Regretfully, Here's My Osteen Post

I don't want to post this. I'm sick of talking about it. I'm more sick of thinking about it. I've said it before (and it's buried in the theme of this post, too)... the prosperity gospel makes me want to puke.

Read the gospels. Read Acts. What is God telling us about himself and what his church is to look like?

I've heard people say "I'm a child of the King, so I should get to live like a prince(ss)." To which I respond

Yes, you are a child of the King, and you have a seat reserved in the kingdom. Until then, take a look at what the King's Son had to bear... want to live like him? Cause that's a lot closer to our calling than the riches of this world.

The most famous Christian in the world to my generation and my parents' generation is Billy Graham. Graham is solid and effectively communicates the basics of faith in Christ. He won't be around forever, and then someone else will then become the most famous Christian. Osteen is perched to take that spot... he's "likable", he's the "pastor" of a huge church, he has everything seemingly going for him. There's just one big problem:

Osteen's gospel isn't the gospel of Jesus the Christ. Osteen's gospel isn't in the Bible. Osteen's gospel is "do these things, follow my 7 steps, and you'll be in good shape", which sounds to me a whole lot like the laws of Israel, only from a much lesser authority. (How'd that work out for Israel?) Osteen's gospel dismisses sin by saying "it's ok, you're trying". Osteen's gospel makes no mention of a just God's wrath. (Jesus didn't dismiss sin or the wrath of God.) Osteen's gospel focuses on me, right now. (The death and resurrection of Christ focuses on God's glory, forever.)

Osteen is effectively a motivational speaker in a pastor's guise. So his followers think they're being taught by a pastor, but all they're really getting is a bunch of new age power of positive thinking content. If Osteen wants to make a very comfortable living as a Christian motivational speaker, he needs to stop fronting as a pastor and just call himself a Christian motivational speaker. Oh, and he needs to read the Bible. Think Zig, only with worse doctrine.

I'm no brilliant theologian. I'm just a hack who is trying to love God and make sense of the things I see around me. So what do I know. But, please, don't place your trust in Joel. Your best life now probably won't net you riches in this world. But, as far as I can tell, riches in this world were never something we were designed to strive for to begin with.

Links on this topic that I suggest:

• Piper's brief thoughts on the prosperity gospel
• A solid in-depth study on Osteen
  (I highly recommend this, but it will take some time to read through...)
• A simple summary of the aforementioned study
• Osteen's 60 Minutes interview

And for those who have read or are considering reading Osteen's latest book, here's a book review that has further convinced me to spend my time and money in other ways:

• Tim Challies' Osteen book review