I think you are absolutely on track here!…

#Premise 1 — “Living in Total Victory”
□ He said, “I wanna talk to you today about ‘Living in Total Victory.’”
□ After saying that, I was expectant that I would be hearing a teaching about what it takes to have a life in TOTAL victory.
□ There could be a false presumption that it will be complete or absolute, no other option, victory, that I can and must have.

#Premise 2 — not just breathing… but living an abundant life
□ Joel quoted Jesus, “because I live, you shall live also.”
> Was Joel quoting Jesus correctly? By that I mean, was he drawing out (exegesis) what Jesus meant by what He was saying? Better read the whole context of John 14:1-31, where the exact statement of Jesus appears.
> Jesus had begun His valedictory address to the remaining 11. The world of the disciples was about to be shattered; they would be bewildered, confused, and ridden with anxiety because of the events that would soon transpire. Anticipating their devastation, Jesus spoke to comfort their hearts.
> This whole chapter centers in the promise that Christ is the One who gives the believer comfort, not only in His future return but also in the present with the ministry of the Holy Spirit (v. 26). [MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Jn 14:1). Nashville: Word Pub.]
> While Mr. Osteen may literally be quoting Jesus, but he didn’t quote Him exactly as He would have meant it. Here lies the danger of misquoting the very words of Scriptures: 1) miss the point of the passage; 2) misunderstand its true meaning; 3) misapplying the derived “false” meaning to gullible hearers.
□ Next he adds to what Jesus was really saying, “He wasn’t talking about just breathing. He was talking about having an abundant life.”
> Jesus really said, “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). Could this be the text Joel was referring to? Reading from verses 1 through 20, you can easily understand the context.
> Jesus was not promising “abundant life” in the sense that Joel was trying to claim Jesus was saying. The Lord Jesus was comparing Himself for being the Good Shepherd as against thieves and robbers, strangers, and hired hands.
> Jesus was clearly confronting the religious leaders about their selfish desires instead of caring for the needs of their flock. But instead they steal (thieves), kill and destroy (robbers), they have no relationship with the sheep (strangers), and they just don’t care about them (hired hands).
> No wonder the Jewish religious leaders reacted this way, “There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” (vv. 19-20, ESV).
□ Mr. Osteen must have intentionally added “abundant life” in Jesus’ statement “you shall live also” to mean something else.
> Of course, if he really studied these texts, he might be surprised that Jesus was promising an abundant life in the context of warning the flock to avoid false spiritual leaders whose only desire is to rob, kill, and destroy because they were not willing to establish and maintain a relationship with them to even care about their needs.
> What do you really mean Joel?

# Premise 3 — “…because of the price He paid, we have a right to total victory.”
□ Sounds good? Wait till you hear the rest…
> “… not partial victory, to where we have a good family, good health, but we constantly struggle in our finances…; … if God did it for ya in one area, He can do it for ya in another area…”
> Listening intently to what Mr. Osteen was presenting will strike your mind —
x that God did not intend for you to be sick, you are a healthy person getting rid of sickness… ;
x That God did not intend for you to be poor, you are a wealthy person getting rid of poverty… ;
x And so on it goes… all of what he says does not agree with Scripture in whole or in part.

# Meditation : When sufficient evidence of false teaching has been clearly observed against a preacher as he begins his presentations, there is no more need to hear the rest of the garbage.

# Conclusion :
□ Test every spirit (1 John 4:1) — done!
□ Do not believe (ibid) — to do !
□ This is a wide gate and the easy way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13), many enter by it — do not enter !
□ The true gate is narrow and the way is hard but it leads to life eternal (Matthew 7:14), few find it — strive to find and enter by it !

thanks! glad you like it.

I find this post on Osteen interesting. I find it sadly amusing when “health and wealth” gospel preachers seem to ignore that Jesus did not have wealth while here on earth. If God’s program is for us to be like Christ… what makes them think that riches must be part of that??

Osteen, as you said, misses the point. God’s priority in my life is not to make me healthy, happy, or wealthy. God’s desire is to save me from my sin… then develop in me the character of Christ (Romans 8). That will be, at times, a happy and an uncomfortable process!

It is a shame when preachers make people think that God’s love for us always involves giving us what makes us “happy.”

