I have a little pages file (for you PC users, Pages is Mac’s answer to Microsoft Word) titled “Joel Osteen Quotes.”
You see sometimes late at night when I can’t sleep, I turn to the Osteen Channel to hear what might come pouring out of his mouth that night.
This is Joel.
Aren’t his teeth beautiful?
Here are some of the quotes I’ve gathered…
“God wants to bless us where we are.” Ok, I’m with you.
“God wants us to prosper financially, to have plenty of money, to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.”
“It’s God’s will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty. It’s God’s will for you to pay your bills and not be in debt.”
Here are my thoughts as I examined a couple quick scriptures this morning.
What is man’s destiny?
Ecclesiastes 7:2
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.
God wants us to be rich?
Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
It’s God’s will for us to pay our debts?
Matthew 18:27
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
One thing I dig about Joel is that he doesn’t take a salary. Apparently he only lives off his books (which if you have the ability to see and you venture to any shopping center/wal mart/target etc…Joel Osteen books are as common as 2% Milk).
I have mixed feelings about the dude…and I hope it’s just his appearance of inauthenticity and falsity and not who he actually is.
I get it. I’m screwed up. As Los puts it “I’m a Ragamuffin.” I’m not judging Joel Osteen, I think he’s incredibly weird and plastic looking, but I’m not judging or downplaying what he and his church does because it’s visibly changing peoples lives and leading them to Christ. That’s not what I’m about or here to do.
What catches my attention when I see televangelists like Joel is this, “How do I come off to people on a daily basis?”
It’s not a pride issue, I’m not worried about what I look like. On the contrary it’s a heart issue.
How do I come off to people in light of reflecting Jesus Christ? It’s a tricky thing, and it’s not just for people who work at churches, it’s for anyone proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ.
So two questions for my readers.
How are you authentically representing Jesus this week?
What can I work on so I can represent Jesus authentically?
Seriously, leave a comment and shoot from the hip, this is good kingdom stuff, i want to grow!
Tags: authenticity, Carlos Whittaker, Church, Joel Osteen, Los, Ragamuffinsoul, reality, scripture, Televangelist
How are you authentically representing Jesus this week?
What can I work on so I can represent Jesus authentically?
Two very good questions.
Here’s a 3rd question for ya….
What does Joel Osteen have to do with MY authenticity?
And a biblical observation:
Does God want you to be rich? If by rich you mean prosper, then yes, I believe He does.
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you (prosper), even as your soul (mind, will and emotions) is getting along well (prospering). (3rd John 2)
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7)
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24)
If a person is in debt, is he/she not a servant of the lender? If so, then are they not in fact serving money? Which leads to the obvious question, which is….?
Joel Osteen was the stepping stone to my questions;
Seeing him on television sparked the questions in my heart and so I extended them to my readers to see what the people in this little blog-community think about how they represent Jesus authentically.
Now that I’ve answered your question, do you have an answer for me friend?
How are you authentically representing Jesus this week Bobby?
I do have an answer my friend! Besides NOT stepping on Joel Osteen, I SMILE alot! (-: I’m genuinely loving and I caring about the people I live and work with. Even the ones who “seem” plastic and weird to me. Treating them with kindness and patience. Exhibiting joy and peace and hope and faith in the midst of uncertainty in the world in which we live. I also laugh and cry alot. I still have a long way to go at being and doing ALL that KNOW and WANT to be and do.
And you?
This week is about not being selfish in the things i create for others. for example, i’m creating a video for our christmas eve service and as a creative mind i am terribly selfish with what i think works and looks best when i need to be open and WAY MORE flexible so that i can work with the team in helping create something that will reflect all the outreach we did this year. i need to realize i’m simply a part of the body working for something greater than i’ll ever know.
To borrow a phrase from Micah 6:8:…authenticity in my mind requires us to “Love justice…love mercy…and to walk humbly with your God.” It’s a tall order (IMHO), but when these characteristics are exhibited in all areas of our life…then, I think we begin to live authentically.
Those fruits of the Spirit seem to stem from those who are authentic as well…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Perhaps Osteen’s quotes were branched off of some of these.
I think context is also gold…
I love that you’re diving deeper, my friend. It challenges my thinking too.
Living authentically for me is trying to remember what I have learned, through living, and sometimes something Joel Osteen said made sense to me, so I did what a good friend advises — “take what you need and leave the rest…”
So, authenticity to me before God is to be honest with myself and try to be kind to myself, accept his love and grace and go from there. I can’t tackle much more after once being ‘superhuman.’ Humility, maybe.
I dig your thoughts and your hearts guys and gals! keep em coming!
Jesus was extreme, my friend!! He stripped Himself of all glory, our King left His Father and Paradise, and passed through a woman’s canal, nursed at her breast, slept in a smelly, unsanitary feeding trough. His love was extreme in every sense of the word. To knowingly go through the anguish and pain… after a bad stomach bout (one of our many) I was like, “Who would choose this pain?” Not only did He choose suffering, but also the wrath of God. Who can compare with Him? I have never known anyone to authentically exemplify Him. To resist every temptation – to never have a moment of, “Well, I deserve this because…”. Nowhere to lay His precious head!! What?!? Why do I think I need my flat and bed when my Savior didn’t even own this simple staple? I will only pursue Him with everything in my being. I want Him. Jesus. I want more of Him. I am in love.
Great stuff Jamie!!!! It’s been incredible to see the Bartlett’s passion and fervor for Jesus grow and grow and grow as you all serve! He loves you so much!
i think that Joel and his wife Victoria preach the word of GOd by the LOrd’s word according to the leading of the LOrd’s SPirit, THey shine with the joy of the LOrd I love JEsus and the devil is always seeking whom he may devour. I have beena Christian for 25 years and I have fallen, I know that what JOel and Victoria have is real and is definitley from the Lord I want the joy of the LOrd that they possess, JOel and Victoria never exhalt themselves above the LOrd and I respect them. They give the Lord JEsus Hope and they express his love to all, very non judgemental, they are human just as you and I. YOu have to focus on the LOrd and not the preacher, do not be critical. God never said it was easy and in fact it is harder to be a Christian but as Victoria says it is worth it!! JOel is real and he tells it as though Jesus tells us, THE TRUTH!!! GOd BLess YOU and your Family and keep on keepin on and fight the good fight GOd has set before us!! In his Love JAne