Joel Osteen: Affirming Souls in their Sin
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Romans 16:17-18
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“Joel Osteen was back on CNN this week, appearing Thursday morning on “Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien.” Osteen’s new book, I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life, has recently hit the nation’s bookstores.
Osteen’s positive thinking theology was on full display in the interview, as in the book. O’Brien asked if he really believes that speaking declarations out loud can make them come true.
Osteen assured her that he does, promising that speaking positive words can bring positive results and warning that speaking negativity will bring negative results. “I don’t think there’s anything magic about, but those words go out and comes right back in and affects your own self-image.”
In the book itself, Osteen asserts, “you’ve got to send your words out in the direction you want your life to go.” The theme of his book is simple: “With our words we can either bless our futures or we can curse our futures.”
The most enthusiastic response to Osteen’s message came from Deepak Chopra, the New Age self-help guru, who was also on the program. He affirmed Osteen’s message and added, “I’ve believed forever that there’s no mental event that doesn’t have a brain representation, that every thought actually generates molecules.”
The two self-help experts then elaborated on their ideas, with Osteen urging “activating faith,” because “faith is what causes God to work.” Later, he even spoke of “speaking to the seeds of greatness that God’s placed in all of us.”
The appearance of Osteen and Chopra together was a priceless demonstration of the fact that the New Thought positive thinking philosophy that drives them both can be grafted onto either Christianity or Asian religion.
In the end, it all sounds the same. Chopra’s New Age spirituality and Osteen’s updated version of the word-faith movement end up as the same message, just with different trappings.
Soledad O’Brien then shifted the topic to homosexuality, as would be expected. As she said to Osteen, “almost every time we have a pastor on, it’s a conversation we have.”
She then said to Osteen, “when you say homosexuality is a sin and there’s a bunch of people who clearly are gay in your church. You’re calling them sinners. I mean, that’s the opposite of uplifting, I would think.”
She established the perfect platform for Osteen to respond with the gospel of Jesus Christ, but he did not. “Well, Soledad, I don’t necessarily focus on that. I only talk about that in interviews.”
So this pastor only talks about sin on televisions interviews, and then only when forced to do so. He then tried to broaden the talk of sin to being critical and even “being negative.”
Osteen then tried to explain that he has tried to avoid such issues by intention. “I think part of my, if you want to call it success, I’ve stayed in my lane and my lane is lifting people’s spirits and there are issues that good, Bible-believing people see on both sides of the fence.”
So, “good, Bible-believing people” are found on both sides of the fence when it comes to the issue of homosexuality, Osteen says. His intention is clearly to straddle that fence.
As he has said previously, he affirmed that homosexuality is not “God’s best” for humanity. Even then, the words had to be put into his mouth by others, including a major homosexual activist also on the program.
Pressed again by Soledad O’Brien, Osteen repeated, “first of all, in my services I don’t cover all those issues that we talk about here.” Later, he responded to another question by stating: “And I don’t understand all those issues and so, you know, I try to stick to the issues that I do understand. I know this, I am for everybody. I’m not for pushing people down.”
Viewers of CNN saw a display of confusion, evasion, and equivocation coming from one presented as a Christian pastor. What they were really seeing is the total theological bankruptcy of the word of faith movement and the gospel of positive thinking.
Osteen cannot, or at least will not, speak even the simplest word of biblical conviction. He states his intention to stay in his “lane” of glib affirmation.
Affirmation is important, and humans crave it. But affirmation as a sinner is the worst possible form of pastoral malpractice. Christianity is based on the truth that sinners need a Savior, not merely a coach or a therapist.
Joel Osteen’s appearance on CNN Thursday revealed little that is new. It was Osteen as always—evasive and confused, but constantly smiling. This is now his calculated and well-practiced approach. He offered no word of the gospel, and no reference to Jesus Christ, but he was introduced as “one of the most recognizable faces of Christianity in America today.”
There, for all to see, was Joel Osteen . . . staying in his lane.”
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Abiding
Acquainted and Nourished [podcast]

“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.” Job 22:21
“nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine”
“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” 1 Timothy 4:6
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Abiding
“Be Strong in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus” – 2 Timothy Chapter 2 [podcast]

A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:
9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
A Workman Approved by God
14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
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Abiding
“A Faithful Man shall Abound with Blessings” [podcast]

Do you desire to abound in the blessings of God?
Jesus our LORD taught that as we are faithful with what the LORD has already given us, then, and only then, will He multiply it.
ASK YOURSELF: Are you faithful to abide, to obey Him by obeying His Word? If so, Jesus and the Father are dwelling richly with you and will multiply you according to your proper, wise, faithful stewardship of what is already in your possession – which is from Him. See John 14:21-23.
“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.” Proverbs 28:20
God is not going to add to or multiply His supply and blessings to anyone who is sitting around, doing the church attendance thing, and not doing His biblically stated will – of loving, tending to, giving to, serving, and blessing others (Matthew 22:37-39). Every true disciple is a doer of the WORD (James 1:22; 1 John 2:3-6, etc.). A true disciple is not known merely by being a church attender, which any old dead fish counterfeit can be. No, the true servant of Christ is known by his supreme love for, and faithful obedience to Christ his King, his “first love” (Revelation 2:4-5).
“For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” 1 Chronicles 29:14
Every good gift and blessing is from God (James 1:17). We take from what He’s given us and we share it with others – whether that be supply, or spiritual blessings in Christ, or material blessings.
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11 being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
“Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8
ARE GOD’S BLESSINGS CONDITIONAL? Yes they are. Here’s but one example of how God’s people forfeited His blessings due to living life on their own terms instead of complying with His.
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” Jeremiah 5:25
Jesus’ Parable of the Talents:
Matthew 25:14-30
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Prayer: Holy Father, I come to You in the name of my LORD Jesus. Please make my heart to long for more of You, to love and worship You as my supreme God, Supplier, and Provider. Please unite my heart to truly fear Thy holy Name and to be quickened by Your Word and Holy Spirit unto obedience. Please multiply Your grace to my life as You are working in me and Your body both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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