Let's talk about Joel Osteen

As I watched Joel Osteen's interview with Larry King last week, I was again reminded of the unanswered questions about who and what Joel really is. As Joel answered question after question about how people should be responding during these hard times, he missed one opportunity after another to lead people toward the only true and lasting foundation: Jesus Christ.

The question of the hour seems to be: “Who is Joel Osteen?” There are those who say he is the “coveted crown prince of the Christian kingdom;” some call him the “smiling preacher.” And yet, others say he is a dispenser of “candy cotton” theology. Some might say he is the modern day Dale Carnegie or Norman Vincent Peale—a 21st century advocate for self actualization and human-potential. And recently, he is being viewed by some as the heir apparent to the ministry of Billy Graham. Yet others are warning that he is a heretic, a false teacher, a wolf who has entered the church through the back door.

I plan to use this blog, as a link to my website http://www.dyingtoliveabundantlife.com/ to analyze what's wrong with Joel Osteen's message. And I invite your comments and feedback.

For now let me say this: the real problem with Joel Osteen's message is not so much in what he is saying, but what he is not saying. That is, his falseness is detected by what he does not say rather than by what he says. Joel does not talk about faith in Jesus. He talks about faith. Joel does not speak of repentance. He speaks of change. Joel does not speak of sin as the problem for all man's troubles. Joel does not speak of the cross as man's only hope for the problem of sin nor does not teach the cross as a way of life. Jesus said "deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me." Joel says "believe in yourself."

The majority of Christians today do not seem to be able to detect the problem of a man who says good things, but leaves out the most important things.

The most dangerous teacher of all is the one who does not emphasize the right things.