Are Joel Osteen and his wife really Christians?

[Jane_Doe22]

That Scripture is not applicable here. Context is critical.

FALSE. Christians are held to a higher standard by God. And preachers and teachers are held to an even higher standard. Check you Bible.

Yes. But in the meantime God urges us to judge those who come as angels and light and ministers of righteousness, and see if they are genuine or fake.

It seems you require a man to have following perquisites: "lacking sins X,Y,Z and sins A,B,C only within certain acceptable thresholds" before God can use them as His instrument.
On that we're just going to have to disagree.

 

[amadeus]

Oh yes, it does help tons when you know someone close to you was saved before passing on. It is difficult to comfort one who lost a loved one who never came to Christ...I mean, if the one's left behind, does not know Jesus either I think it is even tougher to comfort them. I have a longtime friend who lost one of her sons at the age of 26 from drugs. She is such a kind person, have tried to get her to come to services with me but, she just says that when she want's to go to Church, she just goes to the CC down her street. All I could do was hug her and stay silent, for the most part about his possible destiny as, I do not know. This is the kind of thing that makes me wish there actually WERE a purgatory! I can see it giving much comfort to the loved ones who mourn. But, I cannot find anything in the bible describing anything like purgatory.

Perhaps not precisely as the Catholics might teach it but consider what the two edged sword, the Word of God does to believers. Consider what the fire does to believers... not after this temporal life of flesh is finished, but now while we are walking though it. If we allowing God, is He not purging in us these ways now from us the excess baggage that each of us carries to bring us ever closer to Him and to what He want us to be? I guess the problem is when we think of purgatory as existing sometime after the final shovel of dirt is thrown over our faces. Any existing purgatory should be where we are NOW!

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Everything I have heard or read about Joel Osteen is that he's a false teacher. He will throw a bit of truth in there, for sure but...discernment!!! He is on Oprah now and then from what I've heard (of those who like him). My red flags go up as soon as I see his face...dunno, I'll leave that one to God, lol.

I heard of him, but I don't know of his life style, I just keep taking heed of myself with the scriptures.

 

[Nancy]

You're right...
Very bad wording.

I meant that no everyone who is a REAL CHRISTIAN believes that ONLY Christians could go to heaven.

Makes sense?

Sure, of course. Some believe that they can build their own towers of babel and reach heaven on their own steam. Or, they put their trust in false gods. This is all the work of satan, IMO. With so many "religions" and beliefs out there. Yes, only God knows who is truly saved but...being a Christian WE know that Jesus is the only way, yes? ♥

 

[Nancy]

I heard of him, but I don't know of his life style, I just keep taking heed of myself with the scriptures.

Good thinking...and I don't even know why I responded here, lol. Out of sorts lately, I think.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Sure, of course. Some believe that they can build their own towers of babel and reach heaven on their own steam. Or, they put their trust in false gods. This is all the work of satan, IMO. With so many "religions" and beliefs out there. Yes, only God knows who is truly saved but...being a Christian WE know that Jesus is the only way, yes? ♥

Amen

 

[amadeus]

All people are not under grace. That is a universalist error.

There are two standards that God will judge by.

Holiness...and righteousness.The church will be judged against holiness (Be holy for I am holy) And the world will be judged by how they treated (loved) their neighbours. (The royal law)

All you need to do is look into that. The bible is clear on this....although one must dig a little.

But people like to tailor their beliefs to what seems right to them.

No, all people are not under grace but in spite of that as the scripture says and as
@Jane_Doe22 affirms, God is no respecter of persons. The judgment of anyone in the end of the matter is in accord with what they have to work with... "much is given, much is required".

Each person is allowed so much time, and so much opportunity, and so much money [or the lack of money], and so much ability, and even a birth into better or worse circumstances, etc. What does a person do with what is available? The super rich man who freely gives 10% of his income may ultimately be saved but God knows the reasons why the man chose that percentage rather than more or less. The heart of the person is the key and who but God knows a person's heart.

Consider the poor widow woman who gave her two mites, which was all that she had, and then consider also the young rich man to whom Jesus said to sell all that he had and to give it all to the poor. God may not tell every rich man to give away everything like that... but everyone of us needs to really be willing to do just that... if that is what God asks of us,

How open is our heart to first hear what God says to us and then once we had heard from Him,
how really obedient are we in following what we have heard?

Grace? This would with the "much" we have received, would it not? Would not each of us like to have been given an opportunity to walk with Jesus as did Judas Iscariot? Would not we with such an opportunity to walk so close to Him have assured ourselves that we would have made a better show of it? What did he do wrong? What have each of us done wrong?

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Good thinking...and I don't even know why I responded here, lol. Out of sorts lately, I think.

