...."What I find disconcerting is this whole wave of new Christian thinking that says that joy is to be found in the same place that culture and spirituality tells us. Get rich. Get healthy. Be happy. That's the equation. Health and wealth. Prosperity. Now, in this, what we are saying is that, as Christians, we have nothing to offer that is any different from non-Christians or people in other religions..."
....In a 2011 feature on Pastor Osteen, USA Today religion, spirituality and ethics reporter Cathy Lynn Grossman noted how the minister's message of empowerment and success "makes his critics livid," specifically citing Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president the Rev. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., and Pastor Driscoll. Grossman apparently also references Driscoll's 2007 sermon, writing that the Reformed evangelical Christian minister says "Osteen reduces the pursuit of God to 'lollipops and skipping while singing hymns.'" When asked for reaction to Mohler's and Driscoll's critiques, Osteen looked "genuinely mystified," wrote the reporter. "I don't know who those people are," Osteen told Grossman.
Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
- Luke 6:25-26
“......but there are worse things than being happy and encouraging at a time when the most common prescription medications are antidepressants.”
Yeah, like being a heretic.
“”Our identity is not in our joy, and our identity is not in our suffering. Our identity is in Christ, whether we have joy or are suffering.” “
Well stated (by Driscoll). The problem with a prosperity-type gospel is, that it is cruel to the poor or suffering. Being poor, or sick, or in various dire straits, is not necessarily a sign of your lack of faith. To preach so is neither happy nor encouraging.
That said, Christianity is a joyful religion as commonly understood. “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice!” (Phillipians 4:4)
“It doesn’t even bother me that he’s happy all the time, because maybe his spiritual gift is encouragement,”
Well, if his spiritual gift is encouragement wouldn’t he be better used in places like Asia or Africa where the church is persecuted? I wonder if he would be willing go give up that comfy church and lifestyle to take that gift where it is needed full time, not just for a quick missions trip. Don’t worry, I know the answer to that.
“Osteen reduces the pursuit of God to ‘lollipops and skipping while singing hymns.’”
YBPDL...something...something...NYPD...uhm...something...ping!
[In fairness, the picture did not come from the interview with USA Today. It was the best "Osteen looks confused" picture that I could find]
Why does anyone listen to Mark “Butt Sex Obsessed” Driscoll anymore?
I do have a problem with people like Rod Parsley, Mike Murdock, and Todd Koontz. Their broadcasts aren't sermons - they're infomercials. According to them, God wants to bless me - but he can't do it until I send them my $ 300.00 "Faith Seed", and the check clears. (If you don't want to send a check, God also accepts Visa and MasterCard.)
The problem isn’t that Olsten is just preaching Pollyanna style “happy verses”, it is that he preaches things that aren’t true.
It is easy to preach health and wealth in an affluent suburban church; go start an h & w church in Haiti