself since I was 8 years old and I know myself there are people who need to shot of hope to believe so they can recognize that God loves them. Inside of me is Jesus, the hope of glory and having dealt with a young man just recently who wanted to die, I gave him hope that God loves him and then after he absorbed that, I reminded him of Jesus’ sacrifice and he repented and was saved. Maybe it is cotton candy to a lot of you, but for someone who knows what it is like to need that night of hope, it was a turning point pointing me to God.
As far as his other comments, only he and God knows how God has directed him. However, I too believe God will direct all his people who to vote for. Not even everyone on her this blog can agree who to vote for if the truth were to become known. I do say that the first quote on this blog is fabulous and true. Life has not be gloriously easy for me the past year since that night of hope happened, but it has been glorious with God reminding me daily of His love for me and drawing me to him. It is like He covers me in the shadow of His wings all the time.
When someone is used by God to plant something wonderful in me to get me to this wonderful point in my life, I will not touch him. He is called a false prophet? I have not heard him give a prophetic word so I have nothing to judge that statement on. I don’t watch him all the time, but sometimes I do out of gratitude and receive something wonderful; just like I come on here and am full of gratitude to you Polycarp for what you have planted in me. I will not allow anyone to influence me to speak against you and I cannot and will not speak against Pastor Osteen.
My last statement is this, the hope he shared kept me alive to find in God’s word what was real and now I am more stable than I have ever been because God met my greatest need because He had the power to do it.
I love you guys.
Tammy,it is not my place to address your comments, but I will give my perspective as to my take on Osteen. If one listens long enough to him, it is apparent he is of one course and one course only. His theme is at best laxly based on scripture. There are many, many, deep truths within the word, and it is the responsibility of a minister to expound it as God leads. That being said, you just happened to need what he said that night. Osteen was not your help, Tammy, God was. God used a donkey to speak to the prophet one time, does that donkey get the credit? No. The donkey was just a donkey and available when needed, that doesn’t make him a minister. I’m beholding to you for your acknowledgement you needed help, that is when God answers; even if he has to use a Joel Osteen to speak thru.
My point is, God provided for you Tammy, not Osteen. The reason I make this claim? We need to consider the thousands and thousands that sit in his crowds and don’t have the honest heart you have, they are being fooled into believing they are right and everything is ok. It just isn’t true Christianity Tammy, they need to hear what it takes to be saved straight from the bible as you and I did.
Tammy, give God the credit and the next time you are in need and no one is around, it may be your dog or cat will come up to you and snuggle and you will feel comfort because God provides in mysterious ways. God provided Polycarp, he has provided me to many over my 61 years; the both of us will readily give God the glory for using us, but we wont ever let the world give us credit as if it is our doing. We fear God too much.
You are an honest heart, and your needs seem overpowering at times, God is ever present with you. When you need God,just stand still and whisper “I need you Lord” and He wont ever fail you. Thats not empty words, I am living proof.
Lanis, I do give God all the credit, and praise Him daily for what He has brought me through. The article above was not about a donkey or about God’s provision, but about the disagreement with what Pastor Osteen preaches, therefore, I responded to that. I gave a testimony and I do give all the glory to God for he used a man to point me back to him with hope. I have no problem giving honor where honor is due. I am sorry you read the wrong thing in what I wrote, because God is my first priority and I felt lead to answer according to the article as many do, some with bad reviews and some with good. I chose mercy over judgment, grace over condemnation.
Thank you for reemphysizing to me what I am already doing and reminding me to keep doing it. The one thing about blogs on the internet though, we do not know the heart of the person writing and so we assume that they are not doing what we think they should be doing. Please remember that so that you will not be planting the seed of condemnation without realizing it.
Peace and Grace be to you all. Tata for now, work calls.
Lanis, I do receive your last comments with great joy. I will continue to cry out Abba Father and watch God move. He has been so faithful, I can barely contain how I feel right now. Before coming on here, I was listening to the song In Christ Alone, I wept at his sacrifice and praised God for His love for me. I have been showed so much grace, so much mercy that I have no shame in showing that much to those I speak of. I have not always been like that. Today you can call it hormones, but I call it gratitude for what God has done and for all those He has used to minister to me in my life, including you. God Bless You.
I only wanted to make the point Osteen needs to be a whole package of truth, not just prosperity.
As to you, I can well see you are persuing God with all you have, that is apparent. The trials are tests of faith, and all I want is you to know God is standing right beside you watching every thought and motive you have. I keep that in focus as I want to make sure I don’t embarrass my Lord by doing something foolish. So, I guess I have had the same type trials as you, that is why I could relate. I’ve never wanted to kill myself and I have been on rock bottom, but my trials are heavy as yours are heavy. Nothing is too small or too great for God, it is but a spoken word to take the sting out of any trial.
I understood you gave Osteen credit for being there in your need, but I still say he is not a whole package as we all illuded to. We weren’t putting down he hasn’t helped someone at sometime, it is just that if he were to allow God to use him, his ministry would make a radical change.
I HAVE BEEN ATTENDING LAKEWOOD CHURCH FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS…AND I DO FIND IT FULLFILLING..WHEN IT COMES TO JOY & HAPPINESS..BUT I THINK THERE IS SOME REALITY THAT IS BEING MISSED.. I BELIEVE THAT LAKEWOOD CAN DO A GREAT DEAL MORE BEYOND THEIR FRONT DOORS. SOMETHING SIMPLE AS PARISHONERS BRING A CAN GOOD TO THE SERVICE….THAT SHOULD KEEP HOUSTON FOOD BANK HELPED…