Kanye Westmay have his biggest audience yet for a Sunday Service, because we've learned he's agreed to take the stage for Joel Osteen's incredibly popular Sunday ritual.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ye and Joel have
been talking fairly regularly recently ... they've become friends,
especially since Kanye has doubled down in his devotion to God.
We're told the plan is for Kanye to show up at Joel's 11 AM service in Houston this coming Sunday at the Lakewood Church. Kanye will walk up to the pulpit and have a conversation with Joel that will last between 20 and 30 minutes.
Our sources say Joel wants his congregation -- which stands
45,000 strong -- and his TV audience -- which stands at 10 million in
the U.S. alone -- to hear how Kanye has overcome significant adversity in his life.
As one source put it, "Kanye used to be about nothing greater than himself. Now it's all about a higher power." BTW, Kanye has echoed this sentiment before. We're told Joel will ask Kanye to contrast his life then and now.
Over the past few years I have noticed a disturbing trend with so-called "celebrity pastors" – the trend actually isn't related to them, but rather the hatred that is thrown towards them on a regular basis.
Whether
it's Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, Carl Lentz, or Rich Wilkerson Jr.,
there always seem to be certain pastors that garner more attention and
notoriety than others. While I don't agree whole heartedly with each of
these pastors' doctrine, preaching style or opinions, I do think that
they each of them have the capability to bring people to Christ.
People
like to condemn these pastors and others like them for their celebrity
status when in reality being a celebrity isn't exactly something you can
control. It isn't like they all woke up one day and said, "I think I'll
become a famous celebrity pastor." Becoming famous should never be the
goal of a pastor, but if it occurs while trying to reach people that
generally means you will reach even more people.
I believe that
many people who are against these kinds of pastors fail to realize that
Jesus also dealt with an unwanted celebrity status as he traveled to
preach the Good News (Mark 1:28).
While
Jesus didn't desire fame or notoriety, He didn't reject the crowds.
Instead, He used it as an opportunity to reach more people. He often
preached where crowds of thousands would gather (Luke 12:1, John 6:2).More..
Note:
Are these celebrity preachers presenting the real Jesus of the bible that loves the sinner but hates sin, that is an equal entity of grace measure to an equal entity of justice, that walked 2000 years ago on this planet, that rejected tradition and put the word of God above any tradition, that would touch the leper, or just another Jesus? An experiential Jesus? A Jesus based on feelings and not on the word of God? A Jesus based on emotions and not on principles? Martin Luther said regarding the Jews: “if they could reject the one that healed the sick, that comforted the broken hearted, that raised the dead, what kind of God must they have; I hate to know what kind of God they had.” Are we going to do the same? Are we going to fail to recognize the real Jesus of the bible just as the Jews did and nail the Lord to the cross and reject his mercy and truth? We need a heart felt religion. We need a real experience with the Lord, not a plastic one.
2 Corinthians 11:4 says: For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, T.D. Jakes' Potter's House and Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church have topped Newsmax's list of "Top 50 Megachurches in America."
The
list, released Wednesday, was compiled by The Christian Post's
contributing editor Johnnie Moore, who wrote that the rankings were not
based on church size but rather on the notoriety of the church's
leaders, the ratings of their television and radio programs, and the
reach of their books, public opinion and overall influence.
"Megachurches
are the spiritual phenomenon of the 21st century; there are more
churches with 5,000 people attending weekly services than at any other
time in history," Moore, a former senior vice president at Liberty
University, wrote. "So much for those who claim ad nauseam that faith is
declining in our country."
Topping
the list is Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, pastored by
Warren. Moore wrote that if you ask 10 pastors, eight of them would
likely name Warren as "the most well-known pastor in America." Moore
added that Warren's societal influence has expanded way beyond the walls
of his congregation.
"His book, Purpose Driven Life, is
second only to the Bible in non-fiction best-sellers; he was recently
the subject of a major motion picture; he's trained hundreds of
thousands of church leaders in every nation in the world; and he's on
the speed dial of presidents, prime ministers, rock stars, and
celebrities," Moore wrote.
"For years, insiders have joked that Warren is the 'Evangelical pope.'
No one was joking any longer whenPope Francis came to America for the
World Meeting of Families in September and invited the Evangelical
Pastor Warren to deliver the keynote address."
