Both Glenn Beck and Joel Osteen miss it on so very much. Osteen had his opportunities and repeatedly came up with ZERO. It’s sad to watch the blind leading the blind.
Both Glenn Beck and Joel Osteen miss it on so very much. Osteen had his opportunities and repeatedly came up with ZERO. It’s sad to watch the blind leading the blind.
I can’t watch. This is why I am not a nascar fan i can’t take the wrecks. I lost a couple people from the church plant over Joel. Some people cling to flotsam.
I want to watch, but I can’t.
I can assure you that you aren’t missing a thing. In 5+ minutes of interview there is not substantive talk, but a lot of “re-assuring” each other that “we’re right, aren’t we?”. God bless
I saw the interview while at my dad’s in FL. It was sad-dening. I also saw twice Joel interviewed on 60 Minutes last year; unlike our dear brother Michael Horton, whom I have read, I can’t concur Joel is a “heretic”; I have no doubt he loves Jesus; what I do seriously question is his call to preach the gospel. I’d suppose that those whom God has called to preach the gospel, preach the gospel. Joel concurred with Byron Pitts on 60 Minutes that he doesn’t preach the cross, the blood, sin, etc…men in the pulpit who don’t preach the gospel delineated in I Cor. 15 shouldn’t be in the pulpit. I can only surmise they have “volunteered” to do so, or were called by man.
I was deeply saddened for our brother Joel when he wept on 60 Minutes, re: being used by God to help others. I have no doubt at all it was sincere.
He’s been ripped up pretty badly by the Christian community; again, I believe the real issue is not whether he is a Christian, but whether he’s called to preach the gospel or not; from the content of his mes-sage, I would say not.
Sincerely,
Michael
Michael,
I appreciate your thoughts. A man called to preach / pastor the Gospel of Jesus Christ must…must…must preach the cross, the blood, sin & etc. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To do any other thing is to preach “another” gospel. It doesn’t have anything to do with stage presence, communication skills or love for the masses – it’s all about the grace of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. Osteen won’t stand on that Gospel – and that puts him, and those who follow, in a dangerous stance.
God bless,
Thank you. I never “blog” like this, but “took a shot” at it!
I’ve often wondered, “Lord, is Joel’s church the biggest because he is a breath of fresh air, re: encouragement, graciousness, etc. and a respite to so much American preaching that is legalistic, hence the masses are hungry for grace?” Or, “Lord, is his church so big, like seeker-sensitive and Emergent churches because of the absence of the preaching of the cross, sin, the blood, judgment, etc.?” I’d have to believe it’s the latter reason, perhaps mixed with a little of the former. I fear these churches will empty as quickly as they filled when our Lord manifests Himself in ways other than they’ve learned in the days ahead.
When our Jesus had massive crowds following Him, He’d say things to ‘thin them”, not to “keep them”, aka, deny yourself, take up your cross, etc…!
It seems there are two ways to fill a church: God’s way and man’s way; and, of course, the latter is the devil’s way too! I absolutely love John MacArthur’s “church growth” philosophy…he has none! But, he does assert that he focuses on how to make his church “deeper”, and he lets God take care of making it “bigger”…..
Jesus bless,
Michael