I still get amazed at how many will send me an email or call me about things I talk about in the Dawg Howse, rather than to post a comment here. To each their own.
Anyway... I have received a slew of emails and 4 phone calls today about my last post about Joel Osteen. Some obviously angry, some in agreement, but several with questions. People want to know am I calling Joel Osteen a false teacher and should they throw away their books and tune him out of their televisions.
Let me very clear on this.
I believe Joel Osteen to be a brother in Christ. I have two of his books in my home, and I have enjoyed them, and grown from them. I am NOT suggesting it is time to form a linch mob to go after Joel, nor that it is time to write him off.
I said, I have a real problem with his inability or unwillingness to stand up and be counted as saying that Jesus is the only way to heaven. I believe with all my heart that Joel Osteen is a Christian, I believe that he himself believes that Jesus is the only way, but he has found himself in national spotlights and has been unwilling to state something that will no doubt bring about controversy. I believe he is wrong for this... but I said in yesterday's blog that it is time to pray for the man and his ministry. I believe we need to pray that the Holy Ghost would give him the spiritual boldness and backbone to make this stand. Lest you forget, Joel has only been preaching for about 6 or 7 years! He is still learning and growing.
No, I am not ready to write him off. We need to pray for him. But I will say again, watch him carefully. If he continues to go down the path he has started down, it will lead countless people astray.
6 comments:
AMEN PASTOR!!!!
Amy
I second that Amen, Darrell. I understand your position totally. Keep up the good work!
And again, I say Amen. I have enjoyed watching Joel on Sunday evenings, and a few weeks ago after you talked about how he has left out the cross, I began to "REALLY" listen to his messages. Sadly you were right (not that I doubted you :>)
I read a book about 2 years ago, of course I can't remember it - and loaned to a friend - it was a fictional book about a church in California whose pastor had retired. They were praying for a new minister, and found who they believed God wanted for their dieing church. This young pastor and his wife came and he immediately started working at bringing in the lost - young people, middle aged, etc. And the church began to grow...and grow...and grow...into a mega-church. The young pastor, now had no time to play with his young son. Told his wife, she could not sing anymore songs about "the Blood" because it made people (the ones paying alot of money for that new church they wanted to build) uncomfortable..etc., etc. Many unfortuante things happened to him - because the desire was there, yet the heart wasn't connected to what God wanted.
I'm not saying this was written about "Joel" - this was FICTION - yet it had such an impact on ME. I can NOT let myself get into a panic of "losing people" because thier feelings get hurt if Pastors' preaching steps on toes...
As a dear friend, and missionary (Linda Pallone) once said, "where am I going to offend them to...Hell #1 or Hell #2". We've got to tell the lost how to be saved!
[QUOTE](not that I doubted you :>)[/QUOTE]~~~Amber, Amber, Amber, are you always teacher's pet?~~~
I agree with the teacher's pet that I too started to hear things a little differently after this was first brought up. I watched the Larry King interview and had a drop jaw reaction. My mom was watching the same thing in another room and hollered out. She kept saying I can imagine why there weren't people preparing him for a question like that. I was sitting in a waiting room when he was on GMA the other day and I was so nervous for him and the anticipation of what his responses would be that I could hardly watch. Luckily for me I could barely hear it anyway.
Great post, Darrell...
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