Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church received $4.4M

[bèlla]

I dont understand why so many do not get this. You shouldnt look down on the rich because we desire to be poor......and we shouldnt look down on the poor because we desire to be rich.

If God wanted everyone to be wealthy He’d have done it. If He wanted to eliminate poverty He’d do the same. He caused a flood after all!

Jesus never improved anyone’s circumstances with money. He didn’t perform any miracles that provided them with the means they needed. He didn’t lift them from squalor to plenty. He could have done those things. But God didn’t tell Him to.

God values diversity. You see it in nature, animals, and humans. Strong and weak coexist in all three. The problem for many is their position. They want equal circumstances and opportunities. But the Lord anticipated this and told us otherwise. The poor will always be with us. We’ll never have the balance we’re seeking because He made it so.

But the hardest thing of all is our lowliness. Christians aren’t the most talented, attractive, creative, connected, or the wealthiest. It’s difficult to see those blessings go elsewhere. Making peace with that can be challenging. Add in the few who possess them and you have a problem.

The difference is glaring. Too striking for some to handle. Instead of taking the complaint to God, who authored it, they take it out on the person.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

 

[BNR32FAN]

I have no idea but I guarantee you it's not enough. I've listened to him a few times and he doesn't follow the word of God.

I agree that his theology is not biblical but your still making assumptions about how much he gives to the Lord.

 

[Arc F1]

I agree that his theology is not biblical but your still making assumptions about how much he gives to the Lord.

How much does he give?

 

[BNR32FAN]

How much does he give?

I don’t know.

 

[nolidad]

What have you seen and heard?

Well Just to check him out, I have watched several services and not once did He present teh gospel to the very large audience.

He tends to stay very generis about 'God'.

He is of the same ilk as Peale and Schuller and is more the power of positive thinking that live for teh Lord kind of guy.

Several in my church have read his books and were troubled by what wasn't in the books than what was.

Very upbeat, very positive messages. Almost like a vending machine god. Put a dollar in and make your selection.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Well Just to check him out, I have watched several services and not once did He present teh gospel to the very large audience.

He tends to stay very generis about 'God'.

He is of the same ilk as Peale and Schuller and is more the power of positive thinking that live for teh Lord kind of guy.

Several in my church have read his books and were troubled by what wasn't in the books than what was.

Very upbeat, very positive messages. Almost like a vending machine god. Put a dollar in and make your selection.

I came to Christ in a church that I now disagree with on theological matters. I still attend that church even despite our disagreements because I can see the Holy Spirit at work in them. I disagree with Calvinists, universalists, Mormons, seventh day Adventist’s, Baptist’s, Roman Catholics, and many more but I don’t think for a second that these people are not Christians simply based on their theology. Now based on their actions is a different story.

 

[nolidad]

I came to Christ in a church that I now disagree with on theological matters. I still attend that church even despite our disagreements because I can see the Holy Spirit at work in them. I disagree with Calvinists, universalists, Mormons, seventh day Adventist’s, Baptist’s, Roman Catholics, and many more but I don’t think for a second that these people are not Christians simply based on their theology. Now based on their actions is a different story.

I am not saying that there are no saved people in Osteens church. I just find his messges lacking depth and food for the flocks.

I take it you are probably in a charismatic type church?

 

[BNR32FAN]

I am not saying that there are no saved people in Osteens church. I just find his messges lacking depth and food for the flocks.

I take it you are probably in a charismatic type church?

I attend a Filipino nondenominational church. As far as charismatic I honestly don’t know. I think that term could be applied to a wide range of churches.

 

[Douger]

Yeah, how Christian, helping the millionaire, while how many people bankrupted because millionaires like him got money instead of them?

Those loans were so that businesses could meet payroll when they had no revenue due to the pandemic. I'm glad the Lakewood Church could get that loan instead of shut things down and lay people off.

 

[Sheila Davis]

Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church received $4.4M COVID-19 PPP loan

Joel and Victoria Osteen have a combined net worth of $100 million.

Victoria Osteen Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth.

Should Lakewood Church

Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church received $4.4M COVID-19 PPP loan

Joel and Victoria Osteen have a combined net worth of $100 million.

Victoria Osteen Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth.