Coming in second
place is Potter's House Church in Dallas, Texas, led by Bishop Jakes, a
best-selling author, producer, talk show host, and the personal pastor
of Oprah. The non-denominational church is attended by 30,000 people
weekly and services are broadcasted to millions of people all over the
world.
"Its 200,000 square-foot Dallas sanctuary cost the
congregation $45 million, and it only took four years to pay off," Moore
explained. "Oh, and one time they had a single service in a stadium
that was attended by 140,000 people."
Lakewood Church in Houston,
Texas, ranked third. The church is pastored by Joel Osteen, one of
America's most well-known televangelists and Christian authors, and his
wife, Victoria. Due to the popularity of Lakewood's television programs,
the church was given an entire Sirius XM radio station when it decided
to create a radio program.
Hillsong Church's campuses in Los
Angeles and New York ranks sixth on the list, while Chicago's Willow
Community Church ranked fourth and Oklahoma City's Life Church, which is
attended by over 100,000 people every week, ranked fifth.
"Hillsong
Church's headquarters might be in Sydney, Australia, but it has truly
become a global movement," Moore wrote. "Hillsong now boasts churches in
a dozen global cities with more than 100,000 people in combined weekly
attendance."
Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, is listed at No. 12 in the rankings.
The church, which sits at the far end of Liberty University, is led by
Jonathan Falwell, the son of Jerry Falwell. Moore writes that the church
remains one of the most influential in America.
"While Jonathan Falwell uses his political legacy selectively, when he speaks, people notice," Moore wrote.
Cross Church in Arkansas led by Pastor Ronnie Floyd, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, ranks at No. 17.
"Cross
Church is a highly respected institution with a leader known for his
spiritual leadership, as well as his prophetic speaking, writing, and
teaching," Moore stated.
Harvest Christian Fellowship in
Riverside, California, led by Pastor Greg Laurie, is listed at No. 23,
while First Baptist Dallas, led by Fox News contributor Pastor Robert
Jeffress, is No. 28 in the rankings.
"This
church, which operates out of a $130 million building, is led by the
outspoken firebrand Robert Jeffress, who openly cherishes his role as a
prophet to culture," Moore wrote.
Skyline Community Church, a
Wesleyan congregation in the San Diego suburbs led by Pastor Jim Garlow,
ranked at No. 30. Garlow is notable for spearheading a referendum to
overturn California's same-sex marriage legalization in 2008.
The Village Church in Dallas, led by popular podcast Pastor Matt Chandler, was listed at No. 42 on the rankings.
"His podcast is incomprehensibly popular, and his church is large, young, and takes the Bible seriously," Moore wrote.
To read the complete list of "Top 50 Megachurches in America" click here.
Many contemporary
Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers have become wealthy by promising their givers
financial prosperity. Based on the blessings associated with tithes and
offerings (Mal. 3:10: “Bring all the tithes…, and try Me now in this…"
1), some
of those preachers assure that the generous givers can even choose in advance
the kind of blessings to be requested from God. The various options include the
style of the house they would like to own, the brand of the car they would like
to drive, and even the bank account balance they would like to keep. All this,
and much more, they would receive for being generous and “trying” God to
fulfill His promises!
Helpful
studies unveil the historical roots of the so-called “prosperity gospel."
2 For
instance, John S. Haller Jr.’s
The
History of New Thought: From Mind Cure to Positive Thinking and the Prosperity
Gospel
(2012) demonstrates that the gospel under consideration is grounded
on the American metaphysical movement known as New Thought.
3 Kate
Bowler’s
Blessed: A History of the
American Prosperity Gospel
(2013) sees the prosperity gospel as the intersection
between Pentecostalism, New Thought, and an American gospel of pragmatism,
individualism, and upward mobility."
4
Most prosperity-gospel
proponents argue that their postulates are grounded on the Scriptures. Some
like Kenneth E. Hagin even claim, “the Lord Himself taught me about prosperity.
I never read about it in a book. I got it directly from Heaven."
5 Regardless
of what such proponents acknowledge as their historical roots and/or claim to
justify their views, there are at least five serious tensions between the
prosperity gospel, as taught by many popular contemporary preachers, and some
foundational doctrines of the Scriptures.
