The Faulty Faith of Joel Osteen
Greetings in Jesus’ Name!
I have been cautiously observing Joel Osteen from afar for months now and God continues to check my spirit regarding his ministry. The last few weeks I have been so grieved by this that I have had to ask the Lord to help me either cast off this weight or identify it. Since then He has placed in my heart a desperate plea to steer fellow believers away from Joel’s message. He unwittingly entertains the spirit of anti-Christ and his deception is not only leading the ignorant believers away from the true doctrine of faith, but selling the sinner a lifestyle without “Life”; without a knowledge of sin; without the need for repentance; hence no need for a Savior; therefore no Salvation. The message is once again “all about you” and is damning a vast hoard of both willing and innocent participants to a perverted truth of our beloved Gospel through Jesus Christ alone!
I try not to say a lot about things that are just personal differences, but this is poison. Joel’s feel-good doctrine is leading people away from Christ as being the ONLY way to the Father through repentance of our sin. My heart breaks for Joel and I pray that he will allow the Lord to correct him in this before he is guilty of leading more of the masses away from Jesus! God has used many in the Body of Christ mightily to raise His Word as the standard for everything we do, yet this man (Joel) isn’t even sure what that standard is. Please reconsider any kind of validation you are inadvertently giving his teaching as I truly believe it will be detrimental to all who go after his following.
Sadly Pathway Press, Christian Book Distributors and other
Christian Resource centers have recently added Joel’s new book to their
libraries and churches across the nation are using his books for weekly Bible
Studies. He is being touted as the next Billy Graham and given the title of “
Below are various transcripts from CNN programs which interviewed Joel. The hyperlinks will take you to the full transcript for your review. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see through the deception into the error that is so evident, then please take the few minutes necessary to read the below excerpts.
I pray God’s wisdom on us all as we continue to pursue only Him and pray diligently for our brother’s correction!
God bless,
Rev. Robert D. Kee
Ordained Bishop,
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http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/20/lkl.01.html
June 20, 2005
KING: Is -- have you always believed?
OSTEEN: I have always believed. I grew up, you know, my parents were a good
Christian people. They showed us love in the home. My parents were the same in
the pulpit as they were at home. I think that's where a lot of preachers' kids
get off base sometimes. Because they don't see the same
things at both places. But I've always believed. I saw it through my
parents. And I just grew up believing.
KING: But you're not fire and brimstone, right? You're not pound
the decks and hell and dam nation?
OSTEEN: No. That's not me. It's never been me. I've always been an encourager
at heart. And when I took over from my father he came from the Southern Baptist
background and back 40, 50 years ago there was a lot more of that. But, you
know, I just -- I don't believe in that. I don't believe -- maybe it was for a
time. But I don't have it in my heart to condemn people. I'm there to encourage
them. I see myself more as a coach, as a motivator to help them experience the
life God has for us.
KING: But don't you think if people don't believe as you believe, they're
somehow condemned?
OSTEEN: You know, I think that happens in our society. But I try not to do
that. I tell people all the time, preached a couple Sundays about it. I'm for
everybody. You may not agree with me, but to me it's not my job to try to
straighten everybody out. The Gospel called the good news. My message is a
message of hope, that's God's for you. You can live a good life no matter
what's happened to you. And so I don't know. I know there is condemnation but I
don't feel that's my place.
…
KING: There's a lot of books about
improving yourself.
OSTEEN: Yeah. I don't know. I think coming from the Christian base, and I think
the fact that I don't know, it's a book of encouragement and inspiration. And
to me it seems like there's so much pulling us down in our society today.
There's so much negative. Most of my book is about how you can live a good life
today in spite of all that. So I think that had a big part of it.
KING: But it doesn't quote a lot of biblical passages
until the back of the book, right?
OSTEEN: It doesn't do a whole lot of it. My message, I wanted to reach the
mainstream. We've reached the church audience. So I just try to, what I do is
just try to teach practical principles. I may not bring the scripture in until
the end of my sermon and i might feel bad about that.
Here's the thought. I talked yesterday about living to give. That's what a life
should be about. I brought in at the end about some of the scriptures that talk
about that. But same principal in the book.
KING: Is it hard to lead a Christian life?
OSTEEN: I don't think it's that hard. To me it's fun. We have joy and
happiness. Our family -- I don't feel like that at all. I'm not trying to
follow a set of rules and stuff. I'm just living my life.
KING: But you have rules, don't you?
OSTEEN: We do have rules. But the main rule to me is to honor God with your
life. To life a life of integrity. Not be selfish. You
know, help others. But that's really the essence of the Christian faith.
KING: That we live in deeds?
OSTEEN: I don't know. What do you mean by that?
