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Victoria Osteen & the response
Victoria Osteen – the “response” that shows she is a typical false teacher
by Sandy Simpson, 9/8/14
It never ceases to amaze me how people who claim to be “Christian” leaders are apparently NEVER able to admit when they are wrong. Makes you wonder if they are born again because acceptance of the Gospel will cause a person to repent of their sins which then gives them access to the forgiveness of Christ when they sin from that point on (1 John 1:9). But be that as it may, Victoria, the “co-pastor” and wife of Joel Osteen, fires back at the article in the Christian Post entitled: “Victoria Osteen Ripped for Telling Church 'Just Do Good For Your O... by claiming they lied about what she said. She claims in her statement back to them in the article called “Victoria Osteen Chides Critics: I Didn't Mean Parishioners Shouldn... that they claimed that she said a person should not worship God.
"While I admit that I could have been more articulate in my remarks, I stand by my point that when we worship God and are obedient to Him we will be better for it," she told The Blaze in a statement Friday. "I did not mean to imply that we don't worship God; that's ridiculous, and only the critics and cynics are interpreting my remarks that way." (Christian Post, “Victoria Osteen Chides Critics: I Didn't Mean Parishioners Shouldn...)
That is not what they said at all. The title of the article is very specific in their correct analysis of her “ridiculous” statement – that she stated that “worship is not for God, it is for yourself”. So she lied in her response.
But the real problems are that she claims the following in her response:
"I just want to encourage every one of us to realize when we obey God, we're not doing it for God—I mean, that's one way to look at it—we're doing it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we're happy," she said in the 36-second clip posted on YouTube, with her husband smiling at her side. "That's the thing that gives Him the greatest joy … So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy," she continued. "When you come to church, when you worship Him, you're not doing it for God really. You're doing it for yourself, because that's what makes God happy. Amen?" the clip ended as congregants cheered. (Christian Post, “Victoria Osteen Chides Critics: I Didn't Mean Parishioners Shouldn...)
So she not only did not apologize for her statements and lied about how people quoted her, but she reiterated their same, tired, false Word of Faith teaching again. She states that worshipping God is not for Him but for us. Why? Because when we are happy that makes God happy. Oh really? What about the stories of Job, Stephen, Paul suffering from a “thorn”, and all the other prophets and apostles who died serving God? They were not worshipping God so they could be “happy”, they were worshipping God because of Who He is!
Victoria has also not read the Bible, which you would think would be a requirement for someone to be a head pastor of a church. The Bible is clear that the thing that brings God “joy” is our obedience.
John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
John 14:24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
John 15:10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
1 John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,
Love and worship for God is not predicated on how we feel or the amount of joy we have. It is predicated on obedience to Him BECAUSE HE IS GOD! Victoria also tells her audience that they need to “do good because God wants you to be happy”. We don’t do good so WE can be happy. That may be a consequence of doing good, at times, but the important thing is that, in the most difficult circumstances, we simply obey Him because we know He will be pleased with us on that basis. But our “happiness” is not the end. But it is for the Osteens. Almost every word of every message from them is the New Thought idea that we can create our own little world of happiness by simply thinking and speaking positively. I have written about this idea, which is basically Karma, in an article entitled “Karma (by any other name)”. God wants us to submit our will to His, not willfully try to create our own reality that is often not in line with His purposes.
Finally, the scary part is that the “congregants cheered” after Victoria finishes her diatribe. This reminds me of a warning from the Old Testament against heretics like the Osteens:
Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
Someday every person who has ever been born on this earth will answer to God for their actions. You can either fool yourself into thinking you are happy because of your positive thoughts and confessions, or you can follow God and obey Him, thus proving your love for Him. Better choose correctly because “what will you do in the end?”
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Seek, I had not read this huge reply before saying my view on the tithes in an earlier post this morning. Take your Adderall today please.
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Permalink Reply by Seek on
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Tammy, I can't take it again just yet girl. Just finally getting back to semi normal. I've gotta give it a shot and see if this helps with all the physical issues I've had.
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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2Ti 2:2 NIV84 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
1Co_12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
1Co_12:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
Eph_4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
1Ti_1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
2Ti_4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
Heb_5:12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Jas_3:1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
2Pe_2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2Pe_2:3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
People need to seek to choose wisely and examine what they are being taught in Scripture. Most do not. That is not an assumption, but fact.
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I can almost bet most don't because well...most aren't really reading the Bible. The Bible is the only reason I have questioned some of the teachings I grew up on. Because I can read the scripture and not see what they're getting from it and that in turn leads me to start studying that topic.
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Awesome!!! PTL ... PTL ... PTL!!! That is what it is supposed to do :-) You better be careful or someone might mistake you for a Berean (Acts 17:11) ....
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Don't you go throwing out words on me too now. I've heard Berean, but I guess that was the definition. I don't consider myself noble, just that I really want to know the truth so much so that it irritates me on things I keep praying for truth on and seems to take forever to find it.
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Funny. The article I just posted was from a Berean Ministry Internet site. Never been there but got the article from there.
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You do make a good point Seek. Some may have never heard the Word before & step in Lakewood. I guess that's why people like this make me soooooo upset. You have the sick running to Benny Hinn to blow his coat over them hoping to walk for the first time. Then when they don't, what? Anyways, I guess that's where we need to pray that those who walk in will one day find the real Truth. I pray the same for the Osteens but based on others in the past, the money is way too good so they truly see God as a God of financial blessings so obviously, their message is right. Right? God isn't always a God of love. He's not a God of Happy Happy Happy. He's a God of righteousness & judgement. Sure He loves but He loves us with a righteous love. He loves blessing His people but He also demands obedience. I suppose I could go on but you catch my drift - and before you say anything cute, I did take a shower so it's a good drift.
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Oh man! Blew my comeback right outta the water!
I can understand why you have issues with Benny Hinn and Osteen and such. I don't care for either. But Joyce? Comon? Really? ;-) She's still got some good messages. Anything I've heard from Osteen was just errr ummm...momma always said if you can't say anything nice don't say anything...
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