1. The
prosperity gospel distorts God’s character.
The
Scriptures reveal God’s love in the way He treats human beings. He is merciful
and just even with those who hate Him. About the plan of salvation, we know
that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16) that He gave His
own Son to die for us when we were still “sinners” and “enemies” of Him
(Rom. 5:8, 10). The same impartiality is manifested also in the way God
preserves today the required conditions for human beings to live on this planet
(Gen. 8:22), despite the degenerating consequences of sin (Gen. 3). Christ
Himself stated that God “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).
One also
has to recognize that, within the large framework of God’s treatment of human
beings, many times He has to punish the wicked and to discipline those
professed Christians who allow sin to separate them from Him (Isa 59:2). But
even such a punitive process is permeated by the redemptive love that seeks to
lead sinners into a personal relationship with God and obedience to His will. Despite
being “a consuming fire” to sin (Heb 12:29), God continues to love
sinners to the point of not wanting “that any should perish but
that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The same Christ
who always loved His enemies and offered His forgiveness even to those who
crucified Him (Luke 23:34) still grants the gift of life and many other
blessings to millions and millions of people who make fun of God and even
blaspheme His holy name.
Ignoring
God’s character as revealed in the Scriptures, many preachers of the prosperity
gospel are not afraid of presenting to the people a god caricaturized by
nepotism and financial bargains with His followers. These preachers present a
god much more interested in receiving financial resources from his worshipers
than in leading them to live by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt.
4:4). They present a god willing to accept even moneylender deals such as “we
will loan you such amount, under the condition that you will return it
‘multiplied’ to us!” As tempting as they might seem, such deals are populist
distortions of the holy and blameless character of God as revealed in the
Scriptures.
2. The
prosperity gospel presents a utopic image of human existence within the context
of the great cosmic conflict.
Human
history is a long and dramatic process that began with the human beings
separating themselves from God and will end with their eschatological
reencounter with God. Each step in this process has been marked by a continuous
conflict between the powers of good and the forces of evil. Paul referred to
this conflict by stating that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this age, against spiritual
hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph.
6:12). And Christ declared that the agencies of evil are trying “to deceive, if
possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24).
Satan is
qualified in the Scriptures as “the father of lies” (John
8:44, RSV) and “the accuser of our brethren” (Rev.
12:10), and someone who does whatever he can to denigrate God’s character and
bring troubles to the lives of God’s children. Even being a blameless and
upright person, Job was deprived of his possessions and suffered innocently—not
because he sinned but rather for God’s name to be glorified (Job 2). In regard
to a man who was born blind, Christ explained, “neither this man nor his
parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John
9:2, 3). And Christ Himself was born in a humble manger (Luke 2:7) and lived a
humble life of suffering, deprived from material possessions (Matt. 8:20; Luke
9:58).
Even so,
the promoters of the prosperity gospel continue preaching that those who have
genuine faith and give their possessions to the coffers of the church will
receive multiplied material and financial returns. If this is the case, then why
did God not give such generous “financial blessings” to His own Son, instead of
leaving Him without a place “to lay
His head” (Matt.
8:20; Luke 9:58)? Why did God allow the apostle Peter to reach a point where he
had to confess that he did “not possess silver and gold” (Acts
3:6, NASB)? Why was the consecrated and dedicated apostle Paul allowed to
experience such “needs” that others sometimes had to supply them (2 Cor.
11:9, NASB)? Could it be possible that the god of the prosperity gospel is much
more generous than the God of the apostolic church (cf. James 1:17)?
Some
preachers of the prosperity gospel teach that disease and poverty are caused by
demons that can be expelled once for all, so that a Christian can enjoy full
health and material prosperity. It is true that sickness and misery were never
part of God’s plan for the human race. But that kind of “exorcism” of sickness
and poverty, as advocated by the prosperity preachers, undoubtedly suggests a
kind of gospel without a cross (cf. Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23;
14:27). If things are really so easy, then why did the apostle Paul not succeed
in having his “thorn in the flesh” removed (2 Cor. 12:7-10)?