KING: Because we've had ministers on who said, your record
don't count. You either believe in Christ or you don't. If you believe
in Christ, you are, you are going to heaven. And if you don't no matter what
you've done in your life, you ain't.
OSTEEN: Yeah, I don't know. There's probably a balance between. I believe you
have to know Christ. But I think that if you know Christ, if you're a believer
in God, you're going to have some good works. I think it's a cop-out to say I'm
a Christian but I don't ever do anything ...
KING: What if you're Jewish or Muslim, you don't accept Christ at all?
OSTEEN: You know, I'm very careful about saying who
would and wouldn't go to heaven. I don't know ...
KING: If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They're wrong, aren't they?
OSTEEN: Well, I don't know if I believe they're wrong. I believe here's what
the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I
just think that only God with judge a person's heart. I spent a lot of time in
…
KING:
CALLER: Hello, Larry. You're the best, and thank you, Joe -- Joel -- for your
positive messages and your book. I'm wondering, though, why you side-stepped
Larry's earlier question about how we get to heaven? The bible clearly tells us
that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and the only way to the father
is through him. That's not really a message of condemnation but of truth.
OSTEEN: Yes, I would agree with her. I believe that...
KING: So then a Jew is not going to heaven?
OSTEEN: No. Here's my thing, Larry, is I can't judge somebody's heart. You
know? Only god can look at somebody's heart, and so -- I don't know. To me,
it's not my business to say, you know, this one is or this one isn't. I just
say, here's what the bible teaches and I'm going to put my faith in Christ. And
I just I think it's wrong when you go around saying, you're saying you're not
going, you're not going, you're not going, because it's not exactly my way. I'm
just...
KING: But you believe your way.
OSTEEN: I believe my way. I believe my way with all my heart.
KING: But for someone who doesn't share it is wrong, isn't he?
OSTEEN: Well, yes. Well, I don't know if I look at it like that. I would
present my way, but I'm just going to let god be the judge of that. I don't
know. I don't know.
KING: So you make no judgment on anyone?
OSTEEN: No. But I...
KING: What about atheists?
OSTEEN: You know what, I'm going to let someone -- I'm going to let god be the
judge of who goes to heaven and hell. I just -- again, I present the truth, and
I say it every week. You know, I believe it's a relationship with Jesus. But
you know what? I'm not going to go around telling everybody else if they don't
want to believe that that's going to be their choice. God's got to look at your
own heart. God's got to look at your heart, and only god knows that.
KING: You believe there's a place called heaven?
OSTEEN: I believe there is. Yes. You know, you've had a lot of the near-death
experiences and things like that. Some of that is very, to me, not that you
need that as proof, but it shows you these little kids seeing the angels and
things like that.
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http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0612/22/lkl.01.html
December 22, 2006
KING: Where do you -- what's your view of homosexuality?
J. OSTEEN: Well, to me, Larry, it's not god's best. It's not, you know, the
scripture clearly defines that it's not -- it's considered a sin. And -- but
you know what? There's a fine line. So is lying, so is cheating, so is having
an adulterous affair.
So I think we have to be careful not to beat people up. Our church has always
been open to everyone that wants to come, regardless of who you are. And so
we've seen people overcome things like that.
So I don't like to take the easy way out and people say well, that's just me. I
think there's, you know, we all have struggles and I think that we can overcome
things like that.
KING: But, Joel, how could something be a sin if you
don't choose it?
J. OSTEEN: Well, I think that's the debate and I don't know. I don't have all
the answers. I think sometimes -- I don't think we can say everybody doesn't
choose it. I think sometimes we do choose things. But we have to, you know,
maybe -- for instance, Larry, maybe I have a -- or just a male has a -- and I'm
married and I have tendencies toward another female.
You know that? I have to say you know what? I can't do that. That's not right.
That's, you know, the bible teaches, you know, that I have to be disciplined in
those areas.
I think some -- many times it's in that same (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
KING: What do you say to the gay person who might be in your congregation who
says, you know, you preach about family and family values. I like that idea.
Family is wonderful. I'd like to marry my partner.
J. OSTEEN: Well, I just never encourage it because, you know, our -- I didn't
make the rules. But if you go back to the scripture, it talks about, you know
-- it's all -- seen throughout the whole bible that marriage is between a man
and a woman. So I just wouldn't encourage it. I couldn't in good faith, you
know, letting the bible be my guide, you know, encourage them in that.
KING: But the bible isn't
J. OSTEEN: Sure. Well, that's the thing, Larry, like kind of like you said. You
know, I don't believe in pushing stuff down people's throat. I mean different
people have different callings. My calling is love, forgiveness, mercy, let me
help you be the best that you can be through the scriptures. And
so...
KING: Do you like the idea of a civil union, where a state pronounces at least
that two people get the rights of marriage?
