The core message of Joel Osteen’s “good news” is that God’s love can elevate you from mediocrity and small dreams. By believing in and obeying God, you can achieve big dreams, self-esteem, favor, health, wealth, influence, a better job, a positive self-image, and a life free from negativity. This message is consistent across his books, sermons, media appearances, and social media presence.
It’s important to note that Osteen frequently mentions God, but not in a personal or relatable way. His references to God lack specific Christian or biblical context, devoid of doctrinal or theological depth. Instead, he presents God as an abstract, impersonal entity, akin to a cosmic vending machine dispensing blessings and improvements to your life. Even when God is mentioned, the focus is not on God himself, but rather on what God can do for you.
If there was a group known as Osteenians, their belief system would be centered on the power of positive thinking, speaking, and pronouncing. This theological system is filled with many classic errors dating back to Balaam in Numbers 22. There have been different feathers of this type of prosperity teacher surface through time, such as Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8) and other false teachers of the New Testament. The Word of Faith theology of Joel Osteen is heretical because it misses the gospel. It under values the good news of salvation. The Word of Faith movement reduces the work of Jesus on the cross down to a prosperity ticket whereby the chief end of man is to glorify self and enjoy our toys for a temporary life.
Tellepsen Construction partnered with Lakewood Church to transform the former multi-purpose Compaq Center area into a one-of-a-kind worship facility. The renovation and new construction include a 16,000-seat sanctuary and classrooms for this internationally prominent church.
Osteen is the pastor of Houston’s Lakewood Church, a Pentecostal congregation recently named the largest in the country by Outlook magazine, hosting some 47,000 souls in the former Compaq Center, where the Houston Rockets used to play. Every Sunday, he broadcasts a running string of similar homespun nuggets of wisdom—usually rife with metaphors of automotive and financial trials that resonate with his exurban flock’s daily routines—while beaming incandescently before an audience of millions on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and various other cable services. And each of those sermons kicks off with Osteen’s patented chant, with those 47,000 voices declaring, “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I do what it says I can do,” and building to an oddly colorful climax: “I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of God, and I will never be the same. Never, never, never. I will never be the same. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
The chant is about as close as Osteen’s relentlessly upbeat preaching ever comes to a theological doctrine, and it captures many of the key themes behind his runaway appeal. There’s the stark individualist ethos that lies behind the definition of scripture as first and foremost an agent of identity change. There’s the curiously infantile quality of both the act of the chant and its diction. (No matter how emphatically an arena full of believers may shout “Never, never, never,” they always sound like pouting toddlers.)
Setting the stage with some Biblical perspectives
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (1 Timothy 6:3-5)
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10)
If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:8-10)
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. (Luke 12:15)
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6-10)
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, (2 Timothy 4:3)
Evan Smith: Was the decision to be positive and upbeat a calculated one on your part?
Osteen:It’s who I am. When I took over for my father, in 1999, I didn’t change. Playing sports growing up, I was always the encouraging one, the one telling the team, “Hey, we can beat these guys.” I’ve never condemned people or beaten them down. I’ve always tried to bring out the best in them. People knock me for not talking about sin or not preaching against sin, but I don’t think that’s true—I just do it in a positive light.I talk about integrity and morality and faithfulness, but I end by saying, “You know what? All of us can do better in this area.”
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Joel Osteen’s charismatic preaching and immense wealth have made him a household name in modern Christianity. However, his brand of faith, often associated with the prosperity gospel, would likely raise eyebrows (and maybe a few sandals) if he were to step into a first-century Christian gathering.If we were to transport Osteen back to the New Testament era, it’s highly unlikely he’d find himself welcomed as a guest preacher by the apostles. Here’s why:
Material Wealth vs. Spiritual Riches: Osteen’s prosperity gospel, emphasizing material wealth as a sign of God’s favor, clashes sharply with the New Testament’s focus on spiritual riches and detachment from worldly possessions. The apostles, who often lived in poverty and faced persecution, would likely view Osteen’s opulent lifestyle, complete with a $300,000 Ferrari, as a contradiction to Jesus’ teachings on humility and self-sacrifice. The apostles urged followers to store up treasures in heaven, not on Earth.