The
Bible states clearly that struggles with the powers of darkness will never
cease for the Christian while he or she is still in this world of sin and hardships
(Eph. 6:10-18; 1 Peter 5:8, 9). Therefore, it is quite unrealistic to say,
“Accept Christ and all your problems will disappear!” Christ Himself declared
that His followers would face many problems (Matt. 10:34-39). And the apostle
Paul also admonished that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution” (2 Tim 3:12). In reality, Christ never promised to
remove all storms from our lives, but rather to be with us in the midst of those
storms (Matt. 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25).
3. The
prosperity gospel distorts the very essence of Christ’s teachings.
The
essence of true Christianity is conversion that generates self-denial and full
surrender to Christ (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). In that experience,
sinners, who are by nature
egocentric beings (centered on themselves),
are transformed into
alterocentric Christians (centered on God and
humanity). In Philippians 3:4-9, Paul speaks of the transformation of his own
life:
"If anyone
else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth
day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the
Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the
church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
"But what
things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also
count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as
rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own
righteousness, which
is from the law, but that which is through
faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."
The
preachers of the prosperity gospel pretend to lead their listeners to an
altruistic life through financial sacrifices. But such altruistic intention is
completely neutralized by constant promises of material prosperity from those
very same preachers. As a result of such an egocentric motivation, believers
end up paying generous tithes and offerings, believing that the more they give,
the greater the multiplied financial return they will receive!
In
addition to such an egocentric motivation, it is worthy to highlight that the
ego of the givers ends up being exalted even more through public testimonies
about the donations and the resulting prosperity experienced. Such practices
might be backed up by good intentions, but they are in direct opposition to
Christ’s example and teachings! In His remarks about the poor widow’s offering
(Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4) and in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax
collector (Luke 18:9-14), Christ reproved forcefully this kind of show-off
“testimonies.” In Matthew 6:2-4, He highlights the same principle of giving in
humbleness:
"Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not
sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have
their reward.But when
you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand
is doing,that your
charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will
Himself reward you openly."
4. The
prosperity gospel applies to the New Testament church many Old Testament promises
of theocratic prosperity.
To
understand the matter of material prosperity in the Scriptures, one has to
distinguish between the
centripetal missionary emphasis of the Old
Testament theocracy-monarchy and the
centrifugal missionary purpose of
the New Testament church.6 In the
Old Testament, God chose Abraham and his descendants to make them a prosperous
and model nation that would centripetally attract other peoples and nations to
worship the true God (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:13, 14; 22:16-18). Israel came close to
that ideal during the prosperous kingdoms of David and Solomon (1 Kings 4 and 10), but ended up departing from that ideal under the increasing manifestations
of apostasy and idolatry that culminated in the fall of the kingdom of the
North (2 Kings 17) and the exile of the kingdom of the South (2 Kings 25; 2 Chr.
36:17-21; Jer. 39, 52).
Under
the New Testament, one finds Christ’s church with the centrifugal mission of
going out to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the whole world (Matt 24:14;
28:18-20; Mark 16:15, 16; Luke 24:45-49; Acts 1:8). This is a very challenging
mission, for “the field is the world” (Matt. 13:38) and “the laborers”
continue to be proportionally few (Matt. 9:37; Luke 10:2). Under such reality,
the classic words of Christ recorded in Matthew 6:19-21 are still pertinent for
us today. There we read,
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and
steal.For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
It is
true that, on the one hand, the preachers of the prosperity gospel encourage people to
detach themselves from their material possessions in favor of the church. But,
on the other hand, they promise to the believers automatic material and
financial prosperity during this life. Such promises ignore the reality of the
great controversy and the fact that even the righteous may undergo suffering
and deprivation, as demonstrated in the experience of Job.
5. The
prosperity gospel distorts the whole spectrum of Christian obedience.
In both
the book of Malachi and in Deuteronomy chapters 11 and 28, the condition to
receive the divine blessings is not only faithfulness in tithes and offerings
(Mal. 3:10-12) but also dedication of one’s life to God in full obedience to
His will. Christ spoke of this same reality in Matthew 7:21-23, where He
stated:
"Not everyone who says to Me,
'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My
Father in heaven. Many
will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to
them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”
Although
Christ emphasized several times in His teachings that it is much more important
to
be than to have, the preachers of the prosperity gospel place, according to
Caio Fábio, more emphasis on
having than being.7 Not
very concerned whether the believers are keeping “clean hands and a pure heart” (Ps
24:3-5), or living “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt.
