Just disgusting.
Here’s a bit of history on this guy...from what I’ve found Osteen’s had no formal Bible training, he dropped out of Oral Roberts University where he was studying “television” to get his fathers television ministry going...which he produced.
Joel’s father John Osteen, was a “Word Faith” preacher like that of Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Myers and the like. So after his father died he took over the pulpit preaching.
So Joel’s message is clear where it’s roots are.... Osteen said his goal is to... “give people a boost for the week.”...and thus his message is to keep people from feeling uncomfortable, bad or guilty by letting them know what is wrong. ..and so he avoids talking of sin or a need for repentance on purpose.
His preaching is always to keep people coming back for the next “fix”... a whole lot of word faith stuff...”discover your potential, tickle your ears type of sermons that make one keep coming back for more. Robert Shuller mixed with a host of other than catchy quotes.
according to Osteen young people are attracted to a church setting with “the best lighting and the best sound system,” .. “It’s not a churchy feel,” Osteen, said. “We don’t have crosses up there. We believe in all that, but I like to take ‘the barriers down’ that have kept people from coming.”
He further states.... ‘Make church relevant.’ ‘Give them something to be able to take away. I find today people are not looking for theology. There’s a place for it, [But] in your everyday life you need to know how to live” (Charisma, June 2004, pp. 44-45).
He says further...” My thing is this: the Bible says it’s the goodness of God that leads people to repentance. That’s right out of the Bible.”.... (The Bible actually says “godly sorrow works repentance…” (2 Cor. 7:10).)
“There’s ‘power’ in what you visualize,” Osteen said as well....but he fails to understand or know (along with all the other things he doesn’t know)....Visualizing is an occult technique that brings you immediately into the spirit realm that we are not to be involved with.
Here’s his full quote.....” We have to conceive it on the inside before we’re ever going to receive it on the outside. If you don’t think you can have something good, then you never will. The barrier is in ‘your mind’. It’s not God’s lack of resources or your lack of talent that prevents you from prospering. Your own wrong thinking can keep you from God’s best. ”....Nothing said about trusting God.
and here he claims...” Your words have creative power. When you go around saying, ‘I have favor, people want to be good to me and ‘supernatural doors are opening.’ When you make those declarations of faith, you are charging the atmosphere. And your own words can help to bring it to pass.”....stunningly this is New Age combined but worse the focus is on one’s own words to change things...not God’s Word.
Exerts taken from....and a very interesting read on Olsteen.
http://www.letusreason.org/popteac29.htm