Earnestly Contending For The Faith
| Posted On: 11/11/08 12:49:02 PM |
Age 66, PA |
Brother Lou, I agree with your comments on Joel Osteen. There are many pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc. (I could list many of them but you all know who they are)today who preach the false doctrine of health and prosperity and that if you simply believe in and trust Christ you will be lifted up out of the dark depths of poverty and pain. This is simply not scriptural nor is it sound doctrine. Jesus never said, come and follow me and you will have all your hearts desire. But he did say, "take up your cross and follow me". The cross is a symbol of death and dying. Jesus died on the cross. He died to his own will and submitted himself to his Father in heaven. If we are going to follow Christ, we must follow him in death as well. Death to our own desires, death to our own will. The problem with many professing christians today is that they have never "crucified the old man" and he is still alive and well living within them.
God is not some genie in a lamp that we rub and that will grant us, not 3 wishes but all our wants, and make us rich and famous.
Study the life of the great Apostle Paul in the Book of Acts and you will soon see what he went through to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. He was imprisoned, beaten, shipwrecked, in peril for his life and more. How can we expect to do any less?
Pick up a copy of the book Foxe's Book Of Martyrs and read how man gave their lives for the cause of Christ. Then go to your Bible and read Hebrews chapter 11 and see if these people fit the mould.
Thanks for reading, Rich
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Olsteen...Grrrr!
| Posted On: 06/12/08 11:53:52 PM |
Age 38, WI |
I will not say that Mr. Olsteen is a bad person, because I don't know him personally. But when he goes on National television, via the Larry King Live show, and with an audience of millions, will not boldly and confidently declare (as an answer to Larry's question,
"Is there only one way to heaven?") that Jesus is the ONLY way, the Truth and the Life...He may as well be the gatekeeper at Hell's door.
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TRUE FAITH
| Posted On: 01/24/08 01:56:55 PM |
Age 64, OH |
What if there was a evil place in your town. In this building there was gambling, prostitution, and even worse a cult that preached anti-Christ and broadcast it all over the world. If you heard a voice in your heart that said, "Go downtown and speak to this building what I will tell you to say, and I will destroy this entire building and it will never rise again." What would you do. Well any man should pray and ask God to please help him to do this IF it was from God and to please help him to not do it if it was NOT from God. God would answer your prayer. But God DID NOT SAY if you are sure the mountain will move, it will be cast into the sea. God said IF YOU SPEAK TO THE MOUNTAIN it will be cast into the sea. Of course there is one circumstance that many fail to see. Jesus is speaking to His disciples and he said IF THEY HAD FAITH. But faith comes from hearing THE WORD OF GOD or Jesus. So Jesus is saying if Jesus speaks to you 'TO SPEAK" then IF you speak it is sure to happen. So if you are now wondering if it was God who spoke to you about the evil building or not it makes NO DIFFERENCE. You can doubt or wonder all you want for faith is NOT THE ABSENCE OF DOUBT. If it was God who spoke to you to speak to the building;then IF you speak what he tells you to speak it is SURE to be destroyed. It is NOT YOU THAT IS SURE. What is SURE is that if you obey God , what God has said will happen. When we act on what God has spoke to us; that is true faith. Lou
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- Write a Book
| Posted On: 01/25/08 07:22:27 AM | | Age 38, CA |
Lou, I don't know who you are but I sure am enjoying your input (Feedback). You should write a book. Put my name first on the backorder list. Where do I pay? It would be money well spent. Bless you brother (or sister). Can't tell by the name Lou.
