The spirit of the antichrist part 2: Joel Osteen

The annoying thing about this project, is that everything is so nuanced. A lot of it sounds good. Just a slight change of wording, leaving a few words out of a Bible passage, can totally warp the meaning of the text. Leave out a little bit here and add a little bit there. Sometimes it's hard because there is only truth being said, but the error comes in what was not said or what the focus of the truth was applied to. Without further ado, here is the 2nd installment of the antichrist project:

Joel Osteen says in his new book "Becoming a Better you":

What does it mean to become a better you? First, you understand that God wants you to become all that He created you to be. Second, it is imperative that you realize that God will do His part, but you must do your part as well. To become a better you, you must:
1. Keep pressing forward.
2. Be positive toward yourself.
3. Develop better relationships.
4. Form better habits.
5. Embrace the place where you are.
6. Develop your inner life.
7. Stay passionate about life.
Joel Osteen, Becoming a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (New York: Free Press, 2007),

What the Bible says:
Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

1 Timothy 2:1-2
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Psalm 24:3-4
Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

What I say:
If you take out the introduction and just look at the table of contents, there is no way you'd be able to tell that there is anything Christian about the book. To become a better you according to the Christian faith is being more like Jesus. There is no mention of Bible Study, God's law, righteousness, prayer, staying away from idols, etc. If you look at what the chapters focus on, it's all about you. Christianity says it's all about God.
Become a better you? Meditate on this Book of law day and night.
Become a better you? Pray, intercede, and give thanksgiving for everyone.
Become a better you? Worship only God and be true.
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The Scripture says, 'Our faith is made effectual when we acknowledge everything good in us.' Think about this: Our faith is not effective when we acknowledge all our hurts and pains. It's not effective when we stay focused on our shortcomings or our weaknesses. Our faith is most effective when we acknowledge the good things that are in us.
Ibid., 129.

The reference in the book says Philemon 1:6
I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

What I say:
Osteen's paraphrasing is off. When you look at the actual Bible verse, it's actually saying that the communion of our faith deepens our understanding of every good thing for the sake of Christ. It doesn't say that acknowledging good things makes our faith effective. What makes our faith effective then? I may not have the best answers, but how about believing God is who He says He is. That includes everything He says about what He's done too. The Bible says He's made you a new creation, you're dead to sin, you walk in the Spirit if you are of Him.

Osteen says "Our faith is not effective when we acknowledge all our hurts and pains. It's not effective when we stay focused on our shortcomings or our weaknesses," yet Paul says he boasts about his weaknesses and God's power is made perfect in that. Forgiveness finds its meaning in our shortcomings and weakness. How can we accept forgiveness, when we don't see anything we need to be forgiven for?
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He's not keeping a list of your shortcomings. God is not looking at everything you've done wrong over your entire life or your disobedience last week. He's looking at what you're doing right. He's looking at the fact that you have made a conscious decision to be better, to live right, and to trust Him. He is pleased that you are kind and courteous to people.
Ibid., 103.

What the Bible says:
Hosea 9:9
They have sunk deep into corruption,
as in the days of Gibeah.
God will remember their wickedness
and punish them for their sins.

Deuteronomy 8:5
Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Joel 1:13
[ A Call to Repentance ] Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

1 Timothy 2:2b-3
that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior

What I say:
Well, God actually is looking at what you are doing wrong and He reacts to your sin according to who He is. To say He doesn't look at what you do wrong is ignoring an aspect of who God is. Since He loves you, He'll discipline you for sin, but you miss out on that aspect of love with a God that only focuses on your good. Osteen talks nothing about repentance in light of the bad things you've done. A conscious choice to live better talks nothing of turning from sin and being truly sorry that you've done those things. What pleases God? Living in Godliness and holiness not "being kind and courteous." Are these good things to be? Yes, but you miss the gospel if you stop there.

I want to also say that Jesus says for every word we will be judged, and at the judgment, we will be held accountable for every word and action. God doesn't keep record of what we've done wrong, He keeps record of everything!
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Stop dwelling on everything that's wrong with you and taking an inventory of what you're not. The Scripture says in Hebrews, 'To look away from everything that distracts.'"
Ibid., 104.

