“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.” (Matthew 24:4-5)
The apostle Peter devotes most of Second Peter to warning against false teachers. Jude devotes his entire short letter to the same theme. John in his epistles repeatedly warns of false teachers.
Paul’s words to elders warned them to be on guard... Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30)
His final letters to Timothy and Titus repeatedly emphasize the need for sound doctrine. He told Titus (1:9) that an elder must hold “fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” He goes on to explain that there are many empty talkers and deceivers who are upsetting whole households through their false teaching. In his final charge to Timothy, after telling him to preach the word, he explained in 2 Tim. 4:3-4... “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
Recognizing a false teacher is important to our relationship with and respect for the precision of God’s Truth. Sometimes, what a false teacher preaches is so appealing that many people are duped into believing what is spoken. The distortions of truth are alluring and appealing because what is being spoken frees people from their personal responsibilities to change their lives and live according to the “absolute” truths found in God’s Word.
Such a false teacher, is televangelist Joel Osteen. Joel has a problem with the New Testament. Joel has a problem with the words of
the writers of much of the New Testament. Evidently, Joel must have a problem with God, who by “inspiration” directed and guided the writing of the words that comprise the New Testament. So, what’s the problem Mr. Osteen?
According to Joel Osteen – Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, these first century apostles are wrong and outdated and he has come out boldly to infer indirectly that Apostles Paul, Peter, and John who wrote much of the New Testament were wrong and need to be corrected and rebuked. Follow closely now, as I highlight Mr. Osteen’s views on Biblical Truth... the New Testament... and the men of God under divine inspiration who penned His message to humanity.
When asked directly if people who are openly practicing homosexuals are accepted into the Kingdom, Joel Osteen responded with “Absolutely, anybody is.”
Joel does acknowledge that some things are “sin” but says, “I don’t address these things from the pulpit. They only come up in interviews.” When asked if openly practicing gay/homosexual people will be accepted into heaven, Joel Osteen responded, “I believe they will.” He makes no mention of the need for repentance and change.
Joel Osteen is teaching the false and unfounded doctrine of Universalism. The teachings of universalism is the belief that all people are “saved” no matter who you are or what you’ve done.
Mr. Osteen is preaching a new, updated and from his perspective an improved version of the “good news” that is MUCH BETTER than the message that Jesus and the Apostles preached 2,000 years ago. That message was far too narrow according to the way Joel Osteen explains his new and improved “message.”
“I’m for everybody” says Joel Osteen, “I’m not into excluding people. Jesus can reveal himself to anybody.”
The idea is that since no one would be accepted if we are called to be “holy” then all have to be accepted. So goes his logic. This doctrine also teaches that all roads lead to heaven so there is no one “way, truth, and life that leads to the father.” Jesus was in Mr. Osteens opinion... wrong when He said... “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life... no one comes to the Father, except through ME!”
According to Joel, “sin means to miss the mark” which, while technically correct, stands in contrast to the teachings of many writers of the Bible that teach that sin is violation of God’s Holy Laws so if by missing the mark Joel means violating God’s ways, then yes, sin is missing the mark. According to the out of date writers of the Bible, the “wages of sin is death” for which blood is required and for which a sacrifice was presented... in the person of Jesus Christ’s death on a cross.
It sounds a lot more harsh to say SIN is TREASON punishable by death than to say it is “missing the mark” which is only half the message, incomplete. Sin is also “to incur guilt, incur penalty” which according to the scripture is death. Romans 6:23 says... “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
When asked about people who live in open sin, Joel smilingly said, “I’m not going to bash those people. I’m not going to be against those people. They’re good people.”
So by contrast, the Apostle Jude is “bashing people” when he said in Jude 1:14-16... “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.”
Joel’s wife recently said in a televised interview... “It’s the people that we’re after. We’re not trying to judge their sin. We want to encourage them and love them. You’re only going to win people by reaching out to them.” (Really...? It’s their MONEY you are after!)
The Osteens are all about the people [and their money]! They want “hears of their words” to be accepted without having to discuss anything like repentance or righteousness. These are “judgmental” subjects that we just don’t need in the context of church.
These modern day ministry giants have gone on national television to correct Apostles Peter, John, and Paul by boldly saying… they are wrong … if you believe what Joel Osteen teaches. So many people, more than 45,000 at his church on any given Sunday are so proud of this Pastor and his courage in confronting those misguided writers of the New Testament and declaring them wrong!
According to Joel Osteen, the Apostle Paul incorrectly stated this warning to the Corinthians as recorded at 1 Corinthians 6:8-10 which says... “Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
In saying this, according to Joel Osteen, the Apostle Paul is being “exclusionary” and should be rebuked and corrected. He is obviously wrong and should never have said these things to the Corinthian church. Corinth was known for its sexual openness and promiscuity, so for Paul to “condemn” all these “good people” was completely out of order and he needs to be rebuked.
When Paul wrote to the Romans he also was in complete error in stating the following in the first chapter of his letter, according to Joel Osteen. Romans 1:27... In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
According to Joel Osteen, Paul was absolutely incorrect and to state that being a homosexual is a sin is being “judgmental” and should not be tolerated. It is just wrong according to Joel Osteen. Many people agree with Mr. Osteen’s views today and so, the Apostle Paul is apparently misguided and incorrect in his letter. In fact everything Paul wrote [under divine inspiration] to the Romans is undoubtedly “wrong” counsel.
