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Posts by Oguazi

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  • Joel Osteen Rebukes Apostles Paul, Peter, and John

    09/23/2013 8:05:01 PM PDT · 98 of 161
    Oguazi to Sopater

    I have read this article carefully and listened to some controversial interviews of Pastor Joel Osteen, but did not see where he rebuked Apostles Paul, Peter and John. I acknowledge that Pastor Osteen has had some doctrinal errors in his presentations in television interviews that are inexcusable; however, I do not support such write up against him that is hateful and destructive. The caption of this article is provocative and is purely the product of the imaginative thoughts of the writer. I have listened to Pastor Osteen minister on several occasions and have been blessed by his ministry. I know that there are several hundred of others that have been encouraged, comforted, restored and refreshed by his ministry worldwide. However, I do not agree with some statements he has made on some TV interviews. He came back to retrieve some of them, but he did not retrieve some of the recent statements. Some of them were shocking to me, but my first response was not to condemn him, but pray for him. I also believe that those Christian leaders who have access to him should correct him and probably rebuke him too; but no one should attempt to destroy him or his ministry. Trying to do that or incite people against him will be doing more harm to the Body of Christ than the wrong the Pastor did in the first place. Most of us are not perfect. Someone can miss it; but it is for those who know better to correct or rebuke him with the spirit of love. Even Apostle Peter missed it by distancing himself from Gentile Christians in Antioch when Believers from Jerusalem visited, and Apostle Paul had to rebuke him (Galatians 2:11-14). He did not do it to destroy him, but to correct him. Their love for one another was not lost because of that experience and that was why Peter had beautiful things later to say about the ministry of Paul (2 Peter 3:15). I believe that we should be careful when we notice that fellow Believers are missing the way. We should do our best to correct them and lead them back to the way and not destroy them. Those who feel that some Pastors have watered down the message should endeavor to preach stronger message, but no one should tear down the Body because he believes people are not preaching strong message. It should grieve each of us that the standards that Christ set, which the Apostles handed down to us are being watered down, but that is the very reason to groan and cry to God for the Church and resist the Old Serpent who is deceiving and destroying the Body. We should not act as Satan’s hatchet men by striking the last blow to slay our fallen solders.