The reference in the book says Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What I say:
Again, Osteen misquotes this verse. He leaves out the most important parts and phrases it in a really watered down way. It's not just throwing off distractions, it's throwing off sin and things that hinder you from fixing your eyes on Jesus.
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God "is waiting for your obedience so He can release more of His favor and blessings in your life...My question to you is: How high do you want to rise? Do you want to continue to increase? Do you want to see more of God's blessings and favor?
Ibid., 302.

What the Bible says:
John 3:30
He must become greater; I must become less.

What I say:
I don't think it's a bad thing to say "God you have blessed people greatly and because you have, I know you can do it for me too because that's who You are." As always it's always about the heart issue more than what people are doing. Sure maybe you become rich and powerful, but who do you use those riches for? Are you spending money building fountains and stained glass windows or to help the poor and widows?

The problem with the way this is phrased is that this is all about God's blessing, but not about knowing God. You obey God why? Osteen says so "He can release more of His favor and blessings in YOUR life." Let me put it this way, if you had a friend who was only your friend because of what you did for him, that's no friend at all. There is no love there. You obey God because you love Him and want to bless Him, not because of what you can get out of Him. Anything short of that is not love and if you do not love, you do not know God. I'm not saying it has to be perfect, but that has to be the heart of things.
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I know I'm not perfect, but I also know this: My conscience is clear before God. I know that I'm doing my best to please Him. That's why I can sleep well at night. That's why I can lie down in peace. That's why I have a smile on my face.
Ibid., 316.

What the Bible says:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2

What I say:
If you are reading this and are a Christian, I ask you, what clears our conscience before God? Is it not the blood of Jesus? Was it not His sacrifice that atoned for our sin and lifted the yoke from us? You see doing our best isn't enough (we don't even do our best for God). There needs to be an awakening in the Spirit and God has to do something in us.

I believe there is a literal lifting of weight that occurs when someone gets saved because how many of you know that lifting feeling of when burdens are taken from you? I believe a Godly man is a tragic man. He is torn between the joy of knowing God and the pain he has from seeing a world in sin. Sometimes when you really know the heart of God, you won't find peace, but agony. Look at David, he fasted for 3 weeks over Israel's sin, look at Nehemiah and Ezra, look at all the prophets, they were all men familiar with travail. What does the Bible say about Jesus? He was a man of sorrows! Don't you want to be like Jesus?

Excerpts from "Become a Better" you taken from:
http://www.whitehorseinn.org/osteenreview.pdf

About the spirit of the antichrist project

My goal here isn't to nitpick over every little word that people say. I've seen a lot of people condemn pastors for things they've said taken out of context, my hope is that I'm not doing that rather, I hope the things that I examine are more indicative of people's major viewpoints rather than one slip up. God knows I've said some things which have been totally not right (and I've repented shortly thereafter), and so yeah, everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone realizes it and turns away from them. And then there are those who encourage others to follow in their erroneous ways.

I exhort everyone of you, please! Don't just follow a pastor because his name is big or he has a huge following. The name factor makes it about people and not God. I sound dumb saying this but READ THE BIBLE! SERIOUSLY. I cannot stress how important that is and how so many are deceived because some megachurch pastor comes and makes some weird stuff up and it sounds good to people who have no knowledge of scripture and they're deceived. Worse yet, they are kept from the truth, which brings life. What does the Bible say?

1 John 4:1
[ Test the Spirits ] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

This includes everything I say. Don't listen to me, listen to God!

The Spirit of the antichrist part 1: Rick Warren

What is the Spirit of the antichrist?
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.
- 1 John 2:18-19, 22

What I want to do here is I compare what people say to the Word of God. To put as little of my own interpretation as possible, and let the Bible speak for itself. The thing about the antichrist spirit is that it poses as Christianity, yet there are things about it that deny Jesus Christ. It's so subtle sometimes and maybe 95% is right, but it's that 5% that changes truth to heresy.



