Osteen Is Plain Heresy-filled

Written by Zhey Chua |Posted on December 30, 2008 | Comments

joel-osteen-10-07-lg I just found out my friend reads Joel Osteen. How cool is that?

Seriously, I met up with her a few days back and she was clutching an Osteen book – Live Your Best Life Now – and I wanted so much to steal the book away from her and dump it in the nearest dumpster. Apparently, she didn’t know a thingamajig about Osteen and the book was a gift from her supposedly more spiritually mature boyfriend. You know me, I won’t let that pass up, so I gave her a quick rundown of reasons why that book does not deserve a space in her bookshelf and her response was: “Well, reading a book is just like eating fish, you throw away the bones and just eat the meat,” and she had that smug look on her face that seem to say “I got yah on that one, didn’t I?”. Oh well, I wanted so much to cry.

I have always suspected my friend listens and believes a prosperity and health gospel but I just had no way of confirming since she stays most of the time in Manila and I rarely go out these days. A part of me was hoping otherwise, so when I saw Osteen’s face peeking from behind her arms which were clutching a couple of reading materials, my heart sank way down below.

Osteen is heresy-filled. Just today, Isaiah sent a quick message on Facebook saying that Osteen quotes Isaiah 61:7 and announces that for the coming year (2009), there will be a double portion (for Christians?). I could not help but comment on how much Osteen must quickly flee that pulpit, I shudder at the thought of the number of souls he is taking straight down to hell.

I also watched his recent interview on Larry King Live where he and wife Victoria were asked questions pertaining to the recent economic crisis. As expected, but still saddening nonetheless, Osteen did not bat an eyelash in saying that God wants His people to live an abundant life on earth. I could not disagree with how he stepped up to the plate in saying that people must be frugal, responsible and hard working but I would not be feeling left out in the cold if he did not have the title “pastor” attached to his name.

I have yet to hear Osteen discuss sin, hell, repentance and the cross. I have yet to hear him preach the True Gospel. I have yet to hear him preach Christ and with the amount of people coming to hear him speak more psychology than Scripture, I wonder if I will ever live to see the day when Osteen would just be Christian enough to stand for the truth? Well, maybe not. But I pray that those people who come and listen and read his preachings/teachings will soon see how the One True God of the Bible is being blasphemed week after week after week at Lakewood Church.

Tsk, tsk…

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As for the smart quip about what reading books is just like, I wonder if there are a lot of people who have that kind of mentality out there? My take on this one is pretty simple, why buy a fish with bones when you can get fillet? Nah, that was even more stupid, I know… The thing is, why read a book that is half-baked in the first place when you can read ones that are meat-packed? I just don’t get it.

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“Someone” told me the other day, too, that her parents are forcing her to attend Catholic mass and since her sisters are new converts and are looking up to her for discipleship, one of them asked what she thinks about that, or more aptly, what the Scripture says about it. Someone heaved out a big sigh (as if she just heard the most no-brainer question ever) and told her sister, “Sis, what do you think? Of course we should go, remember to honor thy mother and thy father.”

Please pass the pain reliever quick!

Clue: Matthew 10.