Not sure if many people know this neither Joel nor Victoria accept a salary from the church. Their personal money comes from books and guest speaking. They are paid handsomely when they make appearances and speak and their books earn them a pretty penny too. Joel has written far over 300 - most on the best sellers list and Victoria has written a few herself - her main focus seems to be those read by children. Victoria's family are in the jewelry business, so both she and Joel has fairly wealthy parents. Considering neither accepts money / a salary from Lakewood - the money that Lakewood Church received from the government goes directly to the church. Should the church accept it or not? Good question - whether or not they're still doing missionary work is unknown. The church itself has been closed for a few months reopened mid October. Lakewood does continual humanitarian and medical Outreach around the world - Pastor Olsteen's brother is a volunteer surgeon. All parts of Africa, India, Indonesia, parts of South America, Columbia, Spain, and remote regions are and name a few.
Everyone has their own opinion - if the church should have or shouldn't have accepted the money.

 

[Der Alte]

Why is being blessed with wealth a disgrace? Job, Abraham, Jacob, David, and many more servants of God we’re very wealthy because of God’s blessings.

It isn't so much how much they make but what they do with it.

 

[Dan1988]

You didn’t address John 15:2 and Luke 13:6-9. The Father cuts off every branch IN ME that doesn’t bear fruit. Jesus didn’t say that every branch in Him will bear fruit. He said every branch that remains in Him will bear fruit. God allows us to be joined to Christ but after a while if we don’t bear fruit we will be cut off. This same scenario is explained in Luke 13:6-9 where Jesus fertilizes the tree and even in doing so it is not certain whether or not the tree will bear fruit or if it will be chopped down. How do you interpret this?

As we know, there are many ways to interpret these and other controversial passages. The bottom line is, all scripture must line up with the rest of the Bible. To suggest that one chooses to join themselves to the body of Christ of their volition and remain-abide in Him by their own obedience is not what the rest of the Bible teaches.
God's Word never contradicts itself, so we can't just pluck out certain verses in isolation and make applications to suit our particular view, results in false doctrine.
You list a bunch of scriptures and use them as evidence to prop up the man centred "free choice" gospel but it doesn't line up with the rest of scripture.
Our pastor usually takes over an hour to preach on one or two verses, you list a whole bunch and pluck out a few words from each to form a patchwork which is held together by sticky tape and quickly falls apart when put to the test by the whole counsel of God.

 

[Dan1988]

No, conditional salvation doesn’t contradict any verses. If you’d like to quote some id be happy to explain them.

There are around 120 verses in the Bible which demonstrate that salvation is unconditional. If you have a spare day and you feel that you can change their intended meaning and correct context I'll list them for you to deal with.

 

[Dan1988]

Conditional salvation doesn’t impede on God’s sovereignty at all if God has deemed that man must choose of His own free will to respond to His calling and to walk in the Spirit.

Salvation is of the Lord, lest any should boast. If we had some input in our salvation, then that would change the gospel into a joint effort deal which the Bible doesn't teach.

 

[BNR32FAN]

As we know, there are many ways to interpret these and other controversial passages. The bottom line is, all scripture must line up with the rest of the Bible. To suggest that one chooses to join themselves to the body of Christ of their volition and remain-abide in Him by their own obedience is not what the rest of the Bible teaches.
God's Word never contradicts itself, so we can't just pluck out certain verses in isolation and make applications to suit our particular view, results in false doctrine.
You list a bunch of scriptures and use them as evidence to prop up the man centred "free choice" gospel but it doesn't line up with the rest of scripture.
Our pastor usually takes over an hour to preach on one or two verses, you list a whole bunch and pluck out a few words from each to form a patchwork which is held together by sticky tape and quickly falls apart when put to the test by the whole counsel of God.

Doesn’t line up with what scriptures? I’m providing scriptures to support my position. Will you please do the same?

 

[BNR32FAN]

There are around 120 verses in the Bible which demonstrate that salvation is unconditional. If you have a spare day and you feel that you can change their intended meaning and correct context I'll list them for you to deal with.

Ive already done it my friend.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Salvation is of the Lord, lest any should boast. If we had some input in our salvation, then that would change the gospel into a joint effort deal which the Bible doesn't teach.

We really need scriptures to prove that point friend. Please post the scriptures you feel I am contradicting.

 

[Dan1988]

We really need scriptures to prove that point friend. Please post the scriptures you feel I am contradicting.

There are too many to fit in one post, so I've just added this link which deals with the basics. Please consider these before we get get too deep, as there's a lot more to consider.
Reformed Theology Memory Verses

 

[loveofourlord]

Those loans were so that businesses could meet payroll when they had no revenue due to the pandemic. I'm glad the Lakewood Church could get that loan instead of shut things down and lay people off.

How many small businesses that have gone bankrupt could that 4.4 million have helped?

 

[DarkGalaxy501]

Sigh.