GoldenEagle Posted September 4, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 764 Topics Per Day: 0.18 Content Count: 7,626 Content Per Day: 1.80 Reputation: 1,559 Days Won: 44 Joined: 10/03/2012 Status: Offline Share Posted September 4, 2014 Christians Respond To Victoria Osteen's Claim: 'When We Obey God..We're Doing It For Ourself' The Huffington Post | By Antonia Blumberg Posted: 09/04/2014 9:21 am EDT Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen received backlash from the Christian community after video footage of an August sermon surfaced showing Osteen encouraging congregants to "do good for your own self." The pastor, who is married to televangelist Joel Osteen, told the congregation that the key to making God happy is first making oneself happy. Osteen said: "When we obey God, we're not doing it for God...we're doing it for our self. Because God takes pleasure when we're happy. Do good 'cause God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God, really. You're doing it for yourself because that's what makes God happy." Once the video began making rounds on social media, many in the Christian community took to Twitter and personal blogs to express their dismay at Osteen's comments. Some took a comedic approach by re-tweeting a video one YouTube user uploaded purporting to show Bill Cosby's reaction to the sermon: The video can be found here: Steve Camp, pastor of The Cross Church in Palm City, Florida, told Christian News Network that Osteen's remarks went directly against scripture: “It’s the age old sin of idolatry -- that it’s not about God, it’s about us. True worship for the humanist is about how we feel at the end of the day and what gives us meaning, as opposed to what gives God glory.” On the other hand, college chaplain, Morgan Guyton, critiqued Osteen's wording but commended her effort to push back against what Guyton called an "unhealthy attitude about worship in the middle-class American church." He argues, "The benefit that we gain from pretending that we don’t benefit is the sense of moral superiority to other people... I would revise Victoria Osteen’s words to point out that the way we gain true happiness is to forget ourselves because of our delight in God." Huffington Post reached out to Osteen about the criticism but did not receive a response. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thechurchlady Posted September 4, 2014 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 28 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 3 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/03/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted September 4, 2014 Lakewood Church co-pastor Victoria Osteen received backlash from the Christian community after video footage of an August sermon surfaced showing Osteen encouraging congregants to "do good for your own self." Thoughts? As is usually the case, falsehood hides itself behind truth. IT is essentially true that worshiping God and serving him helps those who do so. Obviously, God is in his Heaven, all is right in HIS world... meaning that he is perfect, and needs nothing from us. But that said, he created us, presumably so as to have a relationship with us. Actually, i am still not 100% convinced that God wants to have a relationship with the likes of ME, but... um... like, whatever... (just me??? just me on a not-so-great day??) Anyway, Joel Olsteen and wife do not teach the whole truth of Christ and God's Word. That health/wealth and prosperity stuff is NONSENSE. Jesus did not own a thing and he told us to walk in his footsteps. He told us to give all (virtually all) to the poor and come follow him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestormx Posted September 4, 2014 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 62 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 1,113 Content Per Day: 0.26 Reputation: 442 Days Won: 3 Joined: 06/06/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/17/1975 Share Posted September 4, 2014 I would have to agree with what was reported in the article that seven camp said “It’s the age old sin of idolatry -- that it’s not about God, it’s about us. True worship for the humanist is about how we feel at the end of the day and what gives us meaning, as opposed to what gives God glory.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdemoss Posted September 4, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 8 Topic Count: 59 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,402 Content Per Day: 0.98 Reputation: 2,154 Days Won: 28 Joined: 02/10/2012 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/26/1971 Share Posted September 4, 2014 Without faith it is impossible to please God. The one who comes to God must believe that God is and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. God just is. God never changes. God created all things for his pleasure. As a child of God I am to seek to be as my father in heaven. That means I must seek to do as he does. Rewards are not necessarily monitary in nature. According to what is written we must prove ourselves faithful with money/things before we are trusted with the true riches. Do I worship God simply because he is worthy? Absolutely! Do I worship God for my own benefit? Absolutely! Is God happy when I am happy? Tougher question that requires a guided answer. God is happy when I am happy because I have sought him and have related myself rightly to him as a child of his and have reaped the reward of obedience. God is not simply happy because I am happy doing what I want when I want. What can I compare God too? Nothing! But for the sake of trying to convey my understanding I must do as David did and use earthly means to describe God. David said God