David
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- I AM A MALE
| Posted On: 01/25/08 04:05:06 PM | | Age 64, OH |
David, thank you for the generous remark. You can receive more of my writings by sending me your e-mail to - lounewton13472yahoo.com -- I am a male. I was going to say man, but could not bring myself to do it. There was Only One Man who ever lived and that was the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the the Only SEVEN. The rest of us all fall short of being real men and our number is 666. We are 6 in every way or fall short in every way. We fall short in the spirit, soul, and body too. - Revelation 13:18
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. - Thank God I have a seven in my spirit now. - lounewton1347@yahoo.com
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Joel Osteen
| Posted On: 01/24/08 10:10:04 AM |
Age 43, TX |
I don’t have a problem with encouraging people to live the best life they possibly can. I do have a problem with not standing firm on the Word of God, especially when you have a great number of listeners. I don’t judge Osteen’s heart, but I do evaluate what he says. He is good to listen to if you are depressed or discouraged, but if you are seeking God and searching for the true meaning of His Word, you won’t find it listening to Joel.
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Re: Be Careful
| Posted On: 01/23/08 11:25:40 PM |
Age 51, TX |
I must at least somewhat agree with my brother from Tennessee. While I may not endorse everything that Joel teaches or preaches, I believe it is very dangerous to come against the Lord's annointed, and I certainly am not in a position to judge the heart of Joel Osteen. Joel's gift is primarily as an encourager. I have to ask...is that such a bad thing? I personally do not know of any pastors here in the United States who live in the deplorable conditions in which Pastor Zaur is subject to. I know my pastor doesn't and I think it would be safe to say that none of the ministers at Christian Worldview live in those conditions either. Does that mean they are not teaching the way of Christ because they are not suffering? They are blessed of God and I believe that God delights in blessing his people. I do agree that Joel is severely lacking in preaching messages that lead to conviction and repentance and therefore I do not tune into his messages anymore, but at this point at least I am of the opinion that Joel will have many rewards in Heaven for the souls that he has brought into the Kingdom. As for Pastor Zaur, I thank God for men that answer the call upon their lives to serve as missionairies and pray for God's strength and protection in their life.
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- FALSE PROPHETS SPEAK PEACE AND SAFETY
| Posted On: 01/24/08 01:28:52 PM | | Age 64, OH |
There are only five different ministries that are ordained by God. That of apostle, prophet, evangelist,pastor, and teacher. Whoever claims to be a preacher is claiming to be a prophet if he is aware of it or not. 1 Cor 14: 29Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. -- If a man claims to be sent of God to preach he is claiming the ministry of a prophet or one who has the Word from God. Jeremiah 28:8 tells of the message of a true prophet sent by God:the ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke AGAINST many nations,ALWAYS WARNING of WAR, FAMINE, AND PLAGUE. So a prophet who foretells PEACE has the burden of proof on him. Only when his message comes true can it be known that he really is from God.-- Time has told that Jeremiah who spoke of war, famine, and plague was from God. And all the other 200 that spoke PEACE were false prophets.-- Joel speaks nothing but peace and time will show he is like the 200 that spoke peace when Jerusalem was about to be destroyed. This nation is about to fall and God is not speaking peace to it but true repentance in dust and ashes. Lou
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- Anointing?
| Posted On: 01/24/08 08:51:58 AM | | Age 47, MO |
Why would you think Mr. Osteen is "the Lord's anointed"? Because his venue is a stadium, his alter is a stage, his prayers use code words, he holds up a bible, and his congregation is nice looking? What is the anointing of the Lord, money? When I look at Joel Osteen I see him squinting and talking in a pathetic voice that says, "I couldn't make it in hollywood, but here's my best shot." And many buy it, literally. John
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"Blessed are the cheesemakers"
| Posted On: 01/23/08 08:45:02 PM |
Age 30, IA |
The more I think about it, the more profound "Monty Python's Life of Brian" seems to be. At the end, these men are nailed to crosses, as in the days of Jesus, when they break out into song, "always look on the bright side of life." Funny or not, it's something to think about.
