Posted on 12/26/2013 8:44:20 AM PST by Gamecock
Joel Osteen, megachurch pastor and New York Times best-selling author, was pressed during a recent interview about his stance on homosexuality and asked if he would ever come out in support of same-sex marriage. The Texas minister, who leads America’s largest congregation, explained that he refuses to “harp” on such issues and was “for everybody.”
In his appearance on “Katie” this week, the Break Out! author was asked to state his core message in a nugget, which the Lakewood Church pastor said was that “God is good, He’s for you, He’s on your side.”
“When you put your trust in Him, even when you have difficult times, you can rise higher. You can excel, you can be leaders. It’s an empowering message, not one that pushes people down,” he added.
Host Katie Couric suggested that the popular minister does not “spend a lot of time in (his) sermons talking about good and evil, sin and redemption. It is a very overall positive message.” She asked, “Why don’t you give people more of a moral template?”
Osteen insisted that he does, but “in a positive way.”
“There’s enough pushing people down in life already,” he added. “When they come to my church, or our meetings, I want them to be lifted up. I want them to know that God’s good, that they can move forward, that they can break an addiction, that they can become who God’s created them to be.”
The Houston, Texas, pastor was also asked about the “prosperity gospel” that he preaches, which Osteen said was a term he “never liked.”
“What it connotates is that you just talk about money,” he said. “I don’t do that, I don’t do that on purpose because so many people are skeptical of TV preachers to begin with.”
As he defines it, “Prosperity is having good relationships, having peace in your mind, being able to sleep at night. But I do believe God wants you to be blessed. He wants you to excel in your career. He wants you to go further than your parents. There’s a tradition that says you’re supposed to take a vow of poverty if you’re going to be a Christian, but I don’t believe that.”
“But there are your critics, Joel, who feel like you put too much emphasis on materialism,” Couric countered.
Osteen clarified that he believes God blesses people so that they in turn can bless others. “That’s the whole key. It’s never about just what can I get so that I can be so rich and wealthy. It’s not that. It’s how can I be blessed to do good for other people,” he said.
Osteen spoke further about his ministry objectives when asked if he considers himself a theologian, since he does not have any “real formal training,” despite leading a flock of 45,000 at Lakewood Church and his messages reaching millions worldwide.
“I’m ordained by my church. I don’t have a seminary degree,” explained Pastor Osteen.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a theologian, and I don’t debate the Scripture. I feel like what I’m good about, and I think this is the one reason the ministry is successful, I talk about how do we live the Christian life, how do we forgive, how do we have a good self-image.”
He suggested that although he might touch on doctrine in his messages, he believes an emphasis on doctrine may be what is contributing to low attendance at other churches. “These days, people want to know, ‘If I come to church, how’s it going to help me to live my life?’” he added.
The second half of Osteen’s interview on “Katie” focused strongly on the “sea change of attitudes in this country, especially toward gay rights and gay marriage,” as Couric put it.
He and his wife remind me of the movie “Elmer Gantry.”
I wouldn’t get it the way he did, and I don’t trust someone who smiles all the time.
I was wondering as well. However we have articles and posters here that deny the Trinity as well. It is like 4th Century Asia Minor here at times.
Oh and Happy New Year.
Ya remember how Osteen denied Christ?
Numbers don’t mean a thing by the way. Remember how people left Jesus when his preaching got hard?
Wow, lots of haters here.....
I’ve caught three of his programs based on his show coming on after another program I was watching. Heard so much about him so checked it out. Each time I could not get passed the first few minutes as he gets into a cheerleading routine on self improvement. Which may be fine for some group or office seminar. He does tell a good clean joke at the beginning, but call me starchy, jokes have no place in the pulpit.
hater?
He is a hater of truth.
I actually don’t follow Osteen because I am Catholic, but I hate when people are arrogant enough to dictate who is going to hell and who is not. It is one of the most arrogant things a person can do In my humble opinion. Retired Army Guy believes he has God like abilities to foresee the future. I find him more dangerous (in that post) than Osteen by a mile.
Maybe he meant the Franciscan order. Don’t know.
I will say for those who are given more, more is expected.
May I assume you are a “friend of Bill W”? I am and in the early days I fell for Robert Schuler. Thankfully it only took be a few months and a good friend’s advise for me to see the truth.
Osteen is just yet another
TV has more often than not petrified the word
He ran the video part of his old man’s church. When the old man died he saw just how much money he could make. I think they used to be Baptists. Whatever they were, they left so they wouldn’t have to pay a percentage to the headquarters.
He got a $14 million advance on one of his books. I have a problem with a so called “man of the cloth” being paid that much money to tell people about God.
I’ve always read that body lanquage experts say when a person is blinking his eyes a lot, he’s lying. Watch Osteen, if you can stomach it for just a few seconds.
Now I’ve got my flame suit on. But as I understand it, if it’s not in the religion thread, it’s fair game. It’s not in the religion thread, is it?
Well, he says “there’s a tradition”. Jesus did tell a guy to sell all he owns, give the money to the poor and follow Him. Then he says “It’s harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven......”
What Osteen is saying is “I’m going to get rich because that’s what I believe.”
Jesus knew the rich man was worshipping his money. That is not a pattern for all of us to follow.
My wife was talking to a woman one Sunday afternoon about Osteen. The lady said her and her daughter had driven from San Antonio and her daughter actually got to shake his hand! Lots of his followers think of him as more than a mere mortal.
My condolences.
Jesus went on to say “The love of money is the root of all evil.” That’s not saying that “money” is the root of all evil. These prosperity preachers and big time TV evangelists definitely LOVE the money.
Benny Hinn wrote a book about visiting Heaven. If God gave me the opportunity to go visit Heaven, I sure wouldn’t charge anyone to tell them about it. But, hey, that’s just me.
The little I have seen of Olsteen, mostly interviews, I did not hear him preach the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. He may, but I have yet to hear it. As you note, we should not be focused on living in the world because His Kingdom is not this fallen world. We are to be as pilgrims for Christ in this unholy land.
I get so tired of hearing "God is on my/your side." Yes, He loves us, but are WE on HIS side? Are we for Him? That is the decision we have to make.
Osteen is mealymouthed and wants to be liked. I have no use for him. Anyway, who smiles ALL the time?
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