There are time that I am very concerned about the way that society views Christianity. There are a lot of very popular pastors (actually I think "speakers" is a more accurate term) out there who tell people what they want to hear.
I was think about this the other day when I went to get my oil changed at Wal-Mart and was walking around, killing time when I saw the new book by Joel Olsteen.
I decided I would go over and flip through the book to see if I could see what the book was really about. The book is titled "Being A Better You" and it is full of encouraging little anecdotes that are carefully worded to not offed anybody.
I do not think that is was a coincidence that when I opened up to a random page and read "When you are honest about who you are, you will find the power inside yourself to bring out your good qualities as well as those qualities in others"
This is the basis of his book.
This is a pastor who refuses to use the word "sin" because he does not believe in it.
If you do not believe in sin then there was nothing that we were saved from.
It is a way of saying that Christ's death on the cross was not necessary and therefore we can call Jesus our savior because he did not save us from anything.
Olsteen has turned his Christ into a model of the real thing.
So do yourself a favor. If you see this book....
Do not buy it. In fact for the sake of others I think you should move this book in front of it.
Remember that our sin is real, and this is not something to be discouraged about because that means that are savior is real, however if we make our sin small then we also make Christ small.
4 comments:
well put....and also, send me a copy of that book (the second one) it's sounding pretty good
i'm with Josh, "well put." i wish more people had the sense not read or believe in crap like osteen's....but, for those folks:
2 Tim 4:3, 1 Tim 1:3-11, Isa 30:9-11, and my favorite Isa 8:19-20 "to the law and to the testimony!". and for osteen, isaiah says he's a fool cause "the fool...spreads error concerning the Lord" (isa 32:6)
Jeff, that was a good blog.
hmmmmmm...
http://www.zakwhite.com/?p=443
No.
I agree with you in regards to praying for people.
I also believe in correct doctrine and theology and I have a hard time believing that God is using someone who does not point people to Jesus.
I will pray for Joel Olsteen, I do not know about Joyce Meyer’s or where she likes to poo but I will pray for her too.
However, I do think that as pastor’s there is also a responsibility to be involved in the discussion of theology that is going on in our culture. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t. It is ok to discuss that.
I just can not embrace a theology that points to “the power within” more than the power of Christ. Or provides teaching that does not take into account sin…which by rule disqualifies grace.
In the same since I can not support a pastor who tickles people’s ears with what they want to hear…there are warnings about this in the Bible.
But I will pray for them. I seriously will, and I hope that he will one day embrace theological teaching instead of bragging that he has never had any and that “God gives him the words to say”.
To be fair…Satan uses a lot of pastors as well.
Thats by side…it is not him as a person…or his jokes. I have heard bad jokes from multiple pulpits, those do not offend me. It is a theology rooted in the building of self and shrinking of Christ that offends me.
I will shut up now.
I love you though.
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