We are encouraged by your response, thanks.

 

[Nancy]

We are encouraged by your response, thanks.

We? lol...probably your spouse?

 

[WalterandDebbie]

We? lol...probably your spouse?

Yes, Deborah/Debbie is her name.

 

[Nancy]

Yes, Deborah/Debbie is her name.

Hi Debbie

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Hi Debbie

She says hello, on her IPhone

 

[WalterandDebbie]

No, all people are not under grace but in spite of that as the scripture says and as
@Jane_Doe22 affirms, God is no respecter of persons. The judgment of anyone in the end of the matter is in accord with what they have to work with... "much is given, much is required".

Each person is allowed so much time, and so much opportunity, and so much money [or the lack of money], and so much ability, and even a birth into better or worse circumstances, etc. What does a person do with what is available? The super rich man who freely gives 10% of his income may ultimately be saved but God knows the reasons why the man chose that percentage rather than more or less. The heart of the person is the key and who but God knows a person's heart.

Consider the poor widow woman who gave her two mites, which was all that she had, and then consider also the young rich man to whom Jesus said to sell all that he had and to give it all to the poor. God may not tell every rich man to give away everything like that... but everyone of us needs to really be willing to do just that... if that is what God asks of us,

How open is our heart to first hear what God says to us and then once we had heard from Him,
how really obedient are we in following what we have heard?

Grace? This would with the "much" we have received, would it not? Would not each of us like to have been given an opportunity to walk with Jesus as did Judas Iscariot? Would not we with such an opportunity to walk so close to Him have assured ourselves that we would have made a better show of it? What did he do wrong? What have each of us done wrong?

yes, The Lord shows us whether right or wrong by his spirit, only if we allow him.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

yes, The Lord shows us whether right or wrong by his spirit, only if we allow him.

Amen

 

[Nancy]

She says hello, on her IPhone

Lol

 

[Nancy]

Perhaps not precisely as the Catholics might teach it but consider what the two edged sword, the Word of God does to believers. Consider what the fire does to believers... not after this temporal life of flesh is finished, but now while we are walking though it. If we allowing God, is He not purging in us these ways now from us the excess baggage that each of us carries to bring us ever closer to Him and to what He want us to be? I guess the problem is when we think of purgatory as existing sometime after the final shovel of dirt is thrown over our faces. Any existing purgatory should be where we are NOW!

Oh yes, the purging! In the beginning of my walk, it was like being raked over the coals, left me burned and bleeding to give to Him my will. It is different now but not totally. It is just that the things that had the strongest hold on me in the world have become the weakest and, the things I never even realized as sin, became HUGE. I just did not recognize it before and, these are the ones I thought would just slough off of me quickly...not so they keep me struggling and fighting daily. Some would probably not even call these things sin, per se' but, flaws and shortcomings? They mostly boil down to certain thoughts...kind of like arguments in my mind with people I know, but are not there! I HATE when that happens. It can be a viscous cycle. Sigh.

 

[WalterandDebbie]

Oh yes, the purging! In the beginning of my walk, it was like being raked over the coals, left me burned and bleeding to give to Him my will. It is different now but not totally. It is just that the things that had the strongest hold on me in the world have become the weakest and, the things I never even realized as sin, became HUGE. I just did not recognize it before and, these are the ones I thought would just slough off of me quickly...not so they keep me struggling and fighting daily. Some would probably not even call these things sin, per se' but, flaws and shortcomings? They mostly boil down to certain thoughts...kind of like arguments in my mind with people I know, but are not there! I HATE when that happens. It can be a viscous cycle. Sigh.

Yes, you are not alone, in my opinion, but, please! put on the whole armor of God at all times. Ephesians 6

 

[Ezra]

I don't see anything wrong with rock as long as it doesn't have demonic overtones and bad lyrics

yes i listen to classic rock along the way mainly the old songs i use to like old time rock n roll Bto t,c .b not fragile foreigner jukebox hero .they dont exactly talk about God.. then w have country music get drunk fall off the bar stool cheat on the wife .. lol i still dont trust joel

 

[Nancy]

Yes, you are not alone, in my opinion, but, please! put on the whole armor of God at all times. Ephesians 6

Oh no need. I never take it off! Lol..yet I can sometimes forget that it is there to be USED!!!

 

[Stranger]

I agree with you and Rita. We are too caught in judging everyone else when we also are still greatly lacking.

But to show how hard it is to just stop judging others and start going to God about our own lack, look at how you end your post, stranger. You gotta laugh at us all sometimes, huh?

The end of the post was a question in light of an observation in view of the fact that Osteen encourages those in his congregation to bring their Bible to Church. Feel free to answer it?

Stranger