4:4), or even allowing the true Holy Spirit to guide them “into all truth” (John
16:13; cf. 1 John 4:1; Acts 5:32), those preachers seem to be more interested
in knowing whether the believers spoke in tongues, experienced some miracles,
and had their material possessions multiplied.
Unfortunately,
the religion taught by many prosperity preachers is a populist
marketing religion apparently aimed at increasing the number of members
in order to multiply the revenues of their churches.
Unfortunately,
the religion taught by many prosperity preachers is a populist marketing
religion apparently aimed at increasing the number of members in order to
multiply the revenues of their churches. Many of them regard the speaking in
tongues as much more significant than taming the tongue (James
3:1-12; 1 Cor. 14:18, 19), miraculous healings as more meaningful than living in
harmony with the biblical principles of health (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20), and
preaching temporal prosperity as much more important than leading sinners to “the
inheritance of the saints in the light” (Col. 1:12). Those
preachers are much more excited about ordering like Peter, “rise up and
walk” (Acts 3:6) than admonishing like Christ, “go and sin no
more” (John 8:11; see also 5:14).
The books
of Malachi and Deuteronomy list numerous blessings and curses depending on
the attitude of the people toward the covenant “to serve God” and keep “His
ordinance” (Mal. 3:14). Although God promised to bless His
faithful children materially (Mal. 3:10-12), the true evidence of divine favor
cannot be limited to this realm, for material prosperity seems to be more
common among the wicked than among the righteous (Mal. 3:15; Ps 73:2-17).
The
prosperity gospel taught by many popular preachers (1) distorts God’s
character; (2) presents
a utopic image of human existence within the framework of the great cosmic
conflict; (3) distorts the very essence of Christ’s teachings; (4) applies to the New
Testament church many Old Testament promises of theocratic prosperity; and (5)
distorts the whole spectrum of Christian obedience.
Since “the love of
money is a root of all kinds of
evil” (1 Tim. 6:10) and Christians are warned by Christ
not to lay up for themselves “treasures on earth” (Matt.
6:19), it is quite evident that the prosperity gospel distorts the New
Testament teachings about the Christian relationship with material goods. If
full dedication to God always results in the blessing of “financial
prosperity,” why did neither Christ nor the apostles received such blessing?
Could it be the case that neither of them fulfilled the required conditions for
that to happen?
The
preachers of the prosperity gospel encourage believers to give more and more
generously to the church. But the motivation used to reach that goal ends up strengthening
even more the egocentric tendency of the believers and the financial wellbeing
of the preachers. People give huge donations—not motivated by an unselfish love
for the gospel cause, but because they believe that with such donations they
will receive a highly lucrative financial return (“multiplied”). This kind of
egocentric prosperity incentive, preached in God’s name (cf. Matt. 7:21-23),
denies the very essence of Christ’s teachings (Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke
9:23).
Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible references are from the NKJV.
The
prosperity gospel was largely shaped by E. W. Kenyon, Kenneth E. Hagin, Oral
Roberts, Kenneth Copeland, and Joel Osteen.
John
S. Haller Jr.,
The History of New
Thought: From Mind Cure to Positive Thinking and the Prosperity Gospel
(West
Chester, PA: Swedenborg Foundation Press, 2012).
Kate Bowler, Blessed:
A History of the American Prosperity Gospel
(New York: Oxford University
Press, 2013), 11.
Kenneth E. Hagin, How God Taught
Me About Prosperity
(Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1985), 1. See
also Bill Hamon,
Prophets and Personal
Prophecy: God’s Prophetic Voice Today: Guidelines for Receiving, Understanding,
and Fulfilling God’s Personal Word to You
(Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image,
1987), 123-134.
For a more detailed study of the subject, see
e.g., Johannes Blauw,
The Missionary Nature of the Church: A Survey of the
Biblical Theology of Mission
(Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974).
See Caio Fábio, A Crise de Ser e de Ter, rev.
and enl. ed. ([Rio de Janeiro]: Vinde, 1995).
If you believe with all of your heart and soul that you
deserve success — and by success, I mean financial reward alongside the
accompanying emotional transactions encountered in the process — then it
shall come. I have foreseen this; I know it to be true.