What Rick Warren says:
"What it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ is to say I give as much of myself as I understand to as much of Jesus Christ as I understand at that moment and I keep growing in it"
- Rick Warren interview with Fox News on what we need to do to get to Heaven
(link to video and source of verses)

Compare it to the Bible:
John 6:28-29
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Acts 2:37-39
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.

What I say:
Look at the responses in the Bible to the question asked, never is there anything that says "give as much of yourself as you understand to as much as Jesus as you understand." It's not Biblical and it doesn't make much sense. Salvation has always come through faith, which is preceded by and produces repentance.

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What Rick Warren says:

It's the five things Jesus did when He was here on earth. What did Jesus do when He was here on earth?

The first thing He did was He planted a church...

The second thing He did is He equipped leaders. He spent three years training these disciples.

The third thing He did is He cared for the poor. In fact, in his very first sermon, he says, "I am here to preach the gospel–the good news–to the poor”... He cared about the poor.

Fourth, He healed the sick...one-third of His ministry was a health ministry.

And then the fifth thing was He taught... He was an educator... And particularly He cared about the next generation. And He said, “Let the little children come unto Me for such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Source)

What does the Bible say?

Why He came
John 17:2-3
For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Titus 2:12-14
while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

His real first sermon
Mark 1:14-15
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!"

What I say:
So in all the five things that Pastor Warren says that Jesus did on earth, he never once talks about salvation, bringing people from death to life, or even knowing God. Look at where his focus is. It's not on God. Why did Jesus come? To plant churches? To equip leaders? Are those really the first things you think of when you ask about what Jesus did on this earth?

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Rick Warren Says:

partnerships between government and industry can't succeed in solving social problems unless they include faith groups, with their large volunteer forces and their worldwide networks.

"People are so worried churches are going to be about conversion," he said, "but everyone has a motive. Everyone has a world view. Christianity is a world view. . . . I don't care why you do good as long as you do good." (source)

What does the Bible say?

What is good?
Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Just a worldview?
John 6:47
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

What I say:
Christianity is just another worldview?! I dare you to say that to God and see what He does to you. Christianity is truth or it's nothing! This is everlasting life, a peace that transcends all understanding, this is the knowledge of the one true God. And what does Micah say about what is good? To act just, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. How can you walk with someone you don't know? What is good, but things that are pleasing to God? You can't please God if you don't believe He exists.

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Rick Warren Says:

"Billions of people live without Jesus Christ. Billions of people don't know God has a purpose for their life," he said. (source)

What does the Bible say?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 17:3
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Ephesians 2:4-5
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

What I say:
Billions of people don't know God has a purpose for them... How about a billion people are going to die and go to hell. A billion people are slaves to sin and they don't know it. A billion people don't know a love that transcends anything this world offers. A billion people dishonor and deny their creator. Sure they don't know about God's purpose for them, but that is so far off from the things that are really important.

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Rick Warren Says:

"Most of the problems in our world would be solved right now if we had leaders who thought more about others than about themselves," Warren said. "The problem is a severe shortage of servant leaders -- leaders who lead like Jesus." (source)

What does the Bible say?

Isaiah 2:22
Stop trusting in man,
who has but a breath in his nostrils.
Of what account is he?

Jeremiah 17:5-7
This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.

What I say:
What we lack isn't a shortage of leaders. What we lack is a knowledge of God. Most of the problems in the world would be solved if we had Christians who knew God. Pastor Warren focuses on the people and not on God. Sure we want leaders like Jesus, how do we get there? When we get God into the people, they will become like Jesus.

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Rick Warren Says:

Warren told Wolfson his interest is in helping all houses of worship, not in converting Jews. He said there are more than enough Christian souls to deal with for starters. (source)

What does the Bible say?

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

John 12:47
"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

What I say:
Interested in helping all houses of worship. Christianity is a theology that says if you don't have Jesus, you don't know God. When you help other houses of worship, you are keeping people away from God. Not interested in converting Jews? Then what are you interested in? Sending them to hell? Keeping them dead in their transgressions? Keeping them away from a joy that surpasses all knowledge?