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FAITH DOES NOT MEAN WE ARE SURE - BUT IS IN THE ONE WE HOPE IN IS SURE
| Posted On: 01/23/08 02:10:14 PM |
Age 64, OH |
These men preach if you are SURE of what you believe and SURE of what you pray then you are sure to get what you pray for. This is because they have read the Holy Scriptures for their own vain glory and so God has not answered them. So they take their own "ASSUMPTIONS" as faith. They base their teachings on this scripture. Hebrews 11:1Now faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see.-- They misunderstand this scripture and think faith has to be SURE AND CERTAIN of what it believes. It was their preaching that kept me out of the kingdom for years. If I do not know God then how can I be SURE or CERTAIN that he exists. It is God that I seek and I am NOT sure or certain of Him. But by the grace of the Lord Jesus I read that I only needed a mustard seed of faith to find him. The scriptures are completely true, but it is man that misunderstands. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, [a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].-- We can see here that the certainty is NOT IN US. We only hope, but if we hope in God then our hope is SURE to be rewarded by Him. We just do not know in what way he will reward us. Lou
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FAITH DOES NOT COME FROM THE BIBLE BUT FROM JESUS
| Posted On: 01/23/08 01:49:37 PM |
Age 64, OH |
The problem with much of the church is that they have no clue as to what faith is. They take the scripture in Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.-- they think by this scripture that if they read the scripture or preach from it, that it guarantees faith. Faith can come to us when we read the scriptures. BUT FAITH DOES NOT COME FROM THE SCRIPTURES. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. The Word Of God is the Lord Jesus Christ. Some men read the scripture for their own vain glory and will receive no faith when they read the scriptures. It is only the men who are seeking the Lord Jesus in the scriptures who will be spoke to by the Lord Jesus. FAITH COMES FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST SPEAKING TO US AS WE SEEK HIM. This is why we have so many men who teach to "assume" that God has spoken or assume that God will answer if I believe. Jesus can not answer a man on that basis for it would be giving salvation for his own beliefs or his own works, and this is anti-Christ. Lou
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- faith or belief
| Posted On: 01/24/08 08:44:02 AM | | Age 47, MO |
Yes, most Christian's faith is in their faith instead of the truth (Jesus). It's kinda like the clowns on American Idol. They all had faith that they can sing or that they are a "good person," but reality is that their efforts are filthy rags. If we are not standing on the rock then when calamity or a more persuasive argument comes, we will drop our faith like a bad habit. Most churches are not teaching the Rock but expository scripture. John
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What is the "gospel truth"?
| Posted On: 01/22/08 05:54:11 PM |
Age 43, IL |
This is the ideas found in "The Secret" and in the caste systems of India. It is our own fault that we don't have what we desire. Really really believe, and God's blessings will be yours. (And by blessings we don't mean salvation, the comfort of the Holy spirit, and the strength to meet lifes challenges) He means temporal happiness, financial gain, academic smarts/success/health and all sorts of human desires that are not necessarily what God meant when he said he would provide for our needs.
And cruel irony is if we don't have these temporal blessings, its our own fault. (Try to find that in the Bible?) Its our fault because our faith is is not strong enough or we didn't visualized it enough or we didn't tap into our innate potential. It makes all the failures rest squarely on our own shoulders. And when baby Christians find the bad things still come their way, they throw away the whole package because it didn't work. They thought positive, really believed, prayed in faith and they still lost their job, their marriage failed, and their family still doesn't understand them or accept them.
I thank God I had a Godly father who taught me that when adversity hits that God isn't neccessarily going to take the adversity away. He will give us the strength to work through the adversity and he has a purpose in the adversity- though we may never know why. Our best life can be in the midst of our disappointments, and human failures. So when my child was born with a disease that causes her brain to slowly calcify resulting in progressive mental and physical retardation, Did I pray for her to be healed? You bet. Did I believe God could heal her? Absolutely. 12 yrs later, 28 hospitalizations, I have a child who can't walk, talk, or see. And you know what? God has given me my best life and it was not one that I would ever have "dreamed or envisioned".
Because I was never taught that I had to visualize my success or wants I never blamed myself or God for this situation or for the other disappointments or failures in my life. I was taught to bring my requests to God and he would answer. And if the answer was no, than I knew he had something better in mind or a purpose behind not giving me what I wanted. I trust in His goodness.
