Leilani and I just had lunch with a couple from church that we are getting to know. I asked them where in ministry do they wish to serve. Their response humbled me and was a challenge to evangelize more boldly.
They told us that they like to visit people in public and bring discussions to a biblical direction. A recent habit of theirs is to go to street fairs and visit the religious booths challenging them to consider the truths of Scripture as they pertain to their false teachings. Expectedly, they are faced with some animosity and anger but often times are overheard by many in the vicinity which are presented with the gospel message in the discussion.
Other times they go to weekly meetings of other churches and ask questions challenging the teacher where from the Scripture he gets a particular conclusion or statement from. They they try to turn the discussion to one that extols Christ and His work.
What boldness! I may not approach those situations the same way, but that's me and they are themselves used of God. We share a similar passion to make Christ known but applied in a slightly different method. Regardless, I found myself envious of their boldness at times. I praise God for granting such faith to members of the body so that we might all be fitted together for His glory and name's sake.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Is Joel Osteen My "Christian Brother"?
Question: Is Joel Osteen my Christian brother?
I recently heard of an up-and-coming preacher by the name of Mark Driscoll. He spoke at the 2008 Desiring God conference and was praised by John Piper. I heard about him from a few brothers I respect. So, I had to check him out. The first video I downloaded had me floored and asking a very relevant question that needs to be asked by every true believer in order to discern the times.
PLEASE NOTE: This is the first I've heard Mark Driscoll. I hope to listen and learn more from his ministry and be blessed by it. What I am calling out in this blog entry is merely an issue that fits into the current series "Would God Save Through a Lie?" and worthy of bringing to question in my opinion.
According to Mark, he considers Joel Osteen "my Christian brother, I do believe that."
Oh my! Mark, Joel Osteen is NOT our Christian brother. It's not merely that he is soft on his doctrine. Joel Osteen doesn't even know the gospel. He is soft because he knows that it appeases the masses and draws large crowds so that he might profit from those whom he has deceived.
To prove my point, below is a transcript from his interview with Larry King:
*********************
CALLER: "... I'm wondering though why you sidestepped Larry's earlier question about how we get to Heaven. The bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and the only way to the Father is through Him. That's not really a message of condemnation but of truth."
OSTEEN: Yeah, I would agree with her. I believe that.
LARRY: So then a Jew is not going to Heaven.
[SOME CROSSTALK]
OSTEEN: Here's my thing Larry. I can't judge somebody's heart, you know. I don't know. Only God can look at somebody's heart. So, I don't know. To me, it's not my business to say this one is and this one isn't. I'm just saying here is what the bible teaches. I want to put my faith in, uh, you know, in Christ. I think it's wrong when we go around saying "You're not going, you're not going, you're not going" cause it's not exactly my way.
LARRY: But if you believe your way.
OSTEEN: I believe my way. I believe my way with all my heart.
LARRY: But someone who doesn't share it is wrong.
OSTEEN: Well, I don't know if I look at it like that that. I would present my way but I'm just gonna let God be the judge of that. I don't know. I don't know.
LARRY: So you make no judgments on anyone.
OSTEEN: No. I just...
KING: What about atheists?
OSTEEN: You know what, I'm gonna let God be the judge of who goes to Heaven and Hell. I just again, I just present the truth. I say it every week. I believe it's a relationship with Jesus. But you know, I'm not gonna go around telling everybody else if they don't want to believe that that's gonna be their choice. God's gotta look at your own heart. God's gotta look at your heart. Only God knows that.
KING: Do you believe there is a place called Heaven?
OSTEEN: I believe it.
*********************
The only statement that Joel Osteen made in that segment which was not a lie was "I don't know."
Question: Is Joel Osteen my Christian brother?
My Answer: If God has sovereignly appointed to save him from his deception and lies and makes him to see Christ for who He is, then yes. At this point, he has been nothing more than a false prophet teaching lies.
"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Mat 12:34-37
I'm curious to know Mark Driscoll's response. I sent him an email (though I doubt it would make the cut of the thousands he receives daily). My hope is that he begins to see that the lies being taught in Osteen's pulpit and others like him (i.e. Rick Warren, TD Jakes and the like) are nothing more than profiteers. It would be a shame to see up-and-coming preachers make such a compromise.
CLICK HERE for the second part of this article
PLEASE NOTE: This is the first I've heard Mark Driscoll. I hope to listen and learn more from his ministry and be blessed by it. What I am calling out in this blog entry is merely an issue that fits into the current series "Would God Save Through a Lie?" and worthy of bringing to question in my opinion.
According to Mark, he considers Joel Osteen "my Christian brother, I do believe that."
Oh my! Mark, Joel Osteen is NOT our Christian brother. It's not merely that he is soft on his doctrine. Joel Osteen doesn't even know the gospel. He is soft because he knows that it appeases the masses and draws large crowds so that he might profit from those whom he has deceived.