God’s dream is that you have an abundance, that you be totally out of debt, pay your house off, pay your credit cards off, and have so much overflow that you can be a blessing to everyone around you!
~ Joel Osteen
The home has a large backyard that is surrounded by tall green trees that make the space a little more private. It also has a large grey concrete driveway which has space to fit probably over 20 cars! What a perfect spot for his Ferrari.
Joel Osteen is a well-known prosperity gospel televangelist, preacher, and best-selling author from Houston, Texas. With so many avenues of income, it’s no wonder Joel Osteen house looks like a castle…and Joel Osteen net worth? It’s unreal.
Pastor Joel Osteen is one of the richest pastors in the United States of America, and he without a doubt takes advantage of it. In the words of Osteen himself, “It’s God’s will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty.” And he stays true to his word. Joel Osteen house is situated in Houston in a wealthy suburb known as River Oaks.
The house cost him $10.5 million. Joel and his wife also own a second $2.9 million mansion in Tanglewood, Houston. The River Oaks stone property boasts loads of unique and luxurious features which span across the large mansion, including 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 5 open wood fireplaces, 3 elevators, a 1 bedroom guest house, a pool, and a pool house.
Joel Osteen house is 17,000 square feet and occupies a massive 1.86 acres. It is secluded by a large and beautiful ornamental fence. It is certainly more of a mega-mansion than just a house. And to think only 4 people live there.
The Bible says it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven, but one celebrity pastor does not seem terribly concerned with the warning.
Joel Osteen, one of the wealthiest and most popular preachers in the US, has come under fire after evidence of his luxurious lifestyle was made public on social media.
Mr Osteen, who leads the Lakewood Church in Houston – one of the enormous congregations that are dubbed “megachurches” – was criticised after it was revealed the pastor owns a Ferrari sportscar that costs more than $300,000 dollars.
Users on Twitter lambasted the pastor, arguing his ownership of a Ferarri is a good argument for the government taxing churches.
“Ferrari is trending. That means either someone won a race or Joel Osteen took some of the money Jesus told him to give to the poor and went on another shopping spree,” one user said.
Mr Osteen – whose net worth is estimated at more than $50m – is a the figurehead of what has become known as the “prosperity gospel,” which teaches that material wealth is indicative of God’s blessing on a person’s life. Prosperity theology is especially lucrative for pastors, as it pushes the idea that those who give money to God will be blessed with money themselves. In churches that teach that philosophy, giving money to God, of course, means giving money to the church leaders.
The Prosperity Gospel’s Roots
The prosperity gospel’s origins in New Thought, a movement emphasizing individual divinity and the power of positive thinking, are at odds with the New Testament’s focus on God’s sovereignty and grace. The apostles, steeped in Jewish tradition and early Christian theology, would likely find the prosperity gospel’s emphasis on material success and self-empowerment to be a distortion of the Gospel message. The apostles taught reliance on God, not on human potential.
The prosperity gospel has its roots in an American occult tradition called New Thought.
The prosperity gospel is an umbrella term for a group of ideas — popular among charismatic preachers in the evangelical tradition — that equate Christian faith with material, and particularly financial, success. It has a long history in American culture, with figures like Osteen and Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, glamorous, flashily-dressed televangelists whose Disneyland-meets-Bethlehem Christian theme park, Heritage USA, was once the third-most-visited site in America.
Its roots, though, don’t just lie in explicitly Christian tradition. In fact, it’s possible to trace the origins of the American prosperity gospel to the tradition of New Thought, a nineteenth-century spiritual movement popular with decidedly unorthodox thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James. Practitioners of New Thought, not all of whom identified as Christian, generally held the divinity of the individual human being and the priority of mind over matter. In other words, if you could correctly channel your mental energy, you could harness its material results. New Thought, also known as the “mind cure,” took many forms: from interest in the occult to splinter-Christian denominations like Christian Science to the development of the “talking cure” at the root of psychotherapy.
