Comments on: The Method In The Madness: The Mystery of Joel Osteen http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen ...dispatches from the post-evangelical wilderness Sun, 12 Feb 2012 09:14:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeff http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-929 Jeff Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-929 Great article! If people are not called on the carpet, their deception is not revealed. Christ never said that all of the world is going to love his principles, he said the opposite. I have had about enough of today's preachers taking bits and pieces out of the bible and forming whole worldviews around it without taking in the whole of scripture. There are many that do this (TBN, Falwell, etc.) but the same thing is happening all over, the message of sin, judgment, redemption by Christ alone, and salvation by faith are being left behind. Without those four things, Christianity does not exist. The brand of thinking taught by Olsteen is decidedly not Christian. It only gets called this because he takes scripture out of context and applies it to his already preconceived ideas about prosperity. Everyone loves the God that wants to bless them but does not make any demands on them: The all-powerful puppet. This is not the biblical God, but the god of our own minds who submits to our will not the other way around. Sad, Sad, Sad... Great article! If people are not called on the carpet, their deception is not revealed.
Christ never said that all of the world is going to love his principles, he said the opposite. I have had about enough of today’s preachers taking bits and pieces out of the bible and forming whole worldviews around it without taking in the whole of scripture. There are many that do this (TBN, Falwell, etc.) but the same thing is happening all over, the message of sin, judgment, redemption by Christ alone, and salvation by faith are being left behind.
Without those four things, Christianity does not exist. The brand of thinking taught by Olsteen is decidedly not Christian. It only gets called this because he takes scripture out of context and applies it to his already preconceived ideas about prosperity.

Everyone loves the God that wants to bless them but does not make any demands on them: The all-powerful puppet. This is not the biblical God, but the god of our own minds who submits to our will not the other way around.

Sad, Sad, Sad…

]]> By: Mark L http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-930 Mark L Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-930 One time while with my 14 year old daughter in a Barnes & Noble bookstore, never wanting to pass up on an opportunity to teach when I am reminded to do so, I grabbed Joel's book off the shelf of new releases and had her read the inside flap (or it may have been the back cover). I then asked her what she thought may be wrong for a book that is supposed to be written by a Christian. And she quickly said, "It isn't relly about Jesus or God." If my 14 year old daughter can spot the glaring problems with this self-help mentality, why can't more of us? Perhaps it is the fact that the Evangelical church has bought into the pragmatic, seeker-sensitive, purpose-driven mentality so much so that we are no longer able to distinqish truth from heresy. All the natural outcome of making the audience king. Thanks for calling this to our attention. One time while with my 14 year old daughter in a Barnes & Noble bookstore, never wanting to pass up on an opportunity to teach when I am reminded to do so, I grabbed Joel’s book off the shelf of new releases and had her read the inside flap (or it may have been the back cover). I then asked her what she thought may be wrong for a book that is supposed to be written by a Christian. And she quickly said, “It isn’t relly about Jesus or God.”

If my 14 year old daughter can spot the glaring problems with this self-help mentality, why can’t more of us?

Perhaps it is the fact that the Evangelical church has bought into the pragmatic, seeker-sensitive, purpose-driven mentality so much so that we are no longer able to distinqish truth from heresy.

All the natural outcome of making the audience king. Thanks for calling this to our attention.

]]> By: Matt http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-931 Matt Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-931 He shoots...He scores! He shoots…He scores!

]]> By: Chris http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-932 Chris Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-932 Yes, good article. Yes, good article.

]]> By: Don N http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-933 Don N Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-933 It's so sad that Max Lucado has endorsed Osteen. More than a good story-teller, he really shares the Gospel, but perhaps not everyone has the gift of discernment. As sad failing in a shepherd. It’s so sad that Max Lucado has endorsed Osteen. More than a good story-teller, he really shares the Gospel, but perhaps not everyone has the gift of discernment. As sad failing in a shepherd.

]]> By: Alison http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-934 Alison Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-934 What the hell kind of confession is that? Pardon the expression (although quite possibly accurate). What the hell kind of confession is that? Pardon the expression (although quite possibly accurate).

]]> By: Dolan McKnight http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-935 Dolan McKnight Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-935 The following is from an interview touting Osteen's new book. BRC: Do you need to have a personal relationship with Christ or even be a Christian to benefit from what you write? Joel: I think that these principles will work in anybody's life. I think principles are principles for life. BRC: You put the prayer to accept Christ, or the "salvation prayer," on the very last page of your book. What went into this decision to put it at the very end? Joel: I feel my calling in life is to encourage people to help them live their lives better, to just be who God made them to be. Most of my ministry is not necessarily Evangelistic. Mine is to help people to live, but I do believe the Great Commission is to go into all the world and to teach and make disciples. I believe I'm helping to make disciples, to train people how to live. www.bookreporter,com/authors/au-osteen-joel.asp There you have it. Osteen is not "necessarily Evangelistic," and thinks that both the saved and the unsaved will benefit from his teaching. He fulfills the Great Commission by "train[ing] people how to live." The following is from an interview touting Osteen’s new book.

BRC: Do you need to have a personal relationship with Christ or even be a Christian to benefit from what you write?
Joel: I think that these principles will work in anybody’s life. I think principles are principles for life.

BRC: You put the prayer to accept Christ, or the “salvation prayer,” on the very last page of your book. What went into this decision to put it at the very end?
Joel: I feel my calling in life is to encourage people to help them live their lives better, to just be who God made them to be. Most of my ministry is not necessarily Evangelistic. Mine is to help people to live, but I do believe the Great Commission is to go into all the world and to teach and make disciples. I believe I’m helping to make disciples, to train people how to live.

http://www.bookreporter,com/authors/au-osteen-joel.asp

There you have it. Osteen is not “necessarily Evangelistic,” and thinks that both the saved and the unsaved will benefit from his teaching. He fulfills the Great Commission by “train[ing] people how to live.”

]]> By: Mark http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-936 Mark Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-936 Great, insightful, helpful post! Great, insightful, helpful post!

]]> By: Clark Bunch http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-937 Clark Bunch Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-937 I read that interview, and Osteen does consider himself to be carrying out the great commision in that he is "making desciples of all men." The great commision passage I quoted in my response to the first IM article (Outing Joel Osteen...) was from Mark 16:15, and includes the phrase "preach the gospel to every creature." I read that interview, and Osteen does consider himself to be carrying out the great commision in that he is “making desciples of all men.” The great commision passage I quoted in my response to the first IM article (Outing Joel Osteen…) was from Mark 16:15, and includes the phrase “preach the gospel to every creature.”

]]> By: Chet http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/the-method-in-the-madness-the-mystery-of-joel-osteen/comment-page-1#comment-938 Chet Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.internetmonk.com/im.php/?p=110#comment-938 OK. Just one comment in regards to Osteen's desire to "go into all the world and to teach and make disciples. I believe I'm helping to make disciples, to train people how to live." I might of missed it but I didn't see whose disciples he is making...His own? Tony Robbins'? Nah, that would be aiding the competition... OK. Just one comment in regards to Osteen’s desire to “go into all the world and to teach and make disciples. I believe I’m helping to make disciples, to train people how to live.” I might of missed it but I didn’t see whose disciples he is making…His own? Tony Robbins’? Nah, that would be aiding the competition…

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