The prosperity gospel is nothing new, nor is the train of thought
guiding it limited to followers of Christ. Preachers like Joel Osteen
and Creflo Dollar unabashedly preach such fortune: Your faith is
measured by your success; by your beliefs shall you prosper. It’s a
seductive notion, one inspiring millions of people, given the popularity
of Osteen’s varied industries and Dollar's widespread congregation,
among many others.
Predating Osteen by nearly two centuries was Phineas Quimby, a
mesmerist and healer born in New Hampshire in 1802. As the inspiration
behind what would become known as New Thought, his philosophical system
taught that God, or Infinite Intelligence, is everywhere — human beings
being the major beneficiaries of such awesome divine power. Quimby
wasn't a doctor but he played one often: Sickness was the result of
wrong thought, in some way implying you were responsible for your
ailments — an unfortunate belief persistent in both Christian groups and
New Age movements today.
Most importantly, perhaps, was Quimby’s notion that since we are
divine beings, divine blessings in the form of prosperity are our
birthright. Osteen agrees; in 2005 he wrote,
God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.
One of Quimby’s favorite students, Mary Baker Eddy, ran with these
ideas when founding Christian Science. She was influenced by the man to
such a degree she was accused of plagiarism. Nonetheless, in 1879 Eddy
founded the First Church of Christ, Scientist. From its humble
beginnings in Boston (27 members in 1880), by 1936 the congregation was
269,000 strong.
Initially Eddy was also inspired by Indian philosophy, quoting passages of the Bhagavad Gita,
which was in vogue for much of the 19th century in America. She later
removed any references to the book; as Christian Science gained steamed,
she wanted all the credit to herself.
She also denied any relationship to Spiritualism, a popular movement
that claimed contact with the spirit world (even though the sisters who
kicked off the movement later admitted it was a farce). Eddy’s preferred
term was "malicious animal magnetism," her fancying that people harm
others through their "mental powers." If the psychic hotline between
divine and human was open, humans could travel along the same network to
damage other sentient beings, which fits in nicely with the prosperity
model: an unseen force checking your name off the list if you misbehave,
favoring your bank account when your faith is strong.
New Thought was founded by Emma Curtis Hopkins, a former student of
Eddy mostly inspired by Quimby. With roots in the 1880s, national
conventions were followed by an international conference in 1914; by the
'40s there were 18 distinct schools based on New Thought’s foundation.
The major focus of these schools included the development of one’s will
power, the burgeoning self-help market, and, yes, financial success.
Money was on the mind of many, including Father Divine, a
lesser-known figure who profited greatly from the poor and suffering
during the Depression. An African-American preacher, the artist once
known as George Baker, Jr. taught his Peace Mission Movement followers
that he was God — he really took to heart the positive psychology
aspects of New Thought. While most Christian movements were faithful to
scripture, Divine was open to a little mysticism.
This approach worked like a charm. As Dax-Devlon Ross writes in The Nightmare and the Dream,
Divine’s image as a Godly figure was enhanced by the seemingly
bottomless well of wealth at his disposal in the midst of the
Depression. He dressed immaculately. He owned a late model luxury sedan.
The suburban home [in Sayville, Long Island] was well kept.
A successful African-American in a white suburb raised the suspicion
of his neighbors. A coincidence helped his cause greatly, however. After
being jailed in 1932 pending psychiatric evaluation for being a public
nuisance — a wealthy black man in Sayville was enough of a cause — the
judge who sentenced him suddenly died. Divine’s followers took this as
divine retribution; his street cred skyrocketed. By 1941, there were 178
churches under his influence, though it seems that most of the wealth
stayed concentrated in his bank account.
Which seems to be the case with everyone preaching Prosperity
Theology. Televangelist Dollar, a modern day Father Divine, was baffled
when his Gulfstream III jet rolled off a runway in the UK in 2014. He
launched a fundraising campaign to the tune of $65 million, stating it
was a necessary purchase
to spread God’s word. The backlash forced him to suspend his efforts,
although within a few months his church announced it was indeed ready to
prosper with a brand-new airplane.
Osteen, who some claim helped
create the housing crash due to his advice that God will provide the
resources for his congregant's new homes, had no problem buying his own
$10.5 million mansion in 2010. Osteen reportedly accepts no money from
his church. His real cash cow is book sales, which, as quoted above,
ensure people the Big Guy is on their side — and in their wallets.