Throughout the twentieth century, proponents of this particularly American blend of theology envisaged God as a kind of banker, dispensing money to the deserving, with Jesus as a model business executive.
Self-Promotion vs. Humility:Osteen’s charismatic personality and self-promotional approach contrast starkly with the apostles’ emphasis on humility and serving others. The apostles saw themselves as messengers of God’s word, not celebrities seeking personal gain or recognition.
I love Paul’s words in Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
The sinner’s prayer doesn’t tell the whole story. We are not saved by saying particular words or by praying a particular prayer. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. When we trust in Jesus, we are saved on the basis repentance and faith in his death and resurrection. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. There is no Biblical appeal in this “prayer.”
The New Testament consistently cautions believers to be wary of false teachers who may appear trustworthy but have ulterior motives. They are described as wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:151Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.), masquerading as righteous servants (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), and leading people astray from the truth (Matthew 24:242For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.). As Christians, we are called to emulate the Bereans in Acts 17 by diligently studying the Scriptures to ensure that the teachings we encounter align with God’s Word.
Scripture seems to foreshadow Osteen’s apparent obliviousness to his own shortcomings: “Evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves” (2 Timothy 3:13).
Focus on Earthly Success vs. Eternal Salvation:Osteen’s sermons often focus on achieving success in this life, while the apostles were primarily concerned with leading people to eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The apostles would likely view Osteen’s emphasis on worldly prosperity as a distraction from the true purpose of the Gospel.
A significant flaw in Joel Osteen’s “Your Best Life Now” is his one-sided portrayal of humanity. While emphasizing our creation in God’s image, he overlooks the negative consequences of the Fall as described in Genesis. This omission results in an incomplete view of humanity that highlights the positive while neglecting the negative.
As seen on a Christian forum… Maybe Osteen is where the Fortune Cookie company gets their ideas…😉
For instance, Osteen urges readers to “cast down those negative thoughts and begin to see yourself as God sees you – a winner, an overcomer,” favoring terms like “faults and weaknesses” over the concept of sin. This tendency to downplay or avoid the harsh realities of sin is a common characteristic of prosperity gospel preachers, echoing the “New Thought” teachings of the 19th century, which heavily influenced this theological perspective.
Lack of Emphasis on Suffering and Sacrifice:The New Testament doesn’t shy away from the reality of suffering and persecution in the Christian life. Osteen’s message tends to gloss over the reality of suffering and sacrifice in the Christian life, while the apostles openly acknowledged the hardships and persecution that believers would face. The apostles’ emphasis on taking up one’s cross and following Jesus, even unto death, would likely be seen as incompatible with Osteen’s upbeat and optimistic approach.
There’s a belief that you’re supposed to be poor, and suffering, and show your humility. I just don’t see the Bible that way. I see that God came and Jesus died so that we might live an abundant life and be a blessing to others.
~ Joel Osteen
Biblical perspectives on suffering…
In modern times, one of Christianity’s most daunting challenges is addressing the problem of suffering. How can a loving God permit such pain in the world He created? For those who have personally experienced immense suffering, this isn’t merely a philosophical question, but a deeply personal and emotional struggle.
The Bible doesn’t shy away from this issue. It dedicates an entire book, Job, to exploring the complexities of suffering.
Joseph’s story in Genesis provides another biblical example. Sold into slavery by his brothers and unjustly imprisoned in Egypt, Joseph’s endurance, coupled with God’s grace, eventually leads to his elevation as second only to Pharaoh.
Christian theism stands uniquely equipped to address the problem of suffering. Unlike other belief systems, Christians worship a God who experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations of human life, from temptation and grief to persecution and death. The cross of Christ serves as a testament to God’s unwavering love and justice in the face of suffering. It is a powerful reminder that God not only cares about our pain but has shared in it.
