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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 Seek on
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People have been thinking it was the last day for a lonnnnnnnnnnnng time:
1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
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Permalink Reply by Tammy on
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Personally, I believe we have to feel the sting ourselves before it's even close but that's just a personal opinion.
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Permalink Reply by RoyW on
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Joe,
It is so good to see your post. I was wondering if you were okay. Sounds like you are just as cantankerous as always. That is a good sign.
I think the reason we all can call one another false prophets is due to our complete perfection. We who have no sin can cast stones at one another. Actually, I will have to admit that I have not quite attained and so will have to remain silent on who is an impostor and who is not. I guess the one I have to worry about the most is myself. You have remained faithful and I'm not sure if you have reached 80 or not but I know you are close and still going strong. Your life is a testimony to your faith.
God bless you. I think the Lord is going to go ahead and save the whole bunch of us and throw us into a room when we get there and tell us not to come out until we can love one another. That's the way I think it is going to happen and I think it will take longer for some of us than others. With that in mind I think He can go ahead and come. One way or the other He is going to perfect us. I just don't think it is going to happen on this side of heaven.
Oh well, we will eventually get there.
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I think the Lord is going to go ahead and save the whole bunch of us and throw us into a room when we get there and tell us not to come out until we can love one another.
LOL!
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Permalink Reply by thewatchman on
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"I think the reason we all can call one another false prophets is due to our complete perfection. We who have no sin can cast stones at one another. Actually, I will have to admit that I have not quite attained and so will have to remain silent on who is an impostor and who is not Actually, I will have to admit that I have not quite attained and so will have to remain silent on who is an impostor and who is not"
No, it has nothing to do with our perfection, but God's. We are to discern who is not speaking Truth, comparing it with the Truth of Scripture. This may sound humble to say...
"I think the reason we all can call one another false prophets is due to our complete perfection. We who have no sin can cast stones at one another. Actually, I will have to admit that I have not quite attained and so will have to remain silent on who is an impostor and who is not"
But it's not humble at all, it goes against Scripture. Discernment is not something given to some and not to others. We are all called to discern between false and true. It sounds much nicer not to say anything bad about a man or woman leading the multitudes of people in muddied waters, but it doesn't to me. The Bible declares Jesus' rebukes to those who continued in leading those to destruction.
"The Lord is not going to throw us into a room when we get there and tell us not to come out until we can love one another." The Lord doesn't state this at all throughout the whole of the Bible. Maybe I'm being too serious, but we must be a little more reverent towards the Lord than some of what we write. This is sometimes striking to me as we are looking to Christ as if this is just a big joke....I might be too serious, but I will not be laughing when millions upon millions die in unbelief. This is very serious to me....this is our eternal destiny, perhaps it seems like a much ado about nothing to you, but it is everything to me.
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I think he was being facetious as well but I applaud watchman's reply because I was thinking almost the same things but let the comments ride. We are called to judge those things that are not of God. How are we to know the difference if we just sit back & say "it's all good. At least they got part of those Scriptures right?" How are we to know who is true & who i false if we don't judge? What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 1 Cor 5:12.
For example: Joyce says Jesus stopped being the Son of God when He was about to die: "He could have helped Himself up until the point where He said I commend my spirit into Your hands, at that point He couldn’t do nothing for Himself anymore. He had become sin, He was no longer the Son of God. He was sin." Do I just let that slide because I sinned a few hours ago?
She says: The host of hell were literally on Jesus and were laughing: "They were having the biggest party that had ever been had. They had my Jesus in the floor and they were standing on His back jumping up and down laughing. And He had become sin. Don't you think that God was pacing, wanting to put a stop to what was going on? All the host of hell were upon Him. Upon Him. Up on Him. The angels were in agony. All the creation is groaning. All the host of hell was upon Him. Up on Him. They got on Him. They got Him down in the floor and got on Him and they were laughing and mocking. Ha ha ha ha. You trusted God and look where you ended up. You thought He'd save you and get you off that cross. He didn't, ha ha ha." Do I let that stand as truth because I got angry yesterday?
Another time she says: “The Bible can’t even find any way to explain this. Not really that is why you have got to get it by revelation. There are no words to explain what I am telling you. I have got to just trust God that he is putting it into your spirit like he put it into mine.” Really? Do I trust her word over that of the Bible because I made a derogatory remark last week? And the Bible has nothing to explain what she's saying? That's a pretty powerful statement. She also said that she hoped at that moment that angels were around her whispering in her ears what to say. Doesn't the word say something about not believing anything aside from the word even if it's from an angel? I tired finding the verse but can't seen to for the life of me.
So, if I'm chunking rocks, so be it.
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You answered exactly what I've been trying to convey: We are called to judge those things that are not of God....
Those things not people.
He could have helped Himself up until the point where He said I commend my spirit into Your hands, at that point He couldn’t do nothing for Himself anymore. He had become sin, He was no longer the Son of God. He was sin."
I've heard many of her sermons on her site and she's never said this in any of them and whatever it was said in, one needs to hear the whole thing.
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What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 1 Cor 5:12.
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Judge their behaviors yes. But Priscilla and Aquila did not sit with the congregation outside of Apollos presence and discuss that he was teaching falsely, they took him aside privately and explained to him. When we have conversations here about whether this person or that is a false prophet, especially in light of how much of it is media spinoff, we're not doing it the way scripture shows us to do it. It rather just becomes gossip. Which I'm guilty of as well as anyone. But it's just not productive.
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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on
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Seek,
I will repeat again ... Apollos did not teach falsely. He was underinformed. He taught correctly all that he knew. There is a big difference.
Lord Bless,
LT
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