Interesting Article on Joel Osteen

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

That pretty much sums up Joel Osteen. Yes he teaches encouraging messages to make people happier. However I've never heard him preach a salvation message. You can listen to a lot of postive thinking "speakers" and be happier. In fact you really don't need anyone to do that yourself. It does not mean your life has improved though. It just means you are convincing yourself you should be happy all the time.

One thing Joel did that I really admired was when they were building their new building (renovating it) he refused money from the church so they can spend it on the building and just lived off the proceeds from his books.

My thinking though is if he is getting that much from the books, if it were me, why not just do that and relieve the church to use those funds for other things.

It is an admirable thing. However it does not make someone saved or better. Look at Oprah. She is always giving away stuff and she is fast becoming a false teacher herself.

Anyways, if one finds encouragement in Osteen that's fine, but if he were a man of God then he needs to be more balanced too and preach a saving gospel, preach against sin, preach repentance, preach to his church that while they can be happy they also need to live holy. If he did that I wonder how many of those same people that flocked to his church would still be there? Yes just speculation, I don't know. I don't know why anyone goes there. But if it's just for the positive feel good messages and if that is all Joel preaches obviously they are escaping from churches where they either don't get that or they also get a dose of a reminder of how to live for God. LOL I think Im sounding like a con now

Truthfully there is not much different between Oprah and Osteen...except his hair is better.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

Truthfully there is not much different between Oprah and Osteen...except his hair is better.

lol. However I don't know that Osteen has ever said that Christianity is NOT the only way to God...has he? Is Osteen really a New Ager?

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

lol. However I don't know that Osteen has ever said that Christianity is NOT the only way to God...has he? Is Osteen really a New Ager?

I wouldnt say he's a new ager... but on the issue of "is Christianity the only way to God", note this part of the article:

While Osteen’s message wins over the moderate masses, he has become anathema to more-traditional Southern Baptists. His appearance on Larry King Live in 2005, during which he waffled as to whether heaven was barred to Jews, Muslims, and atheists, was posted on YouTube as proof that Osteen doesn’t embrace the Gospel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfwYU2pmWYQ

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by TRFrance

I wouldnt say he's a new ager... but on the issue of "is Christianity the only way to God", note this part of the article:

While Osteen’s message wins over the moderate masses, he has become anathema to more-traditional Southern Baptists. His appearance on Larry King Live in 2005, during which he waffled as to whether heaven was barred to Jews, Muslims, and atheists, was posted on YouTube as proof that Osteen doesn’t embrace the Gospel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfwYU2pmWYQ

I remember that