To prove my point, below is a transcript from his interview with Larry King:
*********************
CALLER: "... I'm wondering though why you sidestepped Larry's earlier question about how we get to Heaven. The bible clearly tells us that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and the only way to the Father is through Him. That's not really a message of condemnation but of truth."
OSTEEN: Yeah, I would agree with her. I believe that.
LARRY: So then a Jew is not going to Heaven.
[SOME CROSSTALK]
OSTEEN: Here's my thing Larry. I can't judge somebody's heart, you know. I don't know. Only God can look at somebody's heart. So, I don't know. To me, it's not my business to say this one is and this one isn't. I'm just saying here is what the bible teaches. I want to put my faith in, uh, you know, in Christ. I think it's wrong when we go around saying "You're not going, you're not going, you're not going" cause it's not exactly my way.
LARRY: But if you believe your way.
OSTEEN: I believe my way. I believe my way with all my heart.
LARRY: But someone who doesn't share it is wrong.
OSTEEN: Well, I don't know if I look at it like that that. I would present my way but I'm just gonna let God be the judge of that. I don't know. I don't know.
LARRY: So you make no judgments on anyone.
OSTEEN: No. I just...
KING: What about atheists?
OSTEEN: You know what, I'm gonna let God be the judge of who goes to Heaven and Hell. I just again, I just present the truth. I say it every week. I believe it's a relationship with Jesus. But you know, I'm not gonna go around telling everybody else if they don't want to believe that that's gonna be their choice. God's gotta look at your own heart. God's gotta look at your heart. Only God knows that.
KING: Do you believe there is a place called Heaven?
OSTEEN: I believe it.
*********************
The only statement that Joel Osteen made in that segment which was not a lie was "I don't know."
Question: Is Joel Osteen my Christian brother?
My Answer: If God has sovereignly appointed to save him from his deception and lies and makes him to see Christ for who He is, then yes. At this point, he has been nothing more than a false prophet teaching lies.
"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Mat 12:34-37
I'm curious to know Mark Driscoll's response. I sent him an email (though I doubt it would make the cut of the thousands he receives daily). My hope is that he begins to see that the lies being taught in Osteen's pulpit and others like him (i.e. Rick Warren, TD Jakes and the like) are nothing more than profiteers. It would be a shame to see up-and-coming preachers make such a compromise.
CLICK HERE for the second part of this article
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Would God Save Through a Lie - Part II
Jump To:
Intro
Part I
Part II
Let me offer the next thought-provoking question in this series:
If a man merely reads the scriptures but never is given a man of God to share the gospel with him, could he come to a saving knowledge of Christ?
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" - Rom 10:13-15
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." - Pro 14:12
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." - Pro 21:2
Philip was led by the Spirit to bring the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch which led to the following exchange:
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. - Act 8:30-31
In my search of the scriptures, I've found no examples where a man came to know his sins, the Lord's righteousness and judgment [Joh 16:8] without the Spirit working through a preacher. On the contrary, scripture teaches us that the revelation of Christ through the Spirit comes through His mouthpieces for that is what we are called to do. [1 Pet 2:9]
Some use Martin Luther's testimony or even personal testimonies to support the idea that a man can be saved by merely reading the Scriptures. I've read the stories and watched the documentaries also. However, do we dare nullify or compromise the clear teachings of the scriptures for the sake of making sense of an extra-biblical experience? Since "every way of a man is right in his own eyes", let us stand on scripture's infallible truth rather than man's experience or historical narratives. Besides, if I remember correctly, none of the biographers of Luther's life were apostles divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.
In Part III, I hope to provide some applications of these truths in what I hope and pray would spur believers to preach the gospel to the lost at every God-given opportunity.
Intro
Part I
Part II
Let me offer the next thought-provoking question in this series:
If a man merely reads the scriptures but never is given a man of God to share the gospel with him, could he come to a saving knowledge of Christ?
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" - Rom 10:13-15
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." - Pro 14:12
"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." - Pro 21:2
Philip was led by the Spirit to bring the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch which led to the following exchange:
And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. - Act 8:30-31
In my search of the scriptures, I've found no examples where a man came to know his sins, the Lord's righteousness and judgment [Joh 16:8] without the Spirit working through a preacher. On the contrary, scripture teaches us that the revelation of Christ through the Spirit comes through His mouthpieces for that is what we are called to do. [1 Pet 2:9]
Some use Martin Luther's testimony or even personal testimonies to support the idea that a man can be saved by merely reading the Scriptures. I've read the stories and watched the documentaries also. However, do we dare nullify or compromise the clear teachings of the scriptures for the sake of making sense of an extra-biblical experience? Since "every way of a man is right in his own eyes", let us stand on scripture's infallible truth rather than man's experience or historical narratives. Besides, if I remember correctly, none of the biographers of Luther's life were apostles divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit.
In Part III, I hope to provide some applications of these truths in what I hope and pray would spur believers to preach the gospel to the lost at every God-given opportunity.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)