Joel Osteen is the most popular pastor in America and has the largest congregation in the nation. He has the package that people like to look at. He is good looking, charismatic, and has a beautiful beauty queen wife. What he is lacking, however, is the gift that should like within the package. Mr. Osteen is missing the main ingredient of Christianity, which is focused on Christ.
The gospel according to Osteen
Joel Osteen preaches a different gospel than what many people grew up with. His version is one where if you smile, and only say positive things, life will work in your favor.
In Osteen's world, success is measured by wealth. And anyone who is suffering or struggling financially must have done something wrong. This is new age and not in the bible.
Osteen looks into the camera every service telling hundreds of thousands that they can declare a certain year will be their season. On Facebook people do just that. They quite Osteen, and claim in January, that the new year will be their best ever. By November these same individuals are saying the year was so bad, they cannot wait until the new year. And in January it starts all over again. Clearly following the advice of the most popular pastor in America is not working, yet the people continue to tune in on TV and purchase his books.
Osteen admitted he is no pastor
Joel Osteen has given his testimony of being approached by church leaders after his father died. They wanted him to take over the church as pastor. Joel admitted he was not called by God to be a pastor, and yet he took the position. This man is an eloquent motivational speaker and articulates himself well.
The gospel of Christ, however, is not about living your best life now.
The gospel according to Jesus and His disciples, focused on eternity. The pop sugar message of Osteen and other Word Of Faith preachers is all about obtaining wealth and living well in this life now. If he believed he was not called to be a preacher, then he should not have taken the position, because he is ruining lives.
Based on Osteen's gospel, people who get laid of, have hours cut or are fired, cannot always maintain money in the bank and a good credit score. Sometimes foreclosures, repossession, and evictions happen, not because of a lack of faith, but a lack of income. Osteen's message blames poor people for their poverty. It also pats rich people on the back, causing them to believe they have God's favor because they are wealthy. That is not in the bible. Jesus said the measure of a man is not in the abundance of what he owns. (Luke 12:15) Osteen and other Word of Faith preachers say it is.
