A Concerned Warning

I know people get upset when their favorite authors or speakers are criticized, but I have thought about this for two days, and I'm still angry about it, so here goes . . .

Burger was flipping channels Sunday morning before church looking for a weather forecast, and Joel Osteen was speaking.  We only watched the show for less than a minute, and in that space of time, heard and saw 2 examples of the OPPOSITE of God's teaching.

Now, if Joel billed himself as an inspirational speaker, I would not be offended. However, he claims to be a preacher of the Gospel and to speak for God, so I cannot keep silent.

Joel said, looking out over the vast stadium full of people, "When I look at you, I do not see worms; I see potential, you have the seeds of greatness in you!"  We have nothing good within us; the Scripture says that only God is good.  Actually, the Bible says, "For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, 'Do not fear, I will help you. Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,' declares the LORD, 'and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel'" [Isaiah 41:13 & 14].  The truth is, we are helpless and hopeless without Christ.

If that weren't enough, in the brief moment that Joel was on our TV, an advertisement flashed across the bottom of the screen promoting Victoria Osteen's new book, Love Your Life.  Again, the direct opposite of the Word of God: 

"He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal" [John 12:25], and "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my Disciple" [Luke 14:26].

We are told to expect and recognize false teachers.  To do that, we must know the Scriptures for ourselves; in fact, we are commanded to do so.

God says in Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

I don't want you to believe me; I want you to know and believe the Bible.  We taught Morgan from the time she was small to be respectful of her teachers, but to always know for herself that what they were teaching was true.  Be a Berean, who received Paul's teaching with great eagerness, BUT also checked him out against the scriptures . . .