Joel Osteen. False Prophet?

[Guest]

The bible does tell us to avoid false teachers. 

 

The bible does tell us to leave milk behind and get on meat. 

 

Osteen is milk only, at best. He preaches a false prosperity doctrine and will not openly say that one needs Jesus to be saved. To me, that crosses the line between minor doctrinal differences to a major doctrinal error. One that can cost folks salvation. After all, if he refuses to say one needs Jesus, then how will folks know they need Him to be saved?

 

Agreed.

 

Wanted to add that Osteen stated in his Larry King interview that he won't deal with sin as well as Jesus being the only way to the Father.

 

The interview can be found on YouTube for those interested, although it may already have a link in the Video section.

[faith pleases God]

Repentance and salvation are spiritual milk and should always be preached first and foremost. Becoming a better you for the mere sake of is not what the kingdom of God is about. That being said... Phil. 1:18 says, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached..."

[Guest LadyC]

Repentance and salvation are spiritual milk and should always be preached first and foremost. Becoming a better you for the mere sake of is not what the kingdom of God is about. That being said... Phil. 1:18 says, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached..."

yes, repentance and salvation should always be preached first and foremost. sadly though i've never heard olsteen preach on either of those subjects. i've heard a lot of motivational speaking and a lot of talk about what God will do for you, as though He were a genie in a bottle, but i've never heard one word from him on sin, its consequences, or salvation through Christ alone. 

 

if you have, i hope you'll share it here! i wasn't sue from what you posted whether you were supporting his preaching or not. you are right though about phil 1:18. that's a verse i've needed to have handy many times, and it always seems to escape me when i need it!

[ayin jade]

 

[faith pleases God]

 

Repentance and salvation are spiritual milk and should always be preached first and foremost. Becoming a better you for the mere sake of is not what the kingdom of God is about. That being said... Phil. 1:18 says, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached..."

yes, repentance and salvation should always be preached first and foremost. sadly though i've never heard olsteen preach on either of those subjects. i've heard a lot of motivational speaking and a lot of talk about what God will do for you, as though He were a genie in a bottle, but i've never heard one word from him on sin, its consequences, or salvation through Christ alone. 

 

if you have, i hope you'll share it here! i wasn't sue from what you posted whether you were supporting his preaching or not. you are right though about phil 1:18. that's a verse i've needed to have handy many times, and it always seems to escape me when i need it!

 

I am against his preaching for the sake of the cross because repentance and salvation are the heart and seed of the gospel. If there is a watered down and diluted message of the cross this preaching is certainly it. I am concerned that he leads many astray as cults do...However, I am reminded of this scripture is why I wrote it and hopefully some come to Christ through it. 

In interviews he clearly skews the gospel and compromises it with no denial.

[faith pleases God]

In interviews he clearly compromises the word of God and truth in order to appease someboby. Whether he does this for fear or acceptance sake it is a distortion to avoid conflict.

James 4:4 says, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

[Guest LadyC]

thanks for clarifying! i agree with you, he certainly does preach a watered down gospel, and i think there may be some danger in that. but there is also going to be some good that comes from it too.... because not everybody that starts listening to him is going to stay stagnant. some will move forward to more substantive preaching and forget the bottle they were fed through olsteen's teachings.

[faith pleases God]

thanks for clarifying! i agree with you, he certainly does preach a watered down gospel, and i think there may be some danger in that. but there is also going to be some good that comes from it too.... because not everybody that starts listening to him is going to stay stagnant. some will move forward to more substantive preaching and forget the bottle they were fed through olsteen's teachings.

I agree.

If those who hear of things through Joel and truly seek and draw near to God then they will find Him and He will draw near to them. The Church is us and the Holy Spirit will do His work in a person.

At least Joel can plant seeds. Although it is the stagnant and lukewarm that I am concerned about. The ones that believe they can live a life of lasciviousness and compromise that need to hear the elementary teachings of spiritual milk of living a life of repentance and not continuing in sin that I'm concerned for. The ones whose minds are carnal and set on the things of this Earth and not on things above. He seems to tickle these ears and his message lacks; and may give some false confidence that they are just fine.

A message of grace incomplete without repentance is by all means dangerous and a heresy. This life is not merely about prosperity and just being happy and better. This life is about mourning over our sin, taking up our cross and dying to ourselves. Knowing we are naked, poor, wretched, and blind. We are to live by faith not by sight. He preaches this but for prosperity, well-being, betterness and happierness sake.

However us who walk by faith in repentance and truth understand the mysteries of God. And we are filled by Him! Although we mourn our joy is complete. Although we suffer we are thankful and healed. Although we are weak He strengthens us. Although we are rejected and despised, we are accepted and loved! Our life is not our own but His...and we lack nothing. Praise God!

[Guest HidenInTheOpenIsGod]

It's not a sin to be rich, but im always suspicious of wealthy preachers

[RustyAngeL]

There are several preachers that speak of nothing but of wealth.  

 

They live in a totally different lifestyle then we do.  They preach that if you pray for it in erenst that it will be yours, that God does not want us to in poverty.  That ti's ours for the taking, and to be very frank I'm sick to death of them saying to me, living on a very fixed income that I can anything I want and it's all mine.

 

Would I like to have more money they I have now?  yes of course.  I hate worrying all the time about making it from one month to the next but of course I'm not the pastor of a church with almost 50,000 members.  It's easy to say don't worry  when next  all you have to do is realize that one dollar per person in your church each week would give you $200,000 each week to live on.  

 

I try and get up everyone morning and thank God for getting me through each night and having a roof over my head and two dogs that love me.  I don't have a lot of friends but the ones I do have are wonderful and  glorious and I wouldn't trade them for anything.  They are gifts from my Heavenly Father and they are priceless.

 

Getting back to Joel Olsteen he is not a prophet  because I don't believe prophets are for  today and to understand that just look the word up in the dictionary. And for those who call themselves Apostles the same truth applies for them.  When I go to church I wan to listen to someone who is just my pastor and knows the Bible and shares it with us in truth so that I may grow more each day.

 

Because He Lives!!  Rustyangel/ Faith Ann