Joel Osteen - The Source Of His Power

I want us to look at Joel Osteen's quote from my 10-5-13, post. Unless you (1) know the scriptures and (2) have been born again from on high, you will not recognize a deceiver, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Satan is a master deceiver and gives his children power to deceive. The following quote can seem so true until you break it down and test it with the scriptures. You will then find the quote is evil.

Joel Osteen - "I do think that religion has turned a lot of people off. Part of it is because it was all about the rules and was political,' Osteen explained, "I think now people have a hunger for God, they want to have a relationship, but they don't want to be called religious. I'm not trying to get them to join my religion, I'm just trying to plant a seed of hope in their heart."

"I do think that religion has turned a lot of people off". 

• What religion? We should be able to see he is talking about Jesus & the bible. The bible is God's word. Jesus is The Word. What Joel is actually doing is moving the crowd by attacking an abstract religion, moving the crowd to a statement that he knows they will like. He will not warn you of hell or sins that lead believers to hell. He simply says "I am not against anyone". Friend, God is against you if you are continuing in sins such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, idolatry, etc. 
• James 1:27 A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (turning from sin)

"Part of it is because it was all about the rules and was political."

• Friends, Joel's statement is evil. It is about rules. It is about God's laws! The New Testament is filled with warnings (rules). Joel throws "political" in just to get you off track and say "yea, that is right". "Political" has nothing to do with true religion, Jesus and the gospel.   
• John 3:3 Jesus replied to him, "Truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God." ISV
• Mark 8:3 Then Jesus called the crowd to himself along with his disciples and told them, "If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continuously, ISV
• Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!" ISV
• Matthew 7:13 13“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the road is spacious that leads to destruction, and many people are entering by it. 14How narrow is the gate and how constricted is the road that leads to life, and there aren’t many people who find it!” ISV
• Joel is liar and deceiver. The bible is about rules!! But I promise you that you can find countless "Joel's" who will explain the Words of God away. Wide is the way to hell. 

"I think now people have a hunger for God, they want to have a relationship,"

• Joel flatly denies what God has written. Man has not changed "now". Man, by nature does not hunger after God. The Holy Spirit has to call. Man does not want a relationship with God on God's terms and never has. Man is born a sinner and under the power of sin.  
• Jesus says - Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
• John 3:3 Jesus replied to him, "Truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God."
• Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than anything. It is incurable— who can know it?" ISV
• Romans 8:7 "That is why the mind that focuses on human nature is hostile toward God. It refuses to submit to the authority of God's Law because it is powerless to do so." ISV 
• Romans 3 10As it is written,
  “Not even one person is righteous.
  11No one understands.
  No one searches for God.
  12All have turned away.
  They have become completely worthless.
  No one shows kindness, not even one person!
  13Their throats are open graves.
  With their tongues they deceive.
  The venom of poisonous snakes is under their lips.
  14Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
  15They run swiftly to shed blood.
  16Ruin and misery characterize their lives.
  17They have not learned the path to peace.
  18They don’t fear God. ISV

"but they don't want to be called religious."

• Man has no problem being "religious" about sports, hunting, fishing, business, accumulating wealth, plastic surgery, drinking excessively, etc. But Joel is redefining what the scriptures teach by leaving out the scriptures. Joel is giving you a way out without obedience to God's laws/rules. The problem is Joel's way out leads to hell.  

 "I'm not trying to get them to join my religion, 

• This sounds cool, but what kind of man believes he has the answer to salvation and escaping hell, then does not want others to believe the same? In fact what Joel teaches is his religion and it is a scripturally false religion. Joel is a wolf in sheep's clothing. 
• Jesus says - Matthew 15-14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If one blind person leads another blind person, both will fall into a ditch."

"I'm just trying to plant a seed of hope in their heart."

• The quote above sounds so sweet, but is not from the scriptures. Joel replaces him self  as the one who can change hearts and that is what people receive....help from Joel who is a false teacher. There is no "planting a seed of hope in the heart" in the scriptures. This is Joel changing the scriptures and your mind.  It is from the evil one. The only hope Christ gives, requires believing in him, turning from sin, and following him in obedience. The hope Joel is giving is positive thinking and leads to hell. The Jesus in the bible is not the Jesus Joel teaches to masses of people who do not know the scriptures.  
• 1 John 4 "Dear friends, stop believing every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." ISV
• Matthew 7 "21“Not everyone who keeps saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom from heaven, but only the person who keeps doing the will of my Father in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name, drove out demons in your name, and performed many miracles in your name, didn’t we?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who practice evil!" ISV 

You can follow Joel and his words to hell or you can get alone with God and ask him to deliver you from ALL false teachers. Start praying to the God of the bible and reading the New Testament and believe what is written. Read it slowly and meditate on what it says. It came from the Creator God, the only God Jesus. It is the Word of God and is alive. Do not listen to or trust teachers. Countless teachers have gone out into the world and, as Joel Osteen, are false teachers. Actually they are wolves in sheep's clothing. 

It is about heaven or hell. Joel is a pagan entertainer, motivational, encouraging, self help teacher. He will lead you to hell.  

Jesus says in Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are savage wolves."