Is Joel Osteen a Fake?
His mom wondered about that too, according to Joel himself. Since he was little, he has always had a smile on his face, and it seemed so unreal to his mom, whom for the longest time wondering if he had something to hide!
Eventually his mom believed he was just a happy little guy.
It took me years to finally accept that Joel Osteen was a true man of God. Everytime I read his book, or heard from him, he was always giving me specific answers that I had been looking for at the time. The timing was supernatural. I have to emphasize this—I really wanted those answers badly.
Answers for questions like:
What if I have missed God’s best plan?
Why does everything I fear seem to come true eventually?
How to forgive?
Am I too old? Have I made too many mistake to redeem the time I have lost?
How to overcome depression and be happy?
Is it too late to do anything now, because the enemies have gained so much ground in this generation? (the Illuminati conspiracy that I can’t deny and its too horrible)
These questions might look non-special to you, but at times these questions really bothered me. I had to battle major depressive thoughts, guilts, and regrets. These questions would come up and I couldn’t find peace without hearing definite answers for them.
The first book by him that I read was “Your Best Life Now”, and a few years later, “Every day a Friday”.
Still I didn’t understand how right on he really was on many things. It took me so many years to make it a point to only support the churches that believe in and practice these things: healing, miracle, tongues, prophecy, dreams, words of faith… and I didn’t know Joel Osteen and his deceased dad (as well as mentor) believe in the same things too. I always thought he was just a motivational speaker. In fact, he knows his Bible well, and teaches it as it is. He doesn’t seem to believe in Once Saved Always Saved if I heard him right in between the lines. If that’s true, I like it!
Many Christians seem to automatically turn off if a preacher preaches about success and wealth, but Joel Osteen really teaches biblical lessons. We don’t need to label it the Prosperity Gospel, as if prosperity is something wrong. As long as he finds support from the Bible without twisting or un-balance any part, I have no problem with him.
The critics accuse him of preaching the false Gospel, but when I looked at each arugment, I found them to be ungrounded. As for myself, when I read his book I would ask this question once every few pages: “but what about this…? the Bible also says…” and a few pages later I would find something that settle my doubts. I think he is quite biblical in all the things I have checked so far.
We need someone who specializes in the encouraging side of the Bible these days, because our time is so dark and evil. Due to the needs to do research for this website ministry, I frequently uncovered the true evil and darkness in this world, and it really depressed me sometimes. When that happens, which happens quite often, God would tell me to listen to Joel.
In each sermon he has stories of miracles to share, which are based on what he himself experienced, and what he personally heard from his congregation members, or family. How many pastor can share real testimonies like that? The problem we have today is not the excess of true prosperity and miracles, but the lack of. Many teachers are preaching empty sermons these days, with nothing to show for. God has put a desire in my heart to look for pastors who have real supernatural experiences with him.
I would have followed Joel’s ministry all the way since the first time I heard about him, but I kind of stopped when Joel didn’t tell Larry King that Jesus was the only way. I didn’t take him too seriously since because he didn’t seem to have the courage to match his teachings. Recently I have been listening to his sermons on Youtube, and again he was right on targets for many questions I have been asking lately. I guess I will give me the benefit of the doubt!
“Every Day a Friday” is a good book, and I am going to do a book review on it. The messages in it was timely blessings to my soul. Whenever you feel heavy or depressed, go on Youtube and watch one of his sermons. Don’t watch them all at once—interlace each video in between the tough trials of life. It makes it easier to absorb his messages.
