Victoria Osteen? What About Her? What About Us?


*This post has already become one of my most popular since it was written.  If the post has been a blessing or of interest to you, would you kindly bless me with a comment and a blog following? Thanks in advance!

Imagine you were human. Imagine you make a mistake and publicly say something that is incorrect or highly controversial. Imagine your brothers and sisters all over the world begin to mock you, disparage you, and even call you demonic. Imagine that you and your family are barraged by social media with every kind of foul and vicious attack. Imagine how you would feel, being persecuted by the very people who should love you and pray for you. 

Jesus himself told a group of religious men who were ready to stone a woman caught in adultery that the one who was sinless should cast the first stone. Even these pompous men dropped their rocks. Yet this is a lesson we apparently have not learned. 

We love to throw our rocks from the comfort of our computers, never considering the repercussions of our actions to those we stone with our words. We even love when others pick up stones and throw with us- sharing our disparaging words, meme, or video. We call it "going viral." 

Yeah, it's viral. Like a contagious disease spreading it's poison. We do exactly opposite of what Jesus taught us by His words and actions. And then we condone our behavior saying we must judge one another lest others be deceived by the one we disparage. 

I can hear someone saying, "But that one has a higher accountability.." That if we care about the body of Christ, we must be watchmen...My Bible tells me to examine MYSELF. To take the log out of my eye before trying to remove the splinter from someone else's. As imperfect as I am, I have enough work to do right here in this heart before passing judgment on others. 

And the spirit of our stones thrown is not one of love. There is little or no love anywhere recognizable- at least in most of the posts I've seen.

I'm writing to myself first and then sharing with you! IMHO- it's time for those who call themselves believers in Jesus Christ to repent of this sin. We need to stop falling prey to what I call the Internet Cesspool. Stop making excuses for gossip and slander. God is not pleased and the world looks on and laughs at us. 

Now imagine again you are a human who makes a mistake. Imagine swimming in a sea of prayer, love, and forgiveness, encouragement and godly exhortation. Imagine thousands of hands lifting you to your feet after you've fallen. Imagine having your biological family being covered and protected by your spiritual family. Imagine what that would look like to a watching world!

If you are called by His name, then seek His face, turn from your wicked ways, humble yourself and pray. And let's start looking a little more like the One who loves us by being a little more like Him. 

Update: Here's a link to a great video by Clayton Jennings regarding the same issue. It's worth the time to watch.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=729360307101778&fref=nf

Comments

  1. Amen! Beautifully said! JR

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  2. thank you for saying what has been so deeply on my heart! I am sharing this if you don't mind. bb

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  3. That was well put Kathy. I had to see what Victoria Osteen said before I commented. I have never been a fan of Joel and Victoria Osteen. I've heard Joel say several things that were extra-biblical while denying that Jesus was the only way to Christ. They're also into the name it, claim it gospel that just rankles me but good. So, just for my own info, did Victoria recant what she said? Because clearly, this "God wants you happy" message is putting the ball in the wrong court, so to speak. I do agree with what you said 100% but because I know that each of us falls on a daily basis and we each need forgiveness. But the first step towards forgiveness is acknowledging the sin. So I'd like to know if Victoria recanted and if so, was it because she knows what she said is erroneous or just because of the backlash? Just for my own info. GM

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  4. Spoken like a champ! Thank you for reminding us.

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  5. Let me make a little sense out of nonsense. I'm not a fan of the Osteens and I feel she was in err especially for their audience but can the more seasoned believer see deeper into her statement?She said "when we obey we're not doing it for God not really, we're doing it for ourselves. When we're happy God is happy"
    Is that not true, when God tells you to do something, it's not for his benefit it's for yours. If you have sex before marriage, it doesn't hurt God it hurts you. He doesn't get an ounce more of power nor does he become less powerful. He's still 100% God.
    Your obedience to God is so that you can be happy so that you can have peace so that you can have life more abundantly in this life. His plans for us are good. When we obey him and we live happy lives, it makes God happy. He takes pleasure in our joy. I think it's more of a "how she said it" thing in this case.