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Philippians 1:29)
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. (2 Corinthians 1:5)
That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. (Philippians 3:10)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Rom. 8:15–18)
Theological Differences:The prosperity gospel’s interpretation of Scripture often diverges from traditional Christian theology. Its focus on material blessings as a primary indicator of faith might be seen as a distortion of the Gospel’s message of salvation through Christ alone.
For Joel Osteen, Theology is Optional
By Paul Edwards, “The Paul Edwards Program,” WLQV Detroit
“I try to leave them better off than they were before,” is how Joel Osteen defined the endgame for his multi-million dollar ministry of self-help and empowerment during a recent twelve minute segment on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” The title of the segment was “Joel Osteen Answers His Critics.” Ironically, the segment may have only bolstered his critics while adding more.
Blogger Matt Tillotson: “If you’ve read one Joel Osteen book, I’m pretty sure you’ve read every Joel Osteen book.”
In twelve short minutes Osteen managed to admit that his ministry is more about show than substance, that he has an aversion to doctrine and theology, that he has little gifting as a teacher of God’s word, that he would rather inspire and motivate people than fulfill the biblical mandate given to pastors to reprove and rebuke, and that what he teaches is closer to Dr. Phil and Oprah than it is to Jesus or St. Paul. In other words, Joel Osteen, by his own admission, may be well-qualified as a motivational speaker, but lacks many of the qualifications to be considered a pastor of God’s people.
Osteen readily admits that he is ill-equipped to handle Scripture properly, telling Pitts, “….there’s a lot better people qualified to say, ‘Here’s a book that’s going to explain the Scriptures to you.’ I don’t think that’s my gifting.” He spends Wednesday through Saturday in his study at home preparing his weekly message. One might imagine that he is diligently studying the Scriptures. Not so. He told Byron Pitts, “.…when I think about it, Sunday’s in a few days and I gotta get back up here and feed everybody and be my best and inspire them and have some good stories, keep them listening.…”
Nowhere in Scripture is the man of God commanded to “be my best” and “inspire them” and “have some good stories” or even to “keep them listening.” On the contrary, the Word of God makes it clear that we are not sufficient in ourselves to proclaim God’s word (2 Cor. 3:5,63Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ho has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.); it isn’t our goal to inspire but rather to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort”; and we accomplish that goal, not with “some good stories,” but with “all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Tim. 4:1-6).
Doctrine is not even on Osteen’s radar. Osteen told Pitts his calling is not to impress people with “Greek words and with doctrine.” Rather, he views his calling as helping people “have the right thoughts today.” While Osteen may not consider teaching God’s word his gifting, God nonetheless demands that those who lead God’s church have an ability to teach His word (1 Tim. 3:24Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.; 2 Tim. 2:245And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.). On this point, Osteen has disqualified himself.
Osteen measures the success of his ministry not by the spiritual growth of his congregation, but by “hundreds of people tellin’ [him] ‘You changed my life.’”
It is important to remember at this point that Joel’s position on the value of formal doctrinal understanding seems intentionally vague. Inspiration and encouragement of his audiences and readers are the itches he seeks to scratch. Like too many other Evangelicals Osteen’s teaching emphasis makes the pragmatic and the topical his chief concern. Boiling down “principles” to live one’s life by into a 7 point outline for easy digesting (such as evident in the book) is his focus. This is readily seen in Osteen’s carefully crafted homilies as broadcast on his weekly telecast.
It is by this attitude and example that Osteen appears to deliberately downplay the necessity for the doctrinal and the expository. He refers to the exposition of doctrine as tools of a craft he doesn’t feel “qualified” to present (16), despite the fact that the Bible itself makes clear that pastors are to be “apt to teach” and divinely charged by apostolic authority to “preach the word; (to) be instant in season, out of season; (to) reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (1 Timothy 3:26Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach. with 2 Timothy 4:37For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.).
With the exception of “Psalms and Proverbs for Everyday Life,” not a single title could be recognized as a Biblically-based work.
