Interesting Article on Joel Osteen

[TRFrance]

Interesting article on Megachuch Pastor Joel Osteen.

Too bad this guy isn't Apostolic. But I find him to be a pretty interesting guy nonetheless.

From Portfolio Magazine Online:

by Karl Taro Greenfeld August 2008 Issue

Joel Osteen preaches the virtues of prosperity—for himself as well as his congregation. A look at the man who may well be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the slumping economy.

Who will save us? Who will lift us up from crushing credit-card debt and resetting mortgage payments and impending foreclosure, from increasing gas prices and decreasing health-insurance coverage? We are a nation stumbling through our worst financial crisis in a generation and our worst housing market in a lifetime. And so we come, seeking gentle salvation, inspiring prayers, steadying words, soothing notions, and calming thoughts that will allow us to become, in Joel Osteen’s words, “victors, not victims.” ...

Full article here: http://www.portfolio.com/executives/...l_osteen#page1

[Rhoni]

On Sunday morning I wake up, put on the coffee, and listen to Joel Olsteen. I like his spirit and his attitude. Today he said that he never argues scripture with anyone...he said a man approached him about 2nd dispensationalism, and he wasn't even sure what the man wanted from him except to argue and he just agreed with everything he said. The man just kept bringing other things up trying to get him to argue and he just refused to argue and the man walked away.

He also said: 25% of people will never like you no matter what you do for them, 25% of people don't like you but could be convinced otherwise, 25% like you but could be convinced otherwise, and 25% of people like you and will stand by you no matter what. This is so true. Why worry about convincing anyone when you have that nucleus of good friends who love you no matter what.

Joel Olsteen preaches a good, encouraging, and practical mesage that if we live by we'd be so much happier. This is not taking away for the salvational message we believe...it just adds to it.

Blessings, Rhoni

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

On Sunday morning I wake up, put on the coffee, and listen to Joel Olsteen. I like his spirit and his attitude. Today he said that he never argues scripture with anyone...he said a man approached him about 2nd dispensationalism, and he wasn't even sure what the man wanted from him except to argue and he just agreed with everything he said. The man just kept bringing other things up trying to get him to argue and he just refused to argue and the man walked away.

He also said: 25% of people will never like you no matter what you do for them, 25% of people don't like you but could be convinced otherwise, 25% like you but could be convinced otherwise, and 25% of people like you and will stand by you no matter what. This is so true. Why worry about convincing anyone when you have that nucleus of good friends who love you no matter what.

Joel Olsteen preaches a good, encouraging, and practical mesage that if we live by we'd be so much happier. This is not taking away for the salvational message we believe...it just adds to it.

Blessings, Rhoni

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

[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.

[RevBuddy]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

On Sunday morning I wake up, put on the coffee, and listen to Joel Olsteen. I like his spirit and his attitude. Today he said that he never argues scripture with anyone...he said a man approached him about 2nd dispensationalism, and he wasn't even sure what the man wanted from him except to argue and he just agreed with everything he said. The man just kept bringing other things up trying to get him to argue and he just refused to argue and the man walked away.

He also said: 25% of people will never like you no matter what you do for them, 25% of people don't like you but could be convinced otherwise, 25% like you but could be convinced otherwise, and 25% of people like you and will stand by you no matter what. This is so true. Why worry about convincing anyone when you have that nucleus of good friends who love you no matter what.

Joel Olsteen preaches a good, encouraging, and practical mesage that if we live by we'd be so much happier. This is not taking away for the salvational message we believe...it just adds to it.

Blessings, Rhoni

These comments are so uninformed as to be comical...Joel Olsteen doesn't preach at all...he is the single clearest example of the all too common, non-scriptural, feel-good speaker...in essence...everybody, let's feel good...everybody let's not say anything troubling...everybody, let's join hands...in corporate happiness while the world goes whirling around without hearing the wonderful good news of Jesus Christ...

...the Olsteen principle is not new...yea, it is ancient...and is defined by the longstanding, humorous adage...a ministry of "see no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil..."

...no power...no anointing...no nothing...

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by RevBuddy

These comments are so uninformed as to be comical...Joel Olsteen doesn't preach at all...he is the single clearest example of the all too common, non-scriptural, feel-good speaker...in essence...everybody, let's feel good...everybody let's not say anything troubling...everybody, let's join hands...in corporate happiness while the world goes whirling around without hearing the wonderful good news of Jesus Christ...

...the Olsteen principle is not new...yea, it is ancient...and is defined by the longstanding, humorous adage...a ministry of "see no evil; hear no evil; speak no evil..."

...no power...no anointing...no nothing...

He wants to make you happy without being right with God.......

[tv1a]

Tv shows are edited. You don't know what is said when the tv cameras go off. I went to one of his meetings in Cleveland. I can attest he brings salvation into the picture. Do you think Osteen has his sermon down to 28 minutes and 30 seconds? Don't think so. He always ends his broadcast with an invitation for salvation. People are responding to the gospel on a regular basis at his church. What we see on tv is just a tip of the iceberg.

By the way he lives in a multi million dollar house. I wonder how many poor mexicans he exploited with a prosperity message to build that house.

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

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by tv1a

By the way he lives in a multi million dollar house. I wonder how many poor mexicans he exploited with a prosperity message to build that house.

While I'm not a fan at all of JO just because he has money doesn't mean he exploits anyone. He may or may not. I don't know.

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

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.

I don't think it's a stretch to say she is a false teacher already.
She has already gone on record stating that "there cant possibly be one way" to God... as seen on the video here: http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fusea...esources/oprah


At the very least, she is certainly a facilitator of false teachers, since she lets so many of them use her show as a platform for their doctrines of demons.

Of course, there's the famous "Church of Oprah" video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LL...terstitialskip

[TRFrance]

Originally Posted by tv1a

By the way he lives in a multi million dollar house. I wonder how many poor mexicans he exploited with a prosperity message to build that house.

???

Why do you assume anyone was exploited?
And why do you assume "poor Mexicans" worked on his house anyway? Not every construction company in Houston uses Mexicans.