    Our disobedience to God leads to destruction of ourselves not God and God is sorrowful in those moments in our lives. BS

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    1. Here's my OPINION on that particular thing- about what we do for God or for ourselves. If I worship and obey God for myself, my reasons are out of line with the reason we were created and why we worship. I obey and worship God because He IS. Period. (I used to think I obey or worship God because He is good. I don't think this anymore. I obey and worship Him because He IS) For this reason we were created in the beginning. This warped thinking that we do what we do to be happy also goes for those who say we give to God so we can get..."Don't be a bucket plunker! Believe when you give that God will..." No, I give because it is part of my worship life. And I give as I'm led and sometimes because there's a need, but I never give expecting I will receive because of it. I could go on about the clever deceptions taught in the contemporary church. Suffice to say we all need to obey God and worship (which is a lifestyle, not a song service) because God is. Plain and simple! And also, there are many times that obedience to God is just plain HARD. He asks us to do things that take us far out of our comfort zone, and take us from our happy place! But obedience in these and all situations brings joy-which is different from happiness. Reducing our lives to doing so we can be happy turns the power of the Gospel into...Disneyland.

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  6. I was thinking the same thing as you both Bridgette & Kathy. It benefits us to do the right thing. At the end of the day it makes us happy when we obey God because the consequences of good actions are usually good. However, if being honorable and obeying God brings persecution and not happiness, we should do it anyway because He IS. Therefore, her statement is misguided but none of us are perfect and she should be given grace just as we all have been. JR

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  7. Great article and insight Victoria Osteen's remarks. As far as Joel, I never trusted anyone who blinks more than I do. WM

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  8. Amen, I realize all in leadership and those close to them are going to be subject to contraversy and scritiny this is how the world is, but THE CHURCH DEVOUT FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST need not to be the needle in someones eye, rather be the common thread of Christ that sews the fabric of His Cuhrch together unified as one. We are all entitled to our own opinions and choices and yes we all are human, but loving like Jesus is what is commanded of His brethren 24/7 we cannot pick and choose when to obey this command, and still call us HIS. Great message here. CS

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  9. I tried to read your blog post with a receiving heart. I have to first say that your reflection is so true to your kind, loving, forgiving nature, but I think to a fault. I agree we all say things that can be mis-read and judged too quickly. However, in this case, because of their ability to reach a multitude of souls, they should be extraordinarily careful. Perhaps she misspoke, but based on other things they have said, I think not. This is just false doctrine. It seems to be consistent with the message of the seeker sensitive approach. When asked about what God thought of homosexuality, Joel said "it's not God's best"...hmmmm.....DM

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  10. Kathy ya nailed it!!!! IDC

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  11. You're right about the nasty way people have spoken about these two, I think that people feel that because they preach false doctrine that they can speak about them any way that they want to and that's not of God at all.

    Whether or not she said this by accident, that statement is a blunt look into how their messages are on the regular. All the books Joel writes on becoming a better you, etc containing true statements at times (which is what confuses people from saying whether their teaching is the gospel or not) but it always ends with how you feel, what makes you happy. LG

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    1. Whether or not the ministry is false or true, they should still garner more prayer than the kind of unkindness and gossip being pushed around. It's not ok. Yes, they are accountable, but so are we. Are they accountable more than we are? The Bible says those who teach are more accountable, so in that way, yes. But we who are "less" accountable need to do what's right and not use the internet as a cesspool for gossip. It's not solving anything. As I said in my blog, the world looks on at our divisiveness and laughs.

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  12. People seem to want to lionize or vilify others. But nothing and no one is black or white. JM

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  13. yes!! regardless of their beliefs even if you think its heresy we should respond to false doctrine in a manner that pleases GOD! all of this bashing the Osteens does not honor the Lord! CAK

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  14. Well said and I"m sure the enemy is enjoying watching Believers bash and judge other Believers. I'm sure that's why there's so many verses in the Bible about the tongue. Enough said. LW

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  15. I hate when I see so called Christians bashing each other... We get enough heat from the world, we are attacked enough by demons & the devil, then to add another fellow believer into the mix... that breaks my heart... I think many ministries, businesses, and new believers are wounded and die more from friendly fire then from the attacks of the demons on earth.... I stand with you sis!! No need to bash someone or attack a persons character off of a 36 second clip... I can't help but roll my eyes at the notion...MT

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  16. I'm guilty! I confess and repent! This is a great post and a solid, Christian opinion! I so easily fall into judgement of others! Thanks for posting! TK

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  17. I was not hateful, but I did "shake my head" in dismay on someone's post. But I see how unhelpful even that is. Thank you for sharing and opening my eyes. I repent! RM

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  18. I agree 100% Kathy - which is why all I said is "Let's not forget WHY we worship.... not intending to be mean but to remind those who might otherwise be swayed to believe worship is something less than it is- corrupting it for our own glory. HC

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