The False Theology behind Osteens "Ministry"

I have heard the name come up in conversation over....and over....and over again.  Every time I hear it, my stomach turns, my temper flares and I get that feeling in my stomach you get the day after Halloween when you are sick because you've had too much sugar coating....Joel Osteen.  I can't begin to describe why he angers me so much.  Maybe it's the false message of prosperity teaching, which goes against all sound biblical teaching, maybe, it's the fake promises he makes to spiritually hungry and thirsty people, who drink it up like sprite and wonder why they are still thirsty.  Maybe it;s the fact that I find this type of preaching intolerable and disgusting because it teaches falsehoods that are going to misinform the hurting or enable people to call themselves "Christians" once again, giving the word a bad and misused namesake.  Whatever the reason, I am mad.  I am mad at this man, his teaching and his joke of a ministry.  I read an article tonight that touches on some things that I wholeheartedly think need to be brought out about his teaching.  Here is the article from theanswerischrist.com

Please consider.

Thanks!
Lindsey

PS---Every day is not Friday.  That's just silly.  Most of us have jobs....They start on Monday.  (lol).

Joel Osteen – False Teacher for more information see forgottenword.com Joel Osteen took over for his father John Osteen when John passed away in 1999.  Even though John Osteen insisted that God told him he was going to preach into his 90s, he professed healing on his death bed to no avail. He told his parishioners that God was going to give him new body parts and that he was going to be healed.  He passed away against his own beliefs that he would not for years to come. Joel took over the Ministry even though he readily admits that he did not want to. His love was for TV production and marketing, but he felt he had no choice but to step into the pulpit after his father's demise. Joel's teachings are nothing short of sweet bread for the pew sitters.  He admits that he does not want to talk about anything negative.  Sin, hell, God's wrath onto the unbelievers at the end times are not part of his vocabulary.  He admits that he just wants people to feel good and to feel good about themselves.  This is not the biblical goal of a pastor.       Osteen has said “I find today that people are not looking for theology.”  Well that is obvious because if they were they would not find any sound theology at Lakewood !  Although he does not reveal to the readers where he found this astonishing fact out, it appears the folks he has talked to have no interest in theology. Theology simply means “the knowledge of God.”  In essence Osteen has said that people are really not interested in learning about God.  With his father sick in the hospital, John asks his son, Joel, to preach for him that Sunday.  Initially Joel balked at the idea and said “no.”  He then relented and said: “ I just got up there and told stories.  I was so glad when it was over, I said, ‘I’ll never do this again in my life.’[11] That was the beginning of his public ministry; he just got up and told “stories.”  Joel has been telling stories that have been tickling the ears of the multitudes ever since. It also concerns me when a pastor can make the statement that God does not want anybody walking out of here “heavy-hearted.” My Bible says “godly sorrow worketh repentance…” (see 2 Cor. 7:10).  At times God doeswant us to walk out of a service “heavy-hearted” if we have been sinning against His will.  However if all you hear is “upbeat,” “cheerful,” and “optimistic” messages there is little opportunity for the Holy Spirit to work conviction in the hearts of the hearers.  This non-confrontational type of message also goes a long way in explaining the huge crowds that gather to be entertained.  Please pray for Joel Osteen, like it or not, he currently has a tremendous impact on many people.  Pray the Lord open his eyes to biblical truth and may he take as bold a stand to expose error. The information below in principle 2 and 3 was taken from Joel’s book. Principle 2) is “Developing a Healthy Self-image.” Quoting from the Message ? bible ?, a heretical twisting of the Scriptures, Osteen says, “The modern-day biblical paraphrase The Message related the story about the blind men with an interesting twist: ‘[Jesus] touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.”’…Are you believing to go higher in life, to rise above your obstacles, to live in health, abundance, healing, and victory? You will become what you believe”.  Osteen says, “God doesn’t want you to drag through life, barely making it….It is not His preference for you to live in perpetual pain….Become a true believer, knowing that you will become what you believe” . Principle 3) “Discover the Power of Your Thoughts and Words.” “Our words become self-fulfilling prophecies. If you allow your thoughts to defeat you and then give birth to negative ideas through your words, your actions will follow suit. That’s why we need to be extremely careful about what we think and especially careful about what we say….Your words have enormous creative power. The moment you speak something out, you give birth to it” (121–22, 129). He says, “If you are facing sickness today, you should confirm God’s Word concerning healing. Say something such as, ‘Father, I thank You that You promised me in Psalms that I will live and not die and I will declare the works of the Lord.’ As you boldly declare it, you are confirming that truth in your own life”. If you can’t stomach these, then don’t despair, Osteen will feed you more in the other principles he has ready for unsuspecting and gullible people to feed on. INCREASING IN FAVOR "See the Bible says that we can grow in favor," said Osteen in his sermon "Increasing in Favor" (available in RealAudio at http://www.lakewood.cc/a_v_library.htm). "I believe one of the main ways that we grow in favor is by declaring it. It’s not enough to just read it it’s not enough to just believe it. You’ve got to speak it out. Your words have creative power. And one of the primary ways we release our faith is through our words. And there is a divine connection between you declaring God’s favor and you seeing God’s favor manifest in your life…You’ve got to give life to your faith by speaking it out." In keeping with the erroneous idea of using some positive thinking to get what you want in life, Osteen preaches the Kenneth Hagin/Charles Capps idea that we can get what we want from God by our faith-filled words. This entire sermon was on how as a child of God we should be receiving "preferential treatment" by everyone. He testified about how he had been pulled over a couple of times for speeding but when the officer saw his last name was Osteen, no ticket was issued. He said the same can happen for every Christian who wakes up declaring they have God’s favor. By following this method Osteen says he has been able to get the best parking spot in a crowded parking lot, a first class seat on a crowded airplane with no boarding pass, and priority seating at restaurants. This is a far cry from what the treatment the Bible says true believers will receive from the world. Jesus warned in John 15:18-19, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." The Bible also seems to quote these new prosperity "Christians" word for word in Revelation 3:17 -- "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing." But Jesus responds, "you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked." And yet that is the cry of the prosperity gospel -- one whose god is the goods of this world. The apostle John in his first epistle reiterates his warning against chasing after this world’s favor: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" 1 John 2:15. Also see:  http://www.forgottenword.org/osteen2.html