Posted on 08/10/2005 7:54:28 AM PDT by TBP
On any given Sunday, 100 million households from Australia, Europe, and across the USA will tune in to view Joel Osteen broadcasting from the 30,000-member Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Rated as the #1 inspirational television program by Nielson Media Research, Joel Osteen is preaching a message that certainly seems to be touching home with people all over America. In his much respected best selling book, Your Best Life Now-7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential, Osteen outlines a seven-step process for effecting profound change in your life. He speaks in terms of the positive in everyday life. Expect God's favor, live your full potential, realize your God-given right to prosperity, including being happy, building a good marriage, and having good relationships. Accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative are really the basis of Osteen's message. His true gift is in speaking directly to the viewer, almost to the point that the viewer feels that Osteen knows him personally. He talks about everyday real-life issues, using self disclosure from his own experiences and subsequent lessons learned in order to relay a powerful message.
Osteen's story has been often told in recent years. His father was the much-loved and revered Reverend John Osteen, founder and longtime pastor of the Lakewood Church. Father John authored 45 books and was know as the "pastor's pastor," leading seminars and conferences around the country along with running a successful television ministry. Joel Osteen's first experiences were in business and media, becoming a successful producer of his father's television ministry. Upon his father's untimely death in 1999, Joel humbly stepped up to fill his father's shoes, and the rest is recent history.
The amazing phenomenon that we are witnessing with the rise of Osteen is that he has seamlessly incorporated and integrated the long-practiced prosperity principles of the century-old New Thought movement (principles derived from the teachings of Jesus and even earlier teachings) into a mainstream Christian message. A mere decade ago, most of the TV preachers and hometown pastors delivered a message that those in the flock are sinners, undeserving, dust-of-the-earth folks, who could not expect much from God other than a beautiful afterlife. The common teaching did not recognize that we are empowered with making a good life for ourselves. In fact, many would have called Osteen's teachings blasphemy. And some very vocal mainstream Christianity proponents are saying just that. The internet is littered with "outing Joel Osteen" messages, stating that he is card carrying metaphysical teacher not unlike Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer and Neale Donald Walsch. They say that he speaks the same lingo as the well known self empowerment gurus of today, adding a Christian tint and point of view.
When Osteen is asked who inspires him, he is vague in his responses. When asked which books he reads, he replies that he reads many books and has no particular favorites. When interviewed about gay marriage and other liberal ideas, he has replied that he doesn't get into that. Regardless of where the basis of his message comes from, it is powerful and fulfilling to his large audience. It is quite apparent to any knowledgeable viewer who may have studied New Thought and other metaphysical writings, that Osteen is preaching what philosopher William James called "the religion og healthy-mindedness." He is delving far beyond the power of positive thinking of the Sixties and Seventies. He discusses our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and belief systems. Some metaphysical teachers are feeling cheated, for Joel Osteen is bringing mainstream Christianity down a parallel path of teachings. But what does it really matter? If mainstream Christianity can transform its ages-old "fire and brimstone" fear-based message into one of self empowerment and practical positive living , then it is all the better for humanity. The world's Christians can now feel empowered and happy without the prerequisite guilt that was so prominent in the past.
Joel Osteen is touching a chord in the human spirit in teaching empowerment, betterment, positive thinking, optimism, and gratitude toward God. The overwhelming response is evidenced by blockbuster book sales and skyrocketing television ratings. And this very same phenomenal response is commensurate with the need of the seekers that he is reaching out to.
On a more reflective note, the melding of practical spirituality and Christianity may not be good for the long-term "brand" equity of Christianity. If you can watch presentations by Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson and Joel Osteen side by side and see little difference in the teachings other than terminology, what will be the outcome of the loyalty to one particular religion? All of these teachers are offering a similar message in different packaging. The real outcome of Osteen's rise is yet to be seen. The present conclusion is that he is greatly helping to uplift humanity by teaching self-empowerment, negating victim-hood, and relieving people of the propensity for guilt in striving for prosperity and abundance.
Joel Osteen is definitely a mover and a shaker of the highest nature. His charm and charisma packaged with a succinctly delivered message will only propel him to even greater heights. Expect his to be a household name around the world in the coming years. Whereas Billy Graham delivered a powerful sermon and saved millions of "sinners," Joel Osteen is sure to uplift and elevate the lives of many millions more.
Lord is not some cosmic grandpa who is there to grant my every wish--
Could not have said it better.
"When interviewed about gay marriage and other liberal ideas, he replied....he doesn't get into that".......that one phrase speaks much louder than anything else in the article. What he's saying is that "I'm another blow dried, odorless pastor who refuses to take on the flagship issues of the anti-American movement such as homosexuality, abortion, humanism in the schools, etc. because I don't want to "offend anyone", especially the IRS who might yank my 501C-3 tax status from me..........in other words, just pay attention to the current message vs. what's NOT being said and by the way, is your tithing up to date?
That's a very modern concept of religion. Self denial is the original concept.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
If you had any doubts about Joel Osteen....
Dan
If you happen to receive material prosperity, then fine but do not aim solely for that. Besides, the Kingdom you refer to may not have anything to do with life in this present form.
Read a little further.
Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Do you know what Kingdom Jesus was referring to?
So, do you live out on the street? Because, didn't Jesus say to give it all away to the poor, and follow Him? Do you own anything? You'd better give it away, or you're not going to heaven, right?
"1": What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
"2": God forbid. How shall we, that are to sin, live any longer therein?
"3": Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his ?
"4": Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into : that like as Christ was raised up from the by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
"5": For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his , we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
"6": Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
"7": For he that is is freed from sin.
"8": Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
"9": Knowing that Christ being raised from the dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
"10": For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
"11": Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
"12": Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
"13": Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the , and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
"Thy life in my death"? That's the true gospel. Jesus said it unmistakably and inescapably, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matt. 16:24-25). It's not about exalting me, it's about slaying me. It's the death of self. You win by losing, you live by dying. And that is the heart message of the gospel. That is the essence of discipleship.
Yes. The problem I think arises in the definition of "abundantly."
I think you are correct. I define "abundantly" as an abundance of Love and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, not material gifts or sensual gifts or gifts of the pleasures of this world.
Jesus also said that His Kingdom is not of this world.
I have no problem with your definition. It is God-centered, not man-centered.
I love that one. Sort of the bottom line of this whole thread.
-You'd better give it away, or you're not going to heaven, right?--
It may seem extreme but it is easier for you to enter the eye of a "needle" (not literally) than one who is very comfortable...
Bump toyour comments?
Based upon your respnse to me and others posting here, you seem to be here to start an argument, not discuss.
Today's Gospel:
Yup, that's where the joy is. You can see it on this thread. The anger is coming from the proponents of "man-centered" theology.
**Matthew 16: 24 & 25: If anyone desires to follow after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.**
Amen. See the Gospel from Saint John also.
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