SCAM ALERT - Late Show Salesman

Below is a story of Joel Osteen (the Fluff Daddy of TV Evangelism) hawking, I mean promoting., his new book. And of course it's a heavy dose of Prosperity Gospel / Self Help Guru Nonsense.....

Certain persons, ...

have wandered away into vain discussion,

1 Timothy 1:6 ESV

"Pastor Joel Osteen appeared on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show to discuss Osteen's latest book, The Power of I Am.

 

Colbert noted God's description of himself as the "I Am" (Exodus 3:14). It turned out, the book is about something else entirely.

 

Osteen explained to Colbert that he wrote about what follows the words "I am" in a person's mind.

He illustrated:

Sometimes we say "I am slow"

or "I am unlucky"

or "I am not attractive."

Instead, he wants us to say "I am blessed" or "I am strong" or "I am talented."

 

According to Osteen, "We don't realize how many times we speak negative things about ourselves." To which Colbert responded with his typical wit: "I do that all the time. I'm so stupid."

 

.....However, I need to remind you of an important theological maxim: The Bible can never mean

what it never meant.

 

For example, In Deuteronomy 15 we read that Hebrew slaves were to be released every seventh year. Osteen applies this fact to your challenges today: "I believe you are coming into one of your seventh years. The seventh year is when you break free of any limitation that is holding you back." But the biblical text has nothing to do with such problems today.

 

Osteen cites Philippians 1:28, where Paul encourages his readers to be "not frightened in anything by your opponents." Osteen applies the apostle's statement to say, "Don't be intimidated by that cancer. . . . Sickness cannot keep you from your destiny." But the "opponents" in Paul's text were people who opposed the gospel, not physical or personal problems.

Joel Osteen wants us to experience God's gracious provision, but misusing Scripture to advance a worthy goal is still a misuse of Scripture. Leonard Ravenhill was right: "The Bible is either absolute, or it's obsolete." BreakingNews/JimDenison