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- faith defined
| Posted On: 01/24/08 08:30:14 AM | | Age 47, MO |
I'm gonna have to start getting up earlier to beat Lou age 64, OH to the draw! Yes Lou, you are exactly right. Some people believe that stepping out on faith is a blind leap in the dark, others rightly acknowledge that "Abraham BELIEVED God, and it was credited to him as rightousness." To believe God, God has to speak first and then we obey. It's that simple. Jesus bid Peter "come" and then he stepped out of the boat. Faith is belief put into action. Belief is a conviction of the facts. Our faith then is evidential yet most Christians are ignorant of the facts, and then are easily swayed. John
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- FAITH WILL SAVE NO ONE
| Posted On: 01/23/08 01:25:03 PM | | Age 64, OH |
May God bless you and your family dear friend. The problem with these men is that they do not have a clue what faith is. FAITH WILL NOT SAVE ANYONE. It is not our faith that saves us but WHO we put our faith in. These men preach that we can be saved and then healed by what we believe. That is teaching being saved by works. For what we believe is our work. We are saved by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. The faith to trust Jesus to save us is also a gift by grace from Him. The Muslims have faith and will it save them. They believe what they believe so much that they die for it. But their faith is in vain, for they trust in a idol and a dead man. Lou
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Please help me to understand...
| Posted On: 01/22/08 03:13:37 PM |
Age 61, OH |
I am in hopes of learning more here about what makes this obviously popular and persuasive man, Joel Osteen, generate such strong sentiment against him. Can someone who has this understanding please provide a few examples of just why he is "so close", yet so far away from true Christian beliefs. I thank you for your help in expanding my walk with the Lord.
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- WOE TO THE RICH - JESUS
| Posted On: 01/24/08 03:56:05 PM | | Age 64, OH |
There is a vast canyon of infinity that separates true faith from assumption. The false prophets of the Bible said they spoke in the name of The Lord and they thought they did. But it was not The Holy Spirit who had spoke to them but it was the spirit of the ruler of this world. These men assume it is the Holy Spirit who speaks simply because it is what they want to hear. Everyone wants to hear peace and prosperity. But the person who truly seeks God and wants to know what God is saying even if it is not what they want to hear. The false priesthood leads us to believe we can get God to do as we please. This is anti-Christ. Jesus told us that we need to give up our lives in order to gain our lives. We have to give up all to follow Jesus. We can not pray for what we want and say God will give it to us if we believe it hard enough. That would say God follows us. we need to follow God. We need to seek God with all of our heart and soul. Or as Jesus said, sell everything and go buy the whole field and then go and dig the whole field up to find the Pearl of Great Price. These two directions are NOT CLOSE but are as far as east is from west. Jesus warned us that the path to destruction was broad and most would go that way. But the path to life is narrow and FEW would find it. Anytime you see thousands following then be careful. Another warning is the Eli priesthood which God has warned us about. The sons of Eli thought that since the Ark was in their possession they could take it into battle and God would give them victory. They were DEAD wrong. the Ark was lost to the enemy alone with their lives. They had taken the offering of the people to God and made themselves FAT with the offering. They were supposed to give the offering to God after they had taken just enough to eat. They were not to eat of the fat. So anytime a ministry is FAT be very careful. Eli was fat of body and many false prophets are fat of wallet. If anyone would bother to read the scriptures they would see surly the Lord would rather poor children be fed than for some to live in absolute luxury. These are the words of our dear Lord : 20Looking at his disciples, he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
23"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
24"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. -- Lou
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- answer
| Posted On: 01/24/08 08:34:39 AM | | Age 47, MO |
The title of his new book is "Your best life now." Inside the book he tells his readers how to live a good life of fulfilled desires. Friend, If you don't understand the error of this, then you don't understand the basic tenants of Christianity. John
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