Osteen goes on to point out the additional errors in the words Apostle Paul as summarized in Romans 1:32... “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Paul‘s letter to the Romans, according to the words of Joel Osteen, is deeply misguided and mistaken.
That scoundrel Paul should repent for saying such things according to Joel Osteen. A growing number of people in America agree with Joel that the Apostle Paul should be rebuked for ever saying such things because Paul isn’t accepting of people like Joel Osteen is.
Equally misguided and incorrect according to Joel Osteen is Paul’s words to the Galatian church. In his writings, the Apostle Paul made stunning comments that were clearly exclusionary statements concerning the Kingdom and those who are accepted, and in so doing made grave error, according to Joel Osteen.
See if you can detect the absolutely false statements that Apostle Paul made to the Galatians church according to the stated doctrine of Joel Osteen.
Galatians 5:19-21 says... The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
You can clearly see what has Joel Osteen so unhappy that he’s gone on national television to correct! It is this type of rhetoric, according to Joel Osteen, that is completely false and misrepresents the God “he” serves.
Joel Osteen’s God loves everybody and there are “no exclusions” because then, according to Joel, “none of us would be saved.” So again, Apostle Paul was completely incorrect and should never have written such harsh and insensitive words to the Galatian church according to Mr. Osteen. I can imagine Joel Osteen saying... “shame on Paul for ever writing such hateful words!”
Now, not only is Osteen out to correct the misguided Apostle Paul, but Apostle Peter was also brought into serious question for clearly being exclusionary when he wrote these words in 1 Peter 1:14-16... As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
According to the “Osteen doctrine” now shared with the world, “his message,” is clearly more evolved and enlightened than the archaic words of the Apostle Peter. NO ONE can be holy. We are left to conclude that Peter is misguided and is being judgmental. What a terrible yoke and condemnation Apostle Peter is trying to put on the good people he is writing to.
Additionally, Apostle Peter goes on to say things that are completely against the Lakewood Church Pastor’s God when he stated the following in 2 Peter 2:6-9... if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
According to Joel Osteen’s public comments, one could conclude that the Apostle Peter was in complete error and deceived when he wrote such things. What a terrible condemnation. Peter clearly did not know the “doctrine of Joel Osteen” or he would never have said such awful, critical and threatening things.
Joel Osteen indirectly implies (subtly) that these apostles were false teachers – critical and judgmental, and should NOT be listened to in America today. We all need to listen instead to Joel Osteen and and his interpretations of the Bible.
Now... the Apostle John, [the closest friend of Jesus] made even greater errors. Osteen says that his words of condemnation including the book of Revelation are simply not true.
It takes a lot of courage for Joel to stand against these writings but he believes strongly in his “uplifting and encouraging” doctrine that does not endorse such harsh and judgmental statements as written by these ancient Apostles.
Under divine inspiration John wrote in Revelation 21:8... “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
According to Joel Osteen in a recent interview, “God doesn’t see any sin as worse than another” and all are going to heaven. Apparently in Joel Osteen’s Bible, he has redacted the unpardonable sin. If you’re a follower of Joel Osteen’s interpretation of the Bible then this inspired statement by the Apostle John must seem just plain wrong.
Osteen, albeit in a subtle way, says the Apostle John doesn’t know what he’s talking about and people need to listen to his wisdom and discard the threatening words written by John, Peter and Paul 2,000 years ago. The Apostle John clearly was in error and should be rebuked for suggesting that people who tell lies are going to spend eternity in the lake of fire.
What was the Apostle John thinking writing such judgmental things??? That’s a terrible thing to say and no one, certainly not the Apostle John, should be allowed to say such things. As Osteen says, “there’s enough condemnation in the world” and we don’t need anymore.
Additionally, in his letter, Apostle John says things like this in 1 John 3:8-10... “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”
Now, according to Joel Osteen and the thousands that agree with his “message,” this entire passage should be removed from the pages of the Bible and no one should be saying such things. In fact, Osteen goes on to share that it is this exact kind of preaching that will hinder “church growth.”
HEAR YE, HEAR YE One and All... Joel Osteen rebukes the divinely inspired words of Apostles Paul, Peter, and John! Joel Osteen rebukes you all!!!
Now listen... listen carefully to the Word of God:
Galatians 1:9... As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
Matthew 7:15-16... "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them...”
John 14:6... Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Proverbs 30:6...“Do not add to HIS words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.”
2 John 7-11... “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”
Revelation 22:19... And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
Who are you going to LISTEN to... Almighty God in his divine message to humanity... or the twisted doctrine of Joel Osteen?
Joel Osteen... is taking a REALLY BIG RISK because … if he’s wrong and he is, and the Apostles are right and they are … then Mr. Osteen stands in direct opposition to the Word of God. He has willfully challenged the Holy and Righteous God. He stands on the path leading to eternal condemnation! Of course, he won’t listen to “these words” either, because they are just to harsh and unacceptable for Mr. Osteen’s version of Almighty God.
IF you listen and embrace Osteen’s message of universal acceptance and lawless living without any condemnation no matter what lifestyle or choices you make... then you will find yourself on the same road to eternal misery.
Nuff said... you decide.
