Sincerity: That’s the most important thing: If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.
About midway thru this Osteen equates wealth with happiness, and being poor with being miserable. That’s his simple equation. It boils down to that. Only money can make you happy (but there’s the catch, true Christianity is not defined by temporal happiness : Jesus died to make us holy, and then, we can be happy for that fact).
Jesus died to set us free from the delusion that money, wealth and pleasure equals happiness.
Joel is promoting one of the very things that Jesus died to destroy.
Let’s repeat: Osteen is saying that ONLY MONEY CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY. Listen again, THAT is his message.
By equating being poor with being miserable he just pronounced Jesus Christ a fool, and the early church as fools.
If only Jesus could have listened to Joel!!!! Poor Jesus was so miserable! Right? He didn’t have any money, no possessions… right? How could He possibly have been happy? Right, Joel? Not to mention Paul, John, Peter.
Yes, the guy in the video is right, leaders such as Osteen ARE the judgment of God on backslidden Christians.
And when Joel says that he doesn’t want to “beat people down” he means, that to tell people the truth is to beat them down.
He means, that if he spoke all that Jesus said, and the Apostles said, that he would be “beating people down”.
He is trying to “protect” people from what Jesus and the Apostles said.
It means that Jesus Christ was abusive. It means the Apostles were abusive, beating people down….
...But money answers all things. Eccl 10:19b
Continued in Comments
April 16, 2012 at 1:11 am
Facebook comments:
Ian Vincent
Joel Osteen trying to “protect” people from what Jesus and His Apostles said.
Ian Vincent
Joel knows that the only way to money-making-ministry success these days is to ignore and not teach most of what Jesus and His Apostles taught.
Then success is guaranteed. He knows that. He knows that if teaches ALL the coiunsel of God in the NT that he will no longer be a star, and he won’t be rich. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Mark Finger
I had the exact same conversation with a woman believer about 2 weeks ago: she thought I was being condemnatory and ‘speaking against the Lord’s anointed.’ I didn’t actually mention any particular person is the thing: just outlined how false teachers operate. I have spoken with this woman before [a friend of my wife and I]: I always take grief for it; but some part of what is said always bears fruit later. This is common in America. Why? Because MUCH all of what she understands about God comes from the teachings of other men, which she believes without running it through the filter of the Holy Spirit.
Ian Vincent
”MUCH all of what she understands about God comes from the teachings of other men”………… yes, and they think that just bcos someone has “success” or is on TV, that means they must have spiritual authority, and therefore, they SHOULD know, right? They have auithority, they have success, so how could they be wrong? (same principle as the RCC at work)…… but if they knew the NATURE of the LORD Jesus Christ, they would know that it is the opposite of this : that those who compromise the truth to get “success” show they have no spiritual authority.
Ian Vincent
Repeat: Joel knows that the only way to money-making-ministry success these days is to ignore and not teach most of what Jesus and His Apostles taught…………………..
That’s in the handbook: Ignore and don’t teach “the hard” sayings of Jesus and His Apostles. The “icky” parts……………………………..
Like these: the love of money is the root of all evil………don’t desire to be rich……it’s hard for a rich man to get into heaven………………
separate from those who teach that gain is godliness (that their faith has made them rich)……………..
And that is what these false teachers preach……..
so we warn people about them, to have nothing to do with them.
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Bill ODonnell
Joel unfortunately screens all his teaching through what he has his faith in.
All he will see in scripture is wealth, riches, money.
That is what his faith is in to the extent money riches and wealth are proof to himself he is blessed.
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Ian Vincent
A very important insight. “All he will see in scripture is wealth, riches, money.”
What do we see when we read the Bible? Do we see dollars? Our own personal success?
April 16, 2012 at 9:02 am
More from my Facebook discussion:
ShindePatil Nan
Jealousy..how rich was Abraham? Who made him so? Why? Riches are given to them who know how to use them.
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Ian Vincent
So, Jesus wasn’t given riches bcos He did not know how to use them wisely? Paul wasn’t given riches bcos he didn’t know how to use it wisely?…………………..
Yes, there are people in the Bible whom God made rich, and they were never seeking after riches.
Just as the Bible says that even today there are some whom God made rich, and some whom God made poor…………… Not bcos they had faith or lacked faith……………………………….
Some (a few) Prosperity Preachers are rich, not bcos of their faith, and not bcos of God’s blessing, but bcos their consciences are seared, so they beg for money, and tell people that if you give to them you are giving to God, and will get a good payback, and by prostituting and merchandizing their books, CDs etc… for profit. ……………..
So, it’s not jealousy.