While Joel Osteen’s prolific writing career has garnered immense popularity and financial success, a closer examination of his selected works raises questions about the validity of categorizing him as a “Christian” writer in the traditional sense. Here’s why:
Focus on Self-Improvement Over Spiritual Transformation:Osteen’s titles heavily emphasize personal empowerment, success, and happiness, often using secular language like “winner,” “success,” and “dreams.” While these themes are not inherently un-Christian, the overwhelming focus is on earthly achievements.
Absence of Biblical Depth:Despite occasional references to scripture, Osteen’s books lack in-depth theological analysis or engagement with challenging biblical concepts. They often offer simplistic interpretations and focus on positive affirmations rather than wrestling with the complexities of faith and the human condition.
Prosperity Gospel Emphasis:Many of Osteen’s titles align with the prosperity gospel, a theology that emphasizes material wealth and health as signs of God’s favor.
Positive Thinking Over Divine Grace:Osteen’s books heavily promote the power of positive thinking and self-affirmation, often neglecting the central Christian doctrine of grace and the need for God’s intervention in our lives.
Lack of Focus on Christ:While Jesus is mentioned in Osteen’s works, He is not presented as the central figure of the Christian faith.
While Joel Osteen’s books offer valuable insights into personal growth and positive thinking, their lack of theological depth, emphasis on material prosperity, and neglect of core Christian doctrines raise concerns about their alignment with traditional Christian teachings. While well-intentioned, his writing could be seen as a self-help genre with a Christian veneer, rather than a genuine exploration of Christian faith and spirituality.
Joel Osteen X/Formerly Twitter account.
Joel Osteen quotes…
Next, you need to imagine the life you want to live and keep it before your eyes. Imagine success, health, abundance, joy, peace, and happiness. If you keep this before you, nothing on earth will be able to hold these things from you.
You can cancel out God’s best plan by speaking negative words.
Many of you today know this, you believe it down here in your heart. But the reason that you’re not experiencing as much as you should is because your not declaring it. You’ve got to give life to your faith by speaking it out. Your words have creative power. When you go around saying, ‘I have favor, people want to be good to me and supernatural doors are opening.’ When you make those declarations of faith, you are charging the atmosphere. And your own words can help to bring it to pass. That is why we should get into the habit of every day consistently speaking God’s favor over our lives.
God wants us to constantly be increasing, to be rising to new heights. He wants to increase you in His wisdom and help you to make better decisions. God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas and creativity. The Scripture says that God wants to pour out ‘His far and beyond favor.’ God wants this to be the best time of your life. But if you are going to receive this favor, you must enlarge your vision. You can’t go around thinking negative, defeated, limiting thoughts.
If you will keep the right attitude, God will take all your disappointments, broken dreams, the hurts and pains, and He’ll add up all the trouble and sorrow that’s been inflicted on you, and He will pay you back with twice as much peace, joy, happiness, and success. The Bible says, ‘God will give us a twofold recompense for our former shame.’ If you’ll just believe, if you’ll put your trust and confidence in God, He will give you double for your trouble.
When God led the Hebrew people out of Egypt, where they had lived in slavery for four hundred years, they headed straight toward the Promised Land. It was an eleven-day journey, but it took them forty years to get there. Why? Why would they wander around in the wilderness, going around the same mountain, time after time, not making any progress? After all, God had prepared the land flowing with milk and honey. It was a place of great abundance, a place of great freedom. But God’s people had been beaten down by their oppressors for so long – mistreated, used, and taken advantage of – now, even though God wanted to do a new thing, they couldn’t conceive it. They couldn’t make room for it in their own thinking. Instead of moving forward with an attitude of faith, expecting good things, they insisted on going around with a poor, defeated mentality. Around and around they went, focusing on their problems, always complaining, fretting about the obstacles standing between them and their destiny.
Maybe today you are believing for your marriage to be restored or some other relationship to be improved. Perhaps you are hoping to buy a new home or to get out of debt. Sow a special seed that relates to your specific need. We can’t buy God’s goodness, but like Cornelius we can exercise our faith through giving.
