JOEL OSTEEN: APPRISING HIS WORD FAITH TEACHINGS

Apprising Ministries ^ | Aug 23, 2008 | Ken Silva

[Terriergal]

You go brother Ken~!

[JamesP81]

I've got friends that are mixed up in this stuff. I've discussed it at length with my best friend, who's father is a Freewill Baptist pastor. We attended college together and were both members of a church group that was heavily influenced in the W/F direction. Both me and my friend came to the conclusion that such teaching is dangerous. First of all, when name and claim it doesn't work, new Christians will often leave the faith. It brings the name of Christ into disrepute.

Osteen and Meyer both start off with a simple message of self-esteem and then spray it lightly with a veneer of Christian terminology in an attempt to pass it off as “biblical.”

I've always had a creepy feeling from these two based on that very message. Every time I see Osteen speak, I hear a lot of "be good to people, live a good life, do nice things" and I almost never hear, "He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one goes to the Father but by Him." Any pastor who doesn't teach the latter but does teach the former is no pastor at all, but a tool for the enemy useful for deceiving men into not accepting Christ's sacrifice.

[Veto!]

A friend of mine is a devoted Olsteen fan. She’s a one-sided twit. I cannot tell you the hours I’ve spent listening to her complaints about her life and relationship, but when I needed to talk about my problems, she gave me a horrified look and informed me that the devil has control of me.

Olsteenism apparently teaches that if you’re not chipper and cheerful every minute, you’ve somehow flunked Christianity 101 abd become a tool of the devil.

Nice.

[Lee N. Field]

"We’ve heard a lot about the judgment of God and what we can’t do and what’s going to keep us out of heaven." --the Smiling Man

Better to hear it now, than later.

[Quix]

GOD
HIMSELF
SAID
AND
SAYS:
ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH
SO BE IT
UNTO
YOU.

I've long observed, that WHEN folks take God at His Word . . . stepping out in faith, jumping out of the boat toward Jesus . . .

GOD AFFIRMS HIS WORD WITH MIRACULOUS SIGNS FOLLOWING in changed lives and other dramatic ways much more often than when folks do NOT take God at HIS WORD.

This occurs even when the dispensers of God's Word are flawed . . . as ALL are.

And, there's an erroneous ASSUMPTION, PRETENSE that the more staid, conventional, 'frozen chosen' varieties of Christendom have no such flaws nor errors nor junk.

THAT'S far from the truth. It's just that their errors are less dramatic, less vivid, less publicized, etc. but are NOT less deadly.

SOME of those throwing rocks at Joel et al are in for some very heavy and very troublesome reaping of what they've been sowing.

[gatorhead]

“Breathe, believe, and receive”-—Tiffany Granath, Afternoon Advice, Playboy satellite radio.

[Rammer]

Didn’t Stephen step out in faith and end up getting stoned for it?

Paul stepped out in faith in a big way, and yet he was beaten repeatedly, owned practically nothing, was jailed over and over, and scorned by many. He even prayed that his “thorn in the side” be removed, and God said no.

Tradition tells us Peter was crucified as well.

Were all of these martyrs just weak in faith? Were they reaping what they sowed?

[Alamo-Girl]

GOD HIMSELF SAID AND SAYS: ACCORDING TO YOUR FAITH SO BE IT UNTO YOU. I've long observed, that WHEN folks take God at His Word . . . stepping out in faith, jumping out of the boat toward Jesus . . . GOD AFFIRMS HIS WORD WITH MIRACULOUS SIGNS FOLLOWING in changed lives and other dramatic ways much more often than when folks do NOT take God at HIS WORD.

Indeed. Thank you so much for sharing your insights and testimony, dear brother in Christ!

[Christian4Bush]

marking for later reading

[ColdSteelTalon]

Victoria was excited. She turned around, looked back at the home, and said, “Joel, one day we’re going to live in a beautiful home just like that!” Over the next several months, she kept speaking words of faith and victory, and she finally talked me into it. She convinced me that we could live in an elegant home like the one we saw. I got rid of my limited thinking and I started agreeing with her. I started believing that somehow, some way, God could bring it to pass. We kept on believing it, seeing it, and speaking it (Osteen, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, Chapter One).

I keep syaing that someday I will win the lottery. I have been doing that for 15 years now and it has not worked out. (sarcasm /off).

[Marysecretary]

You’re right. God called him into the ministry and I believe it was one of encouragement, not judgement.

[Marysecretary]

Joel’s mother was healed of terminal cancer by speaking forth words of faith and not allowing anyone around her to speak negativity. It sure worked for her. I have her book. It’s full of healing scriptures.

[grey_whiskers]

By what rule do you distinguish charlatans and those watering down the gospel (i.e. death to self, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, or even 1 Tim 5:5-6 wink nudge), from those whom God really has blessed legitimately?

Cheers!

[Quix]

The obvious violations of plain Scripture speak loudly enough on their own of their own falseness or askewness.

Those who’s mixture takes Holy Spirit’s discernment may call for extra prayer to focus in and discern carefully and accurately. And we all see through the glass darkly.

I don’t think there is a staid/static litmus test. All such are more or less man-concocted and there will be as many exceptions as there are non-exceptions, imho.

If folks emphasize loving God foremost and others as one’s self—CHRIST seems to insist, the rest will follow OK in due course.

I think Joel does a fair job of both of those. And, I believe that in his small groups, they get down much more pointedly to the nitty gritty of dealing with sin firmly and Biblicly etc.

[grey_whiskers]

H'mm.

Not quite what I'd like, but no red flags either.

I tend to think more of true ministers not getting rich off of their ministries -- e.g. St. Paul was a manual laborer.

(Course, then you have Aquinas, who came from 'connections'.)

Cheers!

[Quix]

I think even that’s a mixed bag.

I prefer Billy Graham’s style on that score—a moderate income’s salary.

However, David was not poor. Neither Solomon.

Rock stars are far wealthier for far worse an impact on society.

Ministers who bring spiritual benefits to millions . . . what’s a token per capita of those benefitted . . . as long as they are responsible to God for what they do WITH HIS BLESSINGS TO THEM-CONSIDERING ALL THEIR INCOME DEDICATED TO HIM—that’s OK with m.

Of course, there’s plenty of evidence that few such are that humble and responsible to God.

I do think that Joel has more humility than many folks give him credit for. I don’t know about his wife.

[Quix]

Agreed.

Thanks for all your pings.

Tired, full day and not at all ready with all the administrivia for classes tomorrow.

LUB

[grey_whiskers]

But "you cannot serve both God and mammon" and think of the Pharisees, who did what they did for public opinion (they have received their reward...)

I think in general it's far safer for ministers to not be rich.

Past my bedtime, g'night.

[Rammer]

So when Stephen was martyred, Paul was beaten and jailed, and Peter was crucified, were they guilty of having spoken negatively?

[Marysecretary]

We aren’t talking about ancient times here. We know what happened to all of them.