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If i had stayed in australia i could have got quite wealthy by my own hard work and common sense, as so many aussies do. But it means nothing to me. Having food and clothes i’m content. Not jealous. …….
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My friend, what if the Apostles came back today and visited Joel Osteen’s church? They would think it a joke, what he is teaching, as it soooooo far from what they taught the Church. Yes?
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ShindePatil Nan
Rubbish..misinterpretation to further your own ends.
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Ian Vincent
Would you like to answer the question? You said that God gives riches to people who know how to use it wisely. So, why didn’t He give riches to Jesus and to the leaders of the early church? Couldn’t He trust them?
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Repeat:
Yes, there are people in the Bible whom God made rich, and they were never seeking after riches.
Take King Solomon. God offered to make him rich and he turned it down. He asked for wisdom. Then God gave him both wisdom and riches.
OK, so Solomon did not get rich by applying “name it and claim it”, the teachings of prosperity preachers. He didn’t even want to be rich, in the first place.
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He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting over questions and disputes of words, out of which comes envy, strife, railings, evil suspicions, Perverse wranglings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness:
from such withdraw yourself.
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[Paraphrase of ....Supposing that gain is godliness... means: Those who claim to have gotten wealthy by exercising their faith, or applying their faith.. Yes? So, we are told to get away from these false teachers and have nothing to do with them ]
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Continued….
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing let us be with these things content. But they that desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which plunge men into destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
(1Timothy 6:4-11)
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..…They that desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare…
Paul says don’t desire to be rich, and Joel Osteen and company say, desire to be rich. Who is right?
Paul was not wealthy. Osteen is wealthy.
Is that why some people listen more closely to Osteen than to Paul? Bcos Osteen is rich, and they also wanna be rich like him?
They don’t wanna be like Paul, eh!
April 16, 2012 at 3:13 pm
As we say here In Nigeria, I sorry for Joel and im paddy (I’m sorry for Joel and his prosperity pals!’. There’s a day coming that their blings and Gucci suits will turn to rags before the Judge of the earth. I pray Joel et. al make a u- turn before then.
Ian, Yours’ truly turned 35 on Friday. Have been busy.
April 16, 2012 at 11:50 pm
God bless ya JW!
April 17, 2012 at 1:33 pm
“Your Best Life Now”.………………….
Yes, Jesus did say, I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
But if we read the rest of the NT we understand what He meant.
The Gospel has never been the offer of “Your Best Life Now”.
If the goal or emphasis becomes TO GET A BETTER LIFE, NOW…….. if that is the MAIN THING, if that is the goal……….and then a “jesus” is tagged on the end AS THE MEANS or the hoop you jump thru in order for you to get “Your Best Life Now”…….. that is, the trivial/minor technical formality which opens the door into the things which really matter, which is for YOU to get all the THINGS YOU want, then…….then, it’s what Paul said, …………………..
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.
(Galatians 1:8-9)…………………………………………….
The abundant life which Jesus promised is TO KNOW HIM, and then He will meet your needs as you trust and obey Him.
Knowing Him IS the MAIN THING. If you know and obey Him, He promised to supply everything you need to serve Him…………………..
But the “Your Best Life Now – gospel” does not make knowing and obeying Jesus the main thing.
Rather, getting a “better life”, or, fulfilling your dreams becomes THE MAIN THING.
Then, not surprisingly, most of the NT gets thrown in the trash,
and just a few select verses, which appear to promise prosperity, are plucked out and repeated like a Hindu mantra (for good luck).
The rest of the NT, and most of what Jesus and His Apostles taught and commanded is almost TOTALLY IGNORED…………..
so, it’s “another gospel”, and they that preach it are accursed by God, Paul said……………
.It trivializes the NT, and mocks the message of the Cross……………..
The MAIN THING then becomes YOU getting the things you want, and the lifestyle you desire. ………………………………..
Jesus Christ ceases to be THE MAIN THING. Obeying Him ceases to be the main thing and the main desire and goal. Selfish desires take His rightful place in people’s hearts.
Now, it’s about YOU and not about Jesus or His commands (like don’t covet, don’t desire to be rich, be CONTENT with what you have….)
And THAT is idolatry………..
Here Jesus DEFINES for us what He meant by abundant life: And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
(John 17:3)………………………………..
LIFE is to know Him. And THAT is your BEST life now……………
Even if you ended up in jail for your faith and being martyred, if you know Jesus you would be enjoying your BEST life now.
It aint easy!
But its the only life – If we make seeking to better our own life as the main thing, then we can never know Jesus Christ, and never have His life…………………………
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.
(Luke 12:15)…………………….
A man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. Abundance of life is not abundance of money and things, or even abundance of friends etc..