J. OSTEEN: You know, Larry, I have not thought about that. I don't really spend
much time thinking on that. I think that, you know, anything that conducts the
bible wouldn't be something I could, you know, I could agree with.
KING:
V. OSTEEN: I couldn't agree with that either. I mean my belief is that, you
know, it's for a man and a woman. And it's not -- it just -- it wouldn't be
something that I would feel in good conscience about. I mean I wouldn't want my
children to do it and so...
KING: If your children were gay, you'd still discourage it?
Because you can't choose that.
V. OSTEEN: I'd love them. I'd love my children no matter what. And -- but I
wouldn't be -- I can't say I'd be happy about it. I couldn't say, you know --
I'm not going to bend it just because it's happened to me. There's things that
happen and they're, you know, they happen.
But, no.
…
KING: Arguably, the most popular preacher in
Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria.
You don't preach much about sin. You don't talk about Satan a lot.
Why?
J. OSTEEN: Well, I think I do in a sense. I don't maybe -- I don't maybe -- I
don't know if I necessarily call it sin per se, but I'll talk about being
faithful in relationships and living a life of integrity and things like that.
And then, you know, some things people don't see at the end of the broadcast
and at the end of the services, where I give a salvation call like Billy Graham
every week, you know, for us to repent of our sins and -- I mean it's the
foundation of our faith, but I do feel like, as a pastor, I'm called to help
teach people live their everyday lives and I feel like my greatest gift is in
encouraging them, you know, helping them become all god's great (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
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http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0711/05/cnr.05.html
November 5, 2007
He has a positive message that keeps millions of people
hanging on his ever word and buying his books. And
he's smiling right here, because he doesn't like the compliments that much.
Joel Osteen, pastor of
But Pastor Osteen joins me now. He has got a new book out, "Become a
Better You: Seven Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day." It's number one
on this week's "New York Times" bestseller list.
Thank you for joining us. Good to see you again. What has been it been, a
year-and-a-half, two years, since the last book?
PASTOR JOEL OSTEEN, AUTHOR, "BECOME A BETTER
YOU": Don, it's been a little while. It's great to see you.
LEMON: Yes, it's good to see you.
What do you say when you hear that criticism about, you know, short on
substance, heavy on style?
OSTEEN: Well, to me, we're giving people hope.
Every week, we deal with people that have cancer, people that are having
relationship issues. And just we deal with the nitty-gritty of life. And, so, I
can't see how it being light to help people have hope
and encouragement. And, so, I really don't think about it that much. I just do
what I know I'm called to do.
LEMON: Well, they say, you know, he doesn't get in there, and it's not fire and
brimstone and preach the Gospel. But you say, that's really not what you're about. That's not what you
think God put you here for.
OSTEEN: I don't know so. And the Gospel is translated good news. It's supposed
to be a message of hope or something good we have to offer, and, you know, that
Christ has forgiveness for our sins, and that any of us can rise higher. We can
overcome any obstacles in our past or any obstacles in our future.
And, so, to me, that's what it's all about, knowing
that God is for us, he's in us, and he wants us to succeed.
LEMON: OK.
Before we talk about your book, let's also talk about -- because every -- I
mean, you have done very well. You have had two books now that have been
bestsellers. And you have got this huge following again. So, people talk about
the money...
OSTEEN: Sure.
LEMON: ... and how well you're doing, as if it's some sort of criticism or
something that's bad. What do you say to that, to people who say, you know,
he's making all that money on people, and he's supposed to be a preacher; he's
not supposed to be making all that money?
OSTEEN: Well, you know what? We never did it -- I never did it for the money. I
didn't know my book was going to sell so many millions of copies.
And, so, you know what? I don't think there's anything wrong with being
blessed. It's the love of money that gets people messed up. And if our goal is
just to make money, to see how great we are, I mean, that's where I think
there's a -- you know, you get off course.
But our goal is to help people, and that the money is a byproduct. And I really
never even think about it. I haven't changed how I lived eight years ago.
LEMON: Yes.
When -- I was watching you, I have to tell you, one Sunday. It came on. I was
watching the Sunday talk shows, and you came on right after. And it was almost
as if -- you were talking about visualization. And it was almost as if you were
talking about there's this thing called the secret.
OSTEEN: Yes.
LEMON: That sort of thing.
And I said -- you know, I called Don Iloff, who is
your brother- in-law, as well as your media person, and I said, it sounds he's
been -- Joel has been watching or listening to "The Secret."
Do you take these things from popular culture and infuse them into your -- what
you tell people on Sundays?
OSTEEN: I don't know if I would
necessarily -- I have never read the book. I think there are some principles in
it that possibly are the same -- or some principles from God's word about, you
have to, you know, as a man thinks, he will become.