Pseudo-mystic Osho chimed in about prosperity often:
Life needs money because life needs comforts; life needs good food; life needs good clothes, good houses.
Oddly he didn't mention good cars, for his fleet of 93 Rolls Royces was a certain measure of his divine favor.
In his bookMystics and Messiahs,
religion professor Philip Jenkins dives deep into the cult underworld
that has fueled such thinking for over two centuries on American soil.
He quotes a 1929 article about this trend relating to New Thought and
Christian Science:
With its constant thought of prosperity, its opulent-consciousness,
its belief in the limitless possibilities of the individual, [it] is
simply American psychology on dress parade.
The philosophy of prosperity certainly seems to be an American
creation. While other cultures have exploited its population under the
guise of religious pretensions, the idea that infinite riches is
available for everybody with a mind to believe, promoted by those who do
indeed enjoy such wealth, is an old scheme that shows no sign of
slowing. It's like the lottery of religious lingo: Everyone has a shot,
but really, only the ones calling the shots.
Joel Osteen pastors the largest church in America, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas.
The best-selling author has a weekly TV audience of more than seven
million people in more than 100 countries around the world. God has
given Joel one of the largest Gospel platforms in human history.
Joel and his wife, Victoria, offer million-dollar smiles with positive,
encouraging stories. The polished preacher has stated he wants to “build
people up, not tear them down.” Today, more people are listening to
Osteen than any other preacher. What he says matters.
Recently Victoria made a controversial statement about our relationship with God.
In her message, Victoria Osteen tells their massive congregation to
realize that their devotion to God is not really about God, but about
themselves. “I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey
God, we're not doing it for God – I mean, that's one way to look at it –
we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we are
happy.... That's the thing that gives Him the greatest joy…” She continued: "So, I want you to know this morning – just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy…When
you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God
really. You're doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God
happy. Amen?"
Victoria responded to criticism by saying: “While I admit that I
could have been more articulate in my remarks, I stand by my point that
when we worship God and are obedient to Him we will be better for it,”
she said. “I did not mean to imply that we don’t worship God; that’s
ridiculous, and only the critics and cynics are interpreting my remarks
that way.”
Osteen continued, “Every Lakewood member knows what I was talking
about because they have experienced first hand the joy and victory of a
Lakewood Church worship service, and the honor, reverence and gratitude
we show God.”
One of the problems with Joel and Victoria’s messages is God’s will for
your life amounts to happiness – there’s no mention of sin, very little
mention of Jesus and no clarity of the need for repentance (Matthew
4:17). It’s truly a “me-centered” Gospel – you do what’s best for your life, and God will be pleased.
We can’t reduce the impact Osteen has had on Bible-believing Christians in our churches today. His “God is happy, when I’m happy” messages have infiltrated Christians into believing the prosperity Gospel – which proclaims that God’s will is to bless you.
If you or if you know of someone who’s reading or listening to Joel and Victoria Osteen – here are four “warnings” you need to know about.
First, our lives are supposed to revolve around God, He doesn’t revolve around us (2 Corinthians 5:15).
Second, positive messages don’t provide answers to sin and suffering.
The woman diagnosed with cancer, the rebellious teenager or the
persecution of Christians in Mosul, Iraq – how does the prosperity
Gospel work in these cases?
Third, Osteen doesn’t preach through the whole Bible. One of the
greatest responsibilities of any pastor is to teach what the Bibles
teaches. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary, said Osteen’s messages, “aim for so little.”
When Christians don’t know their Bibles, they don’t know what God wants
for them. By not preaching through the Bible, it’s easy to avoid
controversial subjects such as abortion, divorce and homosexuality.
Osteen avoids them, but God has addressed them.
Fourth, Osteen neglects the mission of God. Jesus came to save sinners.
If a preacher fails to tell people they’ve sinned, there’s no need for a
Savior. Christians are supposed to be God’s ambassadors to the nations
(2 Corinthians 5:20).
Christians, make sure you’re not listening to a false Gospel. The
preachers you listen to on Sundays and on the airwaves should be
anchored in God’s Word – there’s a difference between holding the Bible
and opening the Bible.