Make a list of your goals, your dreams, the areas where you want to see change. Confirm your desires by Scripture, and then every day before you leave the house, speak those blessings aloud. Something supernatural happens when you speak those words aloud.
If you are struggling financially, remind yourself repeatedly, “I am the head and I am not the tail. I will lend and I will not borrow. Everything I touch will prosper and succeed.
God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.
Sometimes it is hard for us to grasp that God wants us to prosper in every way…God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us. One of the most important Biblical principles that shows us how to prosper is the principle of sowing and reaping…
People tell me, “Joel, He is God. If He wants to bless me, He can.” Friend, God works by laws. You can’t expect to reap a harvest without first planting your seeds. If you will be faithful and do what God is asking you to do, God will do His part. Don’t let the enemy deceive you into holding on to your seed–get it into the ground!
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. 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 Osteen
Jesus was man until God touched him and put the spirit of the living God on the inside of him.
~ Victoria Osteen
Oops … You know it’s bad when The Babylon Bee gets into the act
On the May 25, 2006 broadcast from Lakewood Church, Osteen preached a message titled, “The Generational Blessing.” In the message, he summarizes a purported study from the United States military in 1993. According to Osteen, the study was designed to see if anything beyond physical traits is passed down from one generation to the next. I will quote Osteen at length:
“Well, they took white blood cells from a volunteer and they carefully placed them in a test tube and they put a probe from a lie detector test down in that test tube. And of course, the probe measures a person’s emotional response. And they had this same volunteer go a couple of doors down and watch some very violent scenes on television. . . . And when this man watched the scenes, even though the blood that was being tested was in another room – when he got all up tight and tense, that lie detector test shot off the page. It was detecting his emotional response even though the blood was no longer in his body … . Their final conclusion was: The blood cells seem to remember where they came from. And I was thinking about if sickness and addiction and wrong mindsets can be passed down, how much more can God’s blessing and favor and good habits be passed down through our blood?”
Osteen then makes a case that one can pass down a “generational blessing” to the next generation by making decisions that change one’s DNA.He says, “In your blood, being formed in your DNA, is that fortitude, that strength, that excellent spirit and it’s going to be passed down from generation to generation.” Furthermore, negativity is “junk that can get into your blood and be passed down.”
This entire line of thinking would be laughable if it were not for the fact that the person making these statements is not some obscure preacher, but the pastor of the church with the largest average weekly attendance in the United States. The “study” that Osteen cites sounds more like an urban legend than legitimate science. I know of no reputable scientist who argues that material removed from a live human body is affected by that human’s choices after its removal. Using Osteen’s logic, if I donate my blood in a blood transfusion, does that mean my choices affect the recipient of my blood? If Osteen is correct, we can end the scourge of drugs and poverty by simply transfusing blood from successful people into those who are struggling.
Joel Osteen’s message may resonate in the modern world, but it starkly contrasts with the teachings of the New Testament apostles. They emphasized humility, sacrifice, community, and spiritual transformation, aligning with Christ’s call to deny oneself, take up their cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:248Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”). This stands in stark opposition to the prosperity gospel’s focus on material wealth and personal success, which echoes the warnings against the love of money (1 Timothy 6:109For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.) and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 13:2210As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.).
While Osteen’s intentions may seem good, his message could be seen as a wolf in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:1511Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.), leading people away from the narrow path that leads to life (Matthew 7:1412For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.). His teachings, though alluring, ultimately distract from the true Gospel, which centers on repentance, faith in Christ, and a transformed life. Let us not be deceived by the attractive packaging; instead, let us hold fast to the timeless truths of Scripture, seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness above all else (Matthew 6:3313But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.).
Footnote
1
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
2
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
3
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ho has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
4
Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
5
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil.
6
Therefore an overseer[a] must be above reproach, the husband of one wife,[b] sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.
7
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.
8
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
9
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
10
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
11
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
12
For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
13
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
God’s dream is that you have an abundance, that you be totally out of debt, pay your house off, pay your credit cards off, and have so much overflow that you can be a blessing to everyone around you!
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Philippians 1:29)
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. 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?