I’ll be back.

friendinme’s last blog post..you want half? I’ll give you half.

Thanks for the hop… I hope you come by often . I just checked your blog, I love your Word-filled Wednesday.

This reminds me of so many eye opening passages:

1 John 4:1
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Matthew 24: v 4-5
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. [2 Timothy 4:3-4]

Twinkle Mom’s last blog post..Word-Filled Wednesday-1 John 1:7

Thanks for the kind words.

John Sese Cuneta,

Please look at Warren’s reply, it pretty much sums up everything.

Gigi,

Wonderful words from a sister! Thanks for the rescue…

Lkd,
I hope Gigi’s words enlightened you on this issue… Again, it isn’t positivism and words of encouragement that we need to be saved. We also need to be fed with The Word, the TRUE WORD, not some word thrown in and mixed up with the words from the Scripture.

Warren, as always… You are loved…

Rebecca’s last blog post..Words Matter

Warren’s last blog post..Vanishing Conscience

I’ll have to disagree with you. The nature of faith IS relative. You are obscuring the fact that there are existing religions out there with a large number of believers as well. You make the choices up to what extent of the prescribed objective teachings of the religion you want to follow. Perhaps that is what you meant. Because with faith, it’s all about your experience with whatever it is you claim to be your faith. Here’s an example, Moses and the burning bush as opposed to any other person’s practices in his/her faith. They both believe in God. Their experiences of faith are relative to themselves.

What you meant I guess is how some people can be Cafeteria Catholics and willfully pick and choose doctrines to follow.

But there are also some people who have a strong faith in God but do not believe in certain doctrines because they find them fallible and erroneous. Does this make their faith less valuable?

Peace.

Ozy’s last blog post..i.ph

HOWEVER, I can’t help but noticed too many “my message”, “my way”, “I”, “me”, and “I don’t knows”. That doesn’t sound right. Everything is in the Bible, even the Dinosaurs existence are written, so for a Pastor, he shouldn’t have said too many “I don’t knows”.

Then for a Pastor, it is not about “my message” but “God/Jesus’ Message”. It is not “my way” but “God/Jesus’ Way”. It is not about “me” or “I”, but it is about “God”, about “Jesus”. “I Am the Way, the Truth, and Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (Jesus).”

I also noticed that most of “his message” is about “life here on Earth”, which is in a way contradicting to the Bible. Once we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour, and baptized in Water and the Holy Spirit, we are a New Creation. We are NOT citizens of this world, but Citizens of Heaven.

Thus, our eyes should always be set to Jesus, not this world. Teaching people all the positive things they can achieve is again, in MY OPINION, way excessive already. YES, Jesus/God said He will prosper us, that we should live our life to the fullest, but if all these blessings are taking our eyes AWAY from Jesus, then it is bad already… the question now becomes, “Is the blessing from God or from Satan?”

There is also nothing wrong with keeping it simple, I agree, make it easy “chew” and “swallow” for all those young in the Faith. BUT, Christians need to grow. When we grow, we dont eat “baby’s food” anymore, we eat REAL MEAT. Teachings must be like that as well.

I am a living testimony, and to tell you the truth, I love REAL MEAT Preaching. Sermons that strikes really hard, like a double-edged sword (well the Word of God is really like a double-edged sword), that pierces into my soul and spirit. That kind of teaching helps me grow. That type of sermons keeps me “full” and wanting more of Jesus.

It is not about getting rich for me, it is not about having a life of being comfortable in this world. I am content with where I am. My Faith is in Jesus, for He promised that He will never forsake me. He promised that He will provide.

I’d rather have a life full of trials and tribulations, hardships, problems, than live a life free from all those and forget Jesus. Because of these problems, I always remember Jesus, and I stay close to Jesus. Remove these problems, give me “freedom” from these problems, I highly doubt I will still be breathing in this world.

BUT regardless, let us not go all-out and fight each other. Jesus said it Himself, that anyone teaching the Word of God should be given respect for they are helping in the spread of the Gospel. Let God be the judged on them, not us.

It is fine to share our opinions and expose the wrong things, but there are explanations that really are subject to our own interpretations, just for example, I don’t see something wrong with “his way” of teaching the “Promises of God” (yes he is avoiding sin), it’s just that, he uses too much “me”, “my”, and “I’s”.

God Bless to all.