was his high tower. For me learning about God has been like discovering electricity for when I was ignorant I touched it and learned that it was powerful and burned quickly. As I sought understanding of it I revered it and did not mishandle it so easily. As my understanding grew I learned to use it for my benefit. I am not ashamed of God my father who chooses to reward whom he will at will. I am ashamed of those who would abuse that which can be known about how God works for their own foolish sensual earthly pleasure but then again so will Jesus when they come to him. My understanding continues to be shaped day by day. I have not yet arrived. And let us not forget the promise that God scourges every child he receives. It isn't all cotton candy and sugar plums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenEagle Posted September 5, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 764 Topics Per Day: 0.18 Content Count: 7,626 Content Per Day: 1.80 Reputation: 1,559 Days Won: 44 Joined: 10/03/2012 Status: Offline Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 There is something extremely wrong with that message. That message from osteen says God is there to make sure you are happy. Wrong. God is not our servant, we are His. OR we are not. Hmmmmm. Life is not about being happy. The purpose of life is to respect and obey God, and sometimes life is not happy, sometimes life is a volcano of sorrow. Even Jesus is called the man of sorrow and the servant is not greater than the master. Thats the problem with prosperity doctorine, it makes God out to be a genie in a bottle or a santa clause. I agree Cletus. It's troubling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faith pleases God Posted September 5, 2014 Group: Senior Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 10 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 653 Content Per Day: 0.11 Reputation: 189 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/18/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/26/1977 Share Posted September 5, 2014 There is something extremely wrong with that message. That message from osteen says God is there to make sure you are happy. Wrong. God is not our servant, we are His. OR we are not. Hmmmmm. Life is not about being happy. The purpose of life is to respect and obey God, and sometimes life is not happy, sometimes life is a volcano of sorrow. Even Jesus is called the man of sorrow and the servant is not greater than the master. Thats the problem with prosperity doctorine, it makes God out to be a genie in a bottle or a santa clause. I agree! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Openly Curious Posted September 5, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 55 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 4,568 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 770 Days Won: 0 Joined: 01/18/2006 Status: Offline Share Posted September 5, 2014 What a bunch of whooy in that teaching. It left out being in a "loving" relationship with the Heavenly Father. Does not our love for God matter in our gratitude for sending his only begotten Son into this world to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. I serve God because of His great love in which he showed me in sending his Son to die for my sins. We have been restored back to right fellowship with the Father through Jesus death on the cross which showed God's love toward us while we were still in a sinful state. Our sins were taken away which was the thing that seperated us from God but Christ took our sins away by his shed blood and reconciled restored our relationship our fellowship with the Father. I can walk and talk with the Father and love him if I never smile and be happy in this life ever (remembering apostle Paul in his suffering in this life and that the grace of God is sufficient). Because It isn't about happiness at all. I have the JOY of my salvation and I serve God "because I love him" and actually want to walk and have fellowship with him. I WANT THAT kind of relationship which is born and done out of love Gods love toward me and my love toward God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OakWood Posted September 5, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 867 Topics Per Day: 0.24 Content Count: 7,331 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 2,860 Days Won: 31 Joined: 04/09/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/28/1964 Share Posted September 5, 2014 What she said was foolish but I'm wondering if it was just an attempt to draw people into the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faith pleases God Posted September 5, 2014 Group: Senior Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 10 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 653 Content Per Day: 0.11 Reputation: 189 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/18/2007 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/26/1977 Share Posted September 5, 2014 What she said was foolish but I'm wondering if it was just an attempt to draw people into the church. Even worse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OakWood Posted September 5, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 7 Topic Count: 867 Topics Per Day: 0.24 Content Count: 7,331 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 2,860 Days Won: 31 Joined: 04/09/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/28/1964 Share Posted September 5, 2014 What she said was foolish but I'm wondering if it was just an attempt to draw people into the church. Even worse When i said "the church", I meant "the Church" as in Christianity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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