But I don't necessarily think that I take it from that. I just study a lot of
different things. But I do know lot of the principles today. I mean, for
instance, if you give, you are going to be blessed. That's a principle in God's
word.
LEMON: What do you want to -- what do you want -- because, obviously, the book
is a bestseller. You don't need anyone's help in selling it, but what do you
want folks to get from this book? Obviously, you say it's
seven keys to improving your life every single day.
It doesn't -- you know, I don't -- there's nothing on the cover about God that
you see.
OSTEEN: Well, to me I'm trying to reach people that wouldn't necessarily go to
church or people that do, just to inspire them to come up higher.
I think it's easy to get stagnant in life, in a relationship, in our attitude,
even in our walk with the lord. And the -- the purpose of the book is to say,
you know, don't get stuck in a rut. Know that God wants you to rise higher.
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http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0711/09/sitroom.02.html
November 9, 2007
Let's get now to the world
according to one of today's most prominent televangelist. He has a huge media
ministry, a book on bettering your life and an interesting perspective on
politics, the issues and what he believes society is greatest enemy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: And joining us now from the CNN center is Pastor Joel Osteen. He's the
author of an important new book entitled "Become a Better You,
PASTOR JOEL OSTEEN, AUTHOR: Hey, thank you, it is my pleasure it be with you,
Wolf.
BLITZER: We know you have a huge following and your best seller, your best life
now is the "New York Times" number one best seller for a long time.
Let me read from your new book, this graph that sort of jumped out at me.
"One of the greatest threats we face in the 21st century is not a
terrorist attack or an ecological catastrophe but an attack on our homes. The
enemy would love nothing more than to ruin your relationship with your husband
or your wife, your parents or your children." All right, the enemy. Who is
the enemy that potentially would do that to our families?
OSTEEN: Well, I think, I'm talking more in a spiritual sense there, Wolf, that the enemy being forces, I call them forces of
darkness. I think it started with the devil. We call it in bible terms, but I
just think there are forces that are trying to pull our families apart today
and we have to be strong to stay together and keep strife and division out of
our homes.
BLITZER: Well, beyond the devil, are there groups, organizations, individuals
you feel are part of this group that you call the enemy?
OSTEEN: No, I really don't. I don't really, I'm not
going that, I'm not taking it in that direction. It's more in the spiritual
side and just, I just really believe that there's
things that try to pull us apart as a family and, so, I'm seeing it more on the
spiritual side.
BLITZER: All right. There are some evangelical pastors, leaders out there who
get deeply involved in politics. Others like you try to stay out of politics.
Is there a right or a wrong course for an evangelical leader?
OSTEEN: I don't think it's right or wrong. I think it is what god has put in
your heart to do. I have good friends that are very strong that can get on
there and debate and they're much more political. So, I don't know if it's
right or wrong. I believe for, you know, for me, what's right is to not get on
the political side. Sometimes I believe that divides the very audience I'm
trying to reach. Wolf, in a church like ours, our congregation has many
thousands and there are democrats, republicans, independents, people for the
war, not for the war and I believe I have to take the higher road and let me say,
let me help you in your spiritual walk.
BLITZER: All right. What about many evangelicals would call the moral issues
whether abortion or gay rights? Do you get involved in trying to express your
opinions on those sensitive issues?
OSTEEN: You know, I would say this, Wolf, I don't
crusade against them or crusade to make my opinion known. Again, I feel like my
calling is to bring hope and encouragement and teach people how to live their
everyday lives. But I'm not for abortion and I don't think homosexuality is
god's best but I just try to stay in my calling and the main thing is we're for
everybody to bring them hope and encouragement and not to exclude a certain
group from our following.
BLITZER: Explain why you think homosexuality is not god's best because
homosexuals believe that was the way god created them. They were born this way
to either love women or love men and they had no choice in the matter and this
is simply the way, the way god created them.
OSTEEN: You know, Wolf I can't say that I understand it all. I don't. When I
read things like that, I don't know that I understand it all. I just go back to
the foundation of my faith. It's based on the truth that I found in the bible
and I only see, you know, relationships between men and women is the way god
created us to be. I'm not saying I condemn them. I'm not saying I understand it
all, but I just, I have to say this is my core belief
on the inside.
BLITZER: And what about same-sex marriage or same-sex unions. If two men love
each other and want to spend the rest of their lives with each other or two
women love each other, should they get the benefits, the rights that
heterosexual couples have?
OSTEEN: You know, Wolf, I'm not up to speed on all that. I just - I don't
believe again that it's god's best for us to say that
a marriage is between a man, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I
don't know about all the technical issues. I'm certainly for everybody having a
chance in life and being kind and respectful to
everyone. But